An ancient beast has hatched in Te Urewera National Park and people are going missing. A story about militant Tūhoe separatists is circling, but an army battalion has disappeared in the misty, dense forest while investigating. NZDF Sergeant Taine McKenna and his crew are to escort biologist Jules Asher and some geologists into the forest to investigate a gold discovery. However, they will use this as a cover to look into the disappearances. Little do they know that a prehistoric creature is stalking them, studying them, learning about them, and will pick off their group off one by one. Ancient Māori wisdom and the legends of how they dealt with Taniwha may be the only thing that can save them as their modern day weapons prove fairly ineffective. This was creepy and scary, a great book by a talented author and well deserving of its place in the horror genre! I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, ‘Into the Sounds’. ( )

Into the Mist by Lee Murray reads much like the script of a B movie “creature feature” as it tells of a group of scientists and army personnel being terrorized by a Taniwha, a mythical Maori creature whose appearance is much like a giant lizard. The story is set in the remote forests of the North Island’s Te Urewara, lands that were once a National Park but now, due to disputes with the Maori people is a protected area. The scientists are there on a mineral study, searching for gold and the environmental impact that this would have. They are accompanied by a squad of elite soldiers. Unbeknownst to the scientists, there have been mysterious disappearances in the area recently and the soldiers are there to protect this group as well as searching for clues as to why so many people have gone missing.

There’s plenty of action and a good number of characters to act as fodder for the creature. I really liked the setting and enjoyed this story for what it was. A fun and atmospheric thrill ride featuring competent military men dealing with something beyond their comprehension. Of course not all the characters were heroic so it was no surprise as to which ones were not going to make it. Although I had to accept some unbelievable scenarios, Into The Mist supplied me with the thrills and chills that I was craving. ( )

I've had the pleasure of reading a lot of good creature features lately. This is another one to add to that list. It had plenty of action, a nice range of characters from a-holes to heroes, a big gigantic predator and the added touch of a little Native American mythology.

It was so good I'm about to start reading book two right now. I'm hoping Sergeant McKenna and Dr. Jules Asher are back. I really liked those two and can't wait to see what trouble they get into next. ( )

Into the Mist by Lee Murray

I picked this up as it was on the Stoker preliminary ballot and I'm not disappointed. Reading like a mix of Congo, Predator and Valley of the Gawnji set in New Zealand, Murray provides a white-knuckle ride from page one. Throw in a hefty mix of Maori mysticism and you have a unique monster tale.

A geological survey team is sent into Te Urewera an area of mostly forested, sparsely populated rugged hill country in the North Island of New Zealand with a military escort. The escort is there to investigate some disappearances, including a previous military expedition.

Murray excels at action and the novel has many thrilling page-turning moments. There is a large cast of characters and mostly I was able to keep them straight but occasionally the fast pace made me think who was that again? The landscape is evocatively crafted, although, having been to NZ perhaps my memory provided some of the backgrounds. The mists visibly swirled throughout the pages and the unique New Zealand fauna breathed in the margins.

I would definitely read another of Murray's books and this one gets a recommendation from me, If you like monster movies or military SF you should check it out. ( )

Review copy

Into the Mist by Lee Murray gets off to a strong start. From the fist chapter...

"Terry shook violently, his body already grasping what his mind hadn't yet understood. Bringing his fingers to his face Terry sniffed at the wetness there. Metallic. It wasn't dew. Terry jerked his hands away in horror. Cam's upper body was missing."

The story takes place in Te Urewera an area of mostly forested, sparsely populated rugged hill country in the North Island of New Zealand. A place of many legends, stories every child knew, stories of "the taniwha—vengeful monsters that slaughtered warriors, kidnapped maidens and ate babies whole." But, they're just stories to get children to obey their parents, right?

A combination of events occur leading to a geological task force being commissioned to investigate a possible vein of gold discovered in the forest, and a military escort essentially to provide muscle, but secretly sent to investigate the disappearance of a previous military team and several civilians.

After the strong start, the story bogged down a bit and at times seemed like a bad B-movie, the kind you'd find on the syndicated Svengoolie horrorfest, but by the time we got to the second half of the book it became a pulse-pounding action-packed thrill ride. Actually, Lee Murray is quite adept at writing action sequences.

All in all, Into the Mist was an entertaining military/monster novel with a touch of mysticism.

Recommended

Into the Mist is published by Cohesion Press and is available in both e-book and paperback formats. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read this book at no additional charge and if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE through the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

Lee Murray is an award-winning writer of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. She lives with her family in the Land of the Long White Cloud where she conjures up stories for readers of all ages from her office on the porch. ( )