Summary
Morgan Carter runs a quirky bookstore in Door County, Wisconsin. It’s filled with all sorts of odd things Morgan has bought or found along with things her parents had put in the store when it was theirs and they were on the trail of various cryptids and other mysterious happenings.
When two bodies with mysterious markings wash up in the area, a local police chief seeks out Morgan’s expertise as a cryptozoologist. Because the “markings” look like teeth marks from an enormous, unknown sea creature.
Review
This was outstanding! My husband got this book when we first discovered it because the mystery sounded good and the cryptid angle fit with his hobbies. But, like me, he added it to his TBR where it sat for months.
When our local library picked it up, I suggested we team read it like we did My Roommate Is a Vampire. Unfortunately, this was so fantastic, I plowed through it before he was even able to pull it off the shelf. So we didn’t get to team read, but he did pick it up shortly after I finished so we were both able to enjoy it. I immediately pre-ordered book two, A Death in Dark Woods, once I finished, so we both have that waiting for us to read in 2024. The Monster Hunter Mystery series is now a must-read for me.
The voice for this book is great. That was the first thing I noticed. It was so easy to fall into the flow of the story, I didn’t want to put the book down. Then, the characters were great. I loved Morgan – she’s got a fascinating backstory, interesting job, and she’s had tons of unusual life experiences. She has an Andy Carpenter-esque philosophy about money and charity that I loved. Morgan’s friends and co-workers are terrific as well, and I got a kick out of the potential love interest.
Finally, the story is amazing. I had some solid ideas as I read that turned out to be on target, but I could not have predicted how it would all come together. I really enjoyed the wrap up of this one. If you are a mystery fan, I say carve out a quiet weekend and pick this one up. Once you start, you won’t want to put it down.
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*
*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!
5. The Enneagram Development Guide – This is the second non-fiction book on this year’s list, and it’s another book I loved but apparently didn’t review on the blog. The things I love about this book are probably the same things that kept me from posting about it. This is a working book, not a reading book. I have tons of Enneagram books that I can read from cover to cover. Then they go on a shelf and don’t get picked up again. But like a few of my other favorites, this is a WORKING book. Each number has a section that digs into practices that you can work on to bring you to the healthier aspects of your number. But the practices are a DEEP dive – each one could be a focus for weeks at a time. So while I have been working with this for months now, I am still hardly into my number’s section in the book. And I love that. I told a friend reading this is like discovering the Enneagram for the first time. If you are burned out on reading the same old thing and you long to go deeper, this is the resource you should check out. ♥♥♥♥♥
4. The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway – Looking to see where this should fall on my top ten list for 2023 made me want to drop everything else and read this again. It’s the 
3. Every Duke Has His Day – The dog-swapping premise of this book was a winner for me. This delivered on everything I had hoped for when I picked it up, and it’s definitely one I would read again. You can read my full review 
2. Teen Titans: Robin – The second graphic novel – and the third YA novel – on the list is the most recent addition to this 
1. Assistant to the Villain – This was my most anticipated novel of the year, and it delivered on all accounts. I still remember digging into this the minute it arrived, and not putting it down until I was done. I even did a re-read as part of my low-key Christmas reading, and it was as delightful as I remembered. The only other pre-order I have right now, in addition to the new Teen Titans book, is the sequel to this, Apprentice to the Villain, which won’t be out until August. You can read the full review for this book 
10. A Letter to My Congregation – I didn’t post a full review of this on the blog in 2023, but this was a hugely influential read for the year. I rated this “5+++” when I initially read it. My Goodreads review reads: “This was exceptionally good and a perfectly timed read for me. I loved the tone of it which made it easy to plow through over a couple of days. I was underlining something on almost every page. While I thought the chapters on the author’s journey to acceptance and alliance were excellent, my favorites were the two chapters (4 & 5) on how the Church can disagree on this issue – and other issues as they arise over time – without splitting or tearing each other apart. I hope to get some people together to talk about those chapters in particular.” ♥♥♥♥♥+++
9. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library (Graphic Novel) – This is the one middle grade book on the list this year. I loved this adaptation of a “classic” middle grade novel. You can read my full review 
8. Manslaughter Park – This is the third book in the 
7. Summer Reading – I discovered 
6. Starter Villain – My husband and I both enjoyed this stand alone book from 
