Customer Reviews

The Monster of Minnesota (News from the Edge, Book 1)

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In keeping with the tradition of trying to alert readers to books they would probably overlook, this week I am recommending THE MONSTER OF MINNESOTA by Mark Sumner.

Billed as a cross between the Cat Who... books and the X-Files, this is the story of Savannah McKinnon, a writer for a notorious supermarket tabloid. Although she works for a tabloid, Savvy wants to get into serious journalism. When she gets a tip off the line about a lake monster that involves several deaths, Savvy goes out and does the almost unthinkable; she lands a field assignment. But things don't go quite the way she had hoped. First, her source turns out to be a kid. Then other bits of the case go sour. But there are still the bodies, the monster rumors, and a new chemical plant that seems to be killing of the fishing trade; a trade that keeps the town alive. Slowly Savvy begins to put together the pieces and her chances or a serious story.

THE MONSTER OF MINNESOTA is the first in a series called News From the Edge. The ending leaves plenty of room for Savvy to continue on her journalistic path. This book is really a mystery with an element of the fantastic and written by an author who seems to understand the genres. Savvy is a talented and interesting character. As with a modern trend in mysteries Savvy has her sights set on an equally interesting man. He runs a small weekly paper that she often submits articles to (which displeases her boss at the tabloid). The two have an interesting relationship that promises further development if the series continues.

This slim little book is probably going to disappear like Nessie diving in cold water, but while it's here mystery fans have a chance to visit with a charming and, dare I say, *spunky* heroine. Cleverly plotted and colorful.

Very fun, and sassy. Savannah McKinnon is a young, smart talking reporter who is a little goofy, sweet, soft hearted, and very astute all at the same time. Savvy suspects everyone, and chases every red herring, but she eventually tracks down the mystery. After reading a dozen mysteries in a row that all seem the same, this one was delightfully different

What a great mix of genres! Tabloid news, mystery, a hint of science fiction and all tremendously entertaining. It is the perfect book to take down to the beach -- or out by the lake -- and just enjoy. Nothing too challenging, just good clean fun and a tale well told with interesting characters, settings and a plot line that will keep you on your toes, Highly recommended for all

Hey, where'd you go, Mark Sumner? This man used to produce novels which had me on the edge of whatever I was sitting on. He's written two of the best western fantasies I've ever read this side of Orson Scott Card's Alvin Maker series. Then there were those gripping teen sci-fi/horror/fantasy books. And then dude fell off the grid.

In the late 1990s, Mark Sumner came out with The News from the Edge series, comprised of only three novels and exuding a whiff of X-FILES or maybe KOLCHAK THE NIGHT STALKER. The first entry into this series is titled NEWS FROM THE EDGE: THE MONSTER OF MINNESOTA and features the redoubtable investigative journalist Savannah McKinnon. Savannah (or "Savvy") would rather ply her trade at a prestigious paper, but times are lean and so instead she's cooling her heels at the Global Query, a trashy tabloid boasting a big question mark as its logo.

Savannah is at work fielding nutty phone calls from the cold call line, getting her soul slowly sucked out as per norm, when one particular tidbit perks her ears up. A young girl on the line reports a monster sighting in a lake in northern Minnesota and, even more intriguingly, four "accidental" deaths can perhaps be attributed to the monster, dubbed down the decades as "Big Jelly" by the locals. Savvy may be a skeptic but she can sniff a good story. So off she goes to get to the bottom of things in the tiny fishing town of Lake Jellico, Minnesota. Where certain of her core beliefs are about to get drastically shaken up.

I've read most of what's on Mark Sumner's fiction writer resume, and it sucks to say this but, of all his books, THE MONSTER OF MINNESOTA may be his most forgettable. It doesn't make it exactly horrible, because I did breeze thru the thing and was intrigued enough that I went on to the two sequels. But the characters seem to have been pulled straight out of central casting, and unfortunately this also applies to our plucky girl reporter herself. Savannah McKinnon is likeable but cliched.

Huge unidentified blips on the sonar, fuzzy photographs, flimsy eyewitness accounts, and a local mythology passed on thru the decades. These are the obstacles which drag down Savvy's investigation. There's also this bit about fish disappearing and a more or less enigmatic chemical plant looming over the locale. The ever cynical Savvy gets on a boat and on the lake and has a frightening experience when her boat is rocked by a mysterious something. But here's the thing. As written, the supposedly suspenseful moments end up not much fraught with scares or creepiness. Maybe it's me and my belief that Loch Ness monster types aren't really that scary or interesting. But not for one moment did I feel that Savvy and company were in that much jeopardy.

