Missing, Presumed Dead, and a Trail as Cold as a December Night in the Alaskan WildernessIn the wilderness of rural Alaska, people tell the legend of an elusive water predator called the Hana K’ilo. It’s said to hunt from beneath the surface of rivers only to spring out, clutch, and drown its victims, including humans.Harlan Holt is a scientist, a university professor, a skeptic of everything … humans.
Harlan Holt is a scientist, a university professor, a skeptic of everything paranormal or fantastic, and the last person to put stock in a cryptid tale like that of Hana K’ilo. However, after a family of campers, a fisherman, and finally, a colleague of Harlan’s each mysteriously disappear, he, along with his girlfriend Genevieve, travel to a beautiful destination lodge near the territory associated with the mythical creature.
As the pair investigates, they find themselves surrounded by a small group of staff and guests who all seem to have something to hide. They’re isolated in an inhospitable environment in the dead of winter, and every answer they uncover seems to lead to more questions. Does the Hana K’ilo cryptid actually exist? Have any of the missing survived? And can Harlan and Genevieve uncover the truth before they too join the growing list of victims…
Trail of the Hana K’ilo is the second book in Whitaker’s Skeptic Detective Series.
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The second book in Whitaker’s Skeptic Detective series takes a very different tone than the first, but still offers the reader an excellent mystery that will have them flirting with possible supernatural explanations for events. Where the first book revolved around a haunted house, this one goes into the remote regions of Alaska as Harlan Holt reluctantly agrees to look into the disappearance of a colleague whose “academic” specialty he despised. The missing man was obsessed with proving that cryptids exist and goes missing in Alaska while trying to find a water beast known in legend as the Hana K’ilo. A local blog insists that several disappearances in the region are the result of the Hana K’ilo hunting. Harlan doesn’t want to be involved, but can’t turn away from the mystery. So he changes his plans to take his girlfriend to Hawaii over the winter break and instead brings her to remote Alaska without telling her why they are really going there.
There are tons of good elements to this story. One of the things Whitaker does best is introduce many legends (all with different names) that could be inspired by the same cryptid—the Hana K’ilo—but could also just be simple “scare kids away from the water” style tales. He also had a group of tourists and staff at this lodge who all make you wonder what’s really going on with them. Finally, he is very convincing in his details of the danger of winter in Alaska, and it is easy to imagine that this rough and freezing terrain is going to be very important to the conclusion of the story.
At the heart of the novel are a series of very complex secrets and relationships that Harlan has to navigate—including the one with his girlfriend. I have to admit that the clues were all there, but I was shocked by how they all fit together. It was a very satisfying—if sometimes slow moving—mystery. I’m looking forward to the next book.
An exciting, riveting story set in beautiful Alaska – a land filled with wonder and mystery.
With a cast of complex and engrossing characters the story has twist you would not expect and a well researched topic. Highly Recommended.
Great addition to the series!
I did read the first book in the series but I think this one would work as a standalone. Being a skeptic myself, I really like the main character Harlan. It’s a long read with a lot of detail but fasted paced. The author describes the terrain and everything so well, it’s almost like being there. Don’t know that I would like to visit in the winter but I would love to see the northern lights and Mr Whitaker’s writing makes it sound amazing. Many twists and turns and a little history lesson as well made this a hard book to put down. I hope there will be another adventure for Harlan and Vieve!
I received an ARC. This is my honest review.
Believe me when I say that you have to check out this book. I cant imagine anyone being disappointed. It will certainly keep you guessing nearly to the end. With so many suspicions and questions and not knowing who to trust.
Spending his holiday in remote Alaska wasnt what Professor Holt had planned. But with so many disappearances in the same area being blamed on what was, as far as he was concerned, a mythical creature and now one of the missing was a fellow eccentric Professor, he grudgingly changed his tickets to head for a 1 week winter solstice special at Aurora View Lodge with his girlfriend. But soon after his arrival his questions had more questions than answers and his girlfriend after being excited about being together at the lodge was as frigid as the numbing temps outside
there might be a few places where some might think the flow might seem a bit slow but the detailed descriptions really help you to see the lodge and the characters in your head. I know I was wishing the lodge was real because it sounded stunning. A perfect spot for viewing the Northern Lights. And if you want to add some atmosphere as you read crank down the a.c. if its hot outside or sit in front of an open window if its cold. And dont forget the hot chocolate . Then be ready for a wild ride. You will not want to stop once you start. As bodies are discovered could it be the myth might not be a myth? Professor Holt might just end up another victim as he tries to find out the truth.
