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Werewolf Cop
Zach Adams is one of the best detectives in the country. Nicknamed Cowboy, he’s a soft-spoken homicide detective from Houston known for his integrity and courage under fire. He serves on a federal task force that has a single mission: to hunt down Dominic Abend, a European gangster who has taken over the American underworld.
After a brutal murder gives them a lead, Zach and his tough guy NYPD partner Martin Goulart feel like they’re finally on Abend’s trail. But things get complicated—and very, very weird. Goulart’s on-the-job enemies are accusing him of corruption. And Zach is beginning to suspect that Abend’s evil goes beyond crime—perhaps to the edge of the supernatural. As his investigation continues in Germany, Zach finds himself lured into the impossible. In a centuries-old forest under a full moon, a beast assaults him, cursing him forever. In the aftermath, Zach is transformed into something horrible—something deadly.
Now, the good cop has innocent blood on his hands. He has killed—and he will kill again—in the form of a beast who can’t be controlled or stopped. Before he can free himself, he’s going to have to solve the greatest mystery of all: How can you defeat evil when the evil is inside you?
After a brutal murder gives them a lead, Zach and his tough guy NYPD partner Martin Goulart feel like they’re finally on Abend’s trail. But things get complicated—and very, very weird. Goulart’s on-the-job enemies are accusing him of corruption. And Zach is beginning to suspect that Abend’s evil goes beyond crime—perhaps to the edge of the supernatural. As his investigation continues in Germany, Zach finds himself lured into the impossible. In a centuries-old forest under a full moon, a beast assaults him, cursing him forever. In the aftermath, Zach is transformed into something horrible—something deadly.
Now, the good cop has innocent blood on his hands. He has killed—and he will kill again—in the form of a beast who can’t be controlled or stopped. Before he can free himself, he’s going to have to solve the greatest mystery of all: How can you defeat evil when the evil is inside you?
296 pages, Hardcover
First published March 8, 2015
81 people are currently reading
1346 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Klavan
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 281 reviews
January 22, 2016
Well, this is one of the worst books I have ever read. Not sure where even to start...
I heard it got good reviews. I forget what recommended it to me to begin with, but werewolf-cop seems a pretty easy premise. The title alone sells me. What should have been a solid triple quickly disolved into misogynist racism. He must have written this book before Gamer Gate or I'm sure the valiant Christian (but wife cheating) werewolf/cop would have been investigating ethics in gaming journalism. Stephen King touts the author as "most original American novelist of crimse and suspense" -- but I see now that "original" can be taken in a negative way too.
Well it's political and if you ever wanted to understand how gross and panicky some viewpoints are then behold. Europe has suddenly fallen to an Islamic Caliphate (yeah) and Paris enacts Sharia law with rapture. Meanwhile London's Parliament is in flames. One character, who is English by the way, says: "Myself I think that England--that all of Europe--died in World War II, the spirit of it anyway. It's just the corpse rotting now, the maggots devouring the flesh. Rather overwhelming to think about, when I can think about it. A whole civilization--Western civilization--Shakespear, Newton, Mozart, Michelangelo..."
Islam apocalypse on the radio and TV is throughout the entire book, though the main characters don't really pay much attention to that or seem to care. It's an "ah well decadent secular Europe got what it deserves for abandoning Jesus" attitude in this book. Don't worry, there's a TON of Jesus. The werewolf-cop's dumb angelic wife--the grossest and most pure representation of The Angel of the House perhaps seen in literature--doesn't care about International affairs. Her husband seems very proud that the only two kinds of websites/reading she does is on homemaking and Jesus. There is so much absolutely vile going on in this book in regards to women, I would probably just bore you for pages and pages and parade a ton of terrible quotes, so I won't.
But there's more! Affirmative action, chapter for you on line one! Werewolf-cop's partner is LOUDLY and PROUDLY racist--I lost count of all the "bitch" and "twat" in reference to the long suffering female boss (who was right all along, but she hyphenated her name so obviously she had some kind of whip over her husband) but this racism is depicted in a soft and cuddly glow. Because racism is right. "Despite all the hogwash the Brooklyn hard-ass spewed out, there was always a bit of truth mixed in. April Gomez had in fact been promoted to detective because she was Latina and because some loud-mouthed pol and media had complained about the absence of Latina detectives on the job. She was a sweet girl and by no means stupid, but she had as much business being called to a crime scene as a vase of carnations." Whenever "Broadway Joe" says something particularly offensive, the werewolf-cop or werewolf-cop's wife chuckle and pshaw him, while thinking he can say the stuff they were scared to say outloud.
