Track of the Bigfoot (Cryptids Trilogy, Book 2) [Paperback]

D. L. Tanner (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

"The Cryptids Trilogy" is a labor of love, meticulously researched and yet full of the mythology and science of Native American culture and the studies surrounding them.

Relying on native legend, historical records and eyewitness accounts, every effort has been made to ensure the accurate depiction of the people and the fossil record explanation for the monsters of their oral traditions.

The extrapolation of both into a three volume set of cryptofiction novels began in 2002 with "Shadow of the Thunderbird", continued in 2003 with "Track of the Bigfoot" and concludes in 2004 with "Wake of the Lake Monster".

About the Author

D.L.Tanner was born in 1956 in the seacoast township of North Kingston, Rhode Island, at the stroke of midnight during the worst storm of the century to that year. The eldest child of a naval officer, he attended thirteen schools in 12 years as they moved about the country. Dropping out of college to pursue a career in music during his sophomore year, he met and later married his wife Carla.

Returning to school to complete a degree in Computer Science and Business Administration, he now lives in Greenville, South Carolina, where he works as the IT director of a biotech company. A father of five, "Track of the Bigfoot" is his second novel. The first, "Shadow of the Thunderbird", is now required reading at a local college, one of two where he guest lectures. He is already at work on "Wake of the Lake Monster", the third and final volume of "The Cryptids Trilogy".

He is represented as a speaker and donator of books nationwide at conferences on cryptozoology, the study of hidden animals. He recently organized the SCCS, the South Carolina Cryptozoological Society, to study the exotic flora and fauna of the American southeast. The SCCS is now sponsoring its own conference. Currently, he is forming a writers association in the upstate, South Carolina area, to promote local authors and raise visibility of their works nationally. or e-mail D.L.Tanner at [e-mail]

Product Details

• Paperback: 424 pages
• Publisher: Booklocker.com (September 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591133890
• ISBN-13: 978-1591133896
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,526,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dallas Tanner was born in 1956, at the stroke of midnight during the worst storm of the century to that date, in the seacoast township of North Kingston, Rhode Island. The eldest child of a career naval officer, he attended 9 schools in 12 years, as they moved about the country. His interest in local myths, legends and all things paranormal grew out of the ever-changing diversity of his upbringing.

His first novel, "Shadow of the Thunderbird", was required reading at a large technical college in South Carolina. He has frequently lectured, appeared on or hosted radio shows, and presented at conferences on his books and interest in cryptozoology. His latest venture has been as an expert segment commentator on ten episodes of the #1 rated Animal Planet show, "Lost Tapes". He was recently offered his own curriculum at the collegiate level based on his novels, as an associate professor of English.

He is often cited in the media as an expert on unknown or unexpected animals. He was instrumental in salvaging Dan Taylor's Nessie chaser mini-subs, the Viperfish and the Nessa II, and is currently pursuing an interest in fossil diving. Having completed "The Cryptids Trilogy", which consists of the novels "Shadow of the Thunderbird", "Track of the Bigfoot" and "Wake of the Lake Monster", Tanner has completed a fourth novel, "The Shroud", a 15th century conspiracy story.

When he is not out doing location research at Mt. St. Helens, Loch Ness or Georgia's famed Altamaha River, America's 'Little Amazon', Dallas is content to write his books in the study of his home office under the watchful eye of his long haired Maincoon cat, Samwise, who sleeps atop his computer monitor. He now lives in Greenville, South Carolina, with his wife and five children. He enjoys corresponding with his readers, and can be reached at [e-mail] by email, and http://www.dallastanner.com via the web.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Starts wrong, ends great, August 19, 2004

By 

R. Howell "boriskhan" (Medford, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Track of the Bigfoot (Cryptids Trilogy, Book 2) (Paperback)

I began reading The Cryptids Trilogy just for this book. I liked the first book well enough but it could have been better. Here in Tanner's sophomore book, he has improved and I enjoyed it much more. However, I must give both sides of my thoughts.

The first 50 pages or so of the book are very sloppy. It seems like Tanner wrote several different beginnings and then opted to stick them all in. I found many annoying redundant items in these pages. 1. Everytime he used the word 'cryptid' he had to explain what it meant even though he already explained it 4 pages previously. 2. He did the same thing with "El Diablo Rojo, or The Red Devil", man that was bothering me like someone can't translate three simple Spanish words. 3. Most of all, in the first 50 pages, he constantly rehashes the first book (Shadow of the Thunderbird - SotT) and McQuade's camping trip as a boy. You can get away with it maybe twice but then it just got irritable. These are the only reasons why this book gets 4 instead of 5 stars.

