Book Review: Monsters, Cryptids, and Mysterious Wild Beasts

Title: Monsters, Cryptids and Mysterious Wild Beasts: West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, and Beyond

Author: Jannette Quackenbush

Published: 2019 by 21 Crows Dust to Dawn Publishing

Amazon Purchase Information

Author’s Website

Any time I get the opportunity to chat with Jannette and purchase one of her books, I jump at the chance! The 2022 Hidden Marietta Paranormal Expo was no different. I was thrilled to see that Jannette was also vending at this event, and so I had to pick up a few of her books that I didn’t already own, including Monsters, Cryptids, and Mysterious Wild Beasts!

Y’all know that my personal interests skew towards the ghostly side of the paranormal. I love me some good ghost stories and tales of haunted locations. However, I keep getting more and more into other branches of paranormal study, including cryptozoology. Therefore, I’ve been trying to fill out my own paranormal library with as many books on the subject as I can find, especially those pertaining specifically to West Virginia. This book has made a wonderful addition to my library, and was a really fun, fast-paced read as well. 

Jannette includes all the West Virginia favorites, from Mothman to the Flatwoods Monster, with a few more obscure mountain monsters, such as Vegetable Man and the Ghillie Beast of Seneca Rocks, thrown in for good measure. The creepy critters of this book aren’t just confined to West Virginia, though. There’s also a sampling of nearby cryptids from the surrounding states of Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. This makes perfect sense, as many times, these monsters don’t necessarily recognize our man-made boundary lines. Certain examples, such as the hellhounds and the Snallygaster, have been known to make their home on both sides of the state line. 

As always, Jannette does a wonderful job in giving some background on these creatures, along with sightings reports, both historical and recent. What makes her books really stand out, however, is that she always includes directions and coordinates to optimal places where YOU can visit and perhaps encounter these creatures for yourself. The places listed are public land and usually fairly accessible, with warnings about when and where to avoid private or unsafe locations. Jannette usually visits these locations for herself, so she is able to share the inside scoop for those wishing to check it out.

Further, there are a lot of really fun pictures for each entry. Many of the photos are actual photos of the beautiful, rural areas where so many of these beasts have been reported…but with an added twist. Digitally added depictions of what these creatures are described as are imposed over the real photos, making it a fun little touch that adds a lot to the unique layout of the book. 

Jannette is a prolific writer of the paranormal, featuring many books from West Virginia and surrounding areas. If you’d like to learn more about Monsters, Cryptids, and Mysterious Beasts, check out her website (linked above), find her on Amazon, or simply look for her at one of the many great paranormal conferences held in and around West Virginia and Ohio! Her books are very reasonably priced and super entertaining whether you’re an experienced researcher, or just simply interested in the strange and unusual. Jannette is also the sweetest person you’ll ever meet, and a joy to chat with in person. But, whether you get to meet her in person, or simply order from the web, I highly recommend adding a few of her books to YOUR personal paranormal library. Stay spooky! 

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