Rogue Hunter: A Prehistoric Thriller is a thrilling creature horror story by award-winning author Deborah Sheldon. Published on September 18, 2026 by Severed Press, the paperback weighs in at 144 pages.
Deborah Sheldon has done it again, shining a light on one of Australia’s prehistoric beasts and creating a monster that springs to life from the page.
As an author and as a reader, I love going back in time in a story. Sheldon does just that, taking us to 1889 Colonial Australia in this man versus nature thriller. The timeframe was a perfect setting for this action-packed tale. As a reader, you join the characters on the hunt for a lizard that’s stalking human prey. There’s no technology from today to muddy the plot—just the reader, well-developed characters riding into dangerous situations, and a prehistoric monster that feels so real you’re relieved dinosaurs aren’t roaming the streets today. Also, Sheldon did a great job using old-fashioned language that added to the setting, giving the characters even more depth.
With Sheldon’s background as a medical writer, she was able to skillfully bring the creatures and the gory moments to life. The descriptions of the beasts that appear in Rogue Hunter are detailed and terrifying. The action and adventure portions of the story are realistic and deliver palpable suspense. With graphic descriptions of sights, sounds, scents, and the bush setting, I felt like I was there with Edwin and the other characters. I love when the sensory details add another layer to a story. In a book like this, you know someone or something is bound to get some bites or scratches. I appreciated how realistic the encounters were and the mental pictures Sheldon drew in my imagination as I was reading.
As someone who has never been to Australia, I appreciated the mentioning of so many animals, some I’d never heard of before reading the book. It provided yet another degree of reality for the story. Plus, as a fan who’s read many of Sheldon’s books (see list of my reviews below), I spotted a few nods to some creatures from her other books which made me smile.
Rogue Hunter is more than hungry creatures, though. Intermingled with the hunt is a young man of fourteen named Edwin. The story is his recount of his experiences with a monster, a famed lizard hunter named Jim Vandebus, Jim’s associate HB, and an assortment of family and townspeople who are integral in this thrilling coming of age story. Edwin’s POV gives a sense of vulnerability and emotion that will resonate with readers. I enjoyed being in his head and watching him figure out the world around him as well as how he believes he should be acting and feeling as events unfold.
When I finished the book, I felt like the title lends itself to multiple facets of the story. I love hidden meanings and carefully placed information to tie things together. Maybe I’m incorrect, but I felt like I noted this throughout the book with the title and how the characters interacted with each other as well as with the beasts.
I jotted a few notes as I was reading, and one was that Sheldon has a knack for making me sympathize and root for the monster. I love that she made me think from both points of view in this story, and it makes the book all the richer for that. Yes, it’s a tale about a prehistoric man-eating threat, but it’s also so much more than that.
I can’t wait to see what Deborah Sheldon has in store for us in the future. As a creature feature fanatic, I can’t get enough of her books. Of course, she has other varieties of stories in her vast catalogue which I’ve also loved, but stories like this have my heart. When I was 30% into the book, I stopped reading for a moment to order a copy of it to be delivered to my mom because I enjoyed it so much. I think you will love it, too. Just hold on to your seat, or should I say your saddle, because it’s a wild and thrilling ride!
I stumbled upon an interview by Horror Tree with Deborah Sheldon discussing Rogue Hunter: A Prehistoric Thriller, and I thought I’d share it here for you to enjoy.
Need more Deborah Sheldon? Here you go!
Check out my other reviews of Deborah Sheldon’s works:
From Deborah Sheldon’s Website:
I’M AN AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR FROM MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA.
I WRITE SHORT STORIES, NOVELLAS AND NOVELS ACROSS THE DARKER SPECTRUM OF HORROR, CRIME AND NOIR.
MY CREDITS ALSO INCLUDE TV SCRIPTS, STAGE PLAYS, MAGAZINE ARTICLES, AND AWARD-WINNING ANTHOLOGY EDITING AND MEDICAL WRITING.
From the Severed Press website:
Established in 2008
Severed Press is a leading independent publisher of horror and science fiction.
Publishing trade paperbacks and E-Books.
Severed Press has earned a reputation for excellence, quality and commitment to new and established authors alike. We are proud of the diversity of our authors and aim in continuing to build strong relationships worldwide. Authors include seasoned masters of horrors such as Tim Curran, Mark Tufo and Jake Bible to best selling newcomers David Achord and Joseph Talluto.
Severed Press titles are a regular feature in the top 100 horror and Sci-Fi best seller lists and was voted This Is Horror Publisher Of The Year 2014.
