Cozy Mystery Review: Death in the Dark Woods | Annelise Ryan | Monster Hunter Mystery #2

It is so exciting to find a fresh take on the cozy mystery genre and this series by Annelise Ryan delivers. In Annelise Ryan’s Monster Hunter Mystery series, a cryptozoologist is called in to assist on mysteries that seem to involve animals whose existence is unsubstantiated but whose lore looms over the community where the crime occurs.

These books feel like a Scooby Doo for grown-ups in the best way, where an expert is called in to investigate a mystery that appears to link to a mythical creature, and her job is partly to determine if the creature could be involved and unmask the hoax if not. It does hurt if she unmasks the murderer while she’s at it! In Death in the Dark Woods, Morgan Carter’s expertise comes in handy investigating two deaths that are believed to be committed by Bigfoot.

About the Book | Death in the Dark Woods

Set in Door County, Wisconsin—Morgan Carter is a cryptozoologist and owner of a shop called Odds and Ends that is part mystery book store, part oddities vender. She inherited the shop from her late parents who were murdered by her ex-fiancé (a shocking backstory that is alluded to but isn’t discussed in any great detail).

Morgan has a slowly developing relationship with Jon Flanders, who is the Chief of Police on Washington Island in Door County. They haven’t progressed with their romantic feelings due to the tragic loss of Morgan’s parents and Jon’s wife and child several years earlier. However, the two have a clear affection and respect for one another.

Jon asks Morgan to assist a woman named Charlie Aberdeen, who is a warden for the Department of National Resources, with a case involving Bigfoot sightings and two mysterious deaths in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. A man was found dead from a mysterious throat wound and the evidence points away from a traditional animal attack, but also from a human one. With both deaths, witnesses reported sightings of human-like primates that are unlike any species known in the area.

Morgan brings her dog Newt to go investigate, but after arriving it becomes clear the case is even more complicated than she first imagined. The witness testimony is unreliable at best, and the physical evidence is conflicting—some pointing towards and animal, others pointing towards a cryptid, and other pointing towards a human’s involvement.

Morgan will need to use all of her intellect, scientific background, and wits to solve this mysterious case and determine what caused the two deaths and how the trail of deceit and lies ties to what is happening in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.

Review | Death in the Dark Woods

This cozy mystery series feels unique for several reasons. The first and most obvious is the theme of “monster hunting” and an expert in cryptozoology. While other cozy mystery series may dabble into the lore of a cryptid here and there, I haven’t experienced a series that focuses on them quite like this one. I found the concept fun and fresh.

The second is the leading character Morgan and the way she interacts within the series. Morgan is analytical and scientific. While her store and her link to the lore of figures like Bigfoot seems whimsical, Morgan as a character is analytical, skeptical while still being open minded and methodical. She doesn’t necessarily believe that these mythical creatures exist, but she maintains believe in the possibility they could exist. She separates herself from others who flood her field, looking to prey on true believers. She approaches her work as a true scientist, and this makes her much less quirky and emotional than most cozy mystery leads.

The third is that the mysteries are less of a deductive whodunnit and more of a serious take on the Scooby Doo gang unmasking the person behind a hoax. There are a lot of pieces that come together, including who and/or what is responsible for the murders, what is happening with the Bigfoot sightings in the area, and parsing out what pieces are associated with different lines of inquiry.

Finally, the deaths are somewhat more gruesome than is typical in a cozy mystery series, though they aren’t gory or overly graphic. The series will still be safe for those with a squeamish stomach when it comes to gore, but the deaths aren’t the usual “pushed down a flight or stairs” or “quietly poisoned” sort that is common in cozy mysteries.

The science behind the Bigfoot-like creature and the attacks was presented in a way that is easy for the reader to follow. This allows the reader to follow the same logical steps that Morgan takes to dismantle whatever is happening. The reader can tell why the clues suggest a cryptid versus an animal versus a human. The mystery comes in because the clues are conflicting. At times it seems impossible to draw any other conclusion other than a Bigfoot-like creature being responsible for the attacks.

The mystery comes together in a surprising and satisfactory way. I liked that the author included a lot of elements from Wisconsin history (make sure to read the author’s note at the end to learn more about what was fact, what was based on fact, and what was fiction). The location was perfect—a small community on the edge of the national forest.

Charlie was a compelling character to bring the mystery to Morgan. She’s beautiful but her behavior verges on cool at times. I couldn’t decide whether she actually liked Morgan or not. Morgan often suspects Charlie of being interested in Jon, which added to the pressure for Morgan and Jon to actually decide if they are going to move forward. The relationship between Jon and Morgan is moving slower than molasses, but I enjoyed how direct they are with one another that feelings are there, but timing may not be right yet. You’ll have to read and find out!

A fun and unique cozy mystery!

Audiobook Review | Narrated by Susan Bennett

The audiobook was fantastic for this! Susan Bennett captures the wry, analytical tone for Morgan perfectly. A lot of cozy mysteries feature a plucky lead who needs a bubbly voice, but Morgan Carter is such a unique character, the narration needed to suit her science-y style.

About the Author | Annelise Ryan

Annelise Ryan is the USA Today bestselling author of the Monster Hunter Mysteries featuring cryptozoologist and bookstore owner, Morgan Carter, and the Mattie Winston mystery series, featuring a wryly cynical nurse-turned-coroner. She has always believed laughter really is the best medicine, and with the Mattie Winston series she hoped to “medicate” the masses. She also believes in a good scare every once in a while, hence the Monster Hunter mysteries, the first of which, A Death in Door County, came out in September of 2022. The second in that series, Death in the Dark Woods, comes out in December 2023.

Annelise Ryan is a pseudonym for author Beth Amos. There were several reasons why she decided to use a pseudonym, not the least of which was that her ER patients might not have been comfortable knowing she spent her spare time thinking up clever ways to kill people. She is also the author of the Mack’s Bar Mystery series written as Allyson K. Abbott. Ryan is a retired emergency room RN living in Wisconsin.

Official Teaser | Death in the Dark Woods

A potential Bigfoot sighting is linked to a vicious murder, but skeptical cryptozoologist Morgan Carter is on the case in this new Monster Hunter Mystery by USA Today bestselling author Annelise Ryan.

Business has been booming since Morgan Carter solved the case of the monster living in Lake Michigan. The Odds and Ends bookstore is thriving, of course, but Morgan is most excited by the doors that were opened for her as a cryptid hunter.

Recently, there have been numerous sightings of a Bigfoot-type creature in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest area of Bayfield County, Wisconsin. After a man is found dead from a vicious throat injury in the forest, the conservation warden asks Morgan to investigate.

When Morgan and her dog, Newt, go there to investigate, they uncover a trail of lies, deception, and murder. It seems a mysterious creature is indeed living in the forest, and Morgan might be its next target. (Synopsis from Goodreads)