This sequel to The Beast of Barcroft is a creepy, creature packed tale. This is the further adventures of Ben and Lindsay doing what they do best, getting on each others nerves with snarky but humorous affection, and hunting down deadly supernatural beings.
It will give you shivers, and not just from the icy Minnesota setting. If you liked the first book you’ll love the second, and if you haven’t read the first book you really should.

I received an advance copy for review. ( )

Ex–Delta Force Davis Holland is now working for the Customs and Border Protection up in the North. It's a more peaceful place to work than Douglas, Arizona where he worked until his bosses transferred him up north after an attack against him. But that is about to change when he and a local sheriff stumbles over a massacre in the woods. Someone or something is loose in the woods, something dangerous.

Wealthy cryptozoologist Richard Severance sends Ben McKelvie, Lindsay Clark, and Alex Standingcloud to investigate. They have not seen each other for around a year, not since a deadly shapeshifter almost killed dem in Barcroft. Now they must once against face danger together.

Northwoods is the sequel to The Beast of Barcroft and despite the fact that I haven't read the book was it quite easy to get into the story. The three main character Ben, Lindsay, and Alex have all bad memories of facing down the shapeshifter the year before and now they are once again investigating something paranormal.

Davis and Barnabus Sheriff Gil were attacked in the woods where the massacre took place and they are still a bit jumpy 2 months later when Ben (and his cat Gus), Lindsay, and Alex travels up north and soon all hell breaks loose.

This book is really great, I find that Bill Schweigart did a marvelous work with creating both very likable characters and an intensive story. I loved the setting of the peaceful towns like Barnabus and how everything very fast goes to hell when the town is attacked. When people start to die and Ben, Lindsay, Alex, and Davids have to start fighting then the book really gets thrilling. I was constantly worried that something would have happened or the main characters or poor Gus the cat and I was almost exhausted when I finished the book after worrying so much about the characters.

Northwoods is one of the best monster books I have ever read. I love the monster-of-the-week episodes X-files when Mulder and Scully were out in the woods hunting bigfoot etc. and this book had some X-files vibes. Now I really want to read The Beast of Barcroft!

Thanks to Hydra and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ( )

This book features the same characters as The Beast of Bancroft. This time they are fighting a much bigger and more deadly threat. I really enjoyed the story, and I liked the incorporation of Native American mythology. I thought at times, the writing was a little too descriptive for my taste, and I didn't like the constantly shifting point of view. Overall it was a solid horror story, and I enjoyed reading it. ( )

Had I written this review right after finishing Northwoods it would have been higher rated but I have found, after contemplating on it for a bit, certain things which didn't really jump out at me at the time. I did enjoy Northwoods while reading but on writing this review I have come to realise that it was more of an OK read than the great read it seemed to be.

At times I felt there was too much going on and that the characters spent more time apart than they did together. As a result a lot of the action was happening at the same time, this I feel caused a lack in the overall building up of the tension and fear.

I also had trouble with the believability aspect at times. Take for example the opening scene of the book. The area is monitored by sensors and drones and although the sensors were triggered they didn't pick up on the people that were in the vicinity. Surely they would pick up on these people, that is what they are there for after all. Also, the opening scene gets totally forgotten about as the story progresses and the item found in this scene is actually an important item to the storyline. What happened? How did it get there? Where did it come from? Why did no one ask these questions or look into it more?

On a more positive note. I enjoy when an author includes lore or legend in their storylines, I find it fascinating and it added a whole new level to a story for me. The scene setting was done well and the interaction between the characters, when they were all together, were well written. I can't say that I found all the characters likeable or relatable but I did enjoy the character of Alex Standingcloud more than the others. I found Lydnsay to be, as time went on, rather annoying.

Overall it was an OK read. Northwoods was my first by this author and I would read more but I would have to be drawn into the story way more than I was with this one before I would pick up a third. ( )

Northwoods Nightmare! 3.5 stars...

Northwoods is a supernatural horror story that will have you looking twice at the people you know! It had lots of action and lots of gore. Schweigart also does a good job of incorporating supernatural elements but I found I wasn't quite believing the unbelievable. I also thought this story was really, too similar, to his first book, The Beast of Barcroft so I wasn't as shocked or surprised by some of the elements. What I enjoyed most was the dialogue between the main characters that returned from the first book and seeing how their stories developed. I also love how Schweigart throws some humor into the mix. He really knows how to add it in where it sounds natural and not cheesy or forced. Overall a good gruesome story that will keep you entertained. I just hope next time Schweigart will give us a little something different then what we've seen in these first two books.


*I received this ARC from Netgalley & Hydra Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Review also posted at:
http://empressreece.booklikes.com/post/1332107/northwoods-nightmare
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