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Creature of Lake Shadow
It was supposed to be a simple bank robbery. Quick. Clean. Efficient. It was none of those. With police searching for them across the state, a band of criminals hide out in a desolate cabin on the frozen shore of Lake Shadow. Isolated, shrouded in thick forest, and haunted by a mysterious history, they thought it was the perfect place to hide. Tensions mount as they hear strange noises outside. Slain animals are found in the snow. Before long, they realize something is watching them. Something hungry, violent, and not of this world. In their attempt to escape, they found the Creature of Lake Shadow.
160 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 16, 2019
119 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Michael R. Cole
40 books116 followersMichael R. Cole is an author of creature horror and science fiction. He was born in Toledo, Ohio and grew up in lower Michigan. He has a profound love for monster movies and book as well as the action genre. In addition to writing, his hobbies include martial arts and fishing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
December 26, 2019
This was an awesome read. loved it. didn't give five stars because I didn't care for the ending.
March 7, 2022
I enjoy reading Severed Press books. Horror Writer Tim Curran is one of my favorite writers and I bought several others there to try. Some are good, others not that much. This one is not among my favorites. Nothing that will lead me away from the author. Is not a bad book but I don't think it's that good. It's okay. When you create the same trope as countless others you expect something different and I didn't get it.
You got a bunch of bandits that after robbing a bank go to hide in a near by cabin. That cabin is isolated and should provide some cover from the police. Wait a couple of days, weeks and get out and enjoy the money.
Some bandits are just plain idiots, other is the big bad wolf, while our main character is doing evil stuff because he needs money. That's no justification for commiting felony but alas. There is some romance that in my opinion really mess things up.
Half the book is our adventuroes no-heroes trying to survive the monster with the police first against them then on their side. The ending is Okish.
This rating will not deter me from reading other of his novels and I've got Arachnoid, A Scar - a deep sea Thriller & Thresher. Let us see.
You got a bunch of bandits that after robbing a bank go to hide in a near by cabin. That cabin is isolated and should provide some cover from the police. Wait a couple of days, weeks and get out and enjoy the money.
Some bandits are just plain idiots, other is the big bad wolf, while our main character is doing evil stuff because he needs money. That's no justification for commiting felony but alas. There is some romance that in my opinion really mess things up.
Half the book is our adventuroes no-heroes trying to survive the monster with the police first against them then on their side. The ending is Okish.
This rating will not deter me from reading other of his novels and I've got Arachnoid, A Scar - a deep sea Thriller & Thresher. Let us see.
August 19, 2021
An okay story.
Loved the ending though!!
Loved the ending though!!
August 7, 2025
I love an action packed creature feature and this one did not disappoint!! Gave me total Alien vibes too, which is a huge bonus. Highly recommend for anyone who wants a quick horror creature feature story.
November 14, 2021
Doing some horror books for Halloween. This one's pretty good up to about the 3/4th mark. Not a fan of the hyper healing factor but the monster is neat.
past the 3/4th mark the book seems to loose it's mind, one of the characters has an odd heel turn out of nowhere and the ending is very cliffhanger unsatisfying.
past the 3/4th mark the book seems to loose it's mind, one of the characters has an odd heel turn out of nowhere and the ending is very cliffhanger unsatisfying.
January 6, 2024
Desperately needed an editor. Plot was good enough to keep me going but the ending was lazy.
“Whipped the tears off her face” was my favorite line. Did I mention this book needs an editor?
“Whipped the tears off her face” was my favorite line. Did I mention this book needs an editor?
January 23, 2024
This might be one of the worst books I’ve ever read…
March 10, 2020
I had high hopes for this. Unfortunately it just didn't deliver. It read like one of those cheesy syfy movies. I didn't like any of the characters and all the interaction seemed overly dramatic. I hated the whole "rescuing a damsel in distress" thing.
February 16, 2020
Getting Away until you're Stopped by Deadly Force
I read a few bad reviews and I was hesitant to read this book, but since I had already enjoyed a book by Michael Cole I felt comfortable taking a chance on it. This story was a lot more gruesome than the original Cole book I'd read. I've seen a couple movies with a similar premise as this book, a bunch of bank robbers on the run to the perfect hideaway find more than they reconciled for. Of course the police are hot on their trail.
No one was prepared for what was waiting for them. Not the locals, robbers, or police. This creature made no distinction amongst any of the victims. It had survived on its cunning for many years. The stench of death just meant his lair was full of Ready-to-Eat meals. Its prey was whatever it could catch ... deer, rabbit, fox, bear, humans who unsuspectingly stumbled into its territory.
