What do readers think of Beast of the North Woods by Annelise Ryan? Write your own review.

I'm not exactly sure what to think of this one. Given the premise, that the heroine is a cryptozoologist, and the fact that it's the third book in the Monster Hunter series, I guess I was expecting something more supernatural.

It was an entertaining mystery with little given away until the end... which is actually one of the things I didn't enjoy about the book. All the revelations came at once, with few clues leading up to the mystery's resolution. I think I would have preferred more lead-up. And the ending seemed pretty far-fetched. I also dislike the technique of ending chapters with one-sentence cliffhangers ("If I'd only known..." "Too bad it didn't last..."). The author didn't use this all the time, but it was frequent enough that it grated.

Parts were exciting for sure, and it was a fast read. I loved the main character, who has a great narrative style laced with humor ("'When I suggested the Hodag might not only be real but also bent on killing folks, you would have thought I'd told the woman at the Visitor's Center her child was ugly.'"). And her dog, Newt, was a real hoot.

The book reads OK as a stand-alone, but I think I'd have benefitted from reading the earlier books first. There are some relationships depicted here that I feel would have made more sense if I'd read the series in order.

There are scary chapter books written for preteens, with many of these books on the market. This novel is a similar genre for young adults and grownups. Each short chapter ends with a slightly suspenseful sentence, and the readers want to continue with the next chapter immediately.

The reader knows that Andy Bosworth did not commit a murder of another man, and that information comes early in the novel. But we don't know if a Hodag, a creature living in the Wisconsin North Woods, was the culprit. It requires the help of a female crypto zoologist to solve the case.

I was attracted to the Beast Of The North Woods because I've visited this area and Door County, Wisconsin. I found both the book and the location were only mildly entertaining. The best parts of the novel were the descriptive sections of winter in the woods.

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.

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.

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.