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Bigfoot in the Bronx
The Hunt
It’s hunting season for best friends Shay and Vito. This year, with a bad economy and Shay out of work, it’s more important than ever to bag a deer so they can feed their families. Tucking their truck in their secret spot outside a state park in the Catskills, they settle down, waiting for a deer to come to them.
Discovery
What they get is a giant creature that outruns a speeding deer and savages it with its bare hands and jagged teeth. Someone hidden in the woods shoots it with a tranquilizer dart. Shay knows what the beast at their feet is, and how its discovery can change their lives forever. They load it into their truck and head home for…
The Bronx
The drugged Bigfoot awakens in a cramped shed in Shay’s backyard. Confused, terrified, angry, it breaks loose in the middle of the night, seeking refuge in a nearby cemetery. When the bagpipes of a morning funeral drive it into a killing rage, the carnage has just begun.
Rampage
From playgrounds to golf courses, apartment buildings to subway cars, the bigfoot is on the move – and it’s not happy. Can Shay and Vito find and recapture the beast before it burns the Bronx to the ground?
It’s hunting season for best friends Shay and Vito. This year, with a bad economy and Shay out of work, it’s more important than ever to bag a deer so they can feed their families. Tucking their truck in their secret spot outside a state park in the Catskills, they settle down, waiting for a deer to come to them.
Discovery
What they get is a giant creature that outruns a speeding deer and savages it with its bare hands and jagged teeth. Someone hidden in the woods shoots it with a tranquilizer dart. Shay knows what the beast at their feet is, and how its discovery can change their lives forever. They load it into their truck and head home for…
The Bronx
The drugged Bigfoot awakens in a cramped shed in Shay’s backyard. Confused, terrified, angry, it breaks loose in the middle of the night, seeking refuge in a nearby cemetery. When the bagpipes of a morning funeral drive it into a killing rage, the carnage has just begun.
Rampage
From playgrounds to golf courses, apartment buildings to subway cars, the bigfoot is on the move – and it’s not happy. Can Shay and Vito find and recapture the beast before it burns the Bronx to the ground?
178 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 29, 2021
45 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Hunter Shea
66 books1,009 followersHunter Shea is the author of over 25 books, with a specialization in cryptozoological horror that includes The Jersey Devil, The Dover Demon, Loch Ness Revenge and many others. As part of the new horror line at Flame Tree Press, his novel Creature has gained critical acclaim. His novel, The Montauk Monster, was named one of the best reads of the summer by Publishers Weekly. A trip to the International Cryptozoology Museum will find several of his cryptid books among the fascinating displays. Living in a true haunted house inspired his Jessica Backman: Death in the Afterlife series (Forest of Shadows, Sinister Entity and Island of the Forbidden). In 2011, he was selected to be a part of the launch of Samhain Publishing’s new horror line alongside legendary author Ramsey Campbell. When he’s not writing thrillers and horror, he also spins tall tales for middle grade readers on Amazon’s highly regarded Rapids reading app.
An avid podcaster, he can be seen and heard on Monster Men, one of the longest running video horror podcasts in the world, and Final Guys, focusing on weekly movie and book reviews. His nostalgic column about the magic of 80s horror, Video Visions, is featured monthly at Cemetery Dance Online. You can find his short stories in a number of anthologies, including Chopping Block Party, The Body Horror Book and Fearful Fathoms II.
A lifetime New Yorker, Hunter is supported by his loving wife and two beautiful daughters. When he’s not studying up on cryptozoology, he’s an avid explorer of the unknown, having spent a night alone on the Queen Mary, searching for the Warren’s famous White Lady of the Union Cemetery and other mysterious places.
You can follow his travails at www.huntershea.com.
An avid podcaster, he can be seen and heard on Monster Men, one of the longest running video horror podcasts in the world, and Final Guys, focusing on weekly movie and book reviews. His nostalgic column about the magic of 80s horror, Video Visions, is featured monthly at Cemetery Dance Online. You can find his short stories in a number of anthologies, including Chopping Block Party, The Body Horror Book and Fearful Fathoms II.
A lifetime New Yorker, Hunter is supported by his loving wife and two beautiful daughters. When he’s not studying up on cryptozoology, he’s an avid explorer of the unknown, having spent a night alone on the Queen Mary, searching for the Warren’s famous White Lady of the Union Cemetery and other mysterious places.
You can follow his travails at www.huntershea.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
February 25, 2025
This was exactly what I was hoping it would be. Shea Hunter is so dependable for creature features like this. And God bless him for that! Shay and Vito were hysterical as a duo here, and watching them juggle their families along with their conflicting feelings on how to manage a sasquatch terrorizing the Bronx was fun to experience. The bigfoot had some surprising depth, and was not just a crazed killing machine, as so many other similar books take the route of. And I loved how Hunter used Halloween as the day all this chaos went down. Like absolutely ingenious! This had a nice mix of King Kong and Harry and the Henderson references, and is just a really enjoyable read. Not too silly, but also not too bloody. And just the right amount of action, too. Again, I loved the balance of it all. I did feel like Destiny could have used a little more closure and screen time, but that was the only thing that jumped out at me. It also looks to set up a sequel, so I’d be curious to see how that plays out, too.
