Annelise Ryan

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S DEATH IN THE DARK WOODS ABOUT?
Chief Jon Flanders has another possible cryptid for Bookseller/Cryptozoologist Morgan Carter to look into. It's not his case, but he's serving as the go-between for a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Warden. There've been a couple of killings in her jurisdiction that she'd like Morgan to look into—and is willing to pay her out of pocket to do so.

Charlie Aberdeen isn't even the head of the investigations, but she has a vested interest in the outcome. The official cause of death for both men (a bow hunter and a recreational fisherman) is a bear attack, but a witness account and some of the evidence don't match that. Particularly the wounds. But Charlie's the only one willing to say anything along the lines of "Bigfoot." The existence of this particular creature is a known interest of Charlie's—and local LEOs will send anything along those lines to her.

Morgan, naturally, jumps at the opportunity—no matter how long of a shot it is to find the elusive cryptid, she's got to take it. Her loyal dog, Newt, jumps at it, too—because he jumps at anything she does.

Not surprisingly, some of the locals aren't crazy about her meddling—a Sherriff's Deputy seems particularly hostile (okay, "is" there's no seeming to it)—but some insist they've seen something that could be a Bigfoot themselves. Others just think it's a pipedream and are mildly amused that Charlie and Morgan are wasting their time. There's another cryptozoologist sniffing around, too—Morgan's run into him and his spurious methods before—he's more interested in making money off of locals than he is in finding anything.

BE CAREFUL
Don't read the Author's Note at the back before you finish the book—it'll spoil things. I occasionally do that—I don't know why, but I like seeing what an author mentions in their Note or Acknowledgements, so I start there (or take a peak while reading). Man, am I glad I didn't do that this time.

(but also, maybe bury that information in the second paragraph or later?)

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT DEATH IN THE DARK WOODS?
This was a fun little adventure and a natural next step from A Death in Door County. A hunt for a Bigfoot/Sasquatch-type creature is a bit more familiar in North America than a Lake Monster, but that doesn't mean it's tired out. In many ways, Morgan's hunt reminded me of Gideon Oliver's in The Dark Place—but I enjoyed the way this one wrapped up much more.

Another thing I want to draw attention to is the relationship between Jon and Morgan—Ryan's doing a nice job of letting the inevitable relationship grow slowly, and even stumble a bit. It's really well done.

The narrative and some of the dialogue could be done a bit better—occasionally clunky is the best way to put it. It's never enough to make me want to do anything other than roll my eyes and push on, but it could be easily made better.

Still, like its predecessor, Death in the Dark Woods is a pleasant diversion with some characters you could want to spend more time with. Which is all I'm looking for in a cozy-adjacent murder mystery. I'll be back for more.… (meer)

Night Shift drew my full attention from the very first page. Those who have read the first book in this series become reacquainted with social worker Hildy Schneider and her therapy dog assistant, Roscoe. Readers new to the series you will learn that Hildy is employed at the hospital and is also just beginning to work as part of a new social worker program with local law enforcement. She discovers that the two jobs overlap when she is contacted by the family of a former patient to work with him again.

This story is full of thrills and surprises. Although there is a continued hint of a potential romantic interest, I found the relationship serves more as a tension release than as a true romance. Hildy’s therapy dog, Roscoe, joins her when she rides along with the police to work his magic in helping people relax.

Murder, drugs, and ghostly visions will have you frantically turning pages to find out what happens next. Primary characters are well developed. Annelise Ryan does a wonderful job of both creating heart-stopping moments and providing the reader an opportunity to catch his breath. If you enjoy reading a good suspense novel, then this book should be perfect for you.

I received my copy of the book as a prize in an online book group giveaway with no strings attached. The decision to review, as long as any opinion given here, is mine.… (meer)

Needled to Death is the first book by Annelise Ryan that I have read and it will not be my last. It is a fun cozy mystery that has a potential romance, a great dog, some humorous moments, and of course, a good mystery. One plus for me with the mystery is that the police detective that Hildy talks with welcomes her help instead of constantly pushing her away. Oh, but that doesn’t keep her from doing some unapproved investigation on her own.

Although her day job is referred back to throughout the story, most of the book is devoted to the mystery. As a result, the reader really sees little of Hildy working in her profession as a social services worker in a hospital. The characters are well rounded and we get to know them as just more than a social worker or detective. I enjoyed meeting Hildy’s young neighbor and dog walker.

The pace of the book picked up as I got further into the story. Parts of the puzzle came together for me before the end, but there were plenty of surprises, too.

If you enjoy a good cozy mystery, then give this one a try.

I received my copy of Needled to Death in a Facebook book group drawing with no request made or promised of writing a review. This is simply my opinion and nothing more.… (meer)

Death in the Dark Woods by Annelise Ryan is the second book in A Monster Hunter Mysteries. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. Morgan Carter is a cryptozoologist, which I find to be an interesting and unique career. I had trouble getting through this story because of the author’s writing style and the long, detailed descriptions (the story moved slower than a snail on a hot, July day in Florida). I found Odds and Ends to be an unusual shop (there were some interesting pieces in the shop). After Morgan’s upbringing, I can see why it appeals to her along with her work as a cryptozoologist. I was expecting suspense, a touch of terror, and a puzzling mystery. I found the main mystery to be a letdown. The solution seemed implausible (there were different factors that seemed unrealistic). The secondary mystery was easy to solve. A Monster Hunter Mysteries is not a series for me. Death in the Dark Woods left me feeling frustrated, annoyed, and disappointed.… (meer)