The Mystery At Bear Creek

In this exciting new novel by wildlife biologist, guide, and writer Robin Barefield, Alaska State Trooper Sergeant Dan Patterson flies to a remote area of Kodiak Island to investigate the massacre of eight people at a small lodge, where he encounters the worst murder scene he has ever investigated. How did someone kill eight people in the middle of the wilderness and then disappear? Patterson takes a hard look at those closest to the lodge owners. Did estranged siblings Brian or Deb Bartlett murder their parents and the six guests at the lodge? Was the killer the mysterious outdoorsman who lives a few miles away or someone at the cannery in this sparsely populated bay? Each time Patterson picks up a lead, new evidence shifts the course of the investigation. Meanwhile, the killer strikes again, murdering one of Patterson's main suspects, and Patterson knows he must stop the monster before more people die.

Hannah Bradley watches her father lowered into the earth, her family at her side. She tries to find some sadness for her loss but cannot. None of her three brothers are moved either. Something was terribly wrong with their upbringing. What follows is a heart-wrenching evolution while she struggles with their past, a tumultuous present, and a desperate future. To find herself, she must journey to Alabama in search of the roots of her father’s unspoken history. What she discovers forces her to face her own demons and a soul-releasing revelation deep in a dark family legacy. With that awareness, she finds the peace to live her life with happiness and gratitude. Praise for Little Bear Creek: Don Houts - Men Reading Book Blog Review: “Secret of Little Bear Creek: As inferred by the title, it’s the three-generational story of pain and escape. After a dramatic incident, Hannah Bradley attempts to track her family history to understand. Her therapist suggests she take a journey to discover her family’s origins. To find out why her Grandfather abruptly moved the family to Michigan, her father migrated to California, completely cutting himself off from the family he left behind. As a psychiatrist, I thought this story captured exactly what I do with patients during a psychic archaeological dig. The goal is not to find someone to blame but to see patterns in the past so those patterns can be recognized in the present – and then managed differently. Matthews’s insights are remarkable!” San Diego Publishers & Writers Association - "Amazing insightful, surprisingly touching, and filled with truth. A must-read!" Andrew McAllister - Amazon best-selling author: “Matthews generally grabs us with his thrillers and mysteries. Now he pulls into something new. Little Bear Creek does have thrills and mystery but immerses the reader in a tale of emotional strife and a journey to know oneself. Prepare yourself, this is a bumpy ride, and when you read the last line, I will suspect that you will reflect on your own life and take stock of who you are and where you came from. This is a must-read!” Pageturners Book Club: "Secret of Little Bear Creek takes the reader on a journey from California to Michigan to Alabama revealing family secrets that run through three generations. Matthews skillfully engages the reader with his tight plot and fully formed characters. The satisfactory conclusion may cause readers to wonder what mysteries might be lurking within their own families. Well done, Matthews!" —

Ten years ago, retired astronaut Jim Mayfield closed himself up inside Bear Creek Inn, and he hasn’t been seen since. Just when the small town of Bear Creek had almost forgotten about their reclusive and mysterious resident, a man from out-of-town flies in on a private jet to meet with the astronaut. The visit prompts the good people of the small town to begin asking questions. Who is Jim Mayfield? Why did he lock himself away? And who is the stranger that visited him? While the small town asks these questions, the most puzzling thing of all occurs when Bear Creek Inn takes in two guests for the first time in ten years.

The Bear River rises in the high Uinta Mountains and flows through Wyoming, Idaho and Utah before emptying into the Great Salt Lake. Within the watershed are scores of secluded trout streams, dozens of reservoirs and one of North America's largest populations of native cutthroat trout. Angler and author Chadd VanZanten offers a compelling portrait of the most extraordinary fly-fishing destinations you've never heard of. It's also a story of embattled but resilient ecosystems, warring factions of the American West, a dash of San Francisco counterculture, cataclysmic upheavals of the planet itself and, of course, pursuing big, elusive trout.

The Bear Creek Series Blake Thornton along with his older sister, Reggie, and younger brother, Kirby, own a ranch in Bear Creek. In order to pay for the expansion of their herd, they have started a hunting guide service. Most of these clients/hunters want to hunt bear or mountain lion.Greed's RewardThe Thornton's have three men coming for a bear hunt. In order to prepare for them, Blake has decided to check the trail for signs of bear. However, someone starts shooting at him.Upon arrival in Bear Creek, the hunters start to cause problems. Blake soon realizes that they are facing even more troubles with these men. Before the hunt can even get started, one of the hunters is found dead! Was it murder? Was it one of the other hunters who did it? Why?Dixie Gordon runs one of two local bar and grills. Her husband, Dan, disappeared four years ago when their twin daughters were babies. Her soon to be ex-husband is coming back to Bear Creek. Is he planning to try to stop the divorce, take the girls or try to get the bar? Dixie is shot at twice. Is the shooter trying to scare her or kill her? Why? Who?As more murders are committed, Blake and Kirby who are reserve deputies, help the deputy. Blake tries to protect Dixie and find the killer. Can he keep Dixie and her girls safe? Can he keep himself safe?Pride's DeceptionRobin Beck has lived in Bear Creek most of her life. Three years ago while away in college, Robin lost her fiancé in Iraq. She came back to Bear Creek to run the family grocery store. Her mother died two years before and now it's just her and her dad who runs the garage and gas station next to the store. Robin is finally thinking about getting on with her life now and comes to an agreement with her dad that they should both do that.Kirby Thornton has loved Robin Beck for many years, but she has always counted him as her best friend, never any more. To cope with the rejection of Robin's love, Kirby joined the army and after his discharge, works with his brother and sister. However, he lives on the wild side.When Robin's cousins come up to Bear Creek for a bear hunt, her cousin, Marcia, has just broken off her engagement to her abusive fiancé. The fiancé, Preston, comes to Bear Creek demanding that Marcia leave with him. Marcia, is afraid of Preston and refuses to go with him. Robin is determined to help Marcia.Kirby is hoping that during the hunt, Robin will get to know him again and will give him a chance. Will the group be able to survive? How can they get help? Will Kirby be able to protect Robin from Preston?Fool's ProfitChip Green is the deputy sheriff in Bear Creek. He has always liked Reggie so much that she basically ruined him for other women. But he's afraid to get close to her since she'd probably punch him if he tried.Reggie Thornton is feeling lonely in her big home built for five people now that both of her younger brothers are married. She wants a family too! But, who would want to marry her, a six foot, thirty-year-old tomboy? Reggie has always liked Chip so much that he basically ruined her for other men. But the fool just can't see that she likes him.Chip is suddenly given custody of the nine-year-old daughter he didn't even know he had. His efficiency apartment won't work so Reggie takes them both in at her four-bedroom house.A Hollywood production company is making a movie at the Thornton ranch and at the old ghost town in the mountains above Bear Creek. Someone is doing things to drive them away, including bar fights, fires and even murder. Chip has to win Megan over, while living in the same house with Reggie. Sparks will fly all the way around when these three very different people are thrown together.Will Chip and Reggie be able to resolve the problems facing Bear Creek and still keep everyone safe in the process? Will there be any hope for Reggie and Chip to build a relationship?