The Wolf at the Door

The Wolf at the Door (2018) Charlie Adhara (Big Bad Wolf)

Agent Cooper Dayton discovered the existence of the supernatural in the worst possible way–by almost being killed by it.

Werewolves were not just in books and movies, cartoons and games. They were real and they had “come out” five years ago to governments around the world, represented by a group that called themselves the Trust. The Trust had explained werewolves had always existed, living amongst humans, but due to persecution had slipped quite intentionally into hiding and mythology.

Now with 6 1/2 feet less of small intestines, and the health consequences that come with that, he is working for the BSI and looking into werewolf on human crime.

He was supposed to eat small meals frequently throughout the day to allow his shortened small intestine to absorb the necessary amount of nutrients, but it was hard to do on the road. Cooper didn’t want to draw attention to himself as weak or, god forbid, stopping everything when a boy was missing so that he could get a snack. His guts would just have to deal.

One of the things I particularly like about this series is that Cooper had long-term health consequences from his attack. Not just ugly scars, but long-term damage that affected his daily life. I mean, I don’t like like it, but I hate that in fiction so often terrible things never have long-term consequences. It feels far more real when someone has to deal with the fall-out from an incident in a realistic way.

But I also really like the mystery–a serial killer and kidnapping that felt disturbingly likely within the confines of the universe.

But there is also some silliness and humor as well.

Park tapped the steering wheel thoughtfully. “I have a large, close-knit family,” he said finally. “That carries a lot of weight around here, amongst certain people.”

Cooper snapped his fingers rhythmically. “‘ When you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet all the way…’”

And I really really liked both Park and Cooper.

Cooper winked out of habit and she dimpled back. Forced, calculated. Nowhere close to reaching her eyes, which avoided his just enough to discourage a connection but not a tip. She was pretty, with long legs and long hair she kept swinging forward to cover her chest. He’d watched her read him the minute he sat down. Out of town, thirtysomething, dissatisfied with his day, a chip on his shoulder and an anxious energy boiling his blood. A man with something to prove and no one to prove it to. An ugly, dangerous look. He didn’t blame her for shifting away from him warily. He didn’t find it an attractive look on men, either.

Cooper intentionally softened his eyes and relaxed his jaw. “Actually, never mind. Can you make that an iced tea?”

Each has very good reasons not to trust the other, and both have personalities where they tend not to open up easily, which makes their budding relationship even harder. But it makes a great deal of sense, rather than being a manufactured Big Misunderstanding that always irks me.

Publisher: Carina Press
Rating: 8.5/10

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