The Beast of Devil’s Rock

by Michael R. Cole, Matt Godfrey (Narrator)

There is something lurking in the trees. . .

A winter storm has buried North Dakota in snow and ice. With accidents being reported across the region, Deputy Ron Weller must patrol along the main road through a normally tranquil forest in Beeman County. The night grows menacing as he discovers vehicles that have been run off the road, their drivers mysteriously missing. Strange tracks lead through a region of thick forest known as Devil’s Rock. There, Weller makes a horrifying discovery.

A monster has awakened. Its hunger is insatiable, and its ferocity has no limits.

Protected by an armored exoskeleton, the beast is relentless in its pursuit of prey. It must feed or face starvation. What has started as a search for a missing driver has now become a fight for survival, as Ron Weller is hunted by 'THE BEAST OF DEVIL’S ROCK'.




RUNNING TIME ⇰ 5hrs. and 26mins.

©2019 Michael Cole (P)2020 Tantor

Genres: Horror, Audiobook, Fiction, Thriller, Monsters

Audible Audio

First published August 6, 2019

About the author

Michael R. Cole is an author of creature horror and science fiction. He was born in Toledo, Ohio and grew up in lower Michigan. He has a profound love for monster movies and book as well as the action genre. In addition to writing, his hobbies include martial arts and fishing.

Reviews

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 3 out of 5]

The thing I liked most about this novel was that Cole didn’t use a typical winter monster to try and kill his hero, Ron Weller. I was expecting a yeti or a sasquatch, but got something far more terrifying instead. Of course, if I had looked more carefully at the cover I would have known what monster the book had in store for me (that’s not a tree in the background) but I didn’t and as a result I discovered a novel that was as big on the creep factor as it was on the action.

The novel opens up with Weller and his partner stuck on the side of the road in a snowstorm. Weller is digging their police car out. Neither of them is very happy and they get less so when the discover a damaged car further up the road—engine running, all kinds of damage, but no driver. Things quickly go from bad to worse as they look for the driver in a blizzard. They find signs that more people are missing and then they have a tragic run in with the monster. Weller survives, unable to truly believe what he’s seen, and the other cops think he’s crazy even as they start to search for the missing deputy. This was one of the better parts of the story as the cops mercilessly tease and insult Weller, but we the reader know that they are getting closer and closer to finding out there’s way too much truth in his unbelievable tale.

Let me end with a warning: don’t eat while reading the second half of this book. It won’t be good for your digestion. What it will be good for is high speed terror as a bunch of police officers trying to survive a horror they were never trained for.

If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is that a huge spider I see on the cover?

Very popcorny. And extremely icky and yucky. And it‘s shortish, so I decided to ignore the not-so-great writing and plowed through. Done! Yuck! Really, really yucky!

PS: Don‘t expect a lot of plot, world building, background or character development. This is pure pulp fiction.

Now, where is that fly swatter? And a flame thrower...

[❀ Crystal ✿ - PEACE ☮ LOVE ♥ BOOKS · Rating 3 out of 5]

A blizzard is perhaps the worst time to find out there’s a giant killer spider on the loose. Two local police are responding to a car that ran off the road in the storm. In the hunt for the missing driver the duo find themselves traipsing throughout the woods where they come across a number of curious things and find themselves investigating one disappearance after the next. It’s not until everyone starts getting attacked that they become believers and unfortunately most don’t stand a chance. The book is brutal, bloody and literally almost everyone dies…. there are soooooo many cops killed, I honestly thought it would end with no one alive. The book was pretty exciting and equally annoying because of course no one wants to believe deputy Weller when he tells them his partner was attacked and taken by a spider. The annoyance ended quick as soon enough they start getting picked off and have to face the facts of being hella underprepared and far too late to run. The snowstorm adds a nice touch to the horrible circumstances as they all run for their lives. One thing that makes me laugh is how long the night is where they are given how long they’re traipsing through knee high snow. I’m so used to movies cutting over to sunrise that having it not happen here just feels off and would have at least literally shed some light for Weller even through the storm. Because of that and a few other reasons I’ll get to I gotta say I’m not loving the unclear open ending. Given the intensity of the book, the unfinished feeling I’m left with spoils a lot of it for me. Does anyone come to Weller’s rescue? Why does it take so many cops and so many bullets for them to only hit two eyes? And why did it take them that long to even aim for the only vulnerable parts of it when it was clearly armored smh?!? 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️ Which brings me to the most important question…. Is the spider even dead? I mean, hello?.?.? Then there’s the question of where the hell this massive beast with an impenetrable exoskeleton comes from? There’s not even a hint as to how it came to be, no vats of toxic waste, no escaped science experiments and no local government ‘research’ facilities. It’s been hunting everything in the area, seemingly for a long time given the graveyard they find and no one’s noticed? With its injuries I mean come on, I’ll be damned if this thing won’t branch out more after decimating everything in the woods. In the end the thing must be more than severely injured which would also mean it’s the best time to hunt it down and finish it off. Heck it may even go on a bigger and more crazed hunting spree now because waiting is not an option. But who would even be that hero? There’s literally one person left and he’s probably going to go into a mental fit, suffer hypothermia and be of no use to anyone until the poor man can rest and recover. I honestly wish we had something to take away from this book. The intensity is high throughout much of the book really making this a syfy nerds B movie dreams come true but damn if the end doesn’t feel like being on a roller coaster with a missing track at the end ☹️