Becoming immerged in this book will be time well spent. I plan on doing it again soon.
Harlan takes his girlfriend Vieve on vacation to Alaska so he can look in to the disappearance of another professor. Harlan had planned on vacationing in Hawaii but changed plans when a student gives him an envelope from the missing professor. There were previous disappearance near the lodge that they stay at which gets his curiosity going. What Harlan discovers is more then what he sets out for.
I received a free copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.
This book is a combination of mystery, and paranormal beings. People have disappeared and some have died in the Alaskan wilderness. It is up to Harlan Holt to discover what is happening in a remote winter vacation spot in the wilds. Harlan is approached by Raina, Dr. Russell Bremer’s assistant, who explains that he has disappeared, and then hands over to Harlan a manila envelope containing Dr. Bremer’s research papers. Bremer was chasing down the Hana K’ilo, a local legendary creature that killed humans, especially small children. Legend had it that the creature had capture and killed two little girls and may have grabbed Dr. Bremer.
Harlan realized he had to help Raina. Together, with his girlfriend, Genevieve, they headed to Alaska to find Dr. Bremer. They hoped to find the missing Doctor quickly, and then enjoy a winter vacation for themselves. But things turned out differently, and the hunt is on. Upon arriving at the vacation lodge, they discovered Raina was one of six guests at the lodge.
Harlan and Vieve start investigating and find some interesting facts that point to a distinct possibility of foul play. The suspicious characters at the lodge are plenty. The cast of characters are well-developed, interesting and believable. The winter scenes are extremely well written. I was cold reading it. I enjoyed this exciting mystery and did not see the ending coming. I like that!
This is a great mystery with likable characters and descriptions.
This is the 2nd book in a series, but the author does a good job explaining what happened in the 1st book in a preface, so it’s easy to get into this as a standalone. It’s very well-written and has likable main characters. It also has a nice build-up so you get small bits and pieces along the way to pique your curiosity but won’t know happened too early on in the story. This was an enjoyable read and great for anyone who likes a good mystery, especially those surrounding old legends or superstitions.
5 stars
Harlan Holt a professor and skeptic of the paranormal and hoaxes is planning a surprise for his girlfriend Genevieve “Vieve” Freeman. It is a trip to Honolulu. However, when a teaching assistant of a Dr. Russell Bremer visits him saying that the professor hasn’t returned from a weekend trip, and it’s been some six weeks, Raina King begs him to help her. So…Harlan and Vieve instead wind up at a lodge in rural Alaska ( in the middle of winter), to track the missing professor down.
Imagine their surprise when they get to the lodge and Raina is already there. There are only six guests and four staff, so the odds are astronomical. What is going on? I got a little frustrated here that Harlan didn’t tell Vieve right away what was going on, but he came clean later in the story.
Several people have disappeared and are presumed dead. The deaths are put down to the mysterious beast called Hana K’ilo. It is said to be a river beast and Dr. Bremer, a cryptozoologist, had a keen interest in finding the beast. Harlan, on the other hand believes it’s all hokum.
What follows is an exciting adventure (in the snow and ice), and an action filled mystery. What happened to the people and children who went missing? Does the Han K’ilo really exist?
The lodge where Vieve, Harlan ans the others are staying is very nice. The owners are dedicated outdoors people, very kind and helpful and their helpers twin brother and sister who seem to love living there. The other guests are a mixed collection. From a couple who are celebrating their anniversary to a woman who seems to be traveling on her own.
Most of these characters have secrets – something to hide. As the story goes along, the reader gets a few surprises, some of them nice and some of them deadly.
What a wonderfully well written and plotted story – and a fun adventure. There were a couple of grammatical errors, but they passed by quickly. Mr. Whitaker writes a very good story with tension and drama, I enjoyed meeting the characters and was pleased to see the return of Harlan and Vieve. I enjoyed this book more than the last one and I heartily recommend it to anyone who likes adventure and mystery.
I want to thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for forwarding to me a copy of this very fine book for me to read, enjoy and review.