Beyond the Veil: Missing in the Adirondacks

In Beyond the Veil, Detective Ryan is tasked with finding Elizabeth Van den Berg, the New York City mayor's daughter, who has mysteriously gone missing while on a research expedition in the remote region of the Adirondacks.  

The Adirondacks are a vast, six-million-acre park in upstate New York, comprising over 100 mountains, thousands of pristine lakes, and dense, evergreen-studded forests. As the largest publicly protected natural area in the contiguous US, it offers a true wilderness experience. Its challenging hiking trails are suitable for experienced hikers. Situated on the doorstep of Manhattan, the Adirondacks offered the ideal setting for a high-profile missing person case.

Several key locations in the Adirondack region play a central role in Beyond the Veil, including the Bigfoot Diner, situated next to the highway near Whitehall, New York. As well as affording Detective Ryan and Cadet Vincenti a chance to grab a much needed coffee, the diner also provides them with their first view of the looming peak of Mount Marcy, and a surprise encounter that proves useful to their inquiries. The diner is suitably decorated for Halloween, welcoming the throngs of enthusiasts on their way to the nearby annual Big Foot Convention in Whitehall, eager to catch a glimpse of the elusive Sasquatch. The town of Whitehall has been recognized as the Bigfoot capital of the East Coast, due to a long history of alleged Bigfoot sightings.

The Mount Marcy research station is one of the last known locations where Elizabeth was seen, before all contact with her professor ended. Comprising of little more than a cluster of tents in a forest clearing, with a ranger station nearby, the research station acts as a strategic base camp for expeditions into the Adirondack wilderness, and the final outpost before leaving civilization. The towering peak of Mount Marcy itself is the highest point in New York State, standing at an elevation of 5,344 feet, and accessible by the unofficial Sasquatch trail, which leads to an old fire lookout point, offering panoramic views over the endless forested ridges.

Detective Ryan realizes early on that this will not be anything like a Saturday morning stroll in Central Park with his family, and that an investigation in the Adirondack region will need some extra assistance to stand any chance of success. As Halloween night draws near, the odds seemed stacked against them as someone or something is doggedly tracking their progress, and is determined to remain one step ahead of them . . .