Charlie Adhara - Pack of Lies

Julien Doran arrived in sleepy Maudit Falls, North Carolina, with a heart full of hurt and a head full of questions. The key to his brother's mysterious last days might be found in this tiny town, and now Julien's amateur investigation is starting to unearth things the locals would rather keep buried.
Perhaps most especially the strange, magnetic manager of a deserted retreat that's nearly as odd as its staff.
Eli Smith is a lot of things: thief, werewolf, glamour-puss, liar. And now the manager of a haven for rebel pack runaways. He’s spent years cultivating a persona to disguise his origins, but for the first time ever he’s been entrusted with a real responsibility—and he plans to take that seriously.
Even if the handsome tourist who claims to be in town for some R & R is clearly on a hunt for all things paranormal. And hasn't taken his brooding gaze off Eli since he's arrived.
When an old skeleton and a fresh corpse turn a grief errand into a murder investigation, the unlikely Eli is the only person Julien can turn to. Trust is hard to come by in a town known for its monsters, but so is time…

Comment: This is the first book in the Monster Hunt series, a spin off from the Wolf at the Door one, which I have already read. The author has decided to focus the attention on Eli, a secondary character from the main series, and now the manager of the retreat for rebel wolves who need to escape or just to be in a safe place for a while.

Eli is getting things ready to welcome the wolves who will see the retreat as a sanctuary. Since his friend Oliver and his husband Cooper have gotten the propriety after the events on the previous novel (the last of the main series), and because of its distance and seclusion, it will be the right place for those in need to rest for a while. One day, a stranger - not a wolf - shows up claiming he had car issues, after something crossed the road in front of him. The man is Julien Doren, a recognizable actor in his 40s who says he was driving to the Lodge, the nearby hotel for lovers of skying. The truth, however, is that Julien is in this isolated area to investigate the steps of his late brother, someone who dedicated his short life to investigate the paranormal such as Bigfoot and other mysterious creatures and that Julien thinks was killed over something he might have discovered even if he didn't think it mattered at the time. Eli is suspicious of Julien but they decide to unite efforts when bones are found and someone from the Lodge is murdered, but will they be on time to prevent further deaths?

The author has done a great effort in making this a novel to be read on its own. Still, I think it would be a lot easier to understand some passages or hints given by Eli, if one had read the other series first. I think his personality and behavior seem easier to accept when we have some kind of background notion, otherwise it might feel as if Eli is just too inconstant and hard to sympathize with, which I wouldn't say is realistic.

Eli is the main character in this series, and the books will be as much as his development as a character and his path into happiness as it will be about an isolated area meant to be a safe place for wolves who are going through situations he has lived as well. Added some mysteries and murders here and there, the atmosphere of this series feels - and will carry on being so - as a continuation of the previous one, which focused on Oliver and Cooper.

The setting of this novel is very moody, with all the winter elements and the vibe something might not be going on too well. I think the author did a good job letting us imagine why some people would want to be near the snow and all kinds of winter activities. It also helped with the idea they weren't surrounded by easy accesses and other people, making the area in which the action took place feel even more like a sort of "cabin fever" type of novel. I liked the mystery hints but this also meant that, with such a small cast of characters, the villain wouldn't be that hard to guess... nevertheless, I certainly didn't!

I think the use of Julien's brother as a motivation for why Julien was in that place, which seemingly isn't as crowded as the owners of the Lodge would want, is done well enough and adds sentimental justifications for some of Julien's actions too. Julien, as a guy interested in knowing what truly happened to his brother, seemed to be a very realistic character. It also helps that we learn things about him very slowly, and this made me think he had layers, which is always something good when we get to spend time in some character's head. The POV is divided between Julien and Eli.

Julien isn't a wolf and this another element on why his connection with Eli isn't all truths and sharing personal stuff. They don't have an immediate HEA or fulfilled romantic expectations, I assume this will be something that will develop as the books advance, as it happened with the other series. I'm curious, though, considering both their jobs and roles in life, on how they will have a solid HEA in the future if, at least geographically, it isn't that obvious if and how they could be together. I'm looking for to see what the author does with this.

