Supernatural horror and hard-boiled detective fiction are not generally two genres that mash together. They seem worlds apart. Supernatural horror / thrillers thrive on eerie atmospheres, psychological tension, and the unknown, while the hard-boiled detective thrillers are grounded in gritty realism, moral ambiguity, and tough-as-nails protagonists battling corruption and wrong-doing. Yet, when blended skilfully together, they create a compelling fusion – one where the detective’s relentless pursuit of truth collides with forces beyond human comprehension. We saw this in Missing in Miskatonic by JP Behrens, the first novella in the Travis Daniels Investigation series. Now the story continues with Murder in the Monashee Mountains.
The Travis Daniels Investigation series can be described as H.P. Lovecraft meets Raymond Chandler. Set in the late 1920s, Travis Daniels is a cynical private detective.
JP Behrens returns with a taut, supernatural thriller that corners readers in the mist-shrouded woods of British Columbia’s Monashee Mountains. This novella, the second in the Travis Daniels Investigation series, is 145 pages of pulse-pounding suspense and thrills. In the first book of the series, Missing in Miskatonic, we were introduced to Travis and saw him rescue 19 year old Leslie Owens from a demonic cult. Now on the run together, hiding from her powerful uncle, the pair of them end up in the Monashee Mountains and an isolated logging town rocked by a gruesome murder and simmering ancient rivalries.
After fleeing the ritualistic horrors of Arkham and Miskatonic University, Travis and Leslie have been moving around a lot, trying to stay out of the clutches of Leslie’s uncle (who hopefully believes that she is dead). They end up in the Monashee Mountains and stumble upon a ritualistic killing that tears open old wounds among local townsfolk, Native tribes, and the forest’s own primeval inhabitants. Peace is about to broken between the primeval Sasquatch and werewolf factions that live there. Hired to find out who killed a sasquatch and who is damaging the local logging operation, he is about to find himself in the middle of a war.
Overall, Murder in the Monashee Mountains is a superb continuation of the Travis Davis Investigation series. Following on from the first novella, I found this to be superb and more enjoyable than the first – as the first book and already started to introduce the characters and their backstories. It is a masterclass in compact, atmospheric horror. Based around supernatural folk lore with Big Foot and werewolves doing battle, as well as ancient magic and spells, it is an excellent read. Plenty of myth, magic and menace within its pages.
I like the fusion of supernatural horror, myth, magic and legends with old-school hard-boiled detective genres. Behrens has mashed the genres together nicely and offers a fresh take on them. An excellent read in an unsettling environment where the lines are blurred between reality, the supernatural and total nightmare.
As for the characters, Travis is hard, compassionate and complicated. While for me, Leslie is my favourite with her hot-headed compulsive nature… and magic weaving. The two characters, while complete opposites, complement each other extremely well.
For fans of supernatural thrillers and noir mysteries, this novella is a very enjoyable read – an atmospheric, journey into the unknown.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £2.99 (Kindle)
For more information, visit jpbehrensauthor.com. Available to buy from Amazon here.