The book was full of violence, blood, bravery, disbelief, cowardice, and savagery. The ending was a cacophony of destruction and mayhem. To be fair to other readers I Won't give it away... We all would like or expect a book to end a certain way, but clever author throw-in monkey wrenches. Let's just say Mr. Cole is clever.
I read a few bad reviews and I was hesitant to read this book, but since I had already enjoyed a book by Michael Cole I felt comfortable taking a chance on it. This story was a lot more gruesome than the original Cole book I'd read. I've seen a couple movies with a similar premise as this book, a bunch of bank robbers on the run to the perfect hideaway find more than they reconciled for. Of course the police are hot on their trail.
No one was prepared for what was waiting for them. Not the locals, robbers, or police. This creature made no distinction amongst any of the victims. It had survived on its cunning for many years. The stench of death just meant his lair was full of Ready-to-Eat meals. Its prey was whatever it could catch ... deer, rabbit, fox, bear, humans who unsuspectingly stumbled into its territory.
The book was full of violence, blood, bravery, disbelief, cowardice, and savagery. The ending was a cacophony of destruction and mayhem. To be fair to other readers I Won't give it away... We all would like or expect a book to end a certain way, but clever author throw-in monkey wrenches. Let's just say Mr. Cole is clever.
December 15, 2025
No, no, no, Michael! What were you thinking when you wrote, or more specifically, when you wrapped up this book? What was initially a fun atmospheric read, devolved into something that felt like the author got bored with his own story and just wanted to end it.
I don’t want to spoil this book for others, but the ending is the most unsatisfying ending of a book I have read in years, probably ever. I’ve always enjoyed Michael’s books for its entertainment value, and I couldn’t wait to read this one at the start of our holiday season. Now I feel cheated out of a few days of holiday after reading this.
Spoiler alert: I’m so disillusioned that I’ve decided to give his books a rest for a while. I don’t want to read stories like this without a satisfying, glorious and victorious end for the “goodies”. We are not expecting to read something similar as “The Grapes of Wrath” or “Of Mice and Men”, where alternative endings can be explored. I’m actually quite irritated. That is always a good sign to start reading something else. I don’t want to feel cheated when reading books of this nature. It was valuable time and money wasted.
I don’t want to spoil this book for others, but the ending is the most unsatisfying ending of a book I have read in years, probably ever. I’ve always enjoyed Michael’s books for its entertainment value, and I couldn’t wait to read this one at the start of our holiday season. Now I feel cheated out of a few days of holiday after reading this.
Spoiler alert: I’m so disillusioned that I’ve decided to give his books a rest for a while. I don’t want to read stories like this without a satisfying, glorious and victorious end for the “goodies”. We are not expecting to read something similar as “The Grapes of Wrath” or “Of Mice and Men”, where alternative endings can be explored. I’m actually quite irritated. That is always a good sign to start reading something else. I don’t want to feel cheated when reading books of this nature. It was valuable time and money wasted.
July 18, 2020
I have mixed feelings about this story. It is fast spaced with non-stop action. I enjoyed that. The creature was well thought out, the characters all had their backstories, and overall, I thought the book was pretty great.
My only thing was I didn't really connect with any of the characters. I wasn't rooting for one over the other and felt no displeasure when one died over another. I'm not sure why that is because usually I connect with at least one character but nope, not in this one.
Worth the read and I will be reading more by this author in the near future. I hope he doesn't use the same formula for all his creature features including the ending - which I did like.
My only thing was I didn't really connect with any of the characters. I wasn't rooting for one over the other and felt no displeasure when one died over another. I'm not sure why that is because usually I connect with at least one character but nope, not in this one.
Worth the read and I will be reading more by this author in the near future. I hope he doesn't use the same formula for all his creature features including the ending - which I did like.
August 20, 2021
I just had to read this. Perhaps it was the cover? Or for a laugh. Hmmm.
Anyway, what do you get when there is an intelligent alien with a taste for human blood that resides in the lake (or cave) in a small retirement/vacation town. Now, toss in a bunch of idiot bank robbers, desperate to escape the authorities, thus they solicit the assistance of an ex veteran, whose cabin (hideout) is in said town? Then, add some deputies, and do not neglect one who wants to relive his former glory so he ignores the orders of his boss, and all the ingredients for chaos are present.
Blood, guts, and gore...pure carnage. Oooh, and a major love connection arises since one of the misled bank robbers is a woman--the only woman. The woman easily moves from minor character to major character in this short writing. Nevertheless, based on many of the fast-paced events, what the reader may think is going to happen by the end of the story, does not happen. That's one of the major traits of this book that I liked. Cole refrains from tying the story up into a little bow. It's a bloody mess.