May 31, 2021
Nobody writes Crytid books quite like Hunter Shea. If you've read anything by this author before, you'll know you're in for a wild ride!
Full review pending.
Full review pending.
April 8, 2021
A fun filled (and emotional) romp through the Bronx following a creature out of it's environment.
Top writing once again from Hunter (you don't really expect anything less do ya?). I particularly liked the paragraphs from the Bigfoot's POV, it added the emotional element for the beast, and you really felt for it. At the end of the day, it shows that humans (most, not all) will attack anything they don't understand. Yes, yes, i know it's fiction, but the principle is there in reality as well- it's happens all the time.
Kudos for a different take on the beast, and it came off superbly as well.
Top writing once again from Hunter (you don't really expect anything less do ya?). I particularly liked the paragraphs from the Bigfoot's POV, it added the emotional element for the beast, and you really felt for it. At the end of the day, it shows that humans (most, not all) will attack anything they don't understand. Yes, yes, i know it's fiction, but the principle is there in reality as well- it's happens all the time.
Kudos for a different take on the beast, and it came off superbly as well.
August 13, 2023
Exactly what you would expect from a book about a Bigfoot in The Bronx.
And I mean that in a good way.
A pair of lifelong pals leave their Bronx homes for a hunting excursion, and end up bring a (presumably...) deceased Sasquatch home with them, dreams of fame and fortune dancing in their heads.
You win the pony if you guessed that Bigfoot was, indeed, alive, and isn't going to be thrilled to find himself in The Bronx when he wakes up. Hilarity, carnage, gore, chaos, and general unpleasantness ensue, as our guilt-ridden heroes get in deeper and deeper as they try to corral their wayward meal ticket and get him back to his forest home alive and well, and with The Bronx semi-intact.
Hunter Shea spins a fast-paced yarn with a mostly comedic bent, punctuated by quick bursts of Bigfoot carnage and gore. I enjoyed Shay & Vito's arc, as they went from potential Bigfoot exploiters to Bigfoot guardian angel wannabees. They come across as living, breathing characters, and not caricatures, which makes all the difference in keeping the book grounded and suspenseful.
If I had one small quibble, it would be....No Yankee Stadium? Aside from that, as someone who was born and raised in The Bronx, I appreciated the locations that got trashed. Overall, a tremendously fun Cryptid adventure.
And I mean that in a good way.
A pair of lifelong pals leave their Bronx homes for a hunting excursion, and end up bring a (presumably...) deceased Sasquatch home with them, dreams of fame and fortune dancing in their heads.
You win the pony if you guessed that Bigfoot was, indeed, alive, and isn't going to be thrilled to find himself in The Bronx when he wakes up. Hilarity, carnage, gore, chaos, and general unpleasantness ensue, as our guilt-ridden heroes get in deeper and deeper as they try to corral their wayward meal ticket and get him back to his forest home alive and well, and with The Bronx semi-intact.
Hunter Shea spins a fast-paced yarn with a mostly comedic bent, punctuated by quick bursts of Bigfoot carnage and gore. I enjoyed Shay & Vito's arc, as they went from potential Bigfoot exploiters to Bigfoot guardian angel wannabees. They come across as living, breathing characters, and not caricatures, which makes all the difference in keeping the book grounded and suspenseful.
If I had one small quibble, it would be....No Yankee Stadium? Aside from that, as someone who was born and raised in The Bronx, I appreciated the locations that got trashed. Overall, a tremendously fun Cryptid adventure.
April 1, 2021
Review to follow but it is Hunter and a Bigfoot ... you know it is superb.
May 17, 2021
From the author that always nails down the sensual tone of a newly awakened partner with tousled locks comes a bigfooted Bronx-tale with plenty of heart.
Smell the perfume of wet animal and rotten musk? You're too close...Sasquatch gonna get ya!
Smell the perfume of wet animal and rotten musk? You're too close...Sasquatch gonna get ya!
June 8, 2021
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
If you’re looking for cryptid/creature feature books that are a blast and beyond fun to read, you’ll ultimately turn your gaze towards Hunter Shea and await his latest foray into that world.
I’ve read a few of Shea’s releases and I find he’s always an author who delivers a ton of gore, beasts but also emotional depth.
With ‘Bigfoot In the Bronx’ I wasn’t sure exactly where this book would go. Not in the sense of ‘where,’ I mean come on, the title tells you exactly where our sasquatch will end up, but I wasn’t sure what angle Shea would approach it from.
What I liked: Shea’s reimagining of ‘Harry and the Hendersons’ is everything you’d expect and more. Two hunters trying to bag a deer and fill their freezer get a visit by the smelly, eight-foot tall creature. Knowing they can make a fortune proving Bigfoot exists they take the creature down and bring it home with them. But when Bigfoot wakes up and breaks free from the shed it’s been put in, chaos ensues.
This book was a blast. Frantic action, Bigfoot coming across numerous new situations and all the while our two hunters are scrambling to try and recapture it and keep it their secret. I loved how every interaction began with people believing that it was a person in a suit and when they learned the truth it was either too late or they were scared to their core. As well, there is a scene where Bigfoot inadvertently discovers hallucinogens which was unexpected but also fantastic to see how it played out.
I also really enjoyed seeing the creature have a connection with a specific character. I don’t want to say too much about this to protect against spoilers, but Shea really added something that was missing previously in the story by doing that.
