Things I Didn't Finish - The Beast of Barcroft by Bill Schweigart

The Beast of Barcroft
by Bill Schweigart
Hydra, 2015

I started this because I had never read an urban big cat cryptozoological horror novel before.  And I still haven't, because this about some shapeshifter Indian magic skinwalker whatever.  And yes, I know I'm being particular.

An animal hoarder causes problems in an Arlington suburb and may have attracted a mountain lion, but that didn't happen because it's an Indian magic were-mountain lion.  A neighbor teams up with a big cat expert from the Smithsonian, who would know about urban big cats but wouldn't know anything about Indian magic, and they later team up with a cryptozoologist, who might know a little more about skinwalkers, but hey, just look it up on Wikipedia.

Even with the lack of urban big cats, animal hording could be a good backdrop for a horror story.  It isn't here, but it could be.  And if you like Indian magic skinwalker were-urban big cats, you might have more patience for the endless council meetings and code enforcement discussions than I did.