Linger

This is the second book in an eventual trilogy and follows Grace and Sam (he cured of werewolfism and she slowly succumbing to it) and Isabel and Cole (she brittle and brutally intelligent, he the ex-lead singer of Narcotika, desperate to lose himself in the body and mind of a wolf).

The stories skilfully interweave and say just as much about the human condition as they do about the world of the supernatural. Characters avoid stereotypical dialogue and responses as the emphasis is firmly on the human world rather than what lies beyond. The werewolf narrative illuminates the human story simply because it is not all-encompassing but a constant, subtle threat which enhances the reality of Sam and Grace’s relationship by foreshadowing its end.

Similarly, its physical and metaphorical elusiveness keeps Cole on the edge of what he most desires – an extinguishing of the misdemeanours of his past, an absolution from responsibility and damage. That’s not to say that the two worlds do not collide-sometimes elliptically, sometimes head-on – but hey do so in a way which reminds the reader of the struggle to make sense of the world around us, to establish identity and take emotional risks.

The story is compellingly readable, has its market clearly and consistently targeted and leaves the reader wanting more.