What I didn’t like: While the story itself was fun and an engaging piece of fiction, I felt no connection whatsoever with Vito or Shay, the two main characters. I found whenever the story dipped back to them, I wasn’t as excited as I was when we got to see the Squatch tromping around new and different places.
Why you should buy this: If you’re looking for a fun creature feature, Shea is the leader of that pack and his stories always hum along. For new readers, this would be an excellent place to dive in. For current fans, you’ll know exactly what you’re in for and will have a smile on your face for the entirety of the book.
Fans of Sasquatch fiction will really enjoy this.
If you’re looking for cryptid/creature feature books that are a blast and beyond fun to read, you’ll ultimately turn your gaze towards Hunter Shea and await his latest foray into that world.
I’ve read a few of Shea’s releases and I find he’s always an author who delivers a ton of gore, beasts but also emotional depth.
With ‘Bigfoot In the Bronx’ I wasn’t sure exactly where this book would go. Not in the sense of ‘where,’ I mean come on, the title tells you exactly where our sasquatch will end up, but I wasn’t sure what angle Shea would approach it from.
What I liked: Shea’s reimagining of ‘Harry and the Hendersons’ is everything you’d expect and more. Two hunters trying to bag a deer and fill their freezer get a visit by the smelly, eight-foot tall creature. Knowing they can make a fortune proving Bigfoot exists they take the creature down and bring it home with them. But when Bigfoot wakes up and breaks free from the shed it’s been put in, chaos ensues.
This book was a blast. Frantic action, Bigfoot coming across numerous new situations and all the while our two hunters are scrambling to try and recapture it and keep it their secret. I loved how every interaction began with people believing that it was a person in a suit and when they learned the truth it was either too late or they were scared to their core. As well, there is a scene where Bigfoot inadvertently discovers hallucinogens which was unexpected but also fantastic to see how it played out.
I also really enjoyed seeing the creature have a connection with a specific character. I don’t want to say too much about this to protect against spoilers, but Shea really added something that was missing previously in the story by doing that.
What I didn’t like: While the story itself was fun and an engaging piece of fiction, I felt no connection whatsoever with Vito or Shay, the two main characters. I found whenever the story dipped back to them, I wasn’t as excited as I was when we got to see the Squatch tromping around new and different places.
Why you should buy this: If you’re looking for a fun creature feature, Shea is the leader of that pack and his stories always hum along. For new readers, this would be an excellent place to dive in. For current fans, you’ll know exactly what you’re in for and will have a smile on your face for the entirety of the book.
Fans of Sasquatch fiction will really enjoy this.
April 19, 2021
Bigfoot in the Bronx by Hunter Shea is an action-packed story about two hunters that have the bright idea of taking a bigfoot, who they think is dead, into the city in hopes to show their discovery to the media and get rich. Turns out, the big guy wasn’t dead…
This was such a fun read! While there was plenty of humor, it also touched on an important message about how quick we are to judge, and just how fast things can spiral out of control.
Go pick this one up today!
More here: https://www.ericarobynreads.com/book-...
This was such a fun read! While there was plenty of humor, it also touched on an important message about how quick we are to judge, and just how fast things can spiral out of control.
Go pick this one up today!
More here: https://www.ericarobynreads.com/book-...
May 5, 2022
Bigfoot in the Bronx makes a certain kind of promise with a title like that and it definitely delivers. This thing was wild from the very start and kept me entertained the entire time.
July 17, 2021
You can always rely on Hunter Shea to provide great entertainment with his monster tales. Bigfoot in the Bronx is the latest and it's the perfect, immersive summer read.
The Bigfoot of the title never asked to be captured and taken away from his native habitat and the motley crew of humans responsible for this unpardonable sin are not going to get off lightly. What follows is a rollercoaster adventure that had me rooting for Bigfoot all the way. Yes, he was huge and scary and packed a massive punch but...
Loved this. Read it at two hugely enjoyable sittings. Recommended for vacation reads, sitting in the garden reads, or if summer is over when you get to this, sitting by a cozy fire reads. Never lets up and leaves you looking forward to the next Hunter Shea monster read.
The Bigfoot of the title never asked to be captured and taken away from his native habitat and the motley crew of humans responsible for this unpardonable sin are not going to get off lightly. What follows is a rollercoaster adventure that had me rooting for Bigfoot all the way. Yes, he was huge and scary and packed a massive punch but...
Loved this. Read it at two hugely enjoyable sittings. Recommended for vacation reads, sitting in the garden reads, or if summer is over when you get to this, sitting by a cozy fire reads. Never lets up and leaves you looking forward to the next Hunter Shea monster read.
September 28, 2023
Friends Shay and Vito go on their annual hunting trio. Mostly they go as a time to relax, hang out together and drink beer. Both are horrible hunters and have never come home with anything to show.
This year is different though. Both are struggling financially and Shay is laid off from work. They are struggling to support their families and a few pounds of venison would help them immensely.
They end up getting something entirely different. As they sight in on a deer, a huge, fast monster comes tearing out of the woods, taking down their deer right before their eyes. Both men begin shooting in panic and the beast drops. It is a real life Bigfoot. Shay convinces Vito to bring the body home. There has to be a way to make big money from this discovery. Except the creature isn't dead.