What probably disappoints me the most is that the big climax unfolds so anticlimactically. The ending does get salvaged a bit by a science-fictiony turn, else I would've thought this book was closer to the Three Investigators than the X-Files (does anyone even remember the Three Investigators?). The most interesting part of the book actually deals with Savvy's big sister/little sister relationship with 14-year-old Gloria Kwei, the orphaned girl who had called in the monster sighting story in the first place, and claiming that her older brother had been killed by Big Jelly. But somewhere down the line this Savvy/Gloria side story falls on the wayside.

But, hey, even though hobbled by familiar beats and a very much felt lack of depth, THE MONSTER OF MINNESOTA is still a very quick read. It's what you pick up when you're feeling lazy and are just longing to chill on a hammock or a couch with something not too challenging to thumb thru. I don't know that I'd recommend this one, except that if you've read other books by Mark Sumner, you'll probably want to pick this up, because, really, the guy hasn't produced a lot of work. But, definitely, Mark Sumner has penned other stuff quite superior to this.

I've read the other entries into the News from the Edge series, but for the life of me, it's been so long ago that I can't recall if they improve on this one. Off the top of my head, News from the Edge : Insanity, Illinois has Savvy probing a rash of odd shenanigans all happening in one small town, whereas News from the Edge: Vampires of Vermont features Savvy sinking her teeth into vampire mythology, with vampire mythology then reciprocating. I've got these suckers buried somewhere in the garage. But do I feel like excavating...?

This book "tries too hard" to be about a sleazy tabloid. All the tabloid cliches are there (staff photographer doctors lizard photos, Bigfoot is considered a "big story," the gossip columnist is dressed loud and tacky). If the author had researched tabloids, he'd know that the National Enquirer, et al, have not covered Elvis, Bigfoot, or aliens since the 1970s. And the Weekly World News is a parody.

Worse, this story is told first person by a bullying, unlikeable character mouthing noir cliches, like she stepped out of a 1940s movie. And she's ALWAYS talking about her tangled hair and "too-tight" clothes. Okay, so maybe the author is trying to "build empathy" with his female readers -- but he's made his point. No need to keep telling us the character "feels fat" and has "tangled hair." I wanted to shave her head already.

The story ranges from dull to moments of okay. As can be expected, this gal reporter hates working for a tabloid, wants a Pulitzer, hopes this story will be her big break out of "tabloid hell," lies to her fat Italian editor (shades of Kolchak's Tony Vinchenzo?), yada yada, chiche, chiche.

There's also the usual politically correct stuff. ... redneck sheriffs, ... chemical plant, good environmental conscious Native Americans. If you're hip to PC cliches, you've guess the villain, and his supporters, as they show up. No surprises in this paint by number non-mystery.

I found this book in the science fiction section, but it's really a mystery -- and one of the most enjoyable mysteries I've read in years! Young reporter Savvy McKinnon writes for a sleezoid paper, where there are stories about Elvis sightings and UFOs in every issue. It's an awful job, and Savvy wants out, but soon she suspects there might be some truth behind one of the strange stories. When Savvy gets her chance to investigate reports of a monster in a fishing lake, she soon discovers that some real -- and deadly -- is going on. A series of deaths and disappearance have taken place. Along with a local kid and a monster-loving English teacher, Savvy sets out to find the real story. The solution to the mystery is even stranger than the stories in Savvy's paper. The author plays the book with a smidgen of romance, and a great light touch. Savvy McKinnon is a wonderful, likable character, who worries about her weight while sneaking slices of pie at a greasy spoon and suspects everyone in sight. She's a smart, sassy addition to the ranks of mystery slueths. Here's hoping we see a lot more of Savvy McKinnon and of News from the Edge! Kary

A lot of books have covers that don't seem right, but this one is perfect (so why doesn't Amazon.com have a picture?). It's full of great characters and lots of snappy dialog. Reading this made me think of old episodes of Moonlighting -- with a monster on the side. It's not going to change your life, but it's fast and fun

Not a big "You HAVE to read this!", something quick and amusing to read when you're bored. Especially cool if you're in to cryptozoology.

The story is cute. Read it if you want something quick and not too deep. The characters are developed only as far as they need to be. There is a loose end that isn't tied up at the climax (one of the deaths isn't explained), but otherwise, it is cleanly written.