The Monsters of Templeton (2008)

THE MONSTERS OF TEMPLETON Lake creatures and beasts of the two-legged variety cast a shadow over a small N.Y. village in Lauren Groff's thrilling, multilayered debut novel

Left alone and pregnant after a failed relationship with her married prof, archaeology grad student Willie Upton returns to her quaint hometown in upstate New York. Templeton, however, is anything but serene. Not only has a mysterious creature appeared in a nearby lake, but Willie learns that her mother lied about the identity of her biological father. Soon, Willie discovers her town's pristine image conceals a villain more monstrous than its lake creature. But the real surprise is that Lauren Groff's multilayered saga, The Monsters of Templeton, both thrills and delights with its poignant, breathtaking prose. A