Book three in the Lorestalker series, The Witch of Gray's Point by J.P. Barnett finds cryptid hunter and university student Miriam Brooks en route to an isolated desert ranch house where she intends to unwind and center herself following a life or death struggle with a giant Kraken (Lorestalker series #2, The Kraken of Cape Madre). To her dismay, she discovers that her estranged father has already occupied the house with his new team of cryptid hunters on an expedition to prove or disprove the existence of a shapeshifter in the area. Miriam wants no part of the hunt or her father but decides to stay one night before heading back to university. During the night, she awakens to see a soulless copy of herself staring at her through the bedroom window. Against her better judgment, she decides to join the hunt that quickly turns into a bad idea.

Right off the bat, two things about J.P. Barnett's writing style impressed me. The first was his attention to verisimilitude in scene-setting; from location and character appearance to fight scenes, Barnett knows whence he writes. A sense of reality pervades every aspect of this horror story. My second great impression was the author's talent at creating an expectation, tension, and unseen twists in the storyline. In The Witch of Gray's Point, nothing is as it seems including lead character and heroine Miriam. I'll leave that statement there for the reader to discover for him/herself… no spoilers from me! J.P. Barnett has an excellent horror/suspense series running where each book stands on its own merit, storyline, and conclusion.

The Witch of Gray's Point by J. P. Barnett is A Creature Feature Horror Suspense story, the third Lorestalker book. Miriam Brooks has managed to grab a few days away, a brief respite in an abandoned ranch house in the desert to catch up with her studying. Encounters with monsters have left her behind and worn out but she isn’t going to get the time she needs. The first person she meets at the house is her estranged father, together with his assistants, investigating sightings of Skinwalkers, shapeshifters that wander the desert. Miriam is more than equipped to fight them but she’s not so sure whether she can face her father. Will the hunt for the Skinwalkers finally bring them together or pull them apart forever? And do any of them truly understand the horrors they are about to face?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Witch of Gray’s Point (Lorestalker Book 3) by J.P. Barnett. I didn’t read the first two books but there was enough detail included to bring me up to speed on previous events. The characters were well developed, likable people, real human beings that you can easily relate to and the plot bounced along at a steady pace with plenty of action. You are drawn into the story straight away and thrown right into the action early on. This is a riveting story with a strong plot that will hold you spellbound from start to finish. Perfect for fans of the macabre and horror who want something different, a story that delves into ancient horrors.