The Dire Bear Cafe — Chinle Miller

When Utah Sheriff Bud Shumway finds a mysterious radio wrapped in a pair of mittens in a nearby desert canyon, he has no idea he will soon be caught up in a mystery that stretches all the way from the wildlands of Utah to the royal family in Great Britain, as well as to World War II codebreakers and a Canadian Cree elder. In addition, a pair of paleontologists have discovered a rare Pleistocene dire-bear skeleton, hoping to clone it into a live creature, and various sightings indicate they may have already succeeded.And of course, science-minded Mayor Howie is thrilled by the radio discovery, which re-ignites the mayor's lost passion for ham radio, adding a new dimension to Bud's worries and things to keep track of, as well as the additional mystery of a strange voice emerging from the past.And if all this wasn't enough-especially during the watermelon harvest, the busiest time of the year-some kind of major fox hunt is going on, with various hunters crossing paths with Bud and Howie, Bud doing his best to keep Molly the B&B manager from shooting them.A railroad graffiti artist, a hotdog that plays the Banana Boat Song, Cold War tunnels, crooked sheep ranchers, a legendary sea monster, Morse code, moon bounces, clandestine knitting, first-person view goggles, and ham-radio vanity plates, and who could ask for more intrigue and adventure in the untrammeled wilds of Utah's Wasatch Plateau?But the real question is, will Bud be able to resolve the concerns with the fox hunters enough to effectively do his job as sheriff, or will being the guest of honor at their final celebration push everyone over the edge?This is book #21 in the Bud Shumway Mystery Series.