Where might you ask is the actual detective work? Well he seems to spend a lot of time rolling around in the leaves or reading bedtime stories to his two angelic children, while the blonde ringleted wife looks on dotingly. How about the werewolf? Well here I was a little happier. A back story involving Peter Griswold, who was the main villain in all of Jonathan Maberry's Pine Deep series. But all that did eventually was make me compare that Pyramid of Giza like book to this tired shanty. And the root is the 30 years war, which I also just read a book about. Don't worry, he falls asleep reading pages on both Griswold and the 30 Years War, loses said pages, and just plays along like he knows the info later on.
So, evil German gangster, who is the source of ALL the trouble in Europe somehow (don't ask, it doesn't make any sense), comes to the US to ruin America too. Cowboy (aka Werewolf Cop) and Broadway Joe are the two star detectives on the task force to take him down. More importantly though, Cowboy is dealing with a pyscho bitch who tricked him into having sex with her, even though he TOTALLY loves his wife. You would think a cop would wear a wire or something when confronting the crazy stalker but no. He flees to Europe to track down a wild goose chase about the evil Gangster and gets attacked by a werewolf (another stupid woman, too weak and European to get the job done right).
If you want to read an extremely political book (I looked him up after, BFFs with Glen Beck), where the repugnant hero spends more time at church, agonizing about the betrayal of his Stepford Wife (never his fault really though--he was TRICKED!), with some tangetial werewolf bits thrown in, then this is a book for you.
Also
I heard it got good reviews. I forget what recommended it to me to begin with, but werewolf-cop seems a pretty easy premise. The title alone sells me. What should have been a solid triple quickly disolved into misogynist racism. He must have written this book before Gamer Gate or I'm sure the valiant Christian (but wife cheating) werewolf/cop would have been investigating ethics in gaming journalism. Stephen King touts the author as "most original American novelist of crimse and suspense" -- but I see now that "original" can be taken in a negative way too.
Well it's political and if you ever wanted to understand how gross and panicky some viewpoints are then behold. Europe has suddenly fallen to an Islamic Caliphate (yeah) and Paris enacts Sharia law with rapture. Meanwhile London's Parliament is in flames. One character, who is English by the way, says: "Myself I think that England--that all of Europe--died in World War II, the spirit of it anyway. It's just the corpse rotting now, the maggots devouring the flesh. Rather overwhelming to think about, when I can think about it. A whole civilization--Western civilization--Shakespear, Newton, Mozart, Michelangelo..."
Islam apocalypse on the radio and TV is throughout the entire book, though the main characters don't really pay much attention to that or seem to care. It's an "ah well decadent secular Europe got what it deserves for abandoning Jesus" attitude in this book. Don't worry, there's a TON of Jesus. The werewolf-cop's dumb angelic wife--the grossest and most pure representation of The Angel of the House perhaps seen in literature--doesn't care about International affairs. Her husband seems very proud that the only two kinds of websites/reading she does is on homemaking and Jesus. There is so much absolutely vile going on in this book in regards to women, I would probably just bore you for pages and pages and parade a ton of terrible quotes, so I won't.
But there's more! Affirmative action, chapter for you on line one! Werewolf-cop's partner is LOUDLY and PROUDLY racist--I lost count of all the "bitch" and "twat" in reference to the long suffering female boss (who was right all along, but she hyphenated her name so obviously she had some kind of whip over her husband) but this racism is depicted in a soft and cuddly glow. Because racism is right. "Despite all the hogwash the Brooklyn hard-ass spewed out, there was always a bit of truth mixed in. April Gomez had in fact been promoted to detective because she was Latina and because some loud-mouthed pol and media had complained about the absence of Latina detectives on the job. She was a sweet girl and by no means stupid, but she had as much business being called to a crime scene as a vase of carnations." Whenever "Broadway Joe" says something particularly offensive, the werewolf-cop or werewolf-cop's wife chuckle and pshaw him, while thinking he can say the stuff they were scared to say outloud.
Where might you ask is the actual detective work? Well he seems to spend a lot of time rolling around in the leaves or reading bedtime stories to his two angelic children, while the blonde ringleted wife looks on dotingly. How about the werewolf? Well here I was a little happier. A back story involving Peter Griswold, who was the main villain in all of Jonathan Maberry's Pine Deep series. But all that did eventually was make me compare that Pyramid of Giza like book to this tired shanty. And the root is the 30 years war, which I also just read a book about. Don't worry, he falls asleep reading pages on both Griswold and the 30 Years War, loses said pages, and just plays along like he knows the info later on.
