Beast of the North Woods was a wonderful cozy mystery that kept me entertained throughout! This was my first novel by Annelise Ryan, but I enjoyed her writing style and the midwestern setting.

Morgan is a no-nonsense cryptozoologist (though I initially had no idea what that was!) who is up for any challenge. I enjoyed her mystery-solving alongside her cute pup Newt, and how he protected her during some sketchy situations. This book checked a lot of boxes for me: mystery, crime-solving, and a bit of quirkiness. The romance was a bit bland, though it wasn't a focus of the story. I found parts of the big reveal a bit too complicated, but overall enjoyed how everything unfolded.

Reading Beast of the North Woods inspired me to pick up the other books in the series, as I want the backstory about what happened to Morgan's parents and the deal with her ex, David. I flew through this one and look forward to reading Ryan's backlog!