Name: Beast of the North Woods
Rating: 4 (2 reviews)
Author: Annelise Ryan

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Book Summary

When a local fisherman is mauled to death, it seems like the only possible cause is a mythical creature in the latest puzzling entry in this USA Today bestselling series.

An ice fisherman is savagely mauled to death in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, and an eyewitness claims the man was attacked by a hodag. There's just one problem with that: it's well known that the creature is not real and was created by a local hoaxer. So how could an imaginary creature be chomping on local sportsmen?

The suggestion that a hodag killed someone isn't well received by the townsfolk because of its beloved ties to the town and the money it generates from tourist dollars. Due to this, people begin to suspect the witness is the real killer, especially when it's discovered he has a tangled past with the victim.

The witness to the attack happens to be the nephew of Morgan Carter's bookstore employee, Rita Bosworth, who convinces the professional cryptozoologist to travel to Wisconsin to prove that a hodag not only exists but killed the victim.

Clues may be hard to come by, but one thing's for sure: something killed that man, and that something now has its eyes focused on Morgan.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

These are original discussion questions written by BookBrowse.

Had you heard of a hodag or a cryptozoologist before reading the book?
Do you live in or near an area that celebrates a cryptid, or have you traveled to a festival that revolves around one? If so, which one, and how do they venerate it?
The mystery is set in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, which did, in fact, give birth to the hodad legend. Did it surprise you that this was a real place, and that its connection to the hodag is depicted accurately?
What did you think of the book's remote, wintery setting? How did the atmosphere affect your enjoyment of the plot?
It's clear from the prologue that Andy isn't the murderer and that he definitely saw something or someone leaving the ...

Please be aware that this discussion may contain spoilers!

See what our members are saying about this book in our Community Forum.

BookBrowsers Ask Annelise Ryan, author of the Monster Hunter mystery series
I normally ask our visiting authors to tell us a bit about themselves, and then we pepper them with questions. In this case, I found that Annelise (aka Beth) had already posted an entertaining intro https://bethamos.com/ on her website that addresses many of the questions we'd typically ask. To a...
-kim.kovacs

What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (3/5/2026)
I started the week with Annelise Ryan's Working Stiff. She's the author of the Monster Hunter series (we discussed her https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/19780/beast-of-the-north-woods Beast of the North Woods not that long ago). Working Stiff is the first ...
-kim.kovacs

What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (2/26/2026)
Let's see… I finished up a reread of https://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/5076/buckeye Buckeye by Patrick Ryan for a book group. Really excellent fiction. Someone complained to me some time ago that there aren't that many "normal books" getting published anymore, that everythi...
-kim.kovacs

Annelise Ryan is a penname for Beth Amos. She’s also published under Allyson K. Abbott. Have you read any other books by this author, and if so, which ones? How did they compare to The Beast of the North Woods?
I have not read any books under her other pen names. But I'm always fascinated by the different approaches used even in similar genres. Example: I did not know for some years that Barbara Vine was a pen named for Ruth Rendell. I read Barbara Vine first and initially felt that the Vine Books spoke...
-Vivian_H

Had you heard of a hodag or a cryptozoologist before reading the book?
Only because I read the Door County book of Annelise Ryan's, otherwise, I never heard of the term. I would put it in the Ghostbuster's category, and not looked for "documentaries" on the topic. But, as a Just for Fun book, I enjoyed the wacky topic. The thing that actually scares me is creepy peo...
-Karen_K

Overall, what did you think of The Beast of the North Woods? (no spoilers, please!)
I got that book as a freebie from Bookbrowse because I had read the Door County set book she wrote previously. I enjoy a light mystery once in a while and this fit the bill. Her books are funny and have lots of interesting characters and I love the main character Morgan. I grew up in Wisconsin an...
-Karen_K

What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (11/20/2025)
...The Forgotten Book Club by Kate Storey, and https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/19780/beast-of-the-north-woods Beast of the North Woods by Annelise Ryan. Still listening to https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/21144/king-of-ashes King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby. Hopin...
-kim.kovacs

About the Beast of the North Woods Discussion category
...lease join BookBrowse for our discussion of https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/19780/beast-of-the-north-woods Beast of the North Woods by Annelise Ryan.
-kim.kovacs

What are you reading this week? (11-21-2024)
I started The Beast of the North Woods by Annelise Ryan a couple of days ago, but I'm not too far along. Next up will be The Memory Library by Kate Storey.
-kim.kovacs

What are you reading this week? (2024-10-31)
I'm reading Beast of the North Woods by Annelise Ryan this week - I received it as part of BookBrowse's First Impressions program.
-HannahT

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Media Reviews

"Ryan once again delivers the goods, serving up a cheeky, atmospheric investigation that goes down as smoothly as an episode of Scooby-Doo but with far more narrative intricacy. This series continues to impress." —Publishers Weekly

"Neatly combines the codes of real-world homicide investigation and of tales of beasts from the dark side." —Kirkus Reviews

This information about Beast of the North Woods was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own review

Kathleen C. (Cockeysville, MD)

Murder and the search for mythical creatures
A fun and not too cozy mystery series featuring Morgan Carter as a cryptozoologist who owns a specialty book & oddities shop. She frequently becomes in involved in solving mysteries involving the possibility of mythical creatures. This third installment involves Rita, one of the shop employees, asking Morgan for help in proving Rita's nephew was not involved in a murder. The series has engaging characters, interesting mysteries and wonderfully descriptive surroundings of the Wisconsin settings. There are continuing story lines between the books which further the connection the reader develops with the characters but the story could be read a stand alone (I'd still start with the first mystery though).

Catherine_O_Callagha

Clever and Fun
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.

HannahT

Plot twists that keep you on your toes!
I really enjoyed reading Beasts of the North Woods and it actually exceeded my expectations as it wasn't a predictable plot which can often be the case with mysteries. The plot twists kept me guessing! I will definitely be reading Anneliese Ryan's next book!

Barbara_E

Hodags, Murder, and Mayhem, Oh My!
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery! The main characters are well-developed and truly engaging. I particularly appreciated the rich details the author provided about the Wisconsin town of Rhinelander and the mythical Hodag, which added a unique local flavor to the story. As the protagonist delves into the mystery, readers are drawn into a world where the line between myth and reality is tantalizingly blurred. Ryan builds tension skillfully, keeping readers guessing about the true nature of the hodag and whether there's more than folklore behind the recent sightings. The mystery itself is intricate and satisfying, with a clever resolution. Plus, the cliffhanger at the end left me eagerly anticipating the next book in the series!

Donna_M

Good mystery
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.

Bill B. (Choctaw, OK)

Fantasy Novel
Ordinarily, I do not make it through fantasy stories, but "The Beast if the North Woods" held me to the end. I enjoyed the interworking of supernatural with reality. Now, I am going to read more of Ryan's works.

...25 more reader reviews

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Author Information

Biography
Books by this Author

Annelise Ryan Author Biography

Annelise Ryan is the USA Today bestselling author of multiple mystery series, including the Mattie Winston Mysteries. A retired ER nurse, she now writes full-time from her Wisconsin home.

Author Interview

Other books by Annelise Ryan at BookBrowse

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Reviews
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Find books by time period, setting & theme
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and much more!
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