Now the monster is terrified and creating chaos in the Bronx. The friends feel responsible for unleashing this creature in the City, people are getting hurt and are being killed. The thing is the men don't entirely believe the Bigfoot is actually a monster. Can they find a way to stop the carnage and return the beast, unharmed, back to its home at the same time?
Those was a fun, fast read and these two men were total idiots. 🤣
This year is different though. Both are struggling financially and Shay is laid off from work. They are struggling to support their families and a few pounds of venison would help them immensely.
They end up getting something entirely different. As they sight in on a deer, a huge, fast monster comes tearing out of the woods, taking down their deer right before their eyes. Both men begin shooting in panic and the beast drops. It is a real life Bigfoot. Shay convinces Vito to bring the body home. There has to be a way to make big money from this discovery. Except the creature isn't dead.
Now the monster is terrified and creating chaos in the Bronx. The friends feel responsible for unleashing this creature in the City, people are getting hurt and are being killed. The thing is the men don't entirely believe the Bigfoot is actually a monster. Can they find a way to stop the carnage and return the beast, unharmed, back to its home at the same time?
Those was a fun, fast read and these two men were total idiots. 🤣
July 18, 2021
My favorite part in the movie Wonder Woman is when Dianna is walking around the city all confused about everything. That’s also my favorite part in Aquaman… and Wonder Woman 84… So I have a type. This book was like all of those scenes rolled into one book, but instead of dianna, Mera, or Steve, ITS FRIGGIN BIGFOOT! Two boxes checked off right there for me. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, no one writes monsters/cryptids like Hunter Shea. This book had a lot of humor and almost a buddy cop film feel as well. This has been my bad review for another really damn good super bad ass Hunter Shea book.
May 13, 2021
Hunter Shea's books are always good for a fun creature feature and this one though a bit different than I wanted was no exception.
Vito and Shay are best friends who live next door to each other in the Bronx and now and then they like to go hunting but they are not very good at it. While they out in the woods looking for a deer they see something you wouldn't expect, a Bigfoot jumps on the deer and makes it lunch.
Vito and Shay are trying to shoot the Bigfoot and when it goes down they think they might have killed it, but what they didn't see was the man with a tranquillizer gun. They do see a Bigfoot that looks dead and one of them, can't remember which one gets the big idea to try and take it and make money off of it. So they load it in the truck and hide it in one of theirs shed.
Thing is when they wake up in the morning the Shed door is smashed and there is no Bigfoot! So they set out to track it down and well they pretty much just have to follow the screams and carnage to find the Bigfoot. Though somewhere along the way they start feeling a bit bad for the Bigfoot because it's their fault he is in a place he doesn't know and just wants to get back to his home.
This wasn't exactly the type of Bigfoot story I was hoping for but at the same time it was still interesting. I think one of the fun things about this story was that you get the POV of the Bigfoot, this also allows you to feel sorry for the big guy as he is scared and doesn't know where he is and just wants to find the woods. Along the way he hears and see things that scare and enrage him and so he creates a bit of carnage and slams a few people around in the process. :)
I am not sure if I was a huge fan of Vito or Shay as they are both kind of dumb but they did try their best to correct their mistake and track the Bigfoot even though they had no clue what they were doing. From the get go this book felt a bit like a King Kong type of story and it kind of was. It sure wasn't the romp and chomp style book I was looking forward too, but that is okay. It was still a decent read even if I wasn't a huge fan of how it ends.
I would recommend it to anyone who likes a fun creature feature book.
Vito and Shay are best friends who live next door to each other in the Bronx and now and then they like to go hunting but they are not very good at it. While they out in the woods looking for a deer they see something you wouldn't expect, a Bigfoot jumps on the deer and makes it lunch.
Vito and Shay are trying to shoot the Bigfoot and when it goes down they think they might have killed it, but what they didn't see was the man with a tranquillizer gun. They do see a Bigfoot that looks dead and one of them, can't remember which one gets the big idea to try and take it and make money off of it. So they load it in the truck and hide it in one of theirs shed.
Thing is when they wake up in the morning the Shed door is smashed and there is no Bigfoot! So they set out to track it down and well they pretty much just have to follow the screams and carnage to find the Bigfoot. Though somewhere along the way they start feeling a bit bad for the Bigfoot because it's their fault he is in a place he doesn't know and just wants to get back to his home.
This wasn't exactly the type of Bigfoot story I was hoping for but at the same time it was still interesting. I think one of the fun things about this story was that you get the POV of the Bigfoot, this also allows you to feel sorry for the big guy as he is scared and doesn't know where he is and just wants to find the woods. Along the way he hears and see things that scare and enrage him and so he creates a bit of carnage and slams a few people around in the process. :)
I am not sure if I was a huge fan of Vito or Shay as they are both kind of dumb but they did try their best to correct their mistake and track the Bigfoot even though they had no clue what they were doing. From the get go this book felt a bit like a King Kong type of story and it kind of was. It sure wasn't the romp and chomp style book I was looking forward too, but that is okay. It was still a decent read even if I wasn't a huge fan of how it ends.
I would recommend it to anyone who likes a fun creature feature book.
November 3, 2023
I’m a huge fan of books with cryptids in them. Especially the big hairy guys like werewolves and sasquatch. And Hunter Shea is my go to author for horror stories about crazed beasts and animals running amok.
