Cryptids in Fiction

 

Round up by Jeanne

Sometimes in fiction, you just want to have a different monster, something other than a vampire or werewolf or ghosts, superstars though they are.  While some authors want to create their own creatures, others enjoy taking a lesser known mystery beast and putting their own spin on it. Here are some novels that do just that:

Morgan Carter, amateur cryptozoologist, is often called on to investigate strange happenings, which may or may not involve creatures unknown to science.  In the first book in Annelise Ryan's  Monster Hunter series, A Death in Door County, bodies are turning up on the shores of Lake Michigan with strange bite marks. Is there something in the water? Morgan also owns the Odds and Ends bookstore which has some things that are odder than usual—like a mummified Gold Rush miner.

There’s definitely something in the water in Steve Alten’s book The Meg. This was the first of several books he’s written featuring a megalodon shark and was the basis for the movie of the same name.  He’s also written another series, The Loch, in which a man seeks to unravel the mysteries of a certain famous Scottish lake. Fast paced and suspenseful, these are for those who love creature features.  

In Jessica Johns’ debut novel Bad Cree, a young Native woman named Mackenzie is tormented by bad dreams after the deaths of two family members. Is it just grief—or is there something lurking? She knows she will have to return home for help in this haunting tale of generational trauma.

Reality show dating is the premise for Samantha Allen’s novel, Patricia Wants to Cuddle. While contestants vie for the attentions of a tech company entrepreneur on a deserted island, there are soon hints the island might not have been quite as deserted as they thought. Kristin reviewed this book here.  

American socialite Maddie, her husband Ellis, and friend Hank travel to Scotland to try to find the Loch Ness Monster which Ellis’ father claimed to have photographed some years ago.   It’s 1945, and as Maddie points out, it’s probably not the best time to be traveling a sea crawling with U boats.  At the Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen is a historical novel with flawed characters, a romantic triangle, and possibly a creature.

Creature X  Mystery series by J.J. Dupuis begins with Roanoke Ridge when science blogger and cryptid skeptic Laura Reagan goes to Oregon to investigate the disappearance of her former mentor.  The area where he vanished is the site of a Big Foot Festival and sightings in the area have been on the rise.   These are well done mysteries that explore both the science and myth of cryptids in an entertaining fashion.   Read Jeanne's full review of Lake Crescent here.

Bittersweet in the Hollow by Kate Pearsall is a debut novel set in West Virginia.  The women in Linden’s family are known to have unusual abilities; Linden is able to taste emotions.  More than that, she’s known as the girl who went missing the night of the Moth Winged Man festival, only to be found hours later with no memory of what happened to her.  When another girl disappears at the same festival and only to be found dead, pressure mounts on Linden to remember. All she knows is that there is definitely something in the woods.   This is an engaging fantasy novel with a sequel due out in 2025. Jeanne’s full review of this book is here.  

Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen

Reviewed by Kristin

The Catch is getting interesting. On the Bachelor-esque reality show, only four women are left in the competition, and one man who must choose between them. As their turbulent flight touches down on remote Otter Island in the Pacific Northwest, the contestants’ emotions run the gamut from bored and disillusioned to hopeful and excited.

Jeremy Blackstone is “The Catch”, although none of the women seems particularly motivated by him as a prize for winning the competition. What’s more important is that Jeremy is the co-founder of Glamstapix, a social media platform that focuses on, umm, glamorous pictures. Obviously. For most of the women, winning a competition connected to that prestigious social media platform is much more important than catching a boyfriend/fiancé/husband/whatever.

The Final Four:

Texas beauty queen Lilah-Mae Adams considers herself a Christian influencer determined to make a difference with the visibility she is gaining during this all too naughty competition.

Fashion vlogger Amanda Parker is perky and cute, not to mention very aware of how online perceptions can make you or break you.

Vanessa Voorhees is an auto show model, and seems to get clicks and likes without even trying.

Human Resources Specialist Renee Irons is perhaps the most down to earth of the four, or maybe she is just tired of all the fake relationships modeled by this television production.

Once the plane touches down on Otter Island, Lilah-Mae, Amanda, Vanessa, and Renee are taken to a quaint little bed and breakfast owned by Margaret Davies. Maggie has been here for decades and knows the island well; you might even say that she’s the heart of the community. Maggie definitely has the inside scoop on the mysteries on the island. For example, who is Patricia? And why does she want to cuddle?

This darkly hilarious tale had me laughing out loud and eager to see what was behind the next stand of trees on the island. Author Samantha Allen is definitely critiquing modern media culture, but she does it in a way that takes the reader along for the joyride. The reality show plotline was ridiculous, but framed the stereotypical characters perfectly in what was scripted to be a last-woman-standing scenario where just one would finally capture the heart of The Catch: Jeremy.