Risingshadow
Speculative Fiction Books
  • About
    • Home
    • Articles
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Staff Members
    • Newsletter
    • Finnish (FI)
  • Books
    • New Releases
    • Coming Soon
    • Books of the Year
    • Bookshelves Activity
    • Recently Added
    • Advanced Search
    • Reviews / Comments
    • Genres and Tags
    • * Submit Book
  • Community
    • Discussions
    • - Recent Messages
    • - Recent Topics
    • - Hot Topics
    • - Popular Topics
    • - Search
    • CHALLENGES
    • - Reading Challenge
    • - Book Trivia Quiz
  • Home
  • Books
  • Mark Stevens
  • Allison Coil Mystery
  • The Melancholy Howl

The Melancholy Howl

Allison Coil Mystery #5 / 5
by Mark Stevens
The Melancholy Howl (Allison Coil Mystery #5) by Mark Stevens
Unrated

Circling vultures lead hunting outfitter Allison Coil to an angry man tied to a tree. The man will answer none of Allison's obvious questions.

Devo, a frequent ally of Allison's and the leader of a group of scrappy devolutionists, has gone missing.

Allison's best friend, Trudy Heath, finds herself intrigued by the overtures of a retired rock star who has put down roots to grow tomatoes.

And Trudy's boyfriend, newspaper reporter Duncan Bloom, is tempted by an opportunity to resolve his bleak finances by taking a flyer on Colorado's fastest growing industry, retail marijuana.

Allison's trail across the Flat Tops Wilderness leads to an airplane wreck, a murder, and a cunning conspiracy.

The Melancholy Howl braids interweaving threads of mystery as Allison, Trudy, Duncan, and Devo's followers test the definition of family and the dangerous boundaries of trust.

Amazon: Check Best Offer

ThrillerMystery
Release date: October 1, 2018

Book Order
Amazon
Kindle
Audible
Amazon CA
Amazon UK
Amazon Europe

Your Rating
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Standard Shelves

Readers also enjoyed

Hidden Pictures
★ 7.34 / 6
The Burning Girls
★ 7.20 / 5
The Chalk Man
★ 6.62 / 8
The Home
★ 8.00 / 6
The Other People
★ 7.40 / 5
The Name of the Rose
★ 8.18 / 27
The Eight (The Eight #1)
★ 7.46 / 13

Join the Discussion
You can post as a guest or sign in for more features.
Have questions about this book or want to share your thoughts? Join the conversation!
Mark Stevens

Mark Stevens

Mark Stevens is the author of The Flynn Martin Thriller series including No Lie Lasts Forever (June 2025) and Two Truths and A Lie (April 2026), both from Thomas & Mercer; The Fireballer (Lake Union, 2023), and The Allison Coil Mystery Series including Antler Dust, Buried by the Roan, Trapline, Lake of Fire, and The Melancholy Howl.

Buried by the Roan, Trapline, and Lake of Fire were all finalists for the Colorado Book Award. Trapline won.

Read more ...

Stevens has published short stories in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Mystery Tribune, and Denver Noir (Akashic Books, 2022). Denver Noir went on to win the Colorado Book Award for Best Anthology in 2023.

Stevens was one of three co-editors for Four Corners Voices, an anthology of fiction, essays, and poetry that won the Colorado Book Award for Best Anthology in 2025.

In 2016 and again in 2023, Stevens was named Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Writer of the Year.

For ten years, Stevens hosted a regular podcast for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. 

Stevens has served as president of the Rocky Mountain chapter for Mystery Writers of America. Stevens also regularly publishes reviews on his review website.

Today, Stevens lives in Mancos, Colorado.

Allison Coil Mystery

Allison Coil Mystery consists of five books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

Antler Dust (Allison Coil Mystery #1)
Unrated
Buried by the Roan (Allison Coil Mystery #2)
Unrated
Trapline (Allison Coil Mystery #3)
Unrated
Lake of Fire (Allison Coil Mystery #4)
Unrated
The Melancholy Howl (Allison Coil Mystery #5)
Unrated


^ Top
Follow Us: Newsletter | Facebook | X | Mastodon | RSS
Hosted by Planeetta Internet Oy
© 1996 - 2026 Risingshadow. All rights reserved.
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
Privacy Policy