Shay and Vito. Best friends and avid hunters. It’s deer season and they planned to bag a big one. They sure did. Kind of cheated but they got something. A big hairy something.
The sasquatch is none to happy when it comes to in Shay’s shed. The noise and stench of the Bronx is no place for it. The creature just wants to go home. Unfortunately, people and sasquatch don’t mix well and the confusion and fear drive the creature over the edge.
Shay and Vito are a few slices shy of a loaf. Not the brightest lads. I felt sorry for them though. They needed money to take care of their families and the big guy would make them rich. Not to be though. Instead, they have to try everything to get the bloody creature out of the city without anyone being the wiser that they brought it there to begin with.
Hunter Shea delivers bloody mayhem in his classic style. You’ll cringe, almost fear what’s going to happen next, and actually feel kind of sorry for the creature causing all the death. I had such a blast reading this book.
Shay and Vito. Best friends and avid hunters. It’s deer season and they planned to bag a big one. They sure did. Kind of cheated but they got something. A big hairy something.
The sasquatch is none to happy when it comes to in Shay’s shed. The noise and stench of the Bronx is no place for it. The creature just wants to go home. Unfortunately, people and sasquatch don’t mix well and the confusion and fear drive the creature over the edge.
Shay and Vito are a few slices shy of a loaf. Not the brightest lads. I felt sorry for them though. They needed money to take care of their families and the big guy would make them rich. Not to be though. Instead, they have to try everything to get the bloody creature out of the city without anyone being the wiser that they brought it there to begin with.
Hunter Shea delivers bloody mayhem in his classic style. You’ll cringe, almost fear what’s going to happen next, and actually feel kind of sorry for the creature causing all the death. I had such a blast reading this book.
April 10, 2021
I feel sorry for the bigfoot
Bigfoot in the Bronx has plenty of monstrous mayhem with humor sprinkled throughout. But there are times I felt the real monsters are the denizens of the Bronx and not the lost Bigfoot.
Bigfoot in the Bronx has plenty of monstrous mayhem with humor sprinkled throughout. But there are times I felt the real monsters are the denizens of the Bronx and not the lost Bigfoot.
April 9, 2021
Two friends go on a hunting trip. The prize they bring home to make money on is not dead. Bigfoot gets loose in the Bronx. Carnage follows. He wants to go home.
July 18, 2021
this book surprised the hell out of me in such a good way. Loved it.
July 7, 2021
Loved this fun roller-coaster ride. When two of the most inept hunters find the body of a Bigfoot in the woods they think their ticket to fame and fortune has arrived and bring it back to the Bronx to cash in. Unfortunately it is not dead and not happy it be there. It is important for the reader to note it is Halloween. The story is brilliantly told from both the hunters and the Bigfoots perspective sensitively treating it as a scared, confused wild animal who does what it needs to survive and escape rather than a rampaging beast, It has touching moments, moments of high drama, savage and graphic gory violence and high farce. The things that stick with me and what Bigfoot does the Drug dealer and Gang banger, Destiny, and the two hunters tracking it through to parks of the Bronx dressed as Warner Bros cartoon characters, I both cringed and laughed out loud. Great story, great dialogue, great ending and great easy to listen to narration which brought the story to life. I received a complimentary copy from the narrator and am leaving a honest voluntary review
April 18, 2021
Bigfoot In The Bronx brings us all the OTT fun one expects when reading Shea, plus the characters we care about; Shea never does throwaway characters and this book is all the better for it -from the first encounter in the woods to an absolutely insane finale in the zoo this book delivers big time!
April 11, 2021
I first discovered Hunter Shea back in 2016 when I read The Jersey Devil. As a big cryptid fan, I was hooked, and went on to read a number of other books by Shea that dealt with the Loch Ness Monster, Florida's skunk apes, giant iguanas that eat Florida, and mutated rats that overtake NY. Plus I have a number of other books in my TBR pile. As a native NYer, I also have a thing for horror novels set within the five boroughs, so when I saw Shea's latest, Bigfoot in the Bronx, it jumped to the top of my TBR.
The premise of the book is simple. BFFs Shay Walsh and Vito Esposito are planning an overnight hunting trip. Shay has been down on his luck, having been laid off from his job and no prospects in sight. He's hoping to bag a buck that will keep his family in meat for the coming winter, and Vito, should he succeed in bringing down a buck, has vowed to give the lion's share to Shay, but why should this year be any different than any other year. The only thing they ever bagged was a hangover from too much drinking on their way home. As luck would have it, though, once they get settled into a prime hunting spot, a buck wanders into the clearing, but before they can bring it down, something big and hairy runs out of the forest and kills the deer. When the creature collapses and doesn't move, the two men go to investigate. It seems somebody else has been on the hunt, but his prey was the ever elusive cryptid.
Shay and Vito think the creature is dead, overdosed by the tranquilizer darts embedded in its back. While Shay stands guard over the body, Vito goes to get his truck, and between the two, they get it loaded and head back home. Their hope is to reveal their evidence that Bigfoot is real and cash in on a big payday. What they don't count on is the Bigfoot only being knocked out, so by morning, the creature had awakened and broken free to go on a killing rampage through the Bronx. Shay and Vito are in hot pursuit, believing it's their responsibility to capture the beast since it their fault the creature was in their neighborhood anyway. But the tricky part is trying to keep it a secret from their wives until they can recapture the creature so they can expose it to the world and still win their big payday.
