The Windy City Terror - Book Review

Multiple award-winning author Miguel Angel Hernandez has done it again with another terrifying suspense thriller, Windy City Terror. Author Hernandez’s fourth book in the Griffin Knight series is as shocking, captivating, and entertaining as his previous books. Private Eye Griffin Knight has relocated from New York City to Chicago and is setting up a new office while his cohorts are finalizing cases elsewhere. Before he is settled in, he is faced with a horrible mystery.  Hernandez skillfully references past situations and characters from the Griffin Knight series to captivate and intrigue the reader.

The prologue introduces Zoe Ragsdill, a romantic young woman who enjoys evening walks along Lake Michigan. One star-filled evening just before Christmas, as she strolls along, she hears a slight rustling in the moonlit grass. Her mutilated and partially eaten remains are discovered the following day in Chicago’s sewer system.

The police invite Griffin Knight’s agency to help investigate the case. Knight is intrigued by the unusual condition of the body and the woman’s history. Imagine his perplexity when the body of Hugo Mason is also found in the sewer system a few days later. Evidence shows that he had been dismembered and disfigured, as had the first corpse. The inexplicable murders continue to send shock waves that dampen the holiday spirit. Knight’s unusual investigative tactics seem to be of little help to the police. He is stymied.

Fascination and fear keep the reader enthralled as Knight pursues a maniac killer through investigations of the sci-fi psycho background of a renowned scientist and his equally intriguing family. Each of the author’s characters struggle with empathetic, and psychic personality disorders. The plot thickens through narratives from multiple perspectives. The multifaceted psyche of the murderer is as surprising and chilling as the scientific experiments that lend a dark theme to the novella.

The Windy City Terror combines mystery, exploration, and a spine-chilling element of horror that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand at attention. Hernandez creates a thrilling adventure as he navigates you through the enigmatic underbelly of the Windy City, uncovering secrets that defy imagination.

The author is ruthless as he immerses intrigue with the macabre to bring a memorable tale to life. Readers beware. Evening strolls, rustling sounds, screeches, and the visuals from the book will return to haunt you. Sleep with the light on. You’ve been warned. 

Expect to hear more from this ingenious author’s adroitness in combining mystery, murder, and mayhem in the small package of a novella.