"ThedayIreturnedtoTempleton,steepedindisgrace,thefifty-footcorpseofamonstersurfacedinLakeGlimmerglass."

Sobeginsthisspellbindingdebutnovel:partacontemporarystoryofagirl'ssearchforherfather,parthistoricalnovel,andpartghoststory,atitscoreitisastoryofhowonetownholdsthesecretsofafamily.InTheMonstersofTempleton,LaurenGroffblazesontothescenewithaworkthatisacombinationofbrilliantstorytelling,inventivewriting,andhugevision.

TemperamentalbutlovableWillie(neeWilhelmina)CooperarrivesonthedoorstepofherancestralhomeinTempleton,NY-whereherhippie-turned-born-againChristianmom,Vi,stilllives-inthewakeofadisastrousaffairwithhermucholder,marriedarchaeologyprofessor.Thatsameday,thediscoveryofaprehistoricmonsterinthelakebringsafeedingfrenzytothequiet,picture-perfecttownherancestorsfounded.Smartingfromabrokenheart,Williethenlearnsthatthestoryhermotherhadalwaystoldheraboutherfatherhasallbeenalie.Hewasn'ttheone-nightstandVihadledhertoimagine,butsomeoneelseentirely.Someonefromthisverytown.

AsWillieputsherarchaeologicalskillstoworkdiggingforthetruthaboutherlineage,achorusofvoicesfromthetown'spast-bothsinisteranddisturbing-riseuparoundhertotelltheirsidesofthestory.WilliediscoversthecurseoftheTemplefamilyrunsdeep,andevenherbelovedtownisnolongerarespitefromherowndemons.Intheend,darksecretscometolight,pastandpresentblur,oldmysteriesarefinallyputtorest,andthesurprisingtruthaboutmorethanonemonsterisrevealed.

Estimated despatch 14-20 days after ordering.