This one got me with 'Creature Mystery', however the book was not really what I expected. Though I was not really sure I would encounter a real bigfoot within the pages, I hoped for a decent murder mystery. However, most part of the book dealt with report-like descriptions of the quirky bigfoot research community and their 'scientific' explanations and disputes for why the creature could/should/must possibly exist - or not. Unfortunately, the suspense of the murder mystery itself got lost somewhere between the pages.

Despite reading the blurb, I did not retain the specifics, and when I actually got around to reading the book, I surprised by the storyline. The story has a vague form of narration from the beginning that makes you feel like the beginning was not when you entered the story and that there has been a sequence of events before the first page that we have already been an audience for. This is not something I commonly experience, and I did not expect to like it, but I did!
The lead characters relationship is not defined and is extremely fuzzy at best. There is no resolution on that front in this book, but maybe if this is to be a series, there will be something in later books. The mystery remains in the background but simply done. I may or may not have expected the turn of events, but I did not pay enough attention to it to even guess at the outcome.
Laura is back in familiar territory, it is Bigfoot extravaganza. There are people attending from all walks of life, and her father is a well-known name amongst them. She is actually there to help find an old friend but during her downtime, contemplates her life choices as well as the events occurring in town. The narration moves quite quickly with a death amidst the hunt for the missing man, and the investigation now has multiple layers. Overall it is an interesting base for a new series.

⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Laura Reagan is an online science populist and avowed skeptic. She has known Professor Sorel since her childhood and as a mentor in more recent times. He has always been obsessed with the search for Bigfoot aka Sasquatch. When the professor disappears it gives her the opportunity conduct her own search with on site filming. She grew up in the town and not many of the inhabitants will be pleased to see her return.
I had a good feeling about this right from the start. The mix of science and possible myth were particularly appealing to me. The author does a fantastic job of weaving crime and cryptozoology with the right amount of fascination, obsession and folklore to create a great read.
The relationship Laura had with her partner Saad had me a little puzzled. They seemed very close in some ways and well suited yet lacked any sign of intimacy.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

An intriguing mystery and engaging characters plus Bigfoot makes a very satisfying read for me. Recommend for mystery lovers

I really enjoyed reading this, I loved the potential with the Bigfoot element with the mystery going on. The characters were great and the world itself was built well.

Laura, the owner of a hard science website, is called in to help find an old family friend when he goes missing while hunting for bigfoot. Her father was also a bigfoot hunter and she grew up hiking and camping in the woods of Oregon where the professor disappeared. Laura is a very likable character that we get to know as she traipses through the woods looking for the professor. There's not much of a suspense or mystery as she's not really trying to solve a mystery. It's more of a search and rescue operation. The transitions in this book are very abrupt. I often found myself flipping back to make sure I didn't actually skip a page because suddenly we'd switched scenes and half a day had passed. The book does set itself up for future novels.

Even if it's a bit slow paced a not a lot happens I had a lot of fun in reading it.
It's entertaining, well written and with a cast of interesting characters.
The mystery is solid and kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Roanoke Ridge by J.J. Dupuis is a recommended mystery and the first book in the start of a new series.

Laura Reagan is the owner of a popular website called Science Is Awesome. Science IA strives to cover news worthy science topics with reality and facts, including cryptozoological investigations. This is in contrast to Laura's upbringing by her father who famously filmed a distant shot of a Sasquatch and child in the woods at Roanoke Ridge, Oregon. Now Laura's mentor, relative, and Bigfoot researcher Professor Berton Sorel has gone missing right as the annual Roanoke Valley Bigfoot Festival is about to start. Laura and her friend Saad Javed (who knows the difference between hard science and pseudoscience) are going to Roanoke Ridge to help search for Professor Sorel and maybe uncover the facts behind the recent Bigfoot sightings. When the search and rescue operation results in the body of a notorious Bigfoot hoaxer being found, and not the Professor's, the investigation expands.

The mystery is straightforward so don't expect heart-stopping action or a tension filled plot. The pace is slow and sometimes meandering, but the book is short so it is a quick read. While there are sentences and descriptions that shine, other parts of the narrative are pedestrian, which left me feeling that the writing in Roanoke Ridge is competent, but not exceptional. Be prepared for several long lectures included in the novel, some of which may be insulting to readers. Those lectures actually are a big impairment to the narrative. Chapters open with quotes over the years from various sources about Bigfoot or Sasquatch sightings, which add an interesting touch. The ending does feel rushed.

Admittedly any mystery involving Bigfoot would immediately draw my attention if simply for the novelty and kitsch factor. The idea of this being part of a series of creature mysteries is intriguing, but I'm uncertain if I will read another novel in the series. Laura is the only character who receives sufficient development but I'm not sure she is appealing enough to carry a whole series. The other characters are all caricatures representing different stereotypical types of people. Laura simply wasn't an interesting or appealing enough character to subject myself to wading through more thought lectures embedded in the plot, however reading another book in the series might be based more on what creature is sought.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Dundurn Press.
The review will be posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Roanoke Ridge is a paranormal mystery just over 200 pages. Paranormal because it’s about tracking bigfoot. Yes, the mythical hairy man-creature aka sasquatch. Plenty to like in this quirky, imperfect, little mystery set in beautiful north-west USA. I would have given it 3 1/2 stars but I’ve rounded it up to 4.

Things I enjoyed about this novel:
- Bigfoot. Yeah, I enjoyed this aspect. The bigfoot enthusiasts, the ‘squatchers’ - who go looking, the Bigfoot festival. It was all entertaining.
- The setting in Oregon had a natural beauty that Dupuis described well.
- Our current environmental crisis wasn’t focused on but was incorporated into the book in a natural way, rather than ignoring it.
- One of the main characters was Saad, a Pakistani American.
- I was happy with the ending.

There wasn’t much I didn’t like about Roanoke Ridge. There were a few formatting issues, though it wasn’t difficult to navigate them. To be honest I find that with most ebooks I read.

Roanoke Ridge had a few moments of so-so writing but those moments didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book. They were quickly forgotten in among solid writing, plenty of action that kept me going through to the end, and characters I liked.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Dundurn Press for my copy of the book in return for an honest review, and to the author, J.J. Dupuis.

Laura Regan, who likes to explode myths, and her pal Saad are looking for Benton Sorel who went missing on Roanoke Ridge. There's also been a Big Foot sighting or two, perhaps because there's a Big Foot festival coming up in a nearby town. This is a short novel which (and I rarely say this) would have greatly benefited from being longer. The characters aren't as fully formed as they should be and while there are some interesting descriptions, there are also times when more explanation of the science would be helpful. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

The first of a new series from JJ Dupuis. It's a little campy, a little creepy and frankly, a lot of fun.

The idea of 'Bigfoot' has been written about in many, many ways and this is another fun take. I'm excited to see how the rest of this series goes.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thanks to Netgalley, Dundurn and the author for sending this my way. When I say it announced I was excited for it, but wasn’t that confident I’d get approved, so thank you!
Why was I excited specifically you may ask? My love of Bigfoot based thrillers and horrors. Since my childhood, all things cryptozoology have caught my interest and Bigfoot most of all. Maybe it was because I grew up in British Columbia and there had been sightings a few hours from my house, or maybe it was the thrill of the idea that a massive creature could still be living in the trees had me intrigued.
The book itself is pretty straight forward. Laura has a science website. Her dad believed in Bigfoot and while she spent many summers in the Roanoke area, she herself is a skeptic. Because, as I mentioned before, she has a science website and believes in science.
A Professor who was like a grandfather too her has now been reported missing in the area, so Laura gets a call to head there and help with the search.
What I liked: as with most Bigfoot books, I liked the tension and excitement of the possibility of them discovering Bigfoot.
What I didn’t like: truthfully, a fair bit. The pace is glacial at times, offering up very minor bits but stretching them out. At the beginning we are treated to an author’s note, which states they are a skeptic, and that should be your mindset going in. We are treated to a science lecture with detailed statistics at the start – which I get, it did play well with a potential shift in Bigfoot habitat’s – but it was put in there purely to stereotype all Bigfoot searchers as science disbelievers, climate change deniers and rednecks who like to shoot guns. While each chapter starts with a real quote from various Bigfoot researchers and newspapers, most of the characters appear to be direct parodies/caricatures of real people – we get the Loren Coleman twin opening up the Bigfoot fesitival, we get the Todd Standing hoaxer twin, there’s the characters that don’t matter who are trying to be the Finding Bigfoot crew and even the Science is Awesome website felt like a take on the site I F+++ing Love Science.
The ending was rushed and frustrating and just left me fuming that more could have been added in. It felt like a Hardy Boys Lite release.
Why you should buy it: if you love Bigfoot or creature features and want a single sitting read, this could be right up your alley. Be warned though, as I mentioned – the author is a skeptic – which means this book frequently makes sure that we understand that no rational mind can believe in Bigfoot.
Does it exist? Who knows? I sure hope so. But this book doesn’t add much to that side of the argument.
**This review will feature on Kendall Reviews! **

