The Spirit by Thomas Page

The Spirit
by Thomas Page
1977 Rawson Associates

This may be the first Bigfoot horror novel.  There was previously an Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators along with a novelization of the bigfoot episode of the Six Million Dollar Man, but I'm guessing those weren't especially horrific.  I was surprised it took this long in the crypto-crazy 70s for there to be a bigfoot horror novel, and there was only one other in the decade - Sasquatch by M.E. Knerr.

We start with a group of hunters chasing down the mythic beast.  They have bigfoot in their sights when a Indian downs their helicopter, killing all but one.

The surviving hunter continues the hunt, while the Indian (a Vietnam vet and mental ward escapee) is also following Bigfoot as his spirit guide, using a dog to communicate between them.

They all end up at a struggling ski resort.  The Indian teaches archery and the hunter makes exposition with an anthropologist that works the gift shop.  There's some kind of tangent about bigfeet having chromosomal damage from getting banged by trappers.

Just when the whole things seems to be completely running out of steam - bigfoot massacre!  Which is a good rule for fiction in general, I find.  Not quite as over-the-top as I like my bigfoot massacres, but enough to save the book.

There is no romance, not even a hint.  I don't know what's going on with that cover.

Get the paperback at Amazon.