You won’t find this story in the horror section.  In fact, this is a true tale, and that is what makes this one of the most terrifying things I have ever read.  John Vaillant tells us the story of a tiger that was shot in the remote area of southeast Russia.  Wounded and angry, the tiger backtracks to the home of his assailant, destroys anything with the man’s scent upon it, and silently waits to exact his revenge.

Now you might be thinking that I have just spoiled the story for you, but that is merely the tip of the iceberg.

Vaillant makes sure to give the reader plenty of historical background on the areas he is about to present, as well as displaying evidence that the tiger attacks were far from random.  This is what makes this tale truly frightening.  We’re all use to vengeful humans, demons, and spirits; but to think that the real-world mother nature is capable of such a thing makes my blood run cold.

I can’t recommend this one enough.  I normally like a lot less reality in my reading, but I couldn’t put this one down.  The historical sections can bog down at times, but they serve their purpose.  When Vaillant moves back to talking about the tiger, you really feel like you have a sense of the area and its people.  Sometimes the real world is stranger than fiction.