[Jacques Hollands · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am usually a sucker for books about murderous creatures. My favourites remain Claw by Katie Berry and Alter of Eden by James Rollins. However, The Beast of Devil’s Rock did not “grab” me. It was okay. The characters were extremely vanilla, and I couldn’t identify with any of them. The book is relatively short, and perhaps the character development suffered as a result, but now an hour after I have read the book, I can barely remember two of the characters’ names. People seemed to be haphazardly introduced, but none of them has a backstory – not even the protagonist. Therefore when they die in batches, I found myself not caring much. I more often found my thoughts wandering off elsewhere and had to re-read some passages as I was easily distracted from reading.
Is the book a waste of time? No, I don’t think so, but it could have been so much more. There were several fresh and exciting ideas that should have been developed better. The book is not the equivalent of a Hollywood blockbuster movie, but rather a Hallmark “straight to TV” production. If you manage your expectations, you will have an enjoyable evening’s read, but no more than that. Pity, it had potential.

[Bells · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lol…

[Sammy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another read for a challenge. Not great.

[Little Butts · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow it’s a spider

[Dragoș · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trash, but my kind of trash. You need one of these as a palate cleanser between all the difficult novels and the 800 page Reynolds bricks.

[Dale Robertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure if "Michael Cole" and "Michael R. Cole" is the same person. I've read some Michael Cole books and they have been really good, unfortunately this one didn't hit the same heights for me. It was stuffed with too many "filler" words and info, so I ended up skim reading some pages. I did enjoy some aspects of it- the action was good, some gruesome death scenes, it was creepy (due to the unusual monster), and I did enjoy the characters. No world building in this one, just a straight up "this happened, the end".

Decent enough.

[Waheela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a pure joy to read.

Great descriptions and action scenes. Blood and gore were plenty. Great pace.

I liked the characters. Everybody acted plausible for their situation even the main character. Hero or just dumb luck? Nobody acted stupid like characters sometimes do. Just pure terror and the consequenses of that.

My minor gripes would be
- would have been nice with an epilogue. It kind of ends like a movie after the climax which I dont think the story deserved. An aftermath could have been interesting as a lot of the time nobody believes the main character
- a bit more personality of some of the red shirts. They blended a bit
- would have loved some more back ground of the creature or some discovery. It didn't make sense nobody would have noticed it before now due to the size...at least rumors or myths in the area

[Jason Arbuckle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 337 - Michael Cole - The Beast of Devil’s Rock

This was fun… thrilling and more than a little scary. Reminded me of those 1950s science fiction monster movies. With some truly classic tropes… a snowstorm… abandoned campsites and troopers trying to survive.

As they go searching for those who seem to have abandoned their trucks and cars … the troopers soon find themselves in a fight for their lives. As the storm gets worse… soon they are running through the trees… almost cracking through the frozen lakes. The creature slowly picks them off… one by one…draining them of their bodily fluids… all their fluids.

The inevitable climax is bloody… is edge of your seat thrills and unfortunately…then just ends… no short follow up… that was the only disappointing part of the story. A lot of fun.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not for the squeamish

I was impressed by the quality of the action sequences in this book, and all the gory bits of the beast's rampage. The violence is graphic, and even stomach-churning in points. Some of the dialog feels a little scripted and unnatural. There were a few metaphors and analogies that may me raise my eyebrows a bit. But overall, I enjoyed this, and would definitely recommend this book to horror fans looking for high-octane energy and terror.

[Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun and fast hike through the winter woods. no big foot or abominable snowman here, even better.

[Sabrina Frang · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have decided, when I am in the mood for a creature feature, Michael Cole is the author for me. This man knows how to write an "animal attacks" book. I have read two of his books now, and I have found that they are the perfect blend of horror and action. There is just enough humor and drama to make the characters likable and give you a little information about who they are and what is at stake for them. I also find that his books are long enough to be satisfying, but they don't drag on.

Some unexpected things that I absolutely loved about The Beast of Devil's Rock:
1) I did not know what the monster was, despite the cover giving me an obvious clue, but yeah, this creature is "the thing" of nightmares. I already have a phobia of this animal in normal sizes, but giant-sized...*shudder* This is to say that the horror was very effective.
2) These characters are just regular cops. They are not Gary Stus with God-like plot armor and Special Forces capabilities. These are regular guys who are using what knowledge they have from law enforcement, hunting, living in wooded areas, etc, to try and defeat their foe.
3) That said, these guys are not naive and annoying teenagers with no life skills either. In these types of books, a lot of times, you get teenagers or college students out in the middle of nowhere but only one of the young people will actually have any skills. It is just frustrating because it makes them too helpless to root for, as they make ne dumb decision after another. It is refreshing to have capable but not overpowered protagonists.
4) I loved the banter between these characters. I was raised around cops. My dad was a cop for nearly sixteen years, and this book is accurate when it comes to how cops interact with one another. They love to pick at one another but in a loving, fraternal way, and they often have a dark, gallows humor.
5) There is NO romance. Yay!!!! That is so rare. I don't mind romance. I read the genre, but romance in certain types of books just feels shoehorned in a lot of times, and it takes away from the pace of the book. When it comes to creature features, I would prefer no romance.

The only reason this is not a five-star book is because I did not have time to really care about most of the characters. There was one death that got me though. I had to put the book down for a bit as a sort of moment of silence for him.
 
Thank you, Michael Cole for delivering exactly what I want in a creature feature! I will definitely be reading more of your books in the very near future.

[Tatiana McGarry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Needs editing

It isn't terrible from a grammar, but this book is full of clumsy writing and could use some professional editing. Take the first paragraph, for instance:

"The air was white with a thousand streaks as the wind carried the heavy snow horizontally across the Krisha Forest. The sky was a dim twilight, shining grey streams of sunshine across the atmosphere as it neared sunset. Pines and firs, their green color obscured under white powder, twisted and rocked like angry protesters as the wind tore through the forest. As it gusted between them, the wind took on an eerie howl, as though it were a chorus from countless angry spirits hidden beneath the canopy."

Here we have four sentences, each of which uses the "as this or that occurred" construction once, with the last one echoing that with an "as though." Talk about repetitive! And that's the first paragraph, which should contain some of the best writing in the book and be indicative of the best the author has to offer.

The rest of the text is full of awkward sentences, incorrect word usage (wind that "sustains itself to a drone"; how do you sustain yourself "to" something?), and minor grammatical and punctuation errors. Also, in terms of length, this is a novella and not a book.

I'm all for self publishing, but there comes a time when readers need to demand authors show them the respect of obtaining an editor for books we are paying to read. This could have been a lot better if the author had done so.

[Ami Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on the book blog Creature From the Book Lagoon.

Oh hell yeah! Giant spider! I am all in on this one! This book was just nuts and I loved every second of it. No explanations, no backstory. It’s straight to the point. It’s a town in a bad snowstor, a couple of cops, and one big, bad, hungry spider. GO!

Great, nasty creature action. Love the descriptions. I felt like I was out there in the snow with the characters. Insanely fast pacing. There is zero dily-dadling around in this book. We jump straight in running and you never stop til the very last page. It is such an entertaining ride! I loved every second of it. I would love to know how the main character is going to explain all the carnage after the book ended, though.

This author is always so much fun to read. You always know what you are going to get. Great creatures, fast pacing. No messing around. His books are like awesome action hero monster movie mayhem. Such a fun book. A blast from start to finish.

The narrator was decent. Everyone sounded vaguely the same. The majority of the cast is male and of similar ages, so it wasn’t too much of a problem. Occasionally it did get a little bit confusing as to who was talking. It was an alright performance.

If you love creature monster stories, check this one out. It is 100% fun.

[Addam Dallman · Rating 4 out of 5]

That’s a Mean Spider

The Beast of Devil’s Rock by Michael Cole is a really fun creature feature. The overall plot was really well written. Law enforcement officers start looking into multiple disappearances while out on patrol and the whirlwind of events starts to unfold. The characters were all very well written which gave you great satisfaction when the characters you did not like met their ends to the spider. Speaking of the creature from this story the spider truly was terrifying. It seemed more viscous then some of Coles other creatures. As how it killed its victims seemed absolutely horrific. The narrator Matt Godfrey did a great job telling this story and brining it’s characters to life. All in all I would recommend The Beast of Devil’s Rock by Michael Cole to anyone who loves horror or creature features.

[Jerry Mount · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is basically a modern take on a 1950's monster movie. It is a very short book, with little content other than action and horror. We jump right into the story with no lead-in, the monster is introduced early in the story, and the book ends right after the final battle. The human characters (almost all male) are all cops. There is very little character development, other than a minor backstory between the two leading cops. Even that serves no real purpose. There is little explanation for why or how or how long the monster exists, and why it hasn't been previously discovered. The book is just a straight up macho violent and bloody horror story. It's OK for what it's trying to be. I just think the content is sparse considering the price of the book.

[Kathy Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, it was a good story with a lot of action. The descriptions of the people soup is something I could have done without but it did increase the creep factor. I was disappointed in the ending but it is what it is.

The author did a great job with characters and painting the scene. This book did not change my mind about spiders though - I will not read books about them, they are just too gross. I knew it was a spider from the beginning as someone else posted that on their review. Still, I had purchased the book so was determined to read it.

I did enjoy it and would recommend it if spiders are your thing.

[Swords & Spectres · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this one because I was in a bit of a creature feature phase, and also because it was a nice short one to burn through. Upon diving into the book, I don't feel there would have been a great deal else that I would have picked it up for, as there is certainly little substance to it.

My main gripe was the lack of character or world building. I know, it's only a hundred and fifty pages long, so you can't get too much in. But I came away from from this knowing a handful of names and not particularly caring for much of anything that went down.

There were some very nice scenes in it. Some very visual and graphic moments that were fun to picture, but not a great deal else.

[Myra Gabor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not afraid of spiders, but this is one huge monster and everyone who sees it is right to be terrified. It takes place in North Dakota, in the middle of a huge snow blizzard. There is plenty of action with heroes getting mowed down right and left. The author must have put a lot of effort into it, but the story flows and is easy to follow. A very enjoyable read.

[PJ Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew going into it that it would be a little campy and probably feel like a B-list movie and it did. But I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t too long, and wasn’t too short. There was abundant gore and horror, especially in the second and third act. All in all, it was a fun listen for a boring day or two.

[Litio Broie · Rating 1 out of 5]

No sé cómo una novela con una araña gigante asesina puede resultar TAN aburrida. No ayuda que el autor sea un poco torpe. Oh, y al principio pensé que había cambiado de protagonista, pero estoy casi segura de que simplemente se equivocó de nombre (no pienso releer esto, si al final me he equivocado pues vale).
Lo único decente es el gore, pero no logra romper el aburrimiento.

[Mary Stenvall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking a break from the sorta Gothic Barbara Michaels, I tried this one and enjoyed it. A severe snow storm, raging winds, and something out there. Something huge. Something deadly. And a hand full of dedicated officers - police, sheriff and highway patrol - trying to help stranded travelers and keep the roads clear. Great read for warm nights - Mr. Cole keeps the pressure on and the snow coming.

[Neva Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt lie I needed to weigh in for this review. The story itself is unique however the progression was a little choppy. We never get a hint as to where the spider came from and the story just ends with a "The End."
This is at best an "in between" distraction.
I do appreciate the concept but felt like the characters were all very shallow.

[🕸️Easton👻 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn’t the best but there were sooo many cop deaths 👮‍♂️ cops being disembowel, eaten and melted from the inside out from giant spider goo 🕷️ the thing that made me laugh was the cops completely forget tasers exist only realizing they have one once they’ve used up all of their many guns. Anyways after all the cops die one of them tases the giant spider the end. 10/10 for cop realism.

[S.David Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Not Your Garden Spider

A very well done and entertaining monster book. The action was non stop and the characters very believable. I had trouble putting it down. It was well worth the read.

[jeremy dierst · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great monster read, especially from somebody that has a fear of spiders. I could only read it during the day and only in parts. The detail of what the monster does to it's victims was very detailed and a bit gory.

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ron Weller and his partner are not having a good shift, patrolling in a snow storm and finding a crashed abandoned vehicle. As the snow worsens and with more cases of missing people, Weller's life is about to take a terrifying turn. Good book as not an all out action hero, Weller steps up.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy wow! I had so much fun with this creature feature. I enjoyed it the entire way through. Thanks to Audible Plus I am finding a whole new roster of writers that I hadn't read before and I find that I am enjoying their work.