While there's plenty of blood and guts throughout the book, there's also some humorous moments, such as when the Bigfoot becomes high after consuming somebody who happens to have an entire pharmacy running through his system. As the story progresses, though, you realize that the creature is only killing because it's scared; by nature, it's a timid, intelligent creature that just wants to return home. As is typical with this type of story, character development takes a back seat (but that doesn't mean it's not there) to the action taking place. And while the story starts off slow, it quickly ramps up to a breakneck speed that doesn't let up until the end. We do see a change in our two main characters, who are originally motivated by greed. By the end of the book, however, they've grown sympathetic to the creature and want only to recapture it and return it to its home. There's too much guilt involved, as they feel responsible for every death. Are they successful? Or do they fall prey to the rampaging creature? You'll just have to read and find out.
Recently, because of various reasons I won't bore you with, it's taken me a while to get through books, no matter how long they are. But Shea's latest hooked me from the beginning, and I finished it within a couple of days. It's a book you can easily get caught up in, and you won't want to put it down. If you like killer Bigfoot stories, or are just a fan of killer cryptids in general, this is definitely a book you'll want to check out. I definitely recommend it.
The premise of the book is simple. BFFs Shay Walsh and Vito Esposito are planning an overnight hunting trip. Shay has been down on his luck, having been laid off from his job and no prospects in sight. He's hoping to bag a buck that will keep his family in meat for the coming winter, and Vito, should he succeed in bringing down a buck, has vowed to give the lion's share to Shay, but why should this year be any different than any other year. The only thing they ever bagged was a hangover from too much drinking on their way home. As luck would have it, though, once they get settled into a prime hunting spot, a buck wanders into the clearing, but before they can bring it down, something big and hairy runs out of the forest and kills the deer. When the creature collapses and doesn't move, the two men go to investigate. It seems somebody else has been on the hunt, but his prey was the ever elusive cryptid.
Shay and Vito think the creature is dead, overdosed by the tranquilizer darts embedded in its back. While Shay stands guard over the body, Vito goes to get his truck, and between the two, they get it loaded and head back home. Their hope is to reveal their evidence that Bigfoot is real and cash in on a big payday. What they don't count on is the Bigfoot only being knocked out, so by morning, the creature had awakened and broken free to go on a killing rampage through the Bronx. Shay and Vito are in hot pursuit, believing it's their responsibility to capture the beast since it their fault the creature was in their neighborhood anyway. But the tricky part is trying to keep it a secret from their wives until they can recapture the creature so they can expose it to the world and still win their big payday.
While there's plenty of blood and guts throughout the book, there's also some humorous moments, such as when the Bigfoot becomes high after consuming somebody who happens to have an entire pharmacy running through his system. As the story progresses, though, you realize that the creature is only killing because it's scared; by nature, it's a timid, intelligent creature that just wants to return home. As is typical with this type of story, character development takes a back seat (but that doesn't mean it's not there) to the action taking place. And while the story starts off slow, it quickly ramps up to a breakneck speed that doesn't let up until the end. We do see a change in our two main characters, who are originally motivated by greed. By the end of the book, however, they've grown sympathetic to the creature and want only to recapture it and return it to its home. There's too much guilt involved, as they feel responsible for every death. Are they successful? Or do they fall prey to the rampaging creature? You'll just have to read and find out.
Recently, because of various reasons I won't bore you with, it's taken me a while to get through books, no matter how long they are. But Shea's latest hooked me from the beginning, and I finished it within a couple of days. It's a book you can easily get caught up in, and you won't want to put it down. If you like killer Bigfoot stories, or are just a fan of killer cryptids in general, this is definitely a book you'll want to check out. I definitely recommend it.
September 11, 2024
‘21 - READ ‘24 - 178 PGS - 4 STARS
DESCRIPTION : It’s hunting season and Halloween-time for best friends Shay and Vito. This year, with a bad economy and Shay out of work, it’s more important than ever to bag a deer so they can feed their families. Tucking their truck in their secret spot outside a state park in the Catskills, they settle down, waiting for a deer to come to them. Discovery What they get is a giant creature that outruns a speeding deer and savages it with its bare hands and jagged teeth. Someone hidden in the woods shoots it with a tranquilizer dart. Shay knows what the beast at their feet is, and how its discovery can change their lives forever. They load it into their truck and head home. The drugged Bigfoot awakens in a cramped shed in Shay’s backyard. Confused, terrified, angry, it breaks loose in the middle of the night, seeking refuge in a nearby cemetery. When the bagpipes of a morning funeral drive it into a killing rage, the carnage has just begun. Rampage From playgrounds to golf courses, apartment buildings to subway cars, the bigfoot is on the move – and it’s not happy. Can Shay and Vito find and recapture the beast before it burns the Bronx to the ground?
REVIEW :
First book by this author for me was The Montauk Monster (‘14 - Read ‘21 - 4 Stars).
Sale $.99; reg 4.99
Like how Mr Shea’s writing jumps right in, moves along and doesn’t stop. Some parts reminded me of old Abbott & Costello movies. Made me chuckle at times. Very entertaining. Not my usual genre, but definitely worked for Halloween-time.
