I think it was just my expectations of the plot, but I could just not get interested in this book. It was a good concept, but predictable.

Not my usual genre but the description intrigued me!

It was a bit slow to start but after about the 10% mark, I was hooked.

Believable world building that includes other-worldly species, a mystery, a bit about relationships and some unexpected humor.

If you enjoy SciFi with a mystery tossed in for good measure - this book is for you.

If there is one thing I love, it's a well done creature feature. I desperately wish Creature X was a real show. This was a little bit slow to start for me, but overall a really well done book. I like that it wasn't just all about the creature, but more about the mystery of it.

Surprisingly I njoy this novel a lot.
It's not typical gender I prefer to read or neither I have read the previous work by this author but for this type of fiction it's pretty good I would say. It has mystery, suspense and a very easy writing to follow.
I finish it in one sitting and immediately came in my mind a Scooby-Doo series, which is my all-time favorite so I'm going to say that definitely I would love to see more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this copy.

Lake Crescent by J.J. Dupuis is the second in a series of cryptidzoology adventures and investigations. An intriguing mystery and great characters kept me engaged and wishing for the next one.

Laura is searching for Cressie, a lake monster, in Lake Crescent. While dragging the lake a body is found and Laura is ready to solve the mystery.
I did not enjoy the book as much as I wanted.
Thank you Netgalley for this book.

I want to thank NetGalley and Dundurn Books for the Advanced Release Copy in exchange for my honest review!

I really wanted to love this book! The premise sounded so interesting! Parts of the book really dragged; it felt stiff, dry, and at times lacked urgency even when there was action on the page. I want my thrillers to pull me in and not let go.

There were a lot of characters and suspects, and I had a difficult time keeping track. None of them were particularly memorable so that didn't help either.

If you are looking for "lite" mystery then you might enjoy this but for me, it didn't live up to the hype.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my review.
I’m not normally a fan in the Sci-Fi section, but when I saw it was more a murder mystery....I was game. Laura Reagan is searching for a lake monster called Cressie, in Lake Crescent, so with her camera crew they disrupt a town. When interviewing the town’s people, they find the stories change. With little to go on, she realizes this may be a waste of time.
While dragging and diving in the lake for this creature, they encounter a woman’s body. Laura’s focal point changes to uncover a crime and some very prominent citizens who may be responsible.
The Creature X Mystery is not as tantalizing as the unraveling of this crime. An enjoyable read, if you like putting puzzle pieces together to expose a killer.

Cryptozoologist, what a cool word, and a search for a giant eel reeled me in to this book. Laura Reagan brings a “ghost hunters”style TV team to Newfoundland to document a giant eel sighting. They are taken to see a large eel which they know is a scam, but keep the footage anyway. The book begins with the search for the eel; when they accidentally pull up a dead body, it becomes a crime scene. I enjoyed this book, though there is room for improvement. You get to know the small town and some very quirky type characters as they try to solve the murder. Much later in the book the stories and rumors told by many odd characters don’t quite add up, and it becomes more akin to ‘silly season.”. Laura states at the beginning her father was also a cryptozoologist who abandoned their family, and she liked the region because she thought her father had done some exploring there, it was hardly mentioned again, and I would have liked to see the daughter/father connection teased out a little; it might have added to the mystery and dynamics. Also, Laura and her team were on the move - constantly. I know they spent time at the lodge, but they were always driving, boating, walking, walking here and there, somewhere. I found the constant movement distracted from the story. The descriptions could have been more colorful, but it was a pleasant read, and I plan to read the prior book to this one. Lake Crescent is a standalone story, and the writing style was good enough to want to read more by this author.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Dundurn Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Really enjoyed this book. It was interesting. Loved the setting. Thanks so much for letting me read it!

I had a rough start to this book but because of my interest in science I continued. Once I got a handle on characters and got more into story I was intrigued. There was so much going on and I thought I had it all figured out but I was wrong. Very good story. I feel like this would be good for young readers also.

dnf @ 22%

While the story is not horribly written, the sense of mystery and intrigue did not catch by the whip at around the time I decided to not continue. I don't mind slow burn mysteries, because 1.) they rely on characters and 2.) the setting and the atmosphere are so well-written, but for this one, I didn't find any of the characters and the atmosphere appealing to continue.

Thank you for giving me the arc, and I'm sorry for not finishing.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for providing me with this book.

This was my first read by this author, and I really enjoyed the story. I thought it it was easy to follow even though I had not read the first book in the series (I will be doing that next, however). No spoilers here, but a television crew visits Newfoundland to document the sighting of a giant eel Cressie when they find a skeleton. Commence investigation (I know you’re curious!).

I really enjoyed the writing style in Lake Crescent! I almost felt like I was in the story and could relate to the same emotions as the characters.