This one has been around for a couple of years, and has a number of helpful reviews. Since I can't add much more of value, I'll just recommend this to mystery fans. The author has a nice writing style and a good imagination. 3.5 stars.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

ROANOKE RIDGE by J.J. Dupuis is the first book in the new Creature X Mystery series. It is also my first book by this author. Bigfoot researcher Professor Berton Sorel is missing near Roanoke Ridge, Oregon. Laura Reagan and her friend Saad Javed arrive to help find him. She is a former student of his, a sceptic, and currently the owner of a popular science-based website called Science Is Awesome (Science IA). The story occurs just before and during the annual Roanoke Valley Bigfoot Festival.

The plot blends crime and cryptozoology into a contemporary setting. It was interesting and had a mystery, but the pace seemed slow to me. The characters did not seem fully developed and three-dimensional. However, their motivations seemed believable and there was an interesting array of secondary characters.

With a suspicious death, a wave of Bigfoot sightings, and the missing professor, I was expecting more suspense and a faster pace. While the plot twists were not unexpected, it was still an entertaining read. Additionally, the author did a great job of giving a clear sense of time and place through vivid descriptions that were not overdone. The author’s interest in the natural world came through clearly as well.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book with a satisfying ending.

Thanks to Dundurn Press and J.J. Dupuis for a complimentary ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

I read Roanoke Ridge because I wanted something different, and Roanoke Ridge delivered!

Not going to lie, this one was 100% out of my "normal" reads, and I was ready for it to be ridiculous. Which it was, but in a super campy, totally fun, zero regrets for reading this kind of way. Set in rural wooded Oregon, Laura and best friend Saad have been called to help find a missing family friend, and Bigfoot expert who has gone missing, searching for Bigfoot (obviously). Is Bigfoot real? It's the onset of the annual Bigfoot Festival, so most people here would say yes. But has Bigfoot taken the Professor? A search for Bigfoot ensues, someone ends up murdered, a house ends up being burnt to the ground, the professor is still missing, and Bigfoot sightings skyrocket as this tiny town looks for answers.

Gotta admit I started out skeptical but am now a believer....in this book, that is. Wait, did you think I meant Bigfoot?

Although I personally could have used a little more charecter development, particularly in the realm of Nate and his relationships, as well as a tid bit more explainations towards the end (seemed a tiny bit on the rushed side) I would still highly recommend taking a copy of Roanoke Ridge on your next camping trip and of course as reading materia to tide you over until your next Bigfoot convention.

Bigfoot campiness awaits you, who knows...you may just become a believer.

A celebrated professor and Bigfoot researcher goes missing in the vast wilderness of Oregon. The presence of his former student and owner of a popular science based website, Laura Reagan, has arrived to help find him. When a dead body is discovered following sightings of Bigfoot Laura dives in deep to discover the secrets of Roanoke Ridge and inadvertently her own history. Her hope is to find the professor before he becomes another casualty of the forest.

This was a fun book to read as I’ve always loved folklore creatures and after living in the Pacific Northwest for a few years I can see why the environment still breathes life into the lore surrounding Sasquatch/Bigfoot. The wooded areas are entirely different than that of my native Colorado – our trees do not grow so dense you can barely see through them during the day. For me Roanoke Ridge was more of a murder mystery with a folklore background. It was clean, moderately paced and enjoyable. The conclusion of the book did feel a bit rushed while the rest of the book had a slower pace.

There are two other novels slated for release in the Creature X Mystery series and I can honestly say that I’m interested to see what they’ll be. I’m curious to see if Laura makes an appearance and if it has anything to do with the ending of this novel and the deal she struck for her website. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy suspense, murder mystery and folklore. Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for a copy of this book to read and review.

A murder mystery during a hunt for Bigfoot seems like a book written for me. Even if I personally don’t believe in them, it’s hard not to be fascinated by mythical creatures, especially in the beautiful environment of the Oregon wilderness. This novel is a fast read. When her mentor, professor Sorel disappears in the remote woods while searching for Bigfoot, Laura and her sidekick Saad join the search and rescue efforts. All the Sasquatch enthusiasts in town for a Bigfoot festival want to help, using it as an excuse to hunt for the elusive creature. Some say they’ve seen it and even have footage to prove it. This is an entertaining read, with a fast rhythm that kept me turning the pages. I was wondering how the different mysteries would be explained. What I didn’t like was the characters. I didn’t connect with the lead at all, supporting characters are not very well-defined and the rest are just caricatures of rednecks. I’m not familiar with Bigfoot followers, they may all be country hicks for all I know, but it still felt like they were all just background to the action and not part of it. I still enjoyed the novel.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/ Dundurn Press!

Laura Reagan is called to the Pacific Northwest’s Roanoke Ridge to help search for missing Bigfoot researcher Professor Berton Sorel. A man she’s been close with her whole life. It also happens to be the town’s annual Bigfoot festival. While searching for the professor, a body is found and Laura is pulled into the mystery of a man’s mysterious death. She continues to search for the professor, but she’s also faced with the mystery of another man’s suspicious death and an overwhelming number of Bigfoot sightings.

This book was fun. I had my doubts going into it because, well, Bigfoot. The prologue definitely caused me to pause because it seemed cheesy right off the bat. But I’ll read almost anything set in the PNW and I’m so glad I did.

Laura being a scientist and a skeptic lent this novel some credibility that made it less about Bigfoot and more about a woman solving family and town secrets. The little troop that forms around Laura is perfect for the atmosphere. There’s Laura the skeptic, Saad the one who will believe anything, and Ted the tough guy. Side note: Laura does NOT need a tough guy and she’ll tell you so.

This story gave me serious throw back vibes. It definitely felt like Scooby-doo without the talking dog. There’s Sasquatch though, so maybe that counts. There’s a reality TV aspect to this story that I absolutely love. I’m assuming there’s going to be a book series around it. 🙌🏻

I found this to be a well written, easy going book. It doesn’t have the most shocking twists. I saw where the book was going very early on. If you’re in the mood for a fast read set in a beautiful place, pick this up. Who doesn’t love a creature feature every once and awhile, right?

Thank you to Netgalley and Dundurn Press for this free review copy.

Roanoke Ridge was a really fun read. It's slow paced with lots of amazing descriptions, especially of nature. The whether or not Bigfoot exists are up for interpretation in this one, although I suspect the author is a firm believer, especially considering all the facts spread out in the book (not just in regards of Bigfoot itself). Although I really loved Laura, Saad, and Ted, especially as I felt they were well developed characters, I felt some of the other characters were less fleshed out.

Overall though, Roanoke Ridge was an engaging mystery.

Okapi. Mountain gorilla. Giant squid. These are examples of creatures science once told us didn't exist. Could creatures from cryptozoology like Sasquatch be real too? That's one of the fascinating thoughts one must consider as they read the thoroughly entertaining Roanoke Ridge by J. J. Dupuis. It's no secret Sasquatch (or Bigfoot) is a fascinating topic. One needs only to look at the sheer numbers of books, films, and podcasts which talk about the creature to this day. Dupuis joins the list of those who have used the creature in a work of fiction. And, to his credit, Roanoke Ridge is a smashing success. I haven't enjoyed a Sasquatch read this much since The Shadowkiller by Matthew Scott Hansen. The enjoyable part of Roanoke Ridge is the fact the author has created a marvelous marriage between a cryptid mystery and a murder mystery. The characters are believable and the book is well paced. It is a book which believers and skeptics alike can both enjoy.