DESCRIPTION : It’s hunting season and Halloween-time for best friends Shay and Vito. This year, with a bad economy and Shay out of work, it’s more important than ever to bag a deer so they can feed their families. Tucking their truck in their secret spot outside a state park in the Catskills, they settle down, waiting for a deer to come to them. Discovery What they get is a giant creature that outruns a speeding deer and savages it with its bare hands and jagged teeth. Someone hidden in the woods shoots it with a tranquilizer dart. Shay knows what the beast at their feet is, and how its discovery can change their lives forever. They load it into their truck and head home. The drugged Bigfoot awakens in a cramped shed in Shay’s backyard. Confused, terrified, angry, it breaks loose in the middle of the night, seeking refuge in a nearby cemetery. When the bagpipes of a morning funeral drive it into a killing rage, the carnage has just begun. Rampage From playgrounds to golf courses, apartment buildings to subway cars, the bigfoot is on the move – and it’s not happy. Can Shay and Vito find and recapture the beast before it burns the Bronx to the ground?
REVIEW :
First book by this author for me was The Montauk Monster (‘14 - Read ‘21 - 4 Stars).
Sale $.99; reg 4.99
Like how Mr Shea’s writing jumps right in, moves along and doesn’t stop. Some parts reminded me of old Abbott & Costello movies. Made me chuckle at times. Very entertaining. Not my usual genre, but definitely worked for Halloween-time.
April 23, 2021
If you like stories about monsters stomping the city and also Free Willy, you'll love Bigfoot in the Bronx.
Recognizing a financial opportunity when they see one, lifelong drinking buddies Shay and Vito spark the genius idea to dump a tranquilized bigfoot in their truck and drag it home to the Bronx. It isn't long before the beast wakes up and unleashes hell. It's scared, upset, and had previous bad experiences with people, so naturally it would lash out. And lash out it does! On a mission to undo what they did, Shay and Vito try to bring the bigfoot back to its home, but the terrified and violent beast isn't making it easy.
I was absolutely captivated by this wild ride. My favorite line in the book (slightly spoilerish):
I could only imagine! I loved the constant case of mistaken identity with the bigfoot (it was Halloween, after all) and the sections from the bigfoot's perspective really gave it heart. All it wants to do is go home, but all these annoying people keep getting in its way.
Bigfoot in the Bronx is laugh out loud funny, sometimes sad, weirdly heartwarming, and has a fabulous ending that delights my nerdy little cryptid-loving heart.
Recognizing a financial opportunity when they see one, lifelong drinking buddies Shay and Vito spark the genius idea to dump a tranquilized bigfoot in their truck and drag it home to the Bronx. It isn't long before the beast wakes up and unleashes hell. It's scared, upset, and had previous bad experiences with people, so naturally it would lash out. And lash out it does! On a mission to undo what they did, Shay and Vito try to bring the bigfoot back to its home, but the terrified and violent beast isn't making it easy.
I was absolutely captivated by this wild ride. My favorite line in the book (slightly spoilerish):
I could only imagine! I loved the constant case of mistaken identity with the bigfoot (it was Halloween, after all) and the sections from the bigfoot's perspective really gave it heart. All it wants to do is go home, but all these annoying people keep getting in its way.
Bigfoot in the Bronx is laugh out loud funny, sometimes sad, weirdly heartwarming, and has a fabulous ending that delights my nerdy little cryptid-loving heart.
July 25, 2025
Originally posted on the book blog Creature From the Book Lagoon.
Welllllllll…… I’m honestly not really sure how I feel after reading Bigfoot in the Bronx. :/ This is a good story but I think ultimately It just wasn’t what I was looking for in a big foot story.
Don’t get me wrong! There is a lot of great Bigfoot carnage. Bigfoot going crazy in the city is what I was totally here for!! 😀 That part of the story was pretty sweet.
So what was it about the book that didn’t check my all my boxes? All the feels! So much sappy emotion. Too much sympathy for the humans, too much sympathy for Bigfoot. The story is kinda depressing in some spots. D: I mean… emotions are fine and dandy to write about, but I just wanted Bigfoot causing chaos and death in the Bronx, not feeling all the feels. BUT that’s just me!
Bigfoot in the Bronx is a nice creature feature story and it is fun seeing Bigfoot going to a big city. For me, personally, there is just too much emotional heartstrings pulling that just isn’t really what I was looking for.
Welllllllll…… I’m honestly not really sure how I feel after reading Bigfoot in the Bronx. :/ This is a good story but I think ultimately It just wasn’t what I was looking for in a big foot story.
Don’t get me wrong! There is a lot of great Bigfoot carnage. Bigfoot going crazy in the city is what I was totally here for!! 😀 That part of the story was pretty sweet.
So what was it about the book that didn’t check my all my boxes? All the feels! So much sappy emotion. Too much sympathy for the humans, too much sympathy for Bigfoot. The story is kinda depressing in some spots. D: I mean… emotions are fine and dandy to write about, but I just wanted Bigfoot causing chaos and death in the Bronx, not feeling all the feels. BUT that’s just me!
Bigfoot in the Bronx is a nice creature feature story and it is fun seeing Bigfoot going to a big city. For me, personally, there is just too much emotional heartstrings pulling that just isn’t really what I was looking for.
