THE NYC WEREWOLF AND THE BROTHERHOOD OF WOLVES

Murray and Fahrie (NYC Werewolf Tales 3, 2018, etc.) present an urban-fantasy tale about a young werewolf.

Lucy, a Manhattan college student, takes notice of a tall, shy classmate named James Hatton, and they begin dating. Their outings include walks in Central Park and a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s on this visit to the Met that James confesses a strange secret: He’s a werewolf. Ever since his mother died five years ago, whenever he feels threatened, he changes into a ferocious creature. In wolf form, James stops a would-be shooter, saves a man from drowning, and even steals a motorcycle from a surly thug and rides it, among other feats. Lucy comes to terms with James’ wolf identify fairly easily, although she does harbor a lingering fear that he’ll lose control of himself while transformed. She’s dealing with other problems, as well—namely, that her ex-boyfriend Josh refuses to accept that their relationship is over. Lucy and James consult regularly with a psychic to shed some light on their situation, but there’s no predicting where, in the end, the wolf shall roam. The book’s excitement comes in finding out what James’ wolf form will do next—and what sort of criminal he’ll set straight during his sudden appearances. However, the sections of the novel between these heroic tasks are not quite so gripping; on more than one occasion, for example, they digress into lists of foodstuffs. This is not to say that the minor characters are bland; one feisty old man in the Hamptons with a penchant for motorboats shows plenty of bravery despite his lack of supernatural powers. The story’s final section moves into stranger territory as Lucy makes the best of her peculiar romantic relationship, and readers are kept wondering whether it will all work out.     

An unevenly executed thriller helped along by a wolfman who’s full of surprises.