Anyway, what do you get when there is an intelligent alien with a taste for human blood that resides in the lake (or cave) in a small retirement/vacation town. Now, toss in a bunch of idiot bank robbers, desperate to escape the authorities, thus they solicit the assistance of an ex veteran, whose cabin (hideout) is in said town? Then, add some deputies, and do not neglect one who wants to relive his former glory so he ignores the orders of his boss, and all the ingredients for chaos are present.
Blood, guts, and gore...pure carnage. Oooh, and a major love connection arises since one of the misled bank robbers is a woman--the only woman. The woman easily moves from minor character to major character in this short writing. Nevertheless, based on many of the fast-paced events, what the reader may think is going to happen by the end of the story, does not happen. That's one of the major traits of this book that I liked. Cole refrains from tying the story up into a little bow. It's a bloody mess.
January 21, 2024
Wait the creature wins
Creature Of Lake Shadow by Michael Cole was a fun ride. The overall story was deff exciting cops vs robbers with the creature showing up to mess them both up. I actually really enjoyed all of the characters in this story. Now to the Creature. This is deff no normal creature honestly how it killed its victims it should be in a Mortal Kombat game. I really enjoyed the ending it’s not very often in a creature feature where we see the creature actually win so win it does happen it’s always a special occasion. All in all I would recommend this one to anyone who is a creature feature fan.
Creature Of Lake Shadow by Michael Cole was a fun ride. The overall story was deff exciting cops vs robbers with the creature showing up to mess them both up. I actually really enjoyed all of the characters in this story. Now to the Creature. This is deff no normal creature honestly how it killed its victims it should be in a Mortal Kombat game. I really enjoyed the ending it’s not very often in a creature feature where we see the creature actually win so win it does happen it’s always a special occasion. All in all I would recommend this one to anyone who is a creature feature fan.
January 18, 2020
This creature is truly a bad a**!
I loved the action in this book with a bank robbery and getaway chase which led them into a totally new predicament called the creature of lake shadow. Evidently, this creature has been around for several winters and if you enter its territory you will end up as its next meal. The only thing I didn't expect was the ending, or lack of an ending. I hope there is a sequel coming because I will be upset if the ending of this book is really the end.
I loved the action in this book with a bank robbery and getaway chase which led them into a totally new predicament called the creature of lake shadow. Evidently, this creature has been around for several winters and if you enter its territory you will end up as its next meal. The only thing I didn't expect was the ending, or lack of an ending. I hope there is a sequel coming because I will be upset if the ending of this book is really the end.
June 17, 2021
I was ready to give this 5 stars, until the non-ending. The story started with a disappearance at the lake, switched to deadly bank robbers and then it came together with an out-of-shape used-to-be hero police officer. Wasn't totally prepared for all the blood and mayhem, but I've read worse. SPOILER ALERT: then came the non-ending with the hero stuck in the snow with two broken legs while the monster stole his girl. No, sorry Michael Cole, but you could have and should have done better.
October 1, 2022
Книгите на Майкъл Р. Коул трябва да бъдат съхранени за бъдните поколения в библиотеката на Конгреса. ОК, признавам че това е малко бомбастично, като за началото на ревю, но истината е, че се забавлявам невероятно много с романите на този човек. От малък обичам чудовища, а досега не съм срещал друг да ги описва толкова яко.
Цялото ми ревю може да прочетете в Цитаделата:
https://citadelata.com/creature-of-la...
Цялото ми ревю може да прочетете в Цитаделата:
https://citadelata.com/creature-of-la...
August 1, 2024
Even the Predator would struggle to take this one down.
A bunch of crooks rob a bank, do bad things, and hire a getaway driver who has fallen on bad times and needs the money. They travel to a safe house only to discover the Creature of Lake Shadow.
The overall brutality of it is good and I enjoyed the monster in parts but the characters wore thin and the hero gets hard over the girl WAY too easily.
Fun for a brainless monster story.
A bunch of crooks rob a bank, do bad things, and hire a getaway driver who has fallen on bad times and needs the money. They travel to a safe house only to discover the Creature of Lake Shadow.
The overall brutality of it is good and I enjoyed the monster in parts but the characters wore thin and the hero gets hard over the girl WAY too easily.
Fun for a brainless monster story.
August 10, 2024
Most of this book was actually pretty decent, and the Audible narrator does a reasonable job with the script. It was a little silly, and there’s a fair bit of descriptive repetition, but it’s nothing unforgivable in what amounts to a pulp creature feature. Where it really fell down for me was in the dismal ending: I’d expect that kind of "schock" ending in a low-budget generic schlock horror film, but not in a book.
