Heart of Ice: Tracking the Wendigo

by Jason Hewlett, Jeff Kunze (Illustrator)

June 2024. A chilling report lands on the desk of the Canadian Paranormal a Wendigo sighting in the wilds of British Columbia. Not Sasquatch. Not Ogopogo. Something far darker. Investigator Jason Hewlett, along with researchers Morgan Knudsen and Peter Renn, plunge into the case, chasing whispers of a creature born from starvation, madness, and murder. Alongside terrifying eyewitness accounts, they uncover a trail of grim history—true crime horrors that echo the Wendigo legend and blur the line between folklore and fact. What begins as a search for a monster in the woods spirals into something far more proof that the Wendigo isn’t just myth, but a nightmare rooted in humanity’s darkest instincts. The legend is alive. And it’s closer than you think.

186 pages, Paperback

Published October 6, 2025

Reviews

[Scott Dieterle · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy and enjoyable read if you are interested in the Wendigo topic. The focus is primarily on documented historical accounts in Alberta, Canada and on the indigenous peoples history of the topic. Jason also looks at other reports, stories of encounters, and research conducted by others over the years to allow you to form your own opinion of the Wendigo phenomenon.

I appreciated the personal touches to the story. Also it is a great companion piece and provides addition background and context to a documentary film also from Jason and Small Town Monsters.

[Walker James · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an interesting topic and the author is obviously engaged, but the throughline of the narrative is meandering and can be difficult to follow. Tidbits from interviews are scattered throughout the action rather than being collected by time and person, which makes for a lot of names for which the reader must keep track. For example, while on a part of the expedition with other team members, the author drops in a nugget from an interview fifty pages earlier with someone who is not there, which both muddies the timeline and also pulls the reader out of the moment. One reason for reading a fun topic like this is the sense that you are riding along, but interjections such as these can break the spell. I would like to see the research and experiences each on their own track, with any necessary crossovers better defined and much tighter.

I am glad I read this book, as it has added quite a few topics and podcasts to my list to check out. I will look for more from this author as we apparently like the same weird stuff.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be a solid book on the wendigo. It is slim, but does well covering the most notorious history of the wendigo, and includes the author's own trip to interview witnesses and other researchers, and visit the sites of part of the history.

The author is straightforward with his thoughts on the subject, which the reader may or may not agree with. But overall it is an interesting and considered book. As is usual for such small and independent press books though, it could use a little more copy-editing and formatting help.