The resolution to the mystery ongoing in this story isn't a big surprise but I liked how we got to have some closure even though the main story line is not finished. I hope the author also includes some more positive aspects regarding the wolves that will seek sanctuary because while I like the tension and the mystery, if no happy times exist too, the story feels as if it could lead too easily into dark/gloomy vibes and, to be fair, I hope this will be way more balanced than what this installment alone suggests.

Grade: 7/10

Charlie Adhara - Cry Wolf

After taking down an old adversary, Agent Cooper Dayton of the Bureau of Special Investigations has earned a break. Not that planning a wedding to his sexy shifter partner, Oliver Park, is necessarily stress free, but it’s better than worrying about the ominous warning, delivered months ago, that Cooper’s life is in danger.
When he’s dragged to an event by his family, Cooper braces for an awkward evening, but instead finds himself in the middle of an ugly feud between Park’s ex and a rebel pack leader. What was supposed to be a quick outing turns into a full-blown murder investigation after the pack leader ends up dead, Park’s ex goes missing, and Cooper and Park are sent a series of disturbing wedding gifts that are somehow connected to it all.
The list of potential suspects is long, and with the bodies piling up, Cooper must turn to the one person he trusts the least: the villain he’s already put behind bars once and who has nothing to lose by lying and everything to gain if Cooper is out of the picture—for good.

Comment: This is the final installment in the Big Bad Wolf main arc series. It concludes the general story line where Park and Cooper are the main characters but another book has been released, featuring Eli as the main character. Eli has been a secondary character therefore I have confidence we will still be told things about Park and Cooper as well, even if the focus isn't on them anymore.

For the last installment of this original series, Park and Cooper are engaged and still debating on what exactly to do for their wedding. While on a family outing at the zoo, where his brother's wife is now working, Cooper is surprised to find Eli pretending to be a regular wolf at the wolf habitat and what he believes would be just a joke or something easily fixed, turns out to be a complicated murder investigation. Since they can't ignore they are federal agents, Cooper and Park investigate, they alert their boss and things become tricky the more they discover... but when clues have to come from an enemy, can they trust whatever is being shared? Will they solve the mystery of these deaths?

For a final installment, this was a very action paced novel and quite intriguing. Although, I must say that, if a series is consistent and features protagonists we like and who have a stable relationship we also like to see portrayed on the page, then everything always seems to feel better, to have cohesion and there is also a sort of hidden or assumed notion that no matter what, all will end up well. There's something to be said about this feeling, often dismissed as a given, but not that easy to accomplish well.

I like Cooper and Park as a couple and I feel the dynamics of their relationship have evolved and improved a lot since the first book where it felt as if Park didn't share enough about werewolves so Cooper was always guessing and that felt very frustrating in that first story. Since they are in love, an established couple and so on, the same dynamics are now stronger, better, show them at a better place as a couple and while this isn't meant to primarily be about romance, it is an ongoing aspect and I'm happy is got better too.

The mystery is, as always, intriguing, because at first it might seem as if some details aren't as important and when we learn about culprits and reasons, some of those details turn out to be much more significant. Someone is attacking people who might have some idea about Eli's past and some of the secrets he hides, and at the end of the story we get to learn more about him and how he is connected to the action here, which, in turn, connects a little to the overall idea of the werewolves and how they exist in packs and also to some things we learned in the fist book.

The author has obviously planned the whole series ahead and now many things make sense, even though each plot was built up and solved on its own. I think some details were too good as red herrings for I felt a little confused here and there, but.. since there is a well balanced mix of plot and romance, that was often important to make it easier to keep reading and to want to see what would happen next, even when it felt like some things might not matter.

As for the villain of this book... honestly, it felt like a caricature and some of the explanations were very superficial and not that believable. I still consider the whole book to be positive because this isn't the only element to think of here, but I'm certain this could have been done better. Or perhaps instead of this villain, another character might have been a better fit.

I knew reading this book would be a good experience and, all things considered, I liked the good things more than I disliked the less good ones, so the average is definitely a good one. I suppose there are some elements which I'd like to know better regarding the whole werewolf world but if there is a spin off of this series, perhaps that will advance things as well. At least, I'll hope so.

