Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an eARC of The Paranormal Ranger by Stanley Milford Jr.

I was so excited to see that Stanley Milford Jr. was coming out with a book about his experience with the Navajo Rangers and the supernatural world. My first experience with his work was through Beyond Skinwalker Ranch and it was so curious to know that not only does the Navajo have their own police force, they have Rangers who work specifically with supernatural cases. It was fun to read his stories and experiences, but also how he incorporated the Navajo creation story, as it really gave a wonderful insight with the chapters of his time as a Ranger. For me, it blended nicely. The big thing for me is that Stanley always treated his cases seriously and followed through, making sure that those involved were informed and knew that he wasn't going to just brush it off (not take things seriously). Especially because the supernatural is heavily imbodied in many cultures that those who weren't raise in that culture wouldn't understand or just assume the person is crazy etc., Stanley went above and beyond during is 20 year tenure and the evidence he gathered blows my mind. Honestly, I wish he had a podcast as I would 10/10 listen to it.

Reading about cryptids is one of guilty pleasures, but when it comes to Navajo Reservation sightings by their own police force - I don't know anyone that doubts their stories. Stanley Milford's tales of the supernatural have been included on several television shows including Unsolved Mysteries (Season 5, eepisode 3 if you want to watch it) but he is very convincing. There are many accounts of missing persons in the Southwest including hikers in the National Parks. There was a gentleman that went missing in the Pecos mountains near Santa Fe NM about 15 years ago and no one ever found him. In 2023, a young woman named Ingrid Lane from Albuquerque, was reported missing in Jemez Springs, New Mexico, before going on a hike. Authorities found her vehicle abandoned with a broken rear window near one of the trails. She has not been seen since. There is no explanation for these missing persons, and when you start talking about Indigenous women there are a large of them that have gone missing over a long period of time with no investigation. Part of the problem is jurisdiction but the main problem is pacificity and condescension because there are physical evidence of what may have happened.

What did I just read?! This book is one of the most fun nonfiction books I have ever read! The story has everything! Mystery, supernatural forces, Native American legends and you couldn't ask for more. The author is extremely credible and does a splendid job researching and telling this story. Highly recommend

Note: Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow Publishing, and Stanley Milford Jr. for the advanced reader copy of the book. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

When talking about the paranormal, people generally believe in the possibility of it or don’t. For those that do, Paranormal Ranger will provide reassurance that they aren’t crazy. For those that don’t, if the testimony by a person who was in law enforcement doesn’t convince them then nothing will.

Stanley Milford Jr. has appeared on several television shows such as Skinwalker Ranch and Unsolved Mysteries. He was a member of law enforcement on the Navajo Reservation which stretches from Arizona through New Mexico and Utah to Colorado. He retired after more than twenty years of service. Throughout his time as a Ranger, he dealt with normal law enforcement issues but became known for his thoughtful and thorough investigations into paranormal events on the Reservation.

Milford details what went into an investigation of a report of a paranormal event. With the culture steeped in stories alien to Western culture, there’s a lot more openness to the residents of the reservation to things most of the rest of us would dismiss. Although I have believed in ghosts and am open to many things paranormal for some time now, one thing I always dismissed was bigfoot sightings. It seemed ridiculous to me that a creature such as this could exist in our world with little to no evidence. However, Milford does have the evidence. In addition to casts of very large footprints that couldn’t have been made by any known creature of our world, he’s had experiences and sightings while investigating reports that frightened many members of the Native community. Milford also gives his own theories as to why there have never been any remains of a bigfoot found. I have to admit that after reading this, I find the existence of these creatures to be more plausible.

It comes down to the credibility of the author. Having been in law enforcement and reading his approach to investigating these cases, I found him to be credible. The fact that there were other investigators as witnesses to several of the events also makes the events more credible. If you doubt his testimony, then I don’t think there’s anything that will convince you to believe in that which you don’t understand.

I also liked that Milford included the Navajo creation story as a part of the book. It explains why the Natives are more open to possibilities that Western culture dismisses. I appreciated this context as well as the stories themselves.

I enjoyed reading the book and read it fairly quickly. I feel like there were some great explanations and conclusions that Milford and his partners came up with. Of course, it’s still a bit of a leap to be open to these possibilities. You either can allow for it or you can’t. For those of us who believe in the paranormal and/or have had experiences, there’s a lot of validation in Milford’s book. He states that assuring people they aren’t crazy and validating their experiences was one of the more important and fulfilling parts of his job, as well as his continued work. I recommend picking this up.

An engaging mix of mystery, supernatural elements, and adventure. The story follows the main character, Sam, a National Park Ranger, in an environment known for its mysterious and unexplained phenomena. Sam, who has a personal interest in the paranormal due to his own unexplained experiences in his past, takes it upon himself to investigate the strange occurrences within the park. As Sam delves deeper into the mysteries, he encounters a variety of supernatural events and beings, from ghost sightings to unexplained natural phenomena. His investigations lead him to uncover hidden secrets about the park's history and its previous inhabitants, some of which are linked to ancient supernatural lore.
Throughout the book, Sam also grapples with his own skepticism and the challenges of maintaining his professional responsibilities as a ranger while dealing with the paranormal. The story combines elements of thriller and horror, building suspense through its well-crafted narrative and detailed descriptions of the eerie park setting. Ultimately, The Paranormal Ranger explores themes of belief, the unexplored, and the fine line between the natural and supernatural, all while providing a thrilling and mysterious adventure for readers.

Stanley Milford Jr is an accomplishment Navajo Ranger and paranormal investigator.

This book is a fun mix of personal stories, paranormal happenings, and Navajo culture. I enjoyed getting an inside look at the complex job of Navajo Ranger and appreciated Stanley's methodical nature to paranormal investigations. I never felt like Stanley was trying to sensationalize what he and others witnessed, which was appreciated.

This book would be a good read for fans of autobiographies, paranormal accounts, police procedures, and cryptid creatures.

This book was right up my alley.... supernatural occurrences, Native American stories and legends, all told by someone who attempts to go about it all as scientifically as possible- sign me up! I enjoyed this from start to finish- I couldn't put it down at times, and found myself with the covers pulled over my head, continuing to read a bit longer. The chapters of the Native American legends were especially intriguing, and I feel like I could have read an entire book of just those stories- the actual investigations were like a bonus. I'll absolutely be recommending this book, as we have readers who come in looking for something just like this! I hope Stanley Milford, Jr will consider writing a follow-up, with more of his investigations. I, for one, will be in line to read it!

Having seen the author on television, I was very interested in reading his book. I found him very intelligent, articulate and completely credible…both on camera and in print. His experiences made an intriguing read, and the inclusion of the history of the Navajo Rangers and the lore of his people, created a fascinating book.

I like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.

I recognize the author, because he has been in a lot of documentaries I've watched over the years. I love seeing him pop up because he approaches it from a non-western view in terms of ghosts. His Native American and Western heritage go hand and hand in this which is why I quickly requested this.

While I really enjoy his stories, it took a while to get to them. And when you got to them, there wasn't much there. It's a short book (under 300 pages). I liked his backstory on the various paranormal things he has encountered and their connection to Native American folklore / myths.

But... there isn't much there.

I'd suggest a purchase for supporting the guy but a read for truly diehards.