This was such a fun and unique story. It is a murder mystery wrapped in a mythical creature hunt. The characters were well rounded and realistic. The story was not predictable which can be the case with so many murder mysteries. The creature, a hodag, is specific to Rhinelander, Wisconsin and the locale was almost a character itself. This was the first Annelise Ryan book I Have read, and I will definitely be picking up another.

I have never read anything by this author, but I will definitely be looking out for this author! The pace was great and I was hooked from just a few pages in!

Thank you, Berkley Publishing for the copy of Beast of the North Woods by Annelise Ryan. I loved the last book in this series so I was excited to read this one. Morgan is such a good character and her side job as a cryptozoologist is fascinating. I didn’t get involved in the story at first, but eventually it and the characters grew on me and had me racing to the end. If you want to read a fun book and be introduced to hodags with a twisting plot, this is the book you’ve been waiting for! 4 stars

As with the second book, I was really excited to jump back into this cozy mystery series. I love how different the premise is. I love the duo of Morgan and her dog Newt. While I enjoyed the overall plot of this one, I did find a couple aspects to be easy to guess, though I suppose that's bound the happen when you're a few books into a series.

I liked that we were given more info to some clues that Morgan finds, though there are still a few clues where we're not given any info on what they are and we have to wait to find out what it is. This is only frustrating to me as I love to try and keep track of all the possible clues in a mystery and try to figure out what actually happened or who the killer is.

I didn't love the addition of almost every chapter ending in an ominous foreshadowing sentence. They felt repetitive, kind of silly and over the top.

I love the idea of the romance between Morgan and Jon, however it's written purposefully slow and her heading into dangerous situations obviously becomes a point of tension. This is another thing that I didn't love; I think Morgan is a fun character but this book it seemed like she dived into situations that could have been really dangerous without a second thought and then gets annoyed when others become worried, annoyed or even angry that she made that decision. She felt way more reckless this book which I don't love in cozy mystery characters because then they stop seeming like smart interesting characters to me.

Overall I still enjoyed this booked and I still plan on picking up the next book.

Cryptid Cozy
I was excited to receive this book for early review - thank you BookBrowse and Berkley Publishers! I've had this cozy mystery series on my list to read since I heard about the first book, Death in Door County, at that year's Bouchercon mystery festival.
This is the third book in the cryptozoologist series, and despite my interest and intentions, I have not read the first two. I may have enjoyed the book more had I read the first two, and it's possible this book had spoilers from the first two (not sure, but always a chance), I felt this book read perfectly fine as a stand-alone.

I enjoyed the book, and thought the mystery was well-done. There were a few additional subplots that either supported the main story or kept the momentum going. The mystery is resolved in a satisfactory way. While I initially thought some aspects may have been a bit too far fetched, the author actually has a note addressing the reality of these aspects at the end of the book.

The setting, as with so many cozy mysteries, is a small town, but it wasn't an overly twee version of a small town and it isn't the character's home turf.

The main character's subject matter expertise - cryptozoology - and the fact that she is being hired for her experience make the book stand out a bit from the knitting/baking/bookstore owning amateur sleuths (though don't get me wrong, I do love those kind of cozies, too!). She is an interesting mix of cool-headed practicality and anxiety; I appreciated the nod to mental health, though it wasn't much more than that. She approaches her search for cryptids and her investigation of other aspects of the murder in a logical way, so even though the subject matter is unusual, the character isn't a fraudster or gullible, or otherwise untrustworthy.

Community is what makes cozy mysteries, in my opinion, and this book has a good, if small, supporting cast. I liked the inclusion of a strong older woman and a social media-savvy young man. Her dog is a big part of the draw, so cozy fans who like their series with a pet friend will enjoy Newt.

Two nits for me: I was a little surprised at how gruesome the opening scene was. Normally cozy mystery murders take place off stage, so to speak, but there was a fair amount of gore description. It may have been especially noticeable because I was having dinner while I read. And a lot of chapters ended with heavy handed foreboding. Once, maybe twice is good foreshadowing, but it seemed excessive.

Overall I enjoyed this book and I will definitely return to the first two books in the series. I'll be curious if the main character travels away from home in both of these books as well, or whether there's more focus on developing the character's backstory and her relationships with the secondary characters.

I think traditional cozy readers who are willing to go along for the ride on a search for make believe creatures will enjoy this book.

What a fun and unique read. This is the first novel of Annalise Ryan that I have read, but it won’t be my last. This clever novel follows Morgan Carter, a cryptozoologist, as she searches for a Hogad in the North Woods. This premise sounds like it could have easily veered into a campy novel, yet it remained believable and entertaining throughout. The characters were interesting, the story came together with lots of action and minimal explanations. This was a quick and enjoyable read and I will be recommending this book and this author to all my reading friends.

This mystery begins when cryptozoologist (one who studies legendary creatures) Morgan Carter is asked to help prove the innocence of a friend’s nephew who is in jail for murder. The nephew claims that the victim was killed by a mythical creature, the Hodag. Obviously the authorities and community are skeptical. Soon though, her mission progresses into more and more mysterious events.

The novel is engaging and well paced, and characters and environment are developed. At some point in the novel, the many situations almost overwhelm Morgan’s mission to exonerate the nephew, but the story sustained my interest even as mysteries become more complicated. I consider it a fine and enjoyable weekend read.

While this book is the third in a series, it is a solid stand-alone. Readers might want to try the first two books: A Death in Door County, and Death in the Dark Woods.

Third book in an entertaining series. I enjoy the use of cryptids and American folklore which makes this unique and memorable in a crowded genre. Will be recommending.

This is book is based on the interesting concept that maybe mythical creatures (yeti, unicorns, etc) may exist or did exist. Don't worry the book is mystery/thriller, not an examination of those creatures but features a cryptozoologist who researches and does some searching for those types of creatures. So how does this all come together? Very well actually. The cyrptozoologist, Morgan Carter, is asked to help a person who has been accused of murder. The accused claims that a hodag (a local beloved mythical creature) was the murderer. And the romp begins, with some twists and turns, you eventually find out what happens - but I'm not spoiling the end for you.

Readers that like mysteries will like this book. I'm a huge mystery reader (Denise Mina, Jeffrey Deaver, Micheal Connelly, Harlan Coben - you get the picture) and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I did not realize this was the 3rd book in a series when I started it. However, it was very easy to pick up and read. I was not confused on anything and the characters were so fun! I love that our MC is a cryptozoologist. I love that this is different and it’s hunting for mythical creatures. I adore that kind of story. It was a fast-paced story and I just kept turning the pages wanting to read more. I loved that the last chapter or so at the end was just wrapping everything up and making sense of all that happened. Super easy and fun to read! I will have to go read the other books! Thank you for letting me read this!

Beast of the North Woods (A Monster Hunter Mystery) is the third book is Annelise Ryan's series about at a Wisconsin bookstore owner who is also a cryptozoologist. Morgan is called to Rhinelander, Wisconsin to investigate the possibility a Hodag, a large bull-horned carnivore, killed a man, while another man sits in jail accused of murder. The novel delves into the world of illegal art sales and genetic engineering of animals in a small town that sells itself on the existence of the Hodag. Fans who enjoy this novel will probably go back to read books one and two. Recommended for readers who enjoy small town amateur sleuth mysteries. Also the Monster Hunter Mystery series may be of interest for fans of Tara Lush's Critters and Criminals series about cryptids in Florida's gator-infested waters.

Annelise Ryan’s “Beast of the North Woods” is a quick and easy read. The protagonist is a cryptozoologist - she hunts for legendary creatures (such as yeti, big foot, loc ness monster) that may or may not exist. She is hired by the brother-in-law of an employee. This hunt takes place in the Rhinelander, Wisconsin area and it is the infamous Hodag she needs to locate to show that her employee’s nephew did not commit murder. Ryan describes the people and places very well as well as the process used by Morgan Carter, the cryptozoologist and narrator. There are several twists to the plot and I did not expect the ending. The conclusion was as well written and complete as the rest of the book. If you are in the mood for a light read, this book will accomplish your goal.

3.25 stars

When bookshop owner Morgan Carter is approached by her good friend and employee Rita Bosworth with a plea for help, Morgan finds herself in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. A local man was just murdered and the only witness - who is also the prime suspect - is Rita’s nephew. He claims the victim was attacked by a hodag, a mythical creature that doesn’t even exist. Or does it? That’s now up to Morgan to find out.
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Beast of the North woods is the 3rd installment in the Monster Hunter series. While it can be read as a standalone, I suggest reading the first two before diving into this one.
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I absolutely love this series. It’s just so different from any other mystery. Our MC is a cryptozoologist and often hunting for mythical creatures. In this installment it’s the hodag, which is part lizard, part bull, part - I’m not even sure. It may have spines, a hooked tail, and horns! If solving murders that involve cryptids wasn’t enough, the MC also has a dangerous stalker after her.
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The weakest part of the book to me was the romance, that really isn’t a romance. I wish it was just left out.
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Overall I enjoyed this fast paced fun and entertaining story and would recommend to all cryptid, cozy and mystery lovers out there!

*Thank you to @berkleypub and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

Thanks to NetGalley, Annelise Ryan, and Berkley Publishing for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third installment in the Monster Hunter Series and it did not disappoint! I love this series because it is so different from any other mysteries I've read! In this book, Rita's nephew is accused of murder in Rhineland, Wisconsin but he says that he's innocent; it was a Hodag that committed the murder! Rita hires our protagonist, Morgan Carter, to look into the Hodag claim in order to help prove her nephew innocent. Since the Hodag is a friendly, happy, imaginary creature many of the townspeople resent the implication that their mascot could be accused of violence. Nonetheless, violence does occur and Morgan gets into some dangerous situations before she works out what is going on in the town and who is responsible for murder.

This is a wonderfully imaginative series and the author does a great job of never letting the tension in the plot go slack!

The premise of the book was intriguing, and I liked the main character. But she seemed to do a lot of running around on a whim with little idea where she was going or why, all the while being stalked or chased. About halfway through I just wanted to be done, but I pushed on so that I find the resolution to the mystery. Everything fell into place with a rather farfetched and lengthy explanation rather than building to a conclusion.

This whimsical thriller was a delight! The mystery of the Beast in the North Woods kept me intrigued from the beginning to the end. I found the Author’s use of obscure words challenging and tantalizing and left me with a sense of pure satisfaction. I fell in love with the main characters and I want to read the other books in this series!

This is the third book I’ve read in the series and I just eat these books up. I love reading about the mystery behind the cryptic. Shes a great writer and creates fascinating stories!

cryptozoologist, cryptids, local-history, local-law-enforcement, local-legends, Northern-Wisconsin, mystery, thriller, suspense, murder-investigation, threats, conspiracy, FBI, murders, Newfoundland-dog, relatives, relationships, relationship-issues, snow-season, support-animal, traumatic-history, panic-attacks*****

Not an unbiased review because I am from Northern Wisconsin (home of the Butterburger and KwikTrip) and have seen the statues of the Legendary Hodag in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.
It started with an investigation into a (probably) wrongful arrest of a good friend's nephew for the mauling death in the deep woods of a man the nephew was known to have had an explosive and contentious relationship with. By the end we have more bodies, angry shop owners, threats, the FBI, a clandestine gene editing lab, and more. Another good read in this series!
I requested and received a temporary review copy from Berkley Publishing Group/Berkley via NetGalley. Thank you!
#MonsterHunterMysteriesBk3 @ryan_annelise #BeastoftheNorthWoods #NetGalley Avail Jan 28, 2025

I’m throughly enjoying this series as is our patrons at the library. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.

I love this series! This book is full of skepticism, great plotting, a main character I like and who feels very real, odd creatures, science, small towns, big mysteries, creepiness, and interesting relationships with colleagues and others. Can't wait for the next one!

Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.