No one makes the History Channel without taking a few risks.
Ashton Macaulay
A Man of the Mountain
Format:
6/1/2020 – ebook
10/30/2022 – Updated for audiobook
Publisher’s Synopsis:
Jonas is a recluse. He lives in the mountains alone, appreciative of the peace and solitude the wilderness has to offer. It also enables him to keep his unusual line of work a secret.
At the behest of mysterious employers, Jonas has been instructed to wear a fur-covered suit and terrorize hikers at a local mountain range, all in an effort to maintain the mythical legend of Bigfoot. While typically uneventful, there are times when a hiker gets too close and the situation becomes…messy. Jonas may not be bloodthirsty, but he always does what’s necessary to uphold a certain level of discretion.
After several high-profile ‘accidents’ are written off by authorities as bear attacks, tabloid reporter Shirley Codwell notices a pattern and sets out to unravel the truth. Convinced that the killings are the work of a legendary beast, she calls upon the monster hunting community for assistance. The events that transpire are like nothing she could have expected…and will send Jonas running for his life.
Point of view:
3rd person. Alternating perspectives from various characters. A few times the perspective changed back & forth mid-paragraph and it was a bit discordant.
Rellim’s Thoughts:
This is the prequel to Whiteout, which I highly recommend. Personally I think it might be more fun to read/listen to this one first – though minus a tiny cameo from James, Nick is the only Whiteout character to make an appearance. There are “nods” in each book to the other – but nothing spoilerish in either direction.
A TV crew, tabloid journalist, and drunk monster hunter go up a mountain to hunt a Yeti…
This one is a bit darker than Whiteout, perhaps because Nick’s snark doesn’t get quite as much page time. It’s also a little slower to build up to the action as Macaulay lays the foundation for the various characters’ backgrounds. It was definitely full of suspense/mystery with a nice dose of horror thriller & action. It was unpredictable and a truly enjoyable novella-length listen.
I’m looking forward to more in the Nick Ventner series and perhaps he can even be reunited with Shirley for another adventure. Macaulay’s work will continue to be added to my TBR/L.
Narration:
Stuart Bentley was a great choice for bringing Macaulay’s writing to life. I enjoyed all his voices for the characters as well as the emotions, suspense, and timing with the humor. Great listen.
Trigger Warnings (possible spoilers):
There’s peril, violent death, and some gore.
While I own the ebook, I did win a copy of the audio from a contest on Macaulay’s Twitter.
About the author:
Ashton Macaulay is a fiction writer living in Redmond Washington.
You can connect with Macaulay here:
You can connect with Aberrant Literature here:
About the narrator:
You can connect with Stuart Bentley here:
My Favorite Quotes
If we can’t have batshit conversations in diners, where can we have them? – A Man of the Mountain by @RealMacAshton @AberrantLit #Audiobook narrated by #StuartBentley #Yeti #Thriller #Suspense #NickVentner
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No one makes the History Channel without taking a few risks. – A Man of the Mountain by @RealMacAshton @AberrantLit #Audiobook narrated by #StuartBentley #Yeti #Thriller #Suspense #NickVentner
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If he’s anything like he used to be it’ll be easy to goad him into doing something really stupid. – A Man of the Mountain by @RealMacAshton @AberrantLit #Audiobook narrated by #StuartBentley #Yeti #Thriller #Suspense #NickVentner
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