Grade: 8/10

Charlie Adhara - Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Agent Cooper Dayton is almost relieved to get a phone call from his former boss at the Bureau of Special Investigations. It means a temporary reprieve from tensions created by house hunting with Oliver Park, his partner both in work and in life. Living together in a forever home is exactly what Cooper wants. He’s just not keen on working out the details.
With a former alpha werewolf missing, Cooper and Park are loaned to the BSI to conduct the search at a secluded mountain retreat. The agents will travel to the resort undercover…as a couple in need of counseling.
The resort is picturesque, the grounds are stunning and the staff members are all suspicious as hell.
With a long list of suspects and danger lurking around every cabin, Cooper should be focusing on the case. But he’s always been anxious about the power dynamics in his relationship with Park, and participating in the couples’ activities at the retreat brings it all to the surface. A storm is brewing, though, and Cooper and Park must rush to solve the case before the weather turns. Or before any more guests—or the agents themselves—end up dead.

Comment: This is the fourth installment in the Big Bad Wolf series by Charlie Adhara. I have enjoyed reading the other books and of course I will finish the series.

In this 4th adventure, Cooper and Park are now confident in their feelings for one another and Cooper, almost surprising himself, is actually having some thoughts on being in a steady relationship, although moving into a new house still makes him doubt himself. When it seemed their lives would be quite predictable, a new case comes to their hands and they will pretend to be a couple in trouble at a sort of resort up in the mountains where wolves and humans in relationships deal with their issues. This does feel a little too close to home for Cooper, not that he doubts Park's feelings but things weren't always easy between them. Apart from this, someone is dead and the authorities want to know what's happening up there. Will these two be able to pretend enough to solve the case or will they let their own emotions get in the way?

I liked this book, especially because that now Park and Cooper have gotten to the point where they no longer hide their feelings and communicate a lot more, it does feel their relationship is much stronger than what was suggest before, where so much was just not shared.

I really think the couple's dynamics in this 4th book were done a lot better than before. I can understand the idea is to show how far they've come and how much they are now trusting one another, but it certainly makes for a better read when the relationship feels like it's steadier and stronger for both of them. This case of pretending to be a couple in trouble isn't new in romance but of course there are a few scenes where we can see how this experience affects them and in a way helps them think about their real connection.

Cooper is very practical but in this book his softer side seemed to be more obvious and it affected Park's reactions too, so a win-win for me. My favorite aspect of this books is to see the romance develop and in the first books it seemed we had to imagine or assume too much, because they didn't talk nor discuss personal issues and how odd was that, but here I think the author took things to a very good point.

The plot, I admit, seemed truly secondary for me because my focus was definitely on the couple and how stronger their connection seemed to be. The story is actually quite complex, regarding rebel wolves and a crime and this retreat idea. I mean, some characters were quite shady and I can guess that is on purpose so that we don't immediately see what's going on and what secrets are being hidden. I liked the idea of the retreat but it became very clear that something else was going, considering the personalities of the characters and some comments here and there.

When we discover the truth and why and how the murder Cooper and Park went to investigate happened, that is when we can realize there was a lot more to this than what seemed at first. I think the identity of the villain was a surprise so, in that regard, the author has a clever plot for certain. As for the motif, that was quite a twist and while nothing new, I was surprised nevertheless. I would also say some scenes weren't as well done because when the truth is about to come out and we learn how things came to be, I was thinking "how did they think this" so I wasn't paying enough attention or some steps weren't that smooth.

I think this was a very enjoyable novel. There's a certain resolution to what was going on at the retreat which I kind of liked and I'm glad to see the author is taking that into a spin off of sorts, for there's a new series featuring a secondary character and perhaps the idea we just started to see here will be developed then. I feel curious enough to try that too, in the future.

All in all, it worked out for me and I would say this is probably my favorite book in the series so far.

