This book is the third in the Monster Hunter Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone, but I’d recommend reading the other books first! Prior to reading this book I was not familiar with the hodag, but after seeing the little creature on the cover I knew I needed to read this book.

This was a fun book to read. I enjoyed the mystery, the characters, and the Wisconsin setting. I’ve read several books with cryptids lately and I have to say they are quickly becoming some of my favorites. I love that they add a bit of fantasy and imagination to an otherwise straightforward mystery.

If you enjoy cozy mystery’s and cryptids, then I definitely recommend checking out this book! I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

I will be the first to admit that I typically do not read murder-mystery books, and I applied for this one because I thought the plot sounded interesting (and the cover was super well done!!).
I was pleasantly surprised by what I found inside. The cryptid side of this book brough in just enough fantasy that I was able to follow along and stay just as engaged with this one as I would have been with any other book.
The murder-mystery element was just the right amount of suspenseful, I never felt too stressed but it kept me gripped and at the edge of my seat.
Also now I want to be a cryptozoologist. That is all.
Thank you to Annelise Ryan and Berklee for the ARC!

I love this series! A cryptozoologist with a lovable dog sets out to help solve murders that have a leaning toward the unbelievable.
It's a fast read with great description to lend atmosphere. And the hodag angle on this book is not only fun but so locally relevant.
If you like cozy mysteries, imperfect characters trying their best, and cryptids, you'll love the Monster Hunter series.

I've been getting into more crime-ish books and I really liked this one! I'm surprised on how much I enjoyed this.

Beast of the North Woods: Brought to you by Culver's. Okay, so maybe not really, but it's kind of funny how many times Culver's is mentioned in this novel.

But, anyway, this is another enjoyable installment of the Monster Hunter Mysteries series. I can't say that I enjoyed it quite as much as its predecessors, but it's a light and fluffy cryptid mystery and that's exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up. Newt, as always, is the star of the show, although I swear he spends most of this one sitting in the car. Honestly, I'm starting to worry about Newt a bit – Morgan doesn't seem to find leaving him in the car during the Wisconsin winter to be concerning, and does he ever eat actual dog food or does his diet consist solely of Culver's™ burgers??

The murder mystery is fun, though. I feel like it's a little less cryptid-y than the previous mysteries were, but I have no real proof to back up my claim. It was entertaining to learn about the Hodag and the town of Rhinelander, Wisconsin and its Hodag obsession. Morgan seems to lean on her friends particularly hard for solving this one, and somehow Devon the shop assistant has – conveniently for Morgan – progressed to hacking bank accounts and credit card systems at this point. And, although Morgan has always been a character with a defective sense of self-preservation, expect brilliantly stupid, um, stupidity (hey, you want a well-written review, go read The New York Times!) from her this time around. I mean, why shouldn't she walk off alone into the deep dark woods just because a random note pinned to a door tells her to??

There's also a short bit where Morgan becomes an insta-expert on pig breeding, so that's fun.

Ol' Flatfoot Sanders is back for this installment, although his and Morgan's relationship is pretty lacking in this one (which, whatever, he's boring and naggy). I mean, they spend an entire trip sleeping in separate beds in adjoining hotel rooms, you guys! And, sadly, no one actually calls him Flatfoot Sanders in this book, which is really a bit of a disappointment.

Anyway, this is an easy, uncomplicated, and entertaining read. It's not fine literature by any means, but I'm definitely still looking forward to the next book in the series. 3.6 stars, rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is January 28, 2025.

Could not finish due to the utter lack of research done. Annelise Ryan lives in Wisconsin, yet doesn't know that black bears hibernate? unacceptable.
Incredibly dissapointed.