The Beast of Barcroft

By: Bill Schweigart

Narrated by: Will Damron

Ben McKelvie believes he's moving up in the world when he and his fiancée buy a house in the cushy Washington, DC, suburb of Barcroft. Instead he's moving down - way down - thanks to Madeleine Roux, the crazy neighbor whose vermin-infested property is a permanent eyesore and looming hazard to public health.

First Ben's fiancée leaves him; then his dog dies, apparently killed by a predator drawn into Barcroft by Madeleine's noxious menagerie. But the worst is yet to come for Ben, for he's not dealing with any ordinary wild animal. This killer is something much, much worse. Something that couldn't possibly exist - in this world.

Now, as a devilish creature stalks the locals, Ben resolves to take action. With some grudging assistance from a curator at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and the crackpot theories of a self-styled cryptozoologist, he discovers the sinister truth behind the attacks, but knowing the Beast of Barcroft and stopping it are two different animals.

©2015 Bill Schweigart (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

"[A] swift and breezy suburban creature feature." ( Publishers Weekly)

Very enjoyable

Actually well written. I love this genre but they are often poorly written so I call them junk novels. This one is surprisingly well written.

Magnifique

A delightful find... It's an imaginative thriller w/ kinda a drive-in/X Files feel, but more real people in unreal situations than unreal in unreal ones... The entire story has a crafty, and often subtle, attention to detail adding authenticity and color to an already engaging yarn/plot... Some nice science looking at the encroachment of ecosystems, and the whole suburban wilderness thing works well presenting stellar imagery and settings... Chills, humor, and some creative monster making, w/ tasty flavorings of the preternatural... Woven throughout is a touching glimpse into the relationships between fathers and sons... Many will find themselves thinking of Dad, often w/ a smile... The action and pace are outstanding, and I feel like a kid that just discovered a new favorite candy and am about to gobble down some more w/ the second book... Narration is good, if a smidge on the slow side, and this is absolutely, no doubt about it,put it in the bank, worth the credit!!!

A good story

The story kept me interested and I enjoyed the twist. The narrator was really good.

Beast and Northwoods

These comments address two audiobooks by Bill Schweigart released by Tantor Audio in late 2016. The Beast of Barcroft is about seven hours in length, Northwoods just over ten. Both are narrated by Will Damron.

Didn’t like: Narration is laboriously slow, ergo set Audible application to 1.5 - normal speed, in addition to Damron’s soft voice, will put you to sleep regardless of scary moments. Although there’s little trouble discerning who-is-speaking-to-who, there isn’t a uniqueness to voices. They all sound similar, male/female. Plots are not very creative. In Beasts, an unknown, but scary, creature is terrifying a small town and good guys figure it out. In Northwoods, the same batch of good guys save the day again from an equally scary creature.

Liked: The ‘hide-under-the-covers’ moments. If you like the horror story genre, these fit the bill - shape-shifting, ferocious coyotes and wolves and hyenas, bloody zombies, glowing-eyes traverse the pages. Action scenes are exciting.
That said, some imagery is a bit confusing. The literary visions of Schweigart leave the reader to imagine quite a bit. In the horror genre, sometimes this isn’t all bad.

The books are not identified as a series - although they should be; there is no doubt you should read Beasts first. There is also no doubt there will be subsequent novels, as book two - Northwoods - ends abruptly with the line “We’re going to Jersey.” No spoilers - but, guess that’s a hint?

No gratuitous sex, some language issues but very rare and none inappropriate to the circumstance or character.

Recommended only those who enjoy horror stories.

Beasts that go bump in the night brought to life for your pleasure.

My favorite part about this book was how the narrative never became predictable. In some ways this was a beastly mystery. At some points you get the beast pinned down and then it turns into something else, this really kept the story interesting. The characters were all unique and relatable. The author did a really good job bringing the characters to life and the narrator did an exceptional job with the voices. Highly recommend.