Grade: 8/10

Charlie Adhara - Thrown to the Wolves

When Agent Cooper Dayton agreed to attend the funeral for Oliver Park’s grandfather, he didn’t know what he was getting into. Turns out, the deceased was the alpha of the most powerful werewolf pack on the eastern seaboard. And his death is highly suspicious. Regardless, Cooper is determined to love and support Park the way Park has been there for him.
But Park left him woefully unprepared for the wolf pack politics and etiquette. Rival packs? A seating order at the dinner table? A mysterious figure named the Shepherd? The worst is that Park didn’t tell his family one key thing about Cooper. Cooper feels two steps behind, and reticent Park is no help.
There are plenty of pack members eager to open up about Park and why Cooper is wrong for him. Their stories make Cooper wonder if he’s holding Park back. But there’s no time to get into it…as lethal tranquilizer darts start to fly, Cooper needs to solve the mystery of the alpha’s death and fight for the man he loves—all before someone else dies.

Comment: This is the third installment in the Big Bad Wolf series by author Charlie Adhara. Despite some less positive elements, I feel invested in the stories, especially the romance between the main couple and want to know what is next for them...

In this story, Cooper and Park, now a well established couple, are on route to visit Park's family and Cooper is both curious, since he knows little about them, and anxious, for they are all werewolves and he doesn't know how they would react. He feels a little lost because there is plenty about werewolves he doesn't know either, but as the problems start coming, he knows he has the mind to analyze and look for clues. While complications seem to amount, Park remains silent and this makes it hard for Cooper to know what he is supposed to do. One things he knows, he's on Park's side and he will do his best to help him and those he is defending...

I believe my small summary above keys on the element I found to be the most annoying one on the whole story, which had already been my biggest criticism of the previous books as well: we don't see/are given enough development on werewolves, on their culture, nor on the "rules". So many things are alluded, so many are left up in the air over conversations, over hints and I do like werewolf stories, so there are things I just think are similar, but... this could be so much better!

I think the overall world building is understandable for the plot but Cooper and the reader are always so blind over what some things mean, why certain behaviors exist... I felt a little irritated, to be honest, despite my enjoyment of the overall book, over the fact we don't have the main couple communicating more. I know the goal is to show case the slow evolution of their relationship and they are both reserved individuals, but....they don't even discuss things between one another? Closer to the end of the novel, they seem to agree on more sharing, but I'm dreading it for the next book...I'm still curious about where this is going though...

Cooper is a fascinating character and a lot of my enjoyment is because of him, although I still think if we had Park's POV all would be different. I know, I know, I only seem to criticize but there is indeed something special about these books which makes me want to keep reading, but that some things might be better done, that I think the author could achieve.

Park is a werewolf and I can see why he feels the need for secrecy..actually, one or two details over this whole subject were quite pertinent, namely the fact revealing the identity of werewolves to the main public might be more complicated and difficult to manage, but it can't be helped I think Park's attitude should be other and not even his past experiences, negative and positive, over his wolf identity are reason enough for his silent position on so many things, mostly how he doesn't speak to Cooper more.

The whole romance aspect should also be more developed by now, I think. I can accept reluctance and wariness but with so much talk of being in love and similar things, the interactions could be more solid now... I still fear any problem might be too much and separate them, even though Cooper seems to have reached that point where he sees beyond the surface and he allows himself time to process stuff instead of rashly react.

The plot of this installment is focused on the arrangements for the funeral of Park's grandfather but mixed up with the family members' personalities and how that affects what behaviors we see, we also have a mystery, over a death and attacks on some werewolves with tranquilizers. The mystery is not very complicated but I think the mix up with all the other things happening, and my overall confusion over what is happening and what is not said, made me too distracted to fully appreciate the mystery aspects. The plot does make sense, no doubt on it, but to be fair, I feel ambivalent towards it.

I think that, were the werewolf culture more obvious, the family bonds of the characters in this book stronger or, at least, friendlier, I'd have appreciated this more. I still liked the overall vibe and the generality of the book, but when I think about the different elements on their own... let's just say that, unlike other werewolf PNR worlds out there, this isn't one where I imagine myself as part of it, everything is so superficial and purposely vague it seems.

