The work of Michael Mayes entitled Shadow Cats: The Black Panthers of North America has drawn widespread praise from both advocates and critics alike. Sean Whitley, director of the documentary Southern Fried Bigfoot, says “It’s a hard-to-put-down investigation of the black panther mystery. Two paws up!” Reviewing the book for Mysterious Universe, Nick Redfern says that “..this is one of the best studies of the [black panther] phenomenon in the United States that I have read…Mayes does a good job of dissecting the eye-witness testimony… Some of the photographic data is impressive and eye-opening.” Writing for the Grayson • Olive Hill Quarterly, Jeremy D. Wells says that “the book is a compelling, confounding and comprehensive look at a phenomenon that captures the imagination and deserves more serious consideration.” Gerry Russell, writing for Magonia, says: “I was rather sceptical when I first started reading this book but I feel I am becoming a convert!… an exciting and worthwhile read.” But perhaps the highest praise has come from well-known skeptic Sharon Hill who writes: “”Mayes deserved congratulations for this bringing this book to print…there is no comprehensive volume on this topic so it deserved to be tackled…Mayes has a hair sample from a reported car collision but can’t get any experts willing to examine it. This is a shame. I do hope someone will step up and take a look…[the book] adopted a logical progression that was natural and comprehensible – exactly the approach that should be used to communicate to a lay audience…This volume usefully fills a niche in modern cryptozoological literature.” Congratulations, Mr. Mayes!

It’s not often that a researcher attempts to tackle a fortean mystery and manages to come up with a convincing evidence-based explanation. But that is exactly what Michael Mayes has done with regards to the black panther mystery in the United States. In Shadow Cats: The Black Panthers of North America, Mayes examines every possible angle of this phenomenon and digs into the science for a truly fresh approach to an animal that science says does not exist. This fully illustrated, full-color book contains the best photographic evidence available on these large, black, long-tailed cats. It’s a book that Illinois State University zoologist Angelo Capparella says “brings a refreshingly scientific and analytical perspective to the gathering of extensive data and the assessment of large black cat sightings.” An essential volume for zoologists and cryptozoologists alike.