Business has been booming since Morgan Carter solved the case of the monster living in Lake Michigan. The Odds and Ends bookstore is thriving, of course, but Morgan is most excited by the doors that were opened for her as a cryptid hunter.
Recently, there have been numerous sightings of a Bigfoot-type creature in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest area of Bayfield County, Wisconsin. After a man is found dead from a vicious throat injury in the forest, the conservation warden asks Morgan to investigate.
When Morgan and her dog, Newt, go there to investigate, they uncover a trail of lies, deception, and murder. It seems a mysterious creature is indeed living in the forest, and Morgan might be its next target.
Release Date: Dec 12, 2023
Series: Monster Hunter
Book:Â 2
Publisher:Â Penguin Group
Imprint:Â Berkley
Price: $14.99
Morgan Carter owns a bookstore/oddities shop in Door County, Wisconsin. Morgan loves her shop, but also has an unusual part-time hobby. She is a cryptozoologist and searches for “cryptids”, which are creatures thought to exist even though there is no proof, such as the Loch Ness Monster. Morgan’s friend Jon Flanders is a police chief and lets her know about a strange case in a nearby national forest. A hunter has been killed in the woods, but his injuries don’t look like they were made by a human – his death looks like it was caused by a Bigfoot-type creature. Morgan can’t resist looking into this case, even when she becomes a target.
This is one of the most unique premises for a mystery series I’ve ever seen! Morgan’s search for the creature is handled in a logical, scientific way, so it comes across very believable. I didn’t read the prior book in the series, but the author provides the necessary background information about Morgan. She has had tragedy in her life, but is trying to move on. She and Jon have a mutual attraction, but he is also recovering from terrible events in his past, so they are taking things very slow. This doesn’t stop Morgan from being jealous when the Department of Natural Resources warden, Charlotte “Charlie” Aberdeen, who asks for Morgan’s help with the hunter’s death, takes an interest in Jon.
Charlie is almost obsessed with Bigfoot because of an event in her childhood and she may be a capable warden, but she is immature. She asks Morgan for her help, but then doesn’t hesitate to flirt with Jon right in front of her. She also sulks and pouts when Morgan finds any evidence that contradicts the theory that the hunter was killed by “Bigfoot”. Sometimes she seems to be working with Morgan, but other times she doesn’t come across as someone who can be trusted. Unfortunately, Charlie is a part of the story from the beginning to end which lessened my enjoyment of the book overall.
The solution to the hunter’s death, in addition to another one that seems to be related, is mostly wrapped up by the end of the book. I thought there were a couple of loose ends, but most of the questions were answered. The mystery surrounding Bigfoot is resolved in an unexpected, but satisfying way. This unique series has the potential to grow into something great.
~ Christine
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