The Pack

by E.C. Saulness

Burned-out private detective, Frank Shepard, has a dangerous secret that has followed him for nearly a century. He’s a werewolf. A curse that has cost him everyone he loves. In another life he was a soldier, a brother, and a husband. Now he lives in a run-down trailer on the edge of town and drowns decades of traumatic memories in alcohol and opiates.

That is, until his old partner—the only one who knows about Frank’s werewolf nature—calls in old debts for help on a missing person’s case. Unable to refuse, Frank is forced to leave his self-imposed isolation to join the hunt. A job that quickly entangles him in a web of revenge, murder, ghosts, and fey creatures in a dark supernatural underworld. In which Frank increasingly feels that he may be the worst monster of them all...

506 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 12, 2024

Reviews

[Shannon G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was originally self-published in 2023 and has since been picked up by a publisher. I find some of the best books are from Indie authors. This paranormal massive tomb did not disappoint. We do get dual timelines, which serve to fill in the backstory as to how our gritty dark hero has ended up in the situation he finds himself in. This is not the new normal lycanthrope book, and it is not the old-fashioned horror either. Think noir Werewolves a "little" like Butcher's Dresden Files, if you enjoy Butcher, you will like this book. I feel no need to repost the Blurb or rewrite it; you can read it. It has been a couple of years, and the book ended well without any type of cliffhanger or indication that there would be another book, but it could easily become a series that I would happily dive into to.

[Tori Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give you 90's grunge, soldiers, bit of traumatized characters (okay a lot of), and magical realism. Throw out everything you know about werewolves (sorry, garou) and join Frank on discovering a whole world of magic, fae, and more (?) while unpacking his trauma. Though, most of the book takes place in 1995, we have flashback to WWI, the prohibition era, and other moments. I'm excited to see what else E.C. Saulness has cooked in his brain for our group of characters for their next adventure.