Book Review: Death in the Dark Woods by Annelise Ryan

The independently rich Morgan Carter runs a store that includes books and curiosities in Door County, Wisconsin, however her actual calling is much extra intriguing, each to the idly curious and to those that, like a sure famed fictional FBI agent, wish to consider:

I didn’t conceal the truth that I used to be a cryptozoologist obtainable for rent, however I didn’t promote it both. Cryptozoology attracts its share of nutjobs just by its nature. Add in all of the con males like Baumann who wish to make a buck off naive, weak individuals, and you’ve got the proper recipe for a conspiracy hullabaloo. My dad and mom had been the rationale I used to be drawn to the sphere. That they had traveled far and infrequently whereas I used to be rising up, dragging me together with them, hoping to seek out proof any of those intriguing, mysterious creatures existed. Any oddities they occurred to return throughout alongside the best way had been simply extras to assist fill out the shop cabinets.

With levels in each biology and zoology, Morgan approaches her work with a wholesome skepticism, wanting first for an inexpensive rationalization whereas leaving room for the opportunity of the actually unknown. On this she’s ably assisted by the 2 different workers of Odds and Ends: pc whiz Devon Thibodeaux and retired librarian Rita Bosworth. When circumstances take her on the street, they supply assist from residence whereas taking care of the shop for her.

Morgan’s newest case is delivered to her consideration by Washington Island Chief of Police Jon Flanders, her slow-burn love curiosity. He’s been contacted by one other member of regulation enforcement, Division of Pure Sources Warden Charlie Aberdeen, who’s investigating two suspicious deaths within the Chequamegon-Nicolet Nationwide Forest, a number of hours drive away. The only witness to the primary demise claims that the lifeless man was attacked by Bigfoot. There have been no witnesses to the second demise, however the sample of injury intently matches what occurred to the primary sufferer. Extra intriguingly, an outsized humanoid footprint was discovered close to the second corpse.

The Bayfield sheriff’s division desires to rapidly shut the circumstances, writing them off as bear assaults. Bigfoot sightings are all properly and good for the vacationer commerce, however Bigfoot murders are one thing else altogether. One among Morgan’s first duties when she arrives is to remove for positive the chance that the deaths had been attributable to native wildlife. To her shock, Charlie is greater than able to blow previous this step, believing already in a cryptozoological reply. 

The extra Morgan investigates, the extra uneasy she will get about what’s happening on this seemingly bucolic space. With a number of individuals getting in the best way of her scientific inquiries, maybe probably the most stunning revelation she uncovers is one which the primary unlucky sufferer, a bow hunter, learns the exhausting method:

The animal was at his again waging a frenzied, relentless assault and, weakened from blood loss, Bodie fell to his knees after which onto his again in a last-ditch act of desperation. It didn’t work. The creature had unbelievable power, and it flipped Bodie’s physique over like he was a ragdoll.

 

Bodie’s thoughts took a wierd detour then, his ideas oddly calm and indifferent as he puzzled over the truth that he hadn’t seen his bolt anyplace within the creature’s physique. Had he missed it, or had the animal pulled it out? Then he remembered how this creature had come from a distinct route than the place he’d shot.

 

Good God, is there a couple of of them?

I like how Morgan meets all these questions with motive and mind, and the way properly these qualities serve her when her personal life comes into important peril. Loss of life within the Darkish Woods isn’t only a well-built homicide thriller: it’s additionally a terrific deep dive into the historical past of each Bigfoot and that specific forested stretch of Wisconsin. A few of the options did really feel extra apparent than others, nevertheless it was an absolute delight to return and recontextualize what I’d learn beforehand within the ebook as soon as Morgan discovered its mysteries. With a bit of romance, a variety of ambiance, and an totally charming canine named Newt, this novel is a can’t miss for anybody with an curiosity in cryptozoology.

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