Nocturne City, Present Day

Luna Wilder is tough as nails. She's a solitary werewolf, an Insoli, which means she has no pack and no one to protect or defend her. Her life in Nocturne City was heading nowhere until she decided to become a detective. Weres smell her insoli blood a mile away, and in the were caste system, she is as low as it gets. As for witches, well, they hate all weres, so that doesn't leave her with many allies, except for her cousin Sunny, a witch who shares her home. Together, they have been trying to figure out how to help Luna deal with what she is and how to make her life a bit more bearable. So far, not much has helped, and lately Luna is feeling her change earlier than normal. It's scary.

But not as scary as the murders that are popping up around Nocturne City. The killings appear to be the work of a serialist. The really frightening part is that they are somehow related to an ancient demon power. One of Luna's primary suspects is pack leader Dmitri Sandovsky, whom Luna is unwillingly attracted to almost immediately -- well, from just looking at his mug shot. As it turns out, Dmitri may not be who he appears on paper, and together, the two embark on a wild ride through Nocturne City, trying to track down the crazed murderer who is now beginning to set his sights on Luna.

The title, NIGHT LIFE, misled me at first; I expected a light, paranormal romance. Not a chance. This story is hard and gritty and filled with fascinating characters. The dialogue is excellent and tight -- and consistent. Slang words like, "what the hex" and other dialogue goodies help keep us in Nocturne City and remind us that this is a paranormal novel, right down to the very last word. As I mentioned earlier, Luna is tough, one of the toughest heroines I've met, and although I've shied away from too much of that in the past, I totally enjoyed Luna and all her problems. She just can't help herself, and it rings true in a setting that is as rough and dangerous as Nocturne City.

I hope this is the first of many more Nocturne City novels. The ending is a cliffhanger, of sorts, and I know it just can't be the real end. This is one series that I will go back to again and again.

Astrid Kinn