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There are currently 20 member reviews
for Beast of the North Woods
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Linda M. (Ocala, FL)
What's a Hodag?
Beast of the North Woods by Annelise Ryan is a quick, entertaining read that has certainly elevated my interest in the state of Wisconsin and especially the small town of Rhinelander. This real town celebrates a strange spirit creature called a Hodag which was supposedly born from the ashes of abused, cremated oxen, has red eyes, fangs and a dragon's body. Is it really out there in the woods and can it kill people? The residents of the town embrace and protect the reputation of the creature even when a dead body has been found showing signs of a brutal attack. A witness claims to have seen a Hodag at the site of the murder. Can a professional cryptozoologist prove the killing was really committed by the Hodag? This book puts a small Wisconsin town on the map and is bound to increase the number of tourists who visit next summer. I might just go myself.
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Elizabeth D. (Apple Valley, MN)
Cryptid Cozy
I was excited to receive this book for early review - thank you BookBrowse and Berkley Publishers! I've had this cozy mystery series on my list to read since I heard about the first book, Death in Door County, at that year's Bouchercon mystery festival.
This is the third book in the cryptozoologist series, and despite my interest and intentions, I have not read the first two. I may have enjoyed the book more had I read the first two, and it's possible this book had spoilers from the first two (not sure, but always a chance), I felt this book read perfectly fine as a stand-alone.
I enjoyed the book, and thought the mystery was well-done. There were a few additional subplots that either supported the main story or kept the momentum going. The mystery is resolved in a satisfactory way. While I initially thought some aspects may have been a bit too far fetched, the author actually has a note addressing the reality of these aspects at the end of the book.
The setting, as with so many cozy mysteries, is a small town, but it wasn't an overly twee version of a small town and it isn't the character's home turf.
The main character's subject matter expertise - cryptozoology - and the fact that she is being hired for her experience make the book stand out a bit from the knitting/baking/bookstore owning amateur sleuths (though don't get me wrong, I do love those kind of cozies, too!). She is an interesting mix of cool-headed practicality and anxiety; I appreciated the nod to mental health, though it wasn't much more than that. She approaches her search for cryptids and her investigation of other aspects of the murder in a logical way, so even though the subject matter is unusual, the character isn't a fraudster or gullible, or otherwise untrustworthy.
Community is what makes cozy mysteries, in my opinion, and this book has a good, if small, supporting cast. I liked the inclusion of a strong older woman and a social media-savvy young man. Her dog is a big part of the draw, so cozy fans who like their series with a pet friend will enjoy Newt.
Two nits for me: I was a little surprised at how gruesome the opening scene was. Normally cozy mystery murders take place off stage, so to speak, but there was a fair amount of gore description. It may have been especially noticeable because I was having dinner while I read. And a lot of chapters ended with heavy handed foreboding. Once, maybe twice is good foreshadowing, but it seemed excessive.
Overall I enjoyed this book and I will definitely return to the first two books in the series. I'll be curious if the main character travels away from home in both of these books as well, or whether there's more focus on developing the character's backstory and her relationships with the secondary characters.
I think traditional cozy readers who are willing to go along for the ride on a search for make believe creatures will enjoy this book.
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Janine
Worthy monster mystery read
While not in the cozy mystery genre (which I do enjoy), this book meets my definition of a cozy because it's a perfect snuggle-up read if that's what you are in the mood for. And the story line is one that once it gets going, you are drawn into one of those mysteries where you have to know "who done it" - meaning you can't put it down! More importantly, while this is the third in a monster hunter mystery series, you don't have to have read the previous books to enjoy this one (this was my first read in the series). Set in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, during the winter, Morgan Carter, a cryptozoologist, is hired to help solve a murder to provide a supposedly mythological creature, a hodag, is the killer, not the nephew of Cater's employee, Rita Bosworth. She and Rita arrive to hear a fantastical tale of a creature, Andy Bosworth, the "accused," said he saw and whom he believes killed a former high school rival. As Morgan digs into Andy's story, she uncovers something that is even more fantastical than the idea of a mythological creature being the killer. In doing this, Morgan has to deal with locals who don't want her destroying the image of "friendly" hodag that draws tourist to the area as well as shady people who seem to be following her. Initially clues are hard to come by but through some luck, she uncovers things are going on in the Rhinelander area that are might not bode well. No spoilers here. I would encourage a read to find out what Morgan discovers because it's quite unique - and when you read the author's afterword, is not far from truth or perhaps reality. I enjoyed having the opportunity to read and review this book as well as to becoming acquainted with the author.
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Julie P. (Fort Myers, FL)
Beast of the North Woods, by Annelise Ryan
This is the third in the Monster Hunter series, and while I'm a huge fan of mystery and thriller series, this was one I hadn't heard of before. Professional cryptozoologist, Morgan Hunter, is called to solve the murder of a fisherman whose body is found slashed in the woods, leading some to believe that the death was caused by a mythical monster called a hodag. Is there really such a creature? Morgan is on the trail to find out, especially since the man accused of the murder is the nephew of Morgan's bookstore employee, Rita. This was a serviceable mystery, entertaining enough, but not one to keep me glued to its pages. It reminded me at times of a cozy mystery, although the search for a creature with red eyes and scales on its back is anything but cozy. I did enjoy the mystery and the characters, though Morgan's boyfriend lacked any kind of attraction for me; he seemed like a nag, overly concerned with her safety, but not with her. If you're looking for a little romance in your cryptic mystery, this is not the book for you. I have to say that my favorite character was Newt, the dog. This could be a standalone read, but there are several characters and incidents in the first two books that are mentioned here. Will I read the first two, or any more? Not sure.
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Susan L. (Alexandria, VA)
Not so Beastly
This was a fun cozy mystery sprinkled with cryptids and other creatures. As the third in the series, it would have helped to have read the first two. Some of the character references and relationships would have had more depth and context. But I had fun reading the book. It had action, suspense and I loved the dog. It was what you would expect of a cozy mystery--character-focused, somewhat simple mystery, some intrigue, a resolution, and a small relationship cliffhanger to keep you going in the series. A fun read. I do recommend it.
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Suzi S. (The Villages, FL)
Just didn't grab me
I liked the main character, but there seemed to be a lot of minor characters dropping in and out, some of whom didn't serve a purpose. The story was intriguing but the execution just dragged on with a lot of people lurking and threatening and chasing the main character for reasons that were sometimes never revealed. I wanted to know the secret, and it was definitely a surprise. But the events leading up to the big reveal just didn't hold my interest. It was a pleasant enough read but not a book I would recommend.
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