I thought the ending was a little bit sudden, but overall I really enjoyed from beginning to end.

A documentary crew searching for a giant eel rumored to live in a remote harbor in Newfoundland get more than they bargained for when they discover not a long-lost creature from the deep, but a dead body. Everyone in town could be a suspect. Can the murderer be brought to the surface before it's too late?

This was a fun book. First of all, Lake Crescent is the second book in J.J. Dupuis' Creature X series with Laura Reagan as the main character. That being said, I had no problem dropping into this one without having read the first. The characters were well established and fleshed out, and although some nods to the previous book were scattered throughout Lake Crescent, they served to entice me to read that book as well without spoiling it in the process! The set up for the book series is that a documentary team is traveling around filming a tv series, Creature X, that is looking for cryptozoological creatures, commonly called cryptids. If you've seen Monster Quest on the "History" channel, you know what I'm talking about. Bigfoot, Nessie, Thunderbirds, Jackalopes, etc. I think it's a great set up. Additionally, the author has added an extra-layer to the story by having the main character following in the footsteps of her cryptid-obsessed father who abandoned she and her mother (Her mother and her? idk let's let it ride. English is a mad language anyways) to go searching for these creatures. What happened to him? Is he still out there somewhere chasing Chupacabras? Is his the body in the cove? The missing dad definitely throws down some great Supernatural season one vibes for me.

The book itself definitely fits into the Cozy Mystery genre with the amateur detective and small town cast of characters. The scientific aspect of the actual hunt for the giant eel said to live in the cove broke up some of the normal features of going around town to talk to the varied villagers, and was enjoyable to me. The "Big Reveal" at the end was very well done and kept me leaning a couple different ways until the final trigger was pulled. A definite recommendation to fans of the genre who might like a little more science sprinkled on the top. Or who also enjoy a good cryptid hunt. The last several years of U.S. politics have ruined the fun of basically all the old standby conspiracy theories, so a good giant eel or Bigfoot hunt helps remind one of gentler, more pleasant times. That being said, I'll definitely be getting my hands on the first book, Roanoke Ridge, and keep my eyes open for the series as it continues. Jolly good show.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF 15 percent.

I feel conflicted. The book was fine, I guess. But it didn't stand out. It's hard to say if it's just me, because I think there are people who will really like this.

The problem I had was that although the prologue was really interesting, the first few chapters took a step back, and I wasn't that gripped by it. I read in other reviews that it does pick up, so I'll try it again closer to the release, as I think if I can get into it again I may enjoy it.

I also found that the characters didn't stand out much either. But they also weren't bad.

All in all, it was a steady book that I think some people will enjoy, but it wasn't for me.

Laura Reagan is a cryptozoologist who takes a team of scientists, students and film crew to the shores of Newfoundland in search of Cressie, a famous or mythical giant eel believed to be living in the depths of Lake Crescent.
The “out of towners” are made to feel welcome in the small community, growing fond of a number of the locals they have been meeting with interviewing for the upcoming film special.
When a woman’s body wrapped in a tarp with antique Portuguese coins turn up during one of the crews sessions on the lake, Laura and a few on her team find themselves thrust into a mystery of a different kind. Suddenly it seems everyone in the little town of Robert’s Arms has a secret to hide. Laura is determined to find out more about the body but in doing so, she puts a target on her back.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
3.5 stars

Loved the location of the story and the characters were richly described and true to the area. A fun, easy read with just the right amount of mystery to keep me intrigued. Fully invested in the storyline right from the beginning. Would love to read more of this series.

Many thanks to #NetGalley and #Dundurn Press for providing me with this book.

No spoilers here. You just have to read it yourself.

The book doesn't start as a mystery more as an adventure story... instead of looking for the monster of Loch Ness it is Cressie here in New Foundland. Different setting, BUT with its mysteries, an unexpected dead body, an unexpected murder and more unexpected people.

as a mystery it reads easily, not difficult to follow at all. I read it in a just a few days and it gets you hooked more and more..... a "whodunit"!!!

This was a fun read and a pleasant twist on the cozy mystery. Light on the cryptozoology but a strong story anyways. I would be inclined to read more of the series.

Cryptozoology… what? Just the term got me hooked, I did not read the first book, but had no problem diving into book 2. Laura Reagan is a host for the “Creature X” TV series. Laura and crew set out to Newfoundland to search for “Cressie” a giant eel that is supposed to live in Crescent Lake. While searching the team finds a body, and with it comes a 2nd search, who is it and how did the body end up in the lake …
The book is very well researched, and I was glad to see some of the typical Newfoundland sayings come up in conversation, including translations. I have book 1 on my list to read, and look forward to book 3
Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the chance to read an early copy in exchange for my honest review.