Featured Local Author

Rob Phillips

Mystery/Thriller novels  ·  Notable Work: Luke McCain mystery series

Unflinching honesty and grace from the Mountain West.

**About the Author:** Rob Phillips is an award-winning mystery author and veteran outdoorsman who has written a weekly outdoor column for over thirty years. Drawing on his deep knowledge of the Pacific Northwest backcountry, he is the creator of the popular Luke McCain wilderness mystery series and the winner of the Minotaur Books/Malice Domestic Competition. He lives in Yakima, Washington, where he can frequently be found hunting, fishing, and exploring the Cascade Mountains.

Selected Works

Awards & Recognition

About The Cascade Killer: A Luke McCain Novel (#1)

"McCain will need his knowledge as an outdoorsman, and his instincts as an investigator, to track the psychopathic predator before he kills again."

"There is witty and realistic dialogue, familiar places that I can picture on almost every page, and even a little romance. I stayed up way too late to finish the story and trace the creepy villain along rivers and forest service roads after smelling a few red herrings. This is a good, solid story, told by a guy who knows bears, bad guys and biology."​~Review published in the Yakima Herald-Republic, written by Susan Richmond, owner of Inklings Bookshop More Praise for The Cascade Killer: "Rob Phillips' intimate knowledge of Washington State's outdoors scene and recent newsworthy events is on full display in this fast-paced novel. Featuring a smart, hard-working fish and wildlife officer, a demented serial killer, an attractive FBI agent and a scene stealing Labrador retriever, this is a great read and if you are like me you'll have a hard time putting this book down!" ~John Kruse, Host and Producer of Northwestern Outdoors Radio ​ “Phillips tells a masterful tale that is engaging, endearing and suspenseful. It is rich with local knowledge of central Washington and the Cascade Mountains, two places the author is intimately familiar. Once I started, it was hard to put the book down. A page-turner for sure.” ~Pat Hoglund, Publisher of Western Hunting Journal, Traveling Angler, and Salmon & Steelhead Journal​ "Weaving experiences that will be familiar to any hunter or angler into a murder mystery plot, The Cascade Killer is a criminal thriller with a unique outdoor twist that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat the whole time. Phillips is clearly an experienced outdoorsman himself and the story he tells is authentic, realistic, and enjoyable. If you’re looking for an enjoyable read out in deer camp or for just sitting next to your fireplace, then The Cascade Killer is a definite winner." ~John McAdams, author of The Big Game Hunting Blog & host of The Big Game Hunting Podcast ​“Yakima outdoor writer Rob Phillips knows his woods, waters and wardens, and it shows as he weaves them into this fast-paced, gripping murder mystery. You can practically smell the ponderosas and pack horses among pages that seem to leap straight out of the gazetteer. Mixing good old fashioned game wardening with current events, Phillips highlights the complex, often lonely and very vital work Washington fish and wildlife police perform, and a modern national travesty, the high number of missing or murdered native women. Buckle up and enjoy the plot twists and turns as they take you up mountain passes, along trout streams and down dusty logging roads as Phillips' woodswise WDFW Officer Luke McCain and trusty Lab Jack race to stop a serial killer from striking again. I don't read fiction, let alone crime thrillers, but this one has me demanding more Luke McCain novels, Rob, please!" ~Andy Walgamott, editor, Northwest Sportsman magazine​ “Real! Captivating! Once you start, you can’t put it down! The Cascade Killer is VERY well done! " ~Scott Haugen, host and producer of The Hunt and author of numerous outdoor books

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Deep in the rugged wilderness of the Cascade Mountains, a routine wildlife investigation turns into a hunt for a human monster.

When hunters discover human remains inside the stomach of a harvested black bear, Washington Fish and Wildlife officer Luke McCain is called to the scene. What begins as a tragic accident quickly unravels into something far more sinister: a serial killer is using the dense Pacific Northwest forests as a dumping ground. Paired with his fiercely loyal yellow Lab, Jack, McCain must use his deep knowledge of the backcountry and raw investigator instincts to track a psychopathic predator before the body count rises.

A gripping, high-stakes wilderness thriller that hits like a crisp autumn morning in the Pacific Northwest. Rob Phillips masterfully pairs the rugged, authentic grit of a Fish and Wildlife officer's daily life with a dark, twisting serial killer hunt. Anchored by the irresistible partnership of Luke McCain and his loyal Lab, Jack, this stunning debut is an absolute must-read for fans of C.J. Box and Nevada Barr.

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