May 13, 2021
Bigfoot In The Bronx was another fun and top quality icky bug from one of my top icky bug authors. Hunter really knows how to bring it on!
In this one, two hapless hunters from the Bronx stumble across an anesthetized bigfoot, think it’s dead and decide to bring it home and make a fortune. Of course, mayhem ensues. There is, of course, a high body count, plenty of humor, but also a decent payoff which made the story all that more satisfying.
The writing was solid third-person, mostly limited, and past-tense. The chapters and scenes were relatively short and the pace fast. The writing never let up as things quickly spiraled out of control. I had a great time all the way to the end and was able to close the book with a smile on my face. Well done and highly recommended.
In this one, two hapless hunters from the Bronx stumble across an anesthetized bigfoot, think it’s dead and decide to bring it home and make a fortune. Of course, mayhem ensues. There is, of course, a high body count, plenty of humor, but also a decent payoff which made the story all that more satisfying.
The writing was solid third-person, mostly limited, and past-tense. The chapters and scenes were relatively short and the pace fast. The writing never let up as things quickly spiraled out of control. I had a great time all the way to the end and was able to close the book with a smile on my face. Well done and highly recommended.
June 14, 2021
Bigfoot in the Bronx was such a fun book. This book starts out with a duo of friends finding and capturing Bigfoot and ends up becoming a Free Willy type scenario where they try to catch him and bring him back home. The book is self aware of it’s own plot and comedy, even bringing up its own similarities to King Kong, even quoting “it was Beauty killed The Beast”. This book is pure entertainment, from the Bigfoot POV to the duo of friends worrying about how their wive’s might be scarier than Bigfoot. It got a lot of chuckles out of me while still delivering cut throat horror. The scenes where Bigfoot shows why he’s the top predator of New York‘s forests are really in your face and are as gory as you could hope for. If this doesn’t sell you on the book nothing will!
October 4, 2021
Well, what did I think about this book? It was funny in areas, slow in some sections, and the two friends banter made it even better. However, I think I would have liked it more if it were in a city not as big as NY. It went just a smidgen over the line with some of the happenings, for me, anyway.
I’m afraid the two guys, while likeable in many respects, lost me with so many of their decisions made me shake my head. Decent read. Hunter Shea is a great author. I either love his stuff or think “ho hum” but I always look forward to reading his books.
In this story, Bigfoot was the victim and I felt dreadfully sorry for it.
I’m afraid the two guys, while likeable in many respects, lost me with so many of their decisions made me shake my head. Decent read. Hunter Shea is a great author. I either love his stuff or think “ho hum” but I always look forward to reading his books.
In this story, Bigfoot was the victim and I felt dreadfully sorry for it.
April 22, 2022
Motivation for reading - I needed a New York themed book after visiting the city recently and this was perfect cryptid chaos. This was a tremendously fun book about a couple of putzes who bring a tranquilized Bigfoot to their home in the Bronx believing 1) it's dead and 2) they're going to get rich quick. The beast wakes up, runs rampant on Halloween, and a lot of death and destruction ensues. Shea does a great job of making sure to sell the tragic nature of what's happening to the poor Squatch. It doesn't belong in the environment it finds itself in and responds as best it can. Solid 4+ read for me
August 28, 2025
I suspect like many of this book's readers, I grew up in the Bronx and am familiar with some of the locations. When the action takes center stage I began to feel the same way I did watching the 1933 film King Kong -- sympathy for the "monster." (The author actually references that movie in the narrative.) It's a quick read and the interaction between the friends is amusing.
While it's unclear what the two friends responsible for the whole situation planned to do, as it got bloodier and gore-ier I began to feel a bit bored. Sure, some of the victims probably were overdue for their comeuppance, but others weren't and the bigfoot didn't deserve its fate.
While it's unclear what the two friends responsible for the whole situation planned to do, as it got bloodier and gore-ier I began to feel a bit bored. Sure, some of the victims probably were overdue for their comeuppance, but others weren't and the bigfoot didn't deserve its fate.
December 5, 2021
A romp through New York with two hapless urbanite weekend hunters and a very big BIGFOOT. Hunter Shea has demonstrated horror can be many things - thought provoking, downright scary, dramatic. Here, he's definitely on the wild side in this often hilarious and fast-paced book. I might actually call it a survival feature, as the main premise is about a Bigfoot trying to survive in a city full of light and sound, big things and small things, all so removed from its natural habitat. A really enjoyable novel if you still want to read horror but are not in the mood for something too dark.
May 9, 2021
A fun creature feature
Bigfoot In The Bronx gives you everything you expect coming into the book, and just a little more on top. There’s humour and mayhem aplenty, blood and guts, and a whole host of characters dipping in and out of the adventure.
There’s also a sympathetic tone that I enjoyed because it brought an extra dimension amongst the chaos.
If the title of this book appeals to you, you won’t be disappointed!
Bigfoot In The Bronx gives you everything you expect coming into the book, and just a little more on top. There’s humour and mayhem aplenty, blood and guts, and a whole host of characters dipping in and out of the adventure.
There’s also a sympathetic tone that I enjoyed because it brought an extra dimension amongst the chaos.
If the title of this book appeals to you, you won’t be disappointed!
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