Return of the Mothman

by Michael Knost

Ted Browning moves back to his rural hometown of Logan, West Virginia after learning his grandmother is dying of cancer. When he hears talk of Mothman sightings he thinks the third shift miners at Bear Creek Coal Company are merely trying to switch to the day shift—that’s all before a series of events put him in direct confrontation with the winged creature. Ted is forced to face his inner demons in order to protect the very loved ones he’s kept at a distance for twenty years — and to let go of a past that is drawing him like a moth to the flame.

210 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2014

About the author

Bram Stoker Award-winner Michael Knost is an author, editor, and columnist of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and supernatural thrillers. He has written many books in various genres, helmed anthologies such as the Bram Stoker Award-nominated Barbers & Beauties. His Writers Workshop of Horror won the 2009 Bram Stoker Award for superior achievement in nonfiction. His critically acclaimed Writers Workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy came out in early 2013—a writer’s guide with works by Neil Gaiman, Orson Scott Card, Ursula K. Le Guin, and many others. His latest novel is Return of the Mothman. To find out more, visit www.MichaelKnost.com.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Return of the Mothman is a dandy little monster story that succeeds on a number of levels. It's very well written, with an interesting plot that's quite engaging and well paced with plenty of suspense that keeps the pages turning right up to the end. Also, the characterization is brilliant; Knost has peopled his story with characters that capture the nature of the region of the setting exactly, and his descriptions of the area are spot-on. I lived there for a long time, so I know what I'm talking about. (Heck, I could've been one of those regional characters.) The dialog isn't always exact, because there are no profanities or crude expletives, but that's okay, it makes it an all-ages-friendly read, so I'm all for it. I recommend the book highly, and I would give it the highest rating except for two points. (Stop reading here to avoid spoilers! Warning, warning, warning!)
The first problem is one that should have been caught in the editing process. The protagonist learns that his great-grandfather was a paratrooper in World War I. There were no paratroopers in the first World War; they didn't become a thing until the next one. Perhaps that's a minor thing, but it kind of threw me out of my suspension-of-disbelief for a bit. The other thing is at the end of the story, after the monster has been vanquished and the two long-lost loves have been re-united and are (presumably) about to begin to spend the rest of their lives together, he lies to her. He tells her that her husband died bravely trying to save her, when in fact the cowardly cad completely fell apart and tried to sacrifice her to save himself. It never would have happened, he's a stand-up kind of guy that never would have lied to her in such a way. He probably would not have given her the exact straight story, he might well have just not said anything about it, but I don't think he would have outright made up such a thing. There's such a thing as sparing someone's feelings, but then there's outright deceit, and I didn't think the hero would have acted in such a way. Anyway, a good story, most enjoyable, and I (obviously!) found it thought-provoking.

[Mae Clair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will read anything and everything that features my favorite cryptid. This time around the Mothman wreaks havoc in the town of Logan, West Virginia. A quick read, the author nonetheless delivers an engrossing tale.

Previous resident, Ted Browning, returns home to care for his ailing grandmother who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. There, he encounters a number of people from his past, some of whom resurrect memories of a tragedy that drove him from town. Ted has his own inner demons to overcome, but a far greater menace to face when the Mothman begins to target those he knows.

The book is populated with characters that reflect the heart, soul, and heartbreak, of life in a mining community. The horror element is nicely balanced with good, old-fashioned creepiness and a regular guy “hero” forced to confront a being of incredible power.

Mothman fanatics all have their opinions of the creature’s origins, but I especially liked the twist Mr. Knost gave to his red-eyed monster. Satisfying from beginning to end, this is a character-driven book as much as a horror story. Well done!

[Daniel McTaggart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been friends with Michael for a while. And what I know of his writing comes from attending workshops he's given and sundry readings. So I knew I was in for a treat with this book. If any reader thinks the Mothman has been played out with the various books out there about it, they have another think coming. Michael acknowledges what has come before in the legend of the Mothman, but he puts his own devilishly clever twist in for modern times. I was expecting this to be good, I didn't fathom how creepy it really would get. Kudos for pleasantly surprising me, my friend. This should be required reading for any fan of West Virginia folklore and history.

[Sandy Lender · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Ted Browning coming home, tearing down walls of grief, and facing his deeply-buried demons happens to include the famous monster: Mothman. Ted is a protagonist you can root for fully because Michael Knost paints him almost immediately as someone relatable, someone worth rooting for. What we have here is a suspense-filled story that builds to a moment when you think, hey, the hero is about to die!
Excellent, quick read with great pacing and great suspense.

[Angie Lisle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of the Mothman, mostly because the same stories have been reiterated for decades - the same people in the same interviews in different shows/movies/books.

Mr. Knost takes what we know about the Mothman and builds a new (fictional) story based on the legend.

My favorite aspect of this book is the dialogue. Some of the conversations in this book can be experienced -for real- on any given day of the week at any given place in southern West Virginia. The dialogue is that realistic. How do I know? I'm the daughter of a coal miner from southern West Virginia.

Which brings me to my next point. Coal mining. This story utilizes the dangers of mining to move the plot forward. The Buffalo Creek Disaster is specifically mentioned in this book - the main character, Ted, lost both of his parents in the flood. But I kept thinking about the Upper Big Branch Disaster of 2010 that occurred where I grew up, in Raleigh County, WV. I highly recommend this book for those acquainted with coal mining; there may be panic triggers for those who have been in or lost loved ones to a mining disaster but we're West Virginians, we'll deal with it - and you'll see that, our attitude, in this book too.

The only problem I had with this book is that it went by much too fast.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review (but I will probably buy copies of this book for people I know).

[Traysee · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHOA. Okay, I absolutely enjoyed this quick read- more than I thought I would! The cover art caught my attention immediately upon seeing it on the NEW shelf at the library, like, I didn't even read what it was about- simply picked it up, checked it out.

The story takes place in Logan County, WV revolving around our guy Ted. Ted hasn't been in his hometown for about 20 years, and has done so this time because his grandmother (the last remaining family member Ted genuinely loves), has gotten sick and ended up in the hospital. Ted hears of strange happenings and stories being shared in Bear Creek Coal Mine, and then strange happenings start happening around Ted. It's spooky, it's interesting, it's a really good read. Plus, MOTHMAN. Gotta love it.

[Greyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knost is an incredible storyteller, and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading this book. There were multiple times when I was literally sitting there with my jaw on the ground during this book. He does such an amazing job at keeping the heart and soul of Appalachia and Southern West Virginia in tact while still telling a bone chilling, tense, horrifying story. I hope he continues writing and publishing, I cannot wait to see what he will do.

[William Joseph Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked up this book after meeting Michael at Imaginarium convention in 2022. I was not disappointed. He hit on so many heart strings from growing up around Logan West Virginia, plus tapping one of the many Cryptid horror creatures of my childhood just brought it all home to me. Can't wait to see what other tales of the hills that Knost produces in the future.

[JP · Rating 5 out of 5]

The mothman saga continues decades later. I really enjoyed the down home, realistic characters, and the story is an extra plus for those of us who grew up in West Virginia whispering about the legend of the moth man.

[Geneve Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a swift, spooky read with a terrific sense of place. The dialogue, characterisation, and pacing were well-crafted and I thoroughly enjoyed being terrorised by the Mothman. The scenes deep within the mines were particularly nerve-wrecking.

[Sarah Dempsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book, I got to meet the author and he's a great guy!!

[Donald Armfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging monster of supernatural suspense that works like a beacon pulling to the final page. Knost writes a well-written horror story that should not go unread.

[Dusty Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable read. The characters are all down-to-earth and so is the writing. You won't find any flowery prose, just what gets the job done. I wasn't very fond of the analogies in the book but they're few and far between. For the most part everything is fluid and the book is a quick read because of it.

The best writing comes in the climax. The action is fast yet easy to keep track of. Mothman isn't just something spooky that stands in the shadows, or a portent of doom. He's corporeal in the story and poses a real physical threat to the characters.

Obviously there's a huge regional audience for the book as Mothman is firmly implanted in West Virginia myth. But don't be afraid that you can't keep up if you happen to be far away from that location. In fact, folks from other areas might find the slice-of-life sections to be more interesting than local readers.

[Catherine Cavendish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up late at night when I couldn't sleep. Almost from the first word, I no longer cared about going to sleep. I just wanted to keep turning the pages! I love the way the story builds - gradually at first, then gathering momentum without the fatal 'dip in the middle' that can so often occur. The characters and their lives, set against a backdrop of menace and impending terror, was handled perfectly. Michael Knost knows how to create cliffhanging suspense. As the stark and frightening reality of the Mothman grew ever closer, I had no idea how everything was going to work out. Every scene gripped me and the climax of the story left me wanting to read the next novel by Michael Knost. I would recommend this highly to all lovers of horror, suspense and thrillers

[Leadie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An old tale with a new twist that rings of a real-life coal-mining town. When Ted returns to his hometown to care for his dying grandmother he becomes tangled in a tale of the past. A tale he doesn't quite understand but knows he is part of.
When those he loves are being killed off one after another and his old fiance shows up things become a bit desperate for him.
The love triangle between him, Lina and her soon to be ex-husband and Sheriff adds to the problems.
Knost has managed to elegantly twist the plots together and will bring you to an unexpected ending. (No spoilers here!)
Enjoy this read!

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

According to Merriam-Webster, "unputdownable" is indeed a word and that is good because it's the best way to describe this book. Inspired by the Mothman legends of West Virginia, Michael Knost has given us a riveting story, filled with realistic characters and driven by a tight, fast-paced writing style. It's a fast read, but the story will stay with you for a long time.

[Marlena Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the writing style of this book. The world drew me in and for the first chunk of the book I was enthralled. However the characters toward the end felt flat. The plot felt shoehorned in places and didn't do anything surprising. It's a solid read, but not necessarily one I'll be raving about to friends.

[Thomas Drago · Rating 4 out of 5]

What makes this a great book isn't so much the storytelling as the story. The author keeps the entire thing very simple, which is something I struggle with. You get just enough character and suspense to keep you engaged. Would've been a 5 star review if it weren't for a line editing need and some typos fixed.

[Isis Molina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Mothman lore was pretty entertaining. There were a lot of well rounded characters, Ted's grandmother in particular. Myrtle was a pleasure reading about. I just wish the problems and situations were explored more in depth.

[Mickey Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was short and sweet, and it offered a creative twist on the mothman! The book was quite entertaining, and it successfully built up the characters while keeping the plot moving. I always love a good monster novel!