Friday, February 15, 2008

Night Life-Caitlin Kittredge

Night Life
Caitlin Kittredge
St. Martin’s, Mar 2008, $6.99
ISBN: 9780312948290

Nocturne City Police Detective Luna Wilder, a werewolf, leads the investigation into the mutilated murder of a prostitute. Luna knows no one besides her cares about some lowlife Jane Doe hooker even though dark magic was involved. After learning the victim’s name is Lilia, Luna finds clues leading to were-biker Dmitri Sandovsky as the killer.

When a second murder occurs similar to the first with dark magic again, Luna is stunned to find the son of the District Attorney at the crime scene. He being an untouchable and she being a werewolf leads to her suspension. However, a forced leave of absence does not prevent Luna from investigating because she knows the killer is not finished as there is more to these homicides than meets the eye. At the same time alpha werewolf Dmitri is fuming as he knew both dead females and he plans to kill their predator. He and Luna team up trying to track down the culprit.

NIGHT LIFE is a tense gritty police procedural urban fantasy that grips the audience from the onset by insuring the paranormal species seem genuine; part of achieving this is an X-Man like prejudice that Luna receives from mortals. The investigation is entertaining as it provides the duality of chasing after a serial killer while also taking the reader on a tour of Nocturne City. Caitlin Kittredge provides a dark crime caper set in an urban center in which humans and supernaturals distrusting co-exist side by side.

Harriet Klausner

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