Grade: 7/10

Charlie Adhara - The Wolf at Bay

Going home digs up bad memories, so it’s something Bureau of Special Investigations agent Cooper Dayton tries to avoid. When he’s guilted into a visit, Cooper brings along Oliver Park, his hot new werewolf partner, in the hopes the trip will help clarify their status as a couple…or not.
When Park’s keen shifter nose uncovers a body in the yard and Cooper’s father is the prime suspect, Cooper knows they’re on their own. Familial involvement means no sanctioned investigation. They’ll need to go rogue and solve the mystery quietly or risk seeing Cooper’s dad put behind bars.
The case may be cold, but Park and Cooper’s relationship heats up as they work. And yet if Cooper can’t figure out what’s going on between them outside of the bedroom, he’ll lose someone he… Well, he can’t quite put into words how he feels about Park. He knows one thing for sure: he’s not ready to say goodbye, though with the real killer inching ever closer…he may not have a choice.

Comment: This is the second installment in the Big Bad Wolf series by Charlie Adhara. I've read the first book last year and although it wasn't as fantastic as I wanted, I liked it enough to want to keep going.

In this second story, Cooper and Park seem to have adjusted to being partners both at work and as a romantic couple. They are still not talking about everything but they seem to generally be in the same page. Thinking on it, when Cooper's father reminds him again his brothers' Dean engagement party is soon, he decides to accept and since Park is traveling with him, he tells his father his partner is with him. This might feel odd, but Cooper and Park try to be discreet for Cooper isn't out with his family. As they deal with these issues, an apparent simple work in the garden uncovers bones and suddenly all points to Copper's father being the culprit, since the bones belong to a neighbor who had disappeared. But the secrets that come out with the bones are trickier to solve...

This second installment was more appealing to me than the first. It certainly makes me more eager to keep reading the series at least, and I'm glad we did learn a few more things of this world in which werewolves exist.

Cooper and Park are doing some lighter work, compared with the big case they investigated in the first book. Their relationship has progressed a little too and Cooper - whose POV remains the only one we have - seems to be thinking about them a lot, namely how exactly to classify what they have. Since he still has doubts on how to talk to Park about them and about Park's wolf, he struggles with thoughts on whether they might be getting too serious or not serious enough despite how intimate they have been. What this tells me is quite simple: the development is slow but the whole world building and inclusion of the werewolf aspect isn't such a big priority anyway. Despite what we do learn, it's still not enough to make me feel the world is fully structured as it seems to be hinted.

This story is basically set on Cooper's childhood house, we get to understand his more reserved nature a lot and, of course, there's even a mystery for them to investigate as well. Since the major suspect ends up being Cooper's father, they pretty much investigate by talking to people Cooper knows in a non official capacity. Besides the obvious, this also allows the reader to have an idea of what others think of Cooper and it's another tactic for us to know more things about him.

I think the mystery was a bit too easy to be solved once the right clues are put together but I also got the feeling the goal here was to allow us to know Cooper better. Still, some details about what happened in the past, how that is connected with the bones found and even with Cooper and Dean's mother was done well enough for me to appreciate the different ways this is all linked. This situation also worked out to push Cooper and his brother to talk seriously, and the same between Cooper and his father. I think this was a way to add closure to some doubts we might still have on how exactly Cooper interacts with the important family members in his life and at the same time this makes him feel some worries are gone, so his attitude also seems to change a bit for the better when the books ends.

Park remains a more mysterious character, we only know things from his interactions with Cooper and when he talks about him. Some things we can infer, of course, but since so little is told to us regarding the wolf culture/society in this world, there isn't much to guess anyway. In a way, this was a bit frustrating to be honest, because some scenes happen and we don't really have much explanation on some things. In terms of romance, I kind of liked where this went but, again, they don't seem to communicate enough and although the end of the story offered cute and romantic stuff, I feel a lot more might have been done.

The overall effect of what is shared about the main characters is a positive one for me. I liked to see some development but if the goal is to only give small tidbits on each story, I wonder how much more complex this might turn out to be... still, I hope things will be developed a lot more and, seeing the blurb of the next book puts the guys near Park's family, I surely hope we will finally learn the important things about wolves at last.

