Wendigo

Algonquin legend tells of the Wendigo, an evil spirit sent to punish mankind. It can possess a person and turn them into a monstrous creature consumed by a need to eat human flesh. For John Bear the Wendigo was merely a scary story his grandfather used to tell him. That is, until a man is found dead in the deep northern woods of Maine, butchered like an animal and with his heart cut out. And the only tracks they can find are massive footprints that couldn’t possibly be human. Now, John is sure that what is stalking the inhabitants of their remote outpost is a Wendigo, even if no one else believes it. He must stop a monster he once thought was nothing more than a tale to warn children.From Vaughn C. Hardacker, acclaimed author of Sniper and The Fisherman and twice finalist for the Maine Literary Awards, comes a supernatural thriller from the winter depths of the Maine wilderness, where the line between myth and reality blurs and ancient horrors are never fully buried. All are in danger of the Wendigo’s endless hunger, but how do you find a creature that can look like anyone until it’s too late?

“The horror residing on the pages of Hardacker's latest thriller is more terrifying than an old Algonquin legend. Wendigo will have you looking over your shoulder and locking your doors.” —Bruce Robert Coffin, bestselling author of Among the Shadows "A chilling supernatural thriller to be read at night, indoors, with all the lights on and the doors and windows locked. . . . This is a scary tale of legend and myth, with the grim realities of a high body count, graphic violence, and a game warden facing his greatest fear. Remember all those hikers who disappear in the Maine woods each year? Guess what?"—Kennebec Journal "In Wendigo, Hardacker gets it all right—the bone-chilling cold of the north woods, the isolation and loneliness, the quirky characters, the constant peril—and tops it off with a tense hunt for a killing legend." —Dale T. Phillips, author of Shadow of the Wendigo Additional Praise for Vaughn C. Hardacker: "In this hard-hitting crime novel . . . Hardacker keeps the action flowing all the way to the violent climax." —Publishers Weekly on Black Orchid "Fast paced and action packed, Black Orchid takes the Hollywood private eye novel in a bold and exciting new direction. You won't want to put it down." —Paul Doiron, author of The Precipice on Black Orchid "Hardacker is a writer as comfortably at home on the dark streets of Boston as he is in the north woods of Maine. In both places, his story of a twisted serial killer will make you feel like you're there even as he keeps you right on the edge of your chair. This ensemble of strong men, strong women, good bad guys, and bad bad guys will take you on a trip you won't want to miss." —Kate Flora, winner of the 2013 Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction on The Fisherman "Born in Southie and forged by the Marine Corps, there's no way Boston police detective Mike Houston is going to sit still for a sniper shooting up his city, never mind going after the people he loves. A tense and exciting duel that turns the pages for you." —Stephen D. Rogers, author of Shot to Death on Sniper "From its initial horrific crime to its hold-your-breath climax, Sniper is a full-throttle thriller. Hardacker has written a page-turner that feels authentic both technically and in its very human cast of characters. Fans of Stephen Hunter's Bob Lee Swagger won't want to miss this outstanding debut!" —Steve Ulfelder, Edgar-nominated author of Shotgun Lullaby on Sniper "Tense, taut, and genuinely chilling. Hardacker instills this disturbingly sinister tale of vengeance and terror with true Boston heart and authenticity." —Hank Phillippi Ryan; Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, and Mary Higgins Clark award–winning author of The Wrong Girl on Sniper "Hardacker handles the action and the characters well and ties things together in a suspenseful manner." —Kirkus Reviews on Sniper, “The horror residing on the pages of Hardacker's latest thriller is more terrifying than an old Algonquin legend. Wendigo will have you looking over your shoulder and locking your doors.” —Bruce Robert Coffin, bestselling author of Among the Shadows "A chilling supernatural thriller to be read at night, indoors, with all the lights on and the doors and windows locked. . . . This is a scary tale of legend and myth, with the grim realities of a high body count, graphic violence, and a game warden facing his greatest fear. Remember all those hikers who disappear in the Maine woods each year? Guess what?"—Kennebec Journal "In Wendigo, Hardacker gets it all right—the bone-chilling cold of the north woods, the isolation and loneliness, the quirky characters, the constant peril—and tops it off with a tense hunt for a killing legend." —Dale T. Phillips, author of Shadow of the Wendigo Additional Praise for Vaughn C. Hardacker: "In this hard-hitting crime novel . . . Hardacker keeps the action flowing all the way to the violent climax." —Publishers Weekly on Black Orchid "Fast paced and action packed, Black Orchid takes the Hollywood private eye novel in a bold and exciting new direction. You won't want to put it down." —Paul Doiron, author of The Precipice on Black Orchid "Hardacker is a writer as comfortably at home on the dark streets of Boston as he is in the north woods of Maine. In both places, his story of a twisted serial killer will make you feel like you're there even as he keeps you right on the edge of your chair. This ensemble of strong men, strong women, good bad guys, and bad bad guys will take you on a trip you won't want to miss." —Kate Flora, winner of the 2013 Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction on The Fisherman "Born in Southie and forged by the Marine Corps, there's no way Boston police detective Mike Houston is going to sit still for a sniper shooting up his city, never mind going after the people he loves. A tense and exciting duel that turns the pages for you." —Stephen D. Rogers, author of Shot to Death on Sniper "From its initial horrific crime to its hold-your-breath climax, Sniper is a full-throttle thriller. Hardacker has written a page-turner that feels authentic both technically and in its very human cast of characters. Fans of Stephen Hunter's Bob Lee Swagger won't want to miss this outstanding debut!" —Steve Ulfelder, Edgar-nominated author of Shotgun Lullaby on Sniper "Tense, taut, and genuinely chilling. Hardacker instills this disturbingly sinister tale of vengeance and terror with true Boston heart and authenticity." —Hank Phillippi Ryan; Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, and Mary Higgins Clark award–winning author of The Wrong Girl on Sniper "Hardacker handles the action and the characters well and ties things together in a suspenseful manner." —Kirkus Reviews on Sniper

Vaughn C. Hardacker is a veteran of the US Marines who served in Vietnam. He holds degrees from Northern Maine Community College, the University of Maine, and Southern New Hampshire University. He is a member of the New England chapter of the Mystery Writers of American and the International Thriller Writers. His short stories have been published in several anthologies. He lives in Stockholm, Maine.