So, evil German gangster, who is the source of ALL the trouble in Europe somehow (don't ask, it doesn't make any sense), comes to the US to ruin America too. Cowboy (aka Werewolf Cop) and Broadway Joe are the two star detectives on the task force to take him down. More importantly though, Cowboy is dealing with a pyscho bitch who tricked him into having sex with her, even though he TOTALLY loves his wife. You would think a cop would wear a wire or something when confronting the crazy stalker but no. He flees to Europe to track down a wild goose chase about the evil Gangster and gets attacked by a werewolf (another stupid woman, too weak and European to get the job done right).
If you want to read an extremely political book (I looked him up after, BFFs with Glen Beck), where the repugnant hero spends more time at church, agonizing about the betrayal of his Stepford Wife (never his fault really though--he was TRICKED!), with some tangetial werewolf bits thrown in, then this is a book for you.
Also
March 27, 2022
Werewolf Cop
by Andrew Klavan
I thought this was an interesting read. A fast, unique, and entertaining fantasy with a cop that is turned into a werewolf. Not your normal werewolf book!
by Andrew Klavan
I thought this was an interesting read. A fast, unique, and entertaining fantasy with a cop that is turned into a werewolf. Not your normal werewolf book!
March 19, 2016
This book. About 80 pages in I realized that I disliked it thanks to the slow pace and the fact that everyone (especially the main character's beatific wife) was a cardboard cutout but I thought "hey, I wonder if I can guess what will happen." So I guessed and kept reading to see if I would be right. Turns out I was mostly correct.
HERE LIE THE SPOILERS. In case anyone didn't get that from me marking it as spoilerific.
The characters remained cardboard stereotypes of real people. The main character never ever EVER accepts any responsibility for his one time affair with Margo, instead blaming it all on her and how she manipulated him. And this is supposed to be the "incorruptible" hero. He can't even admit that he screwed up not by KILLING his former mistress turned stalker in a fit of new werewolf rage but by sleeping with her in the first place. He doesn't even know WHY he slept with her. But I digress.
In conclusion, this book was a mess, I'm sorry. It tries to take itself painfully serious and hide behind attempted allegory and battles between the forces of "good" and evil but really it's just a shallow retelling of every other werewolf story with a little Usual Suspects and An American Werewolf in London mixed in. And also, when your main character has been planning to kill himself ever since he discovered he was a werewolf having him "bravely" sacrifice himself to stop the evil is not a sacrifice. That's just convenience. On top of that, having the main character sacrifice himself without even freeing the ACTUAL innocent victim first, thereby possibly leaving her to die a very slow and painful death because she's CHAINED to a wall and unable to escape unaided? NOT HEROIC. The fact that Zach pulls a Lazarus and comes back from the dead? Also not redemptive or heroic. Just convenient. Mostly for him.
I can safely say I won't read another book by this author. This one was more than enough.
HERE LIE THE SPOILERS. In case anyone didn't get that from me marking it as spoilerific.
The characters remained cardboard stereotypes of real people. The main character never ever EVER accepts any responsibility for his one time affair with Margo, instead blaming it all on her and how she manipulated him. And this is supposed to be the "incorruptible" hero. He can't even admit that he screwed up not by KILLING his former mistress turned stalker in a fit of new werewolf rage but by sleeping with her in the first place. He doesn't even know WHY he slept with her. But I digress.
In conclusion, this book was a mess, I'm sorry. It tries to take itself painfully serious and hide behind attempted allegory and battles between the forces of "good" and evil but really it's just a shallow retelling of every other werewolf story with a little Usual Suspects and An American Werewolf in London mixed in. And also, when your main character has been planning to kill himself ever since he discovered he was a werewolf having him "bravely" sacrifice himself to stop the evil is not a sacrifice. That's just convenience. On top of that, having the main character sacrifice himself without even freeing the ACTUAL innocent victim first, thereby possibly leaving her to die a very slow and painful death because she's CHAINED to a wall and unable to escape unaided? NOT HEROIC. The fact that Zach pulls a Lazarus and comes back from the dead? Also not redemptive or heroic. Just convenient. Mostly for him.
I can safely say I won't read another book by this author. This one was more than enough.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2015
Andrew Klavan’s latest novel is both entertaining and thought provoking. It’s the story of Zach Adams, dubbed “The Supercop” by the press, after saving a child from a ruthless psychopath. A chance photograph of Adams holstering his weapon like a cowboy hero of yore strikes a chord with the public and catapults cowboy Zach and his partner Broadway Joe to brief celebrity status.
Unfortunately for Adams, happily married, but coming off the unