Monster in the Moonlight

A cryptozoologist’s views are not exactly recognized by the whole of the scientific community. But a dead woman in small-town Wisconsin brings law enforcement to cryptozoologist Morgan Carter, as they know her as a source of assistance. Lydia Palmer was found in a rural area with a broken neck and her throat ripped open by what could be the “Beast of Bray Road,” a local legend that has been capturing imaginations for years. Morgan is pretty sure from the outset that there is some human source to this mystery. Lydia, a widow with an adult son disabled from the car accident that killed her husband, was always looking for a way to make money. She wasn’t particularly wise about her methods, but there is still no good reason for her to have been in dark woods in the middle of the night. Sightings of the beast seem realistic, but Morgan has a good idea of what caused the deep scratches in Lydia’s car and body, and it’s not what people think. Another dead body and faked historic documents, among other things, lead Morgan to a conclusion that is worse than any beast. Though part of a series, this is nicely framed so that the back story stays in the background and readers new to Morgan and trusty hound Newt can keep up.