Grade: 8/10

Charlie Adhara - The Wolf at the Door

Hunting for big bad wolves was never part of Agent Cooper Dayton’s plan, but a werewolf attack lands him in the carefully guarded Bureau of Special Investigations. A new case comes with a new partner: ruggedly sexy werewolf Oliver Park.
Park is an agent of The Trust, a werewolf oversight organization working to ease escalating tensions with the BSI. But as far as Cooper’s concerned, it’s failing. As they investigate a series of mysterious deaths unlike anything they’ve seen, every bone in Cooper’s body is suspicious of his new partner—even when Park proves himself as competent as he is utterly captivating.
When more people vanish, pressure to solve the case skyrockets. And though he’d resolved to keep things professional, Cooper’s friction with Park soon erupts…into a physical need that can’t be contained or controlled. But with a body count that’s rising by the day, werewolves and humans are in equal danger. If Cooper and Park don’t catch the killer soon, one—or both—of them could be the next to go.

Comment: As usual, I got interested in this book due to several positive opinions by people whose taste is similar to mine. This is a story about two different people who must work together and I could already imagine the conflict between duty and love...

In this first installment of the Big Bad Wolf series, we meet FBI officer Cooper Dayton as he is starting a new case in his BSI branch of the FBI, meaning, special investigations, which is a sort of code name for investigations regarding werewolves. In this world, there are werewolves and they have come public about their existence to public entities if not for the main public for safety reasons. It seems obvious there will be too much prejudice if all humanity knew about it so things are taken slowly. However, a recent sequence of cases involving missing werewolves has made it necessary for the FBI to think about partnering up humans with werewolves and depending on the first experience, perhaps other partnerships could happen too. Cooper doesn't know what to think about this but he does want to make a good impression... too bad the wolf officer, Park, seems to make him loose his ability to be polite but is really animosity at the base of his awkwardness in talking to him...?

I liked this book, mostly because of the promise of romance and world building. We learn werewolves are real and live normal lives just like everyone else but they still want their right acknowledged, even if that is only known by public entities such as the law enforcement and the government. I was quite curious about this, and it seems werewolves are born, not made, but although we do have several scenes where being a werewolf is key, it isn't something completely developed. I assume further installments will do this.

As for the romance between Cooper and his newfound werewolf partner, well things happen slowly which, on one hand, I liked, but I should say, since we only have Cooper's POV, the amount of information partaken is surprisingly low, as if it didn't matter. Well, I can understand why it wouldn't where the ficus of the plot is a police investigation but this means I kept having this feel of distance from what was being shared about the whole world and found it lacking. Why are there werewolf characters if if feels they are only necessary when the plot requests it and aside from it, we don't learn that much?

The author is clearly going on a certain style here and that is fine but I kind of wish the world building had been stronger from the get go. I wanted to be immersed in these people's lives and I missed more secondary subjects to focus on. It's true the plot does revolve around the investigation and we do have plenty to find out about the main characters but I wasn't fully pleased with the tactic used, no. Besides, Cooper is quite... particular and his voice wasn't always appealing to see things through.

Cooper is a guy with fears and what he sees as flaws. His relationship with his father and brother is complicated, he hasn't told them he is gay, he knows it won't be accepted well, he isn't feeling he is being the best agent he could be, he has issues from his last case, including medical problems and he feels out of depth in relation to a new wolf partner. His usual partner, Jefferson is a father/mentor figure of sorts although their relationship feels unbalanced, and Cooper seems to be patronized by the older man. 

All this makes for a character that obviously has self esteem issues, isn't overly confident in himself... I actually tend to appreciate characters like this, more on the unsure/shy side and the fun is to watch the evolution but Cooper felt really self centered at times. I believe having Park's POV would have been beneficial but the way things played out, I seriously missed something to counterbalance the less positive aspects of Coopers's personality, as Park is made to be lighter, more certain of himself, more casual, etc...

The romance is just beginning so I still have hopes for them. As for the investigation, would anyone believe that at some point I did start to suspect the "bad guy" was who eventually uncovered? It just seemed the only option from the moment some details were shared but I still liked being proved right. I just hope this means things might become less confusing in the following installments as things settle down from what happened in this book.

All in all, a good enough introduction of the whole thing but I do admit I expected much better and I will have those same hopes for the next books.

Grade: 7/10