by Jennifer R. Povey, J.W. Harp (Illustrator) (2026)
(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)
This book was a free Advanced Reader Copy from Library Thing. I'm encouraged (but not required) to leave reviews in exchange for the free books.
This is book number 30 in the Systema Paradoxa series of Cryptid books. It's a standalone book like all (or most) of the others, which can be read in any order. (Some exceptions for multiple books written by a single author.)
I left the following review on the Library Thing website, along with a five-star rating:
Dorothy Gordon just wants to climb Ben Macdui like any other mountain she already has, but when she tries the mists turn her around one time and tell her "Not today" another time. Is the Grey Man, Am Fear Liath Mor, giving her a warning or just have fun with the tourists.
This a fun read where Dorothy is unsure what the future holds for her, but she knows she going to summit that mountain and find out what happened to a missing compassion before her trip comes to an end.
I forgot to add "I enjoyed this book", which I usually include.
There was a bunch of stuff about Scotland and information about mountains being a "Munro", which is any mountain in Scotland over 3,000 feet, first catalogued by Sir Hugh Munro in 1891 (according to Google/Wikipedia). This way new to me and brought a slight chuckle because Janet Munro appeared in Third Man on the Mountain after appearing in Darby O'Gil and the Little People. Yes, my mind makes these connections.
I left out a bunch of stuff for the LT review because it wasn't necessary. After Dorothy's first attempt, she goes back to a pub where she meets a group of cryptid followers having their monthly meeting. One seems to take an interest in Dorothy and her story of the mist and an encounter with the Grey Man. She allows him to accompany her even though she isn't too sure of his motives (but at least he isn't romantically interested in her). It turns out that he wants to get a picture of Am Fear Liath Mor ("Fear" means "Man" don't you know, which will be commented on). When they encounter him, the man pulls out his phone and the Gray Man attacks.
Dorothy is conflicted, as she doesn't like the guy, nor does she condone what he did, but he doesn't deserve to die for it. At the same time, everyone "familiar" with the Gray Man doesn't believe that he would kill the man. Plus, no body is found. He most likely disappeared on his own because of his own actions.
The ending was unusual. Dorothy does manage to summit the mountain before her vacation ends, and when she takes a selfie on the mountaintop, she discovers that the Grey Man is behind her in the photo. She deletes the photo to keep his secret even after the Grey Man allowed himself to be photographed for no reason in particular except that maybe he liked her ... but so what? Why now?
Other than that, it was a good book and I look forward to more Cryptid books.
I did wonder how they were going to kill it when it could mess with their minds the way that it did. They had to get it at a weak moment, of course. I just didn't want for something that didn't work before to work now, because the timing was better. Also, the knife gets removed from the equation, even though it's the main reason that Burton was brought in.
One comment, which I probably should relate to eSpec, is that FBI-VPA is never defined in the book itself. I had to Google it.
Since it's only a novella, it was a pretty quick read.
I now own seven of these books -- 1 paper, 6 electronic -- but I've only read the last two. At least, the paperback is signed.
If you stumbled across my page via the Internet, please check out my new book series that starts with, 7 Flashes of Science Fiction, seven glimpses into possible futures for our world and the worlds around us.
Also, check out my other short book series, Burke Lore Briefs. A fantastical fivesome of flash fiction and short stories. (Amazon only shows the first three books in the image. Go figure.)
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