I very much enjoyed this introduction to Deacon Chalk. When it ended I wanted more. This is a series I will return to for sure as it promises a character with a troubled past, plenty of paranormal creatures, and enough humor to balance all the dark and gory.

I can definitely state I am a scaredy cat. With that said, the author did an excellent job at presenting the details of this "monster hunter" book. Not the book for me. However, if you are into these type of themed book, Mr. Tuck will definitely pull you in.

I was looking forward to getting stuck into the first book in the Deacon Chalk: Occult Bounty-Hunter series, when I found out there was a novella prequel. So, I got myself a copy for my Kindle and got stuck into it this morning.Deacon has been called into the Atlanta Zoo after three animals are found dead, skinned and bloodless. With just a few of the zoo staff left behind, the zoo is on lockdown. But Deacon's not alone, he's got a few people able to help him narrow down what he could be dealing...

Deacon is an occult bounty hunter, still trying to get over the death of his wife and kids. His latest job is to stop a beast that is stalking the zoo and mutilating the animals. He has to take on a helper-Jimmy the redneck zookeeper as his normal team are not with him.I liked this story. First we had a good urban fantasy plot with the deadly beast stalking the zoo at night and Deacon setting traps to capture and kill it. There is a lot of good tension and action sequences in those dark shadows

This is a really cool novella.Deacon Chalk is a kick-ass monster hunter who doesn't shy away from taking extreme measures to get the job done. He's gruff, direct to the point of rude, but likeable and with an intriguing past.The world building is minimal, but effective enough to set a dark mood for this story, which is well written, fast paced and full of action. Next to a really cool and explosive tale of monster hunting and slaying this novella gives small hints to what other horrors Deacon mi...

Review originally at Fantasy Book Critic OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: That Thing At The Zoo is a prequel novella set approximately six months before the events of Blood and Bullets. The novella is about 80-odd pages long and is divided into eleven chapters. Akin to Blood and Bullets, this prequel story is also narrated by Deacon Chalk. The story premise focuses on the Atlanta zoo wherein someone or something is slaughtering the animals however the peculiar nature of the kill is what gets Deacon invited

Deacon Chalk is an Occult Bounty Hunter. To finance his hunting, he owns a strip club where he occasionally employs someone that had need of his skills. He lost his wife and kids to the monsters that go bump in the night. He is a tough guy that tweaks your heart with moments of vulnerability and the next he had you laughing out loud. This is not for the faint of heart. There are blood, guts, and gore but I loved his voice and bad assery.

Audiobook Review:Overall – 5Performance – 5Story – 5Not my typical read but I really liked it!I do not like horror movies, I do not read horror books… having said that… This author is scheduled to attend the 2022 Coastal Magic Convention in February in Daytona Beach Florida. As part of the reading challenge, I’m trying to read at least one book by each author. I choose this book because it was available in audio format and it was fairly inexpensive.Oh, my are there ever some gory descriptions in...

Monster hunting books aren't necessarily my favorite genre of book, but I can appreciate the talent it takes to write them. The Thing at the Zoo was pretty graphic and gruesome at times, but I liked going on an adventure with Deacon to figure out what was causing such mayhem at the zoo. The audiobook was well done and Deacons voice matched perfectly with what I imagined.

That Thing At the Zoo is a good size dark urban fantasy prequel novella introducing a character whose physical appearance I can picture perfectly. Rarely can I say that, I'm mostly left with a vague overall impression but Mr. Deacon Chalke is a man that cannot and will not be ignored. He's an intimidating 6'4 and 300 pounds. Think WWE star with no hair and lots of tattoos. This guy looks like he could cause trouble and with a classic muscle car complete with a 4-corpse trunk full of weapons, he'...

4.5/5 gritty and funny, I've enjoyed it! :) review soon!

Short story but great. Another great audio listen in the Deacon Chalk world

Although I prefer to read in order, I think this is one of those times I should have skipped to the first book. This is similar to Supernatural. After losing his wife and two children, Deacon Chalk became an occult bounty hunter. He drives a big car with a lot of weapons in his trunk, he hunts monsters and he has a team. In this story he even has a sidekick with a mullet - skinny guy, brave, reliable, good person and so on. Remember Ash?Something had killed and skinned a few huge animals and lef...

Book Info: Genre: Urban FantasyReading Level: AdultRecommended for: Fans of urban fantasy, especially darker, male-oriented urban fantasyTrigger Warnings: murder of animals and humans, evil babiesMy Thoughts: This is a doozy of an introduction to Deacon Chalk, that's for sure! I've been wanting to read this series for some kind, so I finally just decided to buckle down and do it since I had the time this week. This is just an introductory, prequel novella, but it gives a very good taste of what

That Think at the Zoo by James R TuckDeacon Chalk: Occult bounty-Hunter series book 0.5. Paranormal fantasy horror novella. Deacon is a monster hunter. He investigates whatever is brutally killing animals at the Atlanta Zoo. Spoiler: vampire. This is the prequel to the series. It’s dark and gritty with terrifying descriptions of the monsters Deacon is hunting. It moves fast and includes the world building of some unique secondary characters but standard vampire deterrents such as a cross and hol...

Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: A short, descriptive introduction to the dark and gritty world of Deacon Chalk, monster hunter.Opening Sentence: “Tell me what it is I’m looking at.”The Review:I was really excited when I received That Thing at the Zoo to read for review. It looked like an interesting new series with a lot of promising potential. I am a huge horror fan and this appealed to me on so many levels. Let me just say that I was not disappointed.That Thing at the Zoo is...

This is a monster hunter prequel introducing his popular character, Deacon Chalk, Occult Bounty Hunter. He's a jaded optimist with a sarcastic streak, doing what he can to rid the world of monsters one day at a time. There's a scene towards the end that some squeamish readers may choose to skim or fast-forward, but I really enjoyed jumping into this world. And on top of the great story ... he scored Jim Beaver (Bobby from Supernatural) to do the narration. OMG! Such a treat.

Surprise to me I actually enjoyed this story. Deacon has a tragic past and a snark I appreciate. He is a monster hunter at the zoo and gains a not monster hunter Jimmy the Redneck sidekick. The only thing that was creepy was going into the drain tunnels, dark, damp and tight - yuck!the audio was fabulous.

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/01/...James R. Tuck’s Blood and Bullets is coming out on Feb. 7th, but you can meet his hero, Deacon Chalke, before then in this down and dirty novella. Deacon is a supernatural bounty hunter with a grudge, and he’s been called to the Atlanta zoo to hunt down a rather nasty creature that’s been preying on zoo employees and animals alike. With the help of a zookeeper (who proudly sports a mullet), Deacon takes on a hungry and vic...

I had read one of these books before and I was hoping to find more in the series. This short novella is 0.5 and the beginning of the series. Interesting and a quick solid read. I liked it