Ahhh – this is horror and suspense writing at its best.  Horror is not my favorite genre but I do read a fair amount.   The story is told from 12-year-old Will Henry’s point of view (memoir) set in 1888.  He is the assistant to a Monstrumologist, Dr. Warthrop, as his father was before him.   The story opens with a monster dissection.  Horrific monsters originated in Africa.  Their diet is comprised solely of live humans.  In a pinch, they’ll consume a newly dead person.  During the Civil War, the monsters were shipped to the states.  TheMonstrumologist and helpers set out to kill the monsters before they kill again.  Sure, it is bloody, that tends to happen when people are ripped to shreds, but less bloody than Shan’s Demonata series.  I was pleasantly surprised with The Monstrumologist because the writing kept me glued to the story.  I do intend to read the sequels when I’m next in the mood for a romp with bloody beasts.  For slightly tamer horror (less blood but still body parts removed from the body, etc.) I prefer Paul Zindel’s books and evil ghost stories like Jade Green (Naylor) and Spirit (Hightman).