The book is populated with characters that reflect the heart, soul, and heartbreak, of life in a mining community. Ted has his own inner demons to overcome, but a far greater menace to face when the Mothman begins to target those he knows. There, he encounters a number of people from his past, some of whom resurrect memories of a tragedy that drove him from town. Previous resident, Ted Browning, returns home to care for his ailing grandmother who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. A quick read, the author nonetheless delivers an engrossing tale. This time around the Mothman wreaks havoc in the town of Logan, West Virginia. I will read anything and everything that features my favorite cryptid. Anyway, a good story, most enjoyable, and I (obviously!) found it thought-provoking. There's such a thing as sparing someone's feelings, but then there's outright deceit, and I didn't think the hero would have acted in such a way. He probably would not have given her the exact straight story, he might well have just not said anything about it, but I don't think he would have outright made up such a thing. It never would have happened, he's a stand-up kind of guy that never would have lied to her in such a way. He tells her that her husband died bravely trying to save her, when in fact the cowardly cad completely fell apart and tried to sacrifice her to save himself. The other thing is at the end of the story, after the monster has been vanquished and the two long-lost loves have been re-united and are (presumably) about to begin to spend the rest of their lives together, he lies to her.

Perhaps that's a minor thing, but it kind of threw me out of my suspension-of-disbelief for a bit. There were no paratroopers in the first World War they didn't become a thing until the next one. The protagonist learns that his great-grandfather was a paratrooper in World War I. The first problem is one that should have been caught in the editing process. (Stop reading here to avoid spoilers! Warning, warning, warning!) I recommend the book highly, and I would give it the highest rating except for two points. (Heck, I could've been one of those regional characters.) The dialog isn't always exact, because there are no profanities or crude expletives, but that's okay, it makes it an all-ages-friendly read, so I'm all for it. I lived there for a long time, so I know what I'm talking about. Also, the characterization is brilliant Knost has peopled his story with characters that capture the nature of the region of the setting exactly, and his descriptions of the area are spot-on.

It's very well written, with an interesting plot that's quite engaging and well paced with plenty of suspense that keeps the pages turning right up to the end. Return of the Mothman is a dandy little monster story that succeeds on a number of levels.

The Mothman Files by Michael Knost