September 23, 2022
Horrible ending!!
Michael Cole, I have loved your stories and writing styles and given you nothing but 5 stars. But this ending is awful! Its like you got tired of writing and just stopped. I'm very disappointed but I will keep reading your books in hopes that this doesn't happen again.
Michael Cole, I have loved your stories and writing styles and given you nothing but 5 stars. But this ending is awful! Its like you got tired of writing and just stopped. I'm very disappointed but I will keep reading your books in hopes that this doesn't happen again.
July 29, 2024
I’m not even sure how to feel about this book. The writing was relatively solid, but it was pretty much a gore fest. If you enjoy a good creature feature with some splatterpunk thrown in, this would definitely be for you. The ending had me simultaneously laughing in disbelief and absolutely slack-jawed
October 19, 2025
It was decent with the sprinkling of the creature here and there until the climax began...and the end left much to be desired but it's implications for one of the characters is truly terrible.
As a horror element it is horrifying, but also has me conflicted as i have gotten tired of that trope happening to women. I could get really nerdy, but i won't. I do hope it gets a sequel.
As a horror element it is horrifying, but also has me conflicted as i have gotten tired of that trope happening to women. I could get really nerdy, but i won't. I do hope it gets a sequel.
February 12, 2020
Whew!
What a monster story! And you left me hanging, needing so much more. Bring on the end to the story. I want him down for the count. This one is a must read story that keeps you engaged until the very last page. LOVED IT!
What a monster story! And you left me hanging, needing so much more. Bring on the end to the story. I want him down for the count. This one is a must read story that keeps you engaged until the very last page. LOVED IT!
June 25, 2020
Good little Story , Believable out come
Interesting story line with a Accurate ending, Well formed characters with naturally occurring human faults. A Bit Graphic & Gory , But true to the genre of a Modern SciFi Horror tale. Enjoyable for an idle afternoon.
Interesting story line with a Accurate ending, Well formed characters with naturally occurring human faults. A Bit Graphic & Gory , But true to the genre of a Modern SciFi Horror tale. Enjoyable for an idle afternoon.
March 5, 2023
I have to say if I'm choosing between M.R.C. creature features and aliens. I will choose creatures every time.
I just wasn't as hooked by this style as by arachnid, and scar and thresher. Looking forward to shredders but I think I am going to skip any more Alien work.
I just wasn't as hooked by this style as by arachnid, and scar and thresher. Looking forward to shredders but I think I am going to skip any more Alien work.
April 6, 2024
The story could’ve been great. But the casual racism, sexism, and weird lazy use of slang or too much. I listened to the audiobook and the voice narrator was terrible. Way too many characters with zero development and goofy dialogue. The narrator kept giving some of the characters a shitty southern accent. They’re not in the south. Everyone sounds cartoonish. The only woman in the story is in service to a fucking man, and is a victim of his abuse. Also no one says “once you go Black, you never go back”.. wtaf?
July 6, 2024
***3.5***
There was a moment towards the end that I was reverted, it just didn't last long. All in all, this was an okay story. I listened to the audio and found the voice actors pleasant enough. This was an okay time, OK?
There was a moment towards the end that I was reverted, it just didn't last long. All in all, this was an okay story. I listened to the audio and found the voice actors pleasant enough. This was an okay time, OK?
December 14, 2024
TERRIFYING AND TERRIFIC
Terrifying and terrific! I absolutely loved this story! Another amazing tale from author Michael Cole! The creature was well thought out and truly creepy! The storyline was enthralling. The ending was completely unexpected!!!
Terrifying and terrific! I absolutely loved this story! Another amazing tale from author Michael Cole! The creature was well thought out and truly creepy! The storyline was enthralling. The ending was completely unexpected!!!
May 19, 2025
Mediocre
The book was neither good nor bad. Just mediocre. The ending seemed very rushed. In addition, in the ending, he reversed a character’s personality totally. Seemed odd and did not fit.
The book was neither good nor bad. Just mediocre. The ending seemed very rushed. In addition, in the ending, he reversed a character’s personality totally. Seemed odd and did not fit.
July 5, 2020
Fast paced read
I think I started this book yesterday morning and couldn't put it down. It definitely didn't end like I expected it to. I really enjoyed it.
I think I started this book yesterday morning and couldn't put it down. It definitely didn't end like I expected it to. I really enjoyed it.
September 22, 2020
3 Stars
Ok this was heading to be a 5 Star and then came the ending, and all I can give it is a weak 3.
Ok this was heading to be a 5 Star and then came the ending, and all I can give it is a weak 3.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews