What do you think?
Rate this book
Cryptid Slayer
Monster slayer Sandra Barlowe ventures to Madrugar, Mexico to investigate the brutal death of a local rancher. While the signs initially point to a vampire, the deeper she dives into her investigation, the more the murder appears to be the handiwork of something else…something much more terrifying.
Symbols of a legendary creature start appearing everywhere as graffiti, and as sightings and bodies pile up, Sandra suspects the horrifying cryptid is at the center of it all. In the middle of a labor war and political upheaval, Sandra must hunt the legendary cryptid while navigating a treacherous maze of dangerous creatures and unscrupulous characters.
The question looms - is Sandra the hunter, or is the cryptid the predator, stalking its prey? The pulse-pounding hunt is on!
Symbols of a legendary creature start appearing everywhere as graffiti, and as sightings and bodies pile up, Sandra suspects the horrifying cryptid is at the center of it all. In the middle of a labor war and political upheaval, Sandra must hunt the legendary cryptid while navigating a treacherous maze of dangerous creatures and unscrupulous characters.
The question looms - is Sandra the hunter, or is the cryptid the predator, stalking its prey? The pulse-pounding hunt is on!
- GenresHorror
Audible Audio
Published December 8, 2023
63 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 8, 2023
A great showing from Rick Poldark! It took a really wonderful concept, a cryptid slayer, a unique anatagonist, the Camazotz, and weaved in a cover up, betrayal and corruption, a bit of a detective angle, all taking place in a world where cryptids and monsters are commonplace. If that doesn’t get you hyped, well you’re not a true reader. Sandra Barlowe (Salem’s Lot, anyone?) is a great lead with tons of depth, including her job as a monster slayer, her undead daughter stalking her, and her investigation into the dead farmer in Mexico. There were vampires, werewolves, and even a Wendigo in the beginning, too, which was well done. It was a really unique experience that took some tired and long used premises, putting a completely fresh spin on it all. Very entertaining, balancing the core horror elements with a ton of other subplots leading up to the finale, which was very satisfying. Now there wasn’t much to critique here, but I did feel it was a little light on Barlowe’s emotionality towards her daughter Ellie, especially at the very end. I just wanted a little more from that, but it may have been intentional to show how guarded she keeps herself. Not sure if this is going to be a series, which could easily be done, or just a standalone with a slightly open ending. Otherwise, I was extremely pleased with my first read from this author and look forward to seeing more of his works.
November 8, 2023
This book felt a little simple in its writing, and was underdeveloped in terms of the story and character growth. The underlying lore though seems really cool, in terms of all the different cryptids out there, the way they interact with different groups of people, and the interaction between vampires and the government is something I haven't seen too much of.
February 24, 2024
DNF. Early abandon... got the sample from Amazon for my kindle and got about 40 pages in and didn't even know why I was reading it.
I had read his other books on primordial island and although not great, they were entertaining popcorn.
Maybe I'm completely missing something and should have persevered .. but if you have to push and persevere in hope, then that's a danger sign too.
I had read his other books on primordial island and although not great, they were entertaining popcorn.
Maybe I'm completely missing something and should have persevered .. but if you have to push and persevere in hope, then that's a danger sign too.
November 10, 2024
Review of this book.
A good book. The ending was a real surprise. I did not see it coming! The story moved at a fast pace but was very exciting. The characters were believable and engaging. The story was a little bit out there for me. This really is not one of the genres that I usually read. I did enjoy it though.
A good book. The ending was a real surprise. I did not see it coming! The story moved at a fast pace but was very exciting. The characters were believable and engaging. The story was a little bit out there for me. This really is not one of the genres that I usually read. I did enjoy it though.
October 16, 2023
Very good quick read
Loved the characters. Although it's a short book, none of the characters suffered in their development. The short story is very well written and the pace is relentless and quick. An interesting take on vampires, mixed in with other lore. A great weekend book.
Loved the characters. Although it's a short book, none of the characters suffered in their development. The short story is very well written and the pace is relentless and quick. An interesting take on vampires, mixed in with other lore. A great weekend book.
November 27, 2023
5 Stars
I'll give 5 stars to this one. Sandra Barlowe, Cryptic slayer (possibly an older version of Buffy) heads to Mexico were the undead are causing problems. This one had action from beginning to the end. Hope Sandra's back for more adventures.
I'll give 5 stars to this one. Sandra Barlowe, Cryptic slayer (possibly an older version of Buffy) heads to Mexico were the undead are causing problems. This one had action from beginning to the end. Hope Sandra's back for more adventures.
July 12, 2024
Interesting premise sure... But terrible execution... Awkward and clunky dialogue, moves fast... A little too fast for scenes to set in and of course the main antagonist is revealed too early not visually but rather through description.
September 4, 2023
good read
Total change from your typical vampire story. I would beInterested in reading a sequel to this story . Hopefully there will be one coming
Total change from your typical vampire story. I would beInterested in reading a sequel to this story . Hopefully there will be one coming
October 22, 2023
Suspense!
This novel was truly suspenseful and on edge the whole way! I couldn't wait to read the next page,then the next! Absolutely good reading!
This novel was truly suspenseful and on edge the whole way! I couldn't wait to read the next page,then the next! Absolutely good reading!
November 15, 2023
Good Work
I like the way the story moved. It worked to show how a female could do battle on her own and vanquish a strong enemy.
I like the way the story moved. It worked to show how a female could do battle on her own and vanquish a strong enemy.
November 30, 2023
Poldark Slays!!
Great stuff, kinda like Buffy goes south of the border. Mystery and vampire slaying all-in-one. Smells like a franchise to me.
Great stuff, kinda like Buffy goes south of the border. Mystery and vampire slaying all-in-one. Smells like a franchise to me.
August 26, 2024
Trash don't even give it a chance.
November 27, 2024
Mixture of genres
It got sort of tedious to read. It was a mixture of government agent/slayer, werewolf and lots of vampires thrown together.
It got sort of tedious to read. It was a mixture of government agent/slayer, werewolf and lots of vampires thrown together.
November 17, 2023
I really enjoyed this book and read it fast. Excellent plot with interesting characters and twists. Vampires and humans coexisting? Working for blood yet banned from human blood. This is part detective story/try to kill the huge monster story. Super lethal Skinwalker with fast twist muscles making a near impossible target. Not too much for the Cryptid Slayer though.
May 19, 2023
Vampires, Little Girls, and Broken Mothers
Rick Poldark is always a nice read and this one is no exception!
Sandra Barlowe is a hunter who knows her prey. Tangled up in the dark world of monster hunting, she's accepted that her life is never going to be what it once was. One fateful night took away everything she knew but she fought back for years, took on the monstrous hordes and moved on with her life. For a while now it's mostly been American cryptids that needed her expertise and as long as she didn't need to confront the vampires she and her fellow hunters chased below the border everything was peachy- or close enough.
Except a rancher has turned up dead in Mexico and his death risks blowing the tentative peace between the humans and vampires into an all out war. Though the vampires there have reached an agreement to work for the factories in trade for cattle blood- and give up human blood for good - someone isn't interested in bargaining away their power. Reluctant to face these monsters again, and her past with it, Sandra is pulled in when she realizes a young girl has been pulled into the chaos , a young girl who reminds her of the one she lost long ago. Something much larger than any mere vampire also lurks in the dark, something terrible and ancient even the vampires fear.
This is a fast read with plenty of chaos, bullets, monsters, and intrigue to keep you engaged. If you're a fan of early Anita Blake, and particularly the ones that feature her sociopathic ally Ed, you're likely to enjoy this book's mood. There are some strong hints there might be more books about Sandra and I genuinely hope to see those after this one.
Rick Poldark is always a nice read and this one is no exception!
Sandra Barlowe is a hunter who knows her prey. Tangled up in the dark world of monster hunting, she's accepted that her life is never going to be what it once was. One fateful night took away everything she knew but she fought back for years, took on the monstrous hordes and moved on with her life. For a while now it's mostly been American cryptids that needed her expertise and as long as she didn't need to confront the vampires she and her fellow hunters chased below the border everything was peachy- or close enough.
Except a rancher has turned up dead in Mexico and his death risks blowing the tentative peace between the humans and vampires into an all out war. Though the vampires there have reached an agreement to work for the factories in trade for cattle blood- and give up human blood for good - someone isn't interested in bargaining away their power. Reluctant to face these monsters again, and her past with it, Sandra is pulled in when she realizes a young girl has been pulled into the chaos , a young girl who reminds her of the one she lost long ago. Something much larger than any mere vampire also lurks in the dark, something terrible and ancient even the vampires fear.
This is a fast read with plenty of chaos, bullets, monsters, and intrigue to keep you engaged. If you're a fan of early Anita Blake, and particularly the ones that feature her sociopathic ally Ed, you're likely to enjoy this book's mood. There are some strong hints there might be more books about Sandra and I genuinely hope to see those after this one.
August 10, 2023
Atmospheric but also fast-paced this is a noirish story about a Mexican border town where vampires and the living struggle to coexist.
The mystery is convoluted enough to not be telegraphed but in the end it made sense. The heroine is hard-bitten and has a lived-in sort of feeling. A nice quick, exciting read from Poldark. My only real gripe was it's length -- I could have gone a bit further with this one, hope the author does more with this character and setting in the future.
The mystery is convoluted enough to not be telegraphed but in the end it made sense. The heroine is hard-bitten and has a lived-in sort of feeling. A nice quick, exciting read from Poldark. My only real gripe was it's length -- I could have gone a bit further with this one, hope the author does more with this character and setting in the future.
May 16, 2023
BLOOD WAR!
We have vampires, slayers and corrupt cops living in Mexico seemingly at peace but that all changes with the death of a rancher. Can a full out war be stopped or is everyone for themselves?
We have vampires, slayers and corrupt cops living in Mexico seemingly at peace but that all changes with the death of a rancher. Can a full out war be stopped or is everyone for themselves?
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews