Lake Monsters [Paperback]

Joseph A. Citro (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2001

Back in Print -- A "monstrous" tale by Vermont's master of the macabre.

Downsized from his job and dumped by his girlfriend, Harrison Allen longs for a fresh start. Alone, with no prospects or plans, he relocates to a borrowed house on Friars Island in Lake Champlain to relax, contemplate, and begin redefining his life. Then he hears about the monsters . . .

Creatures -- perhaps similar to those of Loch Ness -- are said to inhabit the murky waters and fogbound marshes of his new island home. His interest piqued, Harrison becomes preoccupied with finding them. But his innocent questions provoke a surprising response: the islanders won't discuss monsters. After Harrison meets the lovely local schoolteacher, Nancy Wells, events inexplicably turn menacing. He suspects he is being watched; he is warned away from an abandoned monastery; and somehow he wins the wrath of a murderous local bully. Then people begin to disappear . . . and die.

Harrison's harmless monster hunt discloses something dark and disturbing beating in the heart of this tiny Vermont town. Malevolent forces, powerful and primitive, propel the unwary couple into a maelstrom of escalating terror. Suddenly they find themselves targeted by an unstoppable evil never before contemplated and impossible to comprehend.

Harrison's "new beginning" is like nothing he'd ever planned. And Lake Monsters ends with a surprise that's shocking, unexpected, and unforgettable.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

5 1/2 x 8 1/2 trim. Map. LC 2001-002087

About the Author

JOSEPH A. CITRO has written five novels on supernatural themes -- four of them based on actual New England history -- including The Gore (1990, UPNE 2000), Shadow Child (1987, UPNE 1998) and Guardian Angels (1988, UPNE 1999). He is also author of Green Mountains, Dark Tales (UPNE 1999), The Vermont Ghost Guide (UPNE 2000), Passing Strange (1996), and Green Mountain Ghosts, Ghouls, and Unsolved Mysteries (1994). A popular lecturer and teacher, his commentaries are heard regularly on public radio. Lake Monsters was previously published in 1991 as Dark Twilight.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: UPNE; 1st edition (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584651105
• ISBN-13: 978-1584651109
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,323,528 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

BLOG: http://josephacitro.blogspot.com

Native Vermonter, novelist, and public radio commentator, Joseph A. Citro has done a lot to keep New England's history and folklore alive in the popular culture. His 14 books include five novels of suspense, four volumes of historical oddities, a collection of regional humor, three "eccentric" travel guides, and a co-edited book of essays.

His classic and best-selling Green Mountain Ghosts, Ghouls and Unsolved Mysteries (Houghton Mifflin 1994) was the most comprehensive collection of offbeat Vermont lore ever assembled; it has survived over 15 printings

It was supplemented by Passing Strange (1996), Green Mountains, Dark Tales (1999), The Vermont Ghost Guide (2000), and Curious New England (2003). His newest addition is a collection of crypto-creatures called The Vermont Monster Guide, named by Cryptomundo as one of the TOP 10 Cryptozoology books of 2009.

His first ebook, a collection of short fiction called NOT YET DEAD is now available.

Joe Citro's novels present a dark and mystical side of the Vermont experience. They include Shadow Child, Guardian Angels, The Gore, Lake Monsters and Deus-X.

Since 1992 his commentary series on public radio has featured Vermont and New England's best-loved ghosts, monsters, madmen, and mysteries.

Since becoming a professional writer in 1987, he has taught at local colleges, lectured widely, and appeared on regional and national radio and television. Two videos based on his work are now in production.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read, June 20, 2002

By 

Kimberly (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lake Monsters (Paperback)

I loved this book! Little did I know that Lake Monsters would turn out to be one of my all-time favorites, when I happened across it one day on a library shelf. The stylish cover & design caught my attention, but it was Citro's writing that kept me eagerly turning those pages. The protagonist's attempt to get his life together and do something meaningful by searching for the monster in the lake, is intercepted by unforeseeable events and freaky isolationist island Vermonters. After reading this book, there is no way I would ever set foot on such an island. The story itself is not so much about him hunting for and getting to find the monster inside the lake. The real dangers lurk right there on that land and with its inhabitants. There is a map in the front of the book laying out the terrain, which helps you get your bearings. It also helped me imagine what a profound sense of isolation the main characters must have felt. The more I read, the more I felt like I was actually there on that island and in those bogs. This is no run-of-the-mill suspense/horror story. Citro is adept at conveying the dark undercurrents that run through the people of Vermont and the land itself. Not to mention the twist of an ending left me shocked and with my jaw on the floor.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lake Monsters, November 30, 2001

By 

D. Hensley (jamestown, nc United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lake Monsters (Paperback)

One isolated island, a bunch of crazy off-beat characters, a
mysterious monastary and a "monster". That's what you get in the latest re-print by Hardscrabble Books. Originally titled Dark Twilight this is actually Joseph Citro's first novel. Citro is really one of the true under appreciated writers of all time.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superlative Horror, December 18, 2006

By 

Steven R. Thompson (Berthoud, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lake Monsters (Paperback)

Okay, here's the deal. If you pick up a Joe Citro book, you are guaranteed these three things:
- A good scare
- Great writing, with plots that aren't easily predictable and characters you genuinely care about.
- Hunger for every other book he's written.

This was the novel that introduced me to Citro, and it was kind of an impulse buy. I wanted something fresh, but my expectations were low after sampling some other out-of-the-mainstream horror (yes Caitlin R. Kiernan, I'm talking to you!). To my surprise, I found myself completely drawn into Citro's story within the first few pages of the novel, and afterward I was no longer reading - I *was* the main character. I had never been as drawn into a book of this genre before so completely, and after finishing 'Lake Monsters' I made sure to add all of the other Hardscrabble Citro books to the top of my reading list.

When I've described Citro in the past I invariably start out with 'imagine sitting around a campfire in the woods at night...'. Citro is that guy with the ability to spin the truly great tales that you never forget which keep you awake all night long, jumping at the slightest noise.

The only problem is that apparently, Citro hasn't come out with anything new in years. This is most unfortunate, as I would pick up one of his books over a King, Straub, or Koontz any day.