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Sunday, June 27, 2021

Roanoke Ridge by J.J. Dupuis

 
"Are you ready to hunt Bigfoot?" I ask.

Laura Reagan's father believed in Bigfoot; he even captured the legendary creature on film once. But Laura is a skeptic. She runs the popular website Science Is Awesome and prefers science and fact to rumor and myth. Then Professor Sorel, an old family friend, goes missing right before the annual Roanoke Valley Bigfoot Festival and Laura returns to Oregon to help search for him. After all, she grew up hiking the mountains around Roanoke with her father. Only it seems Bigfoot sightings are up this year, and when a dead body is found in  the mountains that looks more like murder than an accidental fall, Laura begins to suspect there's something going on up on Roanoke Ridge. Is it Bigfoot? Or something else?

I don't know why, but I've always been drawn to Bigfoot novels. They tend to be fun, speculative fiction. And this book is no exception. I liked how Laura knows all the mythos surrounding Bigfoot, and how despite her confirmed skepticism, she keeps an open mind as things unfold around her. Ted the Ranger was also a fun character. And the Bigfoot believers, or 'squatchers', that she meets are certainly a colorful bunch. As are the hoaxers. If there really was a Bigfoot Festival like the one in this book, I'd go just for the fun of it. (And for the tee shirts!)

Overall, Roanoke Ridge turned out to be a fun mystery, well-paced and very entertaining. 

Happy Reading!

Other recent Bigfoot reads:



34 comments:

  1. 1) I enjoyed World War Z by Brooks, and 2) I love the name of a website called Science is Awesome! Will look for this one. :)

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  2. Bigfoot is a fun theme for a book. Loch Ness is another that I like.

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    1. I should read a Loch Ness monster book. That'd be fun. :)

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  3. Cryptozoology is interesting. BigFoot (Sasquatch) is an icon.

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  4. I think this must be the first Bigfoot/ thriller I’ve seen/ read! And it sounds SO good!!

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    1. I thought it was a fun and well-written mystery. Hope you like it, too. :)

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  5. I'm not sure if you read or like Urban Fantasy, but I recently came across another group of 'squatchers' in Patricia Briggs' Wild Sign. See if you want to give that a try!

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    1. I do really like Urban Fantasy, and I'm a huge Patricia Briggs fan. But I haven't read Wild Sign, and I didn't know there were squatchers in it. Thanks for the heads up. :D

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  6. This sounds really good. I've not read many books featuring Big Foot, but it's always an interesting topic. :)

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    1. I've read a couple about Bigfoot...some serious, some goofy. But they've all been fun. :)

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  7. This does sound fun, & my library has a copy!

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    1. Yay! You'll have to let me know what you think of it...even if you end up not liking it. :)

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  8. I like the sound of this. I must admit I had no idea Bigfoot novels were a thing! But then I also had no idea that Bigfoot believers which such a big thing either, something I learnt from The Cold Vanish. :-)

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    1. I think Bigfoot is more common here in America than in England. Maybe that's why. And its popularity seems to come in waves. Although apparently there are more believers here than I ever knew about. ;D

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  9. I did enjoy Devolution, and this sounds fun, too! I'll check this one out for sure. And yes, for the T-shirts!

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    1. Funny t-shirts are the best! I saw one that had Bigfoot on it with the caption: Hide and Seek Champ. It made me laugh.

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  10. This sounds like an interesting read. Don't think I've ever read a Bigfoot novel before so thanks for putting this one on my radar. :)

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    1. This one ended up being more mystery than supernatural, but all the Bigfoot craziness in it made it fun. :)

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  11. I have always been drawn to bigfoot novels, shows, etc. as well. I'm definitely adding this to my list!

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  12. Bigfoot is mysterious, so it's no wonder many of us are drawn to this legendary creature. :) And this book sounds like a fun read.

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    1. I enjoyed it. It's a good summer read. :)

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  13. My husband, who used to be a logger and lived in the woods for year, believes in Bigfoot. I should read this book to help me with y disbelief.

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    1. I don't know if this book will turn you into a believer, but it is an entertaining read. :)

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  14. I've never read a Bigfoot novel. Sounds very good! I love mysteries when you're not sure if it's really paranormal or not.

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  15. This one sounds super fun! I loved the parts in THE COLD VANISH where the author talked about the Bigfoot club. It cracks me up that it's a real thing :)

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    1. Right? I think the author did a good job of capturing that in this book. :)

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  16. Hi Lark, This novel sounds interesting, a chance to learn about people who do believe in Bigfoot, who have formed clubs where they meet to discuss it all and it sounds like the author is really knowledgeable on this topic.

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    1. There are a lot of quirky characters in this book, that's for sure. And the whole Bigfoot festival just sounds awesome.

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  17. While I've never read a story that featured Bigfoot, I remember just always loving to hear stories about sightings, etc. This sounds like a lot of fun.

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    1. The whole bigfoot thing in books always makes me laugh. And this book was fun.

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