Now on to the good, other than the beginning, I truly enjoyed this book. Once you get past the bogged down beginnings, the story is well written and entertaining. Tanner cut down the James Bondish parts of the Chimaera Foundation and focused more on developing McQuade as a character. Ranging from McQuade's despondence over not having Alma around to becoming a lead investigator and team leader facing his childhood fear, the character becomes much more connective than in 'SotT'. Starting off with a filmed sighting in Ohio to the involvement of the Minnesota Iceman, we get some background on Albert Myers, the conspiracy theorist, and are introduced to new character the spitfire Belinda 'Billye' Carlton. From there we moved to Mt St Helens for the rest of the mission.

The story from here is not quite what I expected and therefore I enjoyed it more. He does a great job using a Foundation contact tracker in Bobby Dandridge to inform the lesser knowledgable members of the team about numerous bigfoot encounters (Ostman-kidnapping and Beck-Ape Canyon attack). Trying not to give away the ending, I was very sastisfied with the inclusion of the Wendigo mythos as well. Tanner manages to give a different view of this legend too. I was also grateful that the Ian-Alma-Amelia triangle was dropped to the background and was a bit concerned that Alma would show up to save Ian by the end, thankfully she remains absent. One minor miscue is there was no direct closure issue for Cyril Pritchard which is how the book opens the set-up.

Overall, kudos to you Tanner on an improvement over SotT, and now I am eagerly awaiting book 3, Wake of the Lake Monster. Just stay away from a jumbled beginning. I will definitely read this book again in the future.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Motion Picture Quality, April 21, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Track of the Bigfoot (Cryptids Trilogy, Book 2) (Paperback)

Mr. Tanner has me hooked on this series. I really had no idea what cryptozoology was until I picked up his books. Now I cannot wait to read the third installment in the series.

Mr. Tanner does a nice job developing the characters, giving full explanations as to the reasons for their flaws and quirks. Ian McQuade, the primary character, is a unique individual that everyone can relate to as well as laugh at. The story is well thought out and the explanations for the creatures are very informative with in-depth research as to why they might exist.

This series is exciting and entertaining for even the uninformed in cryptozoology.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Iceman cometh....with the Wendigo!, October 20, 2004

By 

Ella "Reese Ella Howard" (Wharton County, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Track of the Bigfoot (Cryptids Trilogy, Book 2) (Paperback)

It you're a Bigfoot fan and like rip-roaring, rollercoaster-ride adventure, this novel is definitely not to be missed. Ian McQuade is back, this time without Alma, and he's assigned by the Chimaera Foundation to go out and discover a Bigfoot. First, he has to retrieve the Minnesota Iceman from a meatpacking plant in Ohio where it has been stored all these years....and he winds up at Mt. St. Helens, encountering an eccentric and aged Bigfoot named Karloff and the even bigger--and meaner--mythical Wendigo, which turns out to be a relict population of the extinct Asian Gigantopithecus, the Ultimate Big Ape. Ian is forced to make major decisions for the expedition, a new experience for him, and he is aided by a new heroine named Billye Carlton, a bellicose and cranky young woman who beats Ian up a couple of times before she gets to like him. And the blockbuster ending is just what I've come to expect from D. L. in his novels.

D. L. has named several of his characters for his friends. Loren Coleman, probably the most celebrated cryptozoologist in the world, appears as himself, as a mentor to Ian. Billye Carlton is, of course, Billye McCarty of Oklahoma, our mutual great friend and D. L.'s relentless editor, who leaves no comma unturned and no misplaced hyphen excused. She does a bang-up job, whipping her author's creativity into its most readable form. Author Lee Murphy appears as a park ranger, and there is even a minor character named Ella Howard, for me! To say I was thrilled at that is a gross understatement.

In "Track", D. L. has not only lived up to my expections after reading "Shadow of the Thunderbird", but surpassed them. Now I'm eagerly awaitng his third novel in the trilogy, this time dealing with lake monsters. Water cryptids don't ring my bell, but I know the new novel will have my complete and extended attention.