8 Mysteries About Cryptids and Cryptozoology

These 8 mystery books explore the wide world of cryptids, from werewolves to Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster.

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8 Mysteries About Cryptids and Cryptozoology

These 8 mystery books explore the wide world of cryptids, from werewolves to Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster.

Elisa Shoenberger

April 20, 2026

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For centuries, we’ve told stories about animals, from nursery rhymes to chilling tales around the campfire. While many stories focus on the animals we share our lives with, many stories focus on cryptids. Cryptids are broadly defined as creatures believed to exist but unproven, such as Sasquatch, Yeti, Bigfoot, and werewolves. People want to believe in these creatures, often holding up blurry photos or shaky, questionable videos as proof that they really do exist.

These wishes aren’t necessarily ungrounded: the giant squid did turn out to be real. Unicorns may not exist in the form we expect, but narwhals are real and just as mysterious (The Irish Rovers wrote a follow-up to their cheerfully depressing The Unicorn with this wonderful ditty.)

J.W. Ocker sums it up in The United States of Cryptids: “Cryptids have significance beyond whether or not they physically exist: that they are symbols of hope that our planet is capable of unlimited surprises.” Like Mulder from the X-Files, I want to believe. But I also want to revel in the mystery of them and the mysteries around them.

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There’s significant room for growth in the cryptid mystery subgenre, though. I was unable to find many books written by authors of color; similarly, it was hard to find adult books in the cryptid mystery genre, but I did find many kids’ books. There are many cryptid fiction books out there in the horror and thriller categories such as A Feast for the Eyes by Alex Crespo and Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. and the forthcoming sequel Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology.

I’m hoping we’ll see more diversity in cryptid mysteries, both in authorship and in the types of cryptids. The ones I found largely focused on creatures in the United States and the United Kingdom, such as Bigfoot, Mothman, and the Loch Ness Monster. It’s time for some books focusing on cryptids from other parts of the world.

Adult Fiction

A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan

Some people knit; others fix up old cars. Morgan Carter tries to find cryptids when she’s not tending her bookshop in Door County, Wisconsin. But her hobby becomes serious when she’s asked to look into some mysterious deaths. Several bodies found in the water appear to have been mauled by a large creature. Will she get to the bottom of the crime, or will she become another victim of this nameless creature? It’s the first book in the Mystery Hunter series, which just saw book four, Monster in the Moonlight, drop in January.

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronvitch

Probationary Constable Peter Grant was in the right place at the right time ... or wrong place, wrong time. He’s keen to make something of himself in London’s Metropolitan Police. But when he gets assigned guard duty over a crime scene, it’s not the kind of work he wants to be doing. That is, until he talks to a witness, who turns out to be a ghost. He finds himself the newest member of the Folly, a formerly dormant part of the Met focusing on magic or weird things. Now he’s befriending genius loci in rivers and other waterways, facing off with otherworldly beings, and trying to stop more horrible crimes. The series has 15 books and novellas so far, including graphic novels; the most recent is Stone and Sky (2025). Peter and his mentor, Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, have to solve cases involving a wide range of mythical creatures and cryptids.

The Midnight Pack by Jasmine Kuliasha

Jericho James is a private investigator of the “weird” stuff. Often, that means discrediting people’s cryptid sightings. So she thinks her case in Stillbridge, Maine, will just be another regular case. But she ends up stumbling into a group of scientists in the forest who are working on a cure for a mysterious virus. Unlike her other cases, she might find herself face-to-face with an actual cryptid or two. It’s part mystery, part paranormal, part romance.

Young Adult

We’re Not Safe Here by Rin Chupeco

Storymancer, a 17-year-old vlogger, knows something is off about the seemingly wholesome town of Wispy Falls. His six-year-old brother went missing in the woods, but he’s the only one who seems to care. Storymancer’s brother, incidentally, is not the only one to go missing in the woods. Other things don’t sit right, either, like the Bloodmoon Ritual and all the cryptid sightings. Will Storymancer get to the bottom of the unsafe town, or will he be the next person to go missing? This one’s told through a variety of different media, including video and radio transcripts and message boards.

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Middle Grade

The Sasquatch of Hawthorne Elementary by K.B. Jackson

This award-winning series focuses on Jake Nelson, a sixth grader, who has just moved to Washington State from sunny Orlando, Florida. Being the new kid is bad enough, but he manages to make an enemy on the very first day. He’s also got a passion that might make fitting in a bit harder: he’s been investigating Sasquatch. Jake gets hired for the first time by a girl named Jasmine, who has seen something scary and wants to get to the bottom of it. Will he find like-minded kids who are interested in him and his quest, or will he find himself the butt of a joke again? It’s the first in the Sasquatch Hunters Series.

Nessie Quest by Melissa Savage

Instead of spending the summer with her BFF, rising sixth-grader Ada Ru finds herself stuck in Scotland with her family. She’s lonely, bored, and (a tad) scared of the rumored Loch Ness Monster nearby. But when she meets Dax and Hamish Bean Timmy, she finds herself drawn into their race to be the first group to find Nessie. Will they find the mysterious monster, or will they find something even stranger along the way?

Bigfoot Takes the Field by Michael C. Brumm

In this graphic novel, Lily needs a good story for the school newspaper. So when her little brother Henry tells her about a possible Bigfoot sighting, she decides to investigate. Then things suggest that this is more than a rumor: claw marks and animal hair seem to circle the school’s football team. Lily and Henry form the Cryptid Club with their babysitting charge, Oliver, to figure out if Bigfoot is really visiting their school. It’s the first of four books, which also include Nessie, Chupacabra, and a Jackalope!

Camp Twisted Pine by Ciera Brunch

Naomi is not having a good summer. She finds out that her parents are splitting up and that she and her twin brothers are going to summer camp. Naomi likes her nature in a book, thank you very much. But now she’s got to face the world firsthand at Camp Twisted Pine. Thankfully, she befriends her fellow cabinmate, Jackie, who seems to share Naomi’s distaste for the camp. Jackie is hard of hearing, so Naomi learns sign language to communicate with her new bestie. But things start to go sour when rumors abound about something not quite human roaming the woods. When other campers, including Jackie, go missing in the woods, Naomi has to marry her book skills and real-life outdoor skills to find her friend and fellow campers.

Hopefully, we’ll see some more mysteries around cryptids from more diverse authors for a variety of ages in the near future. If you want more cryptids, here’s a roundup of cryptid horror and a list of both nonfiction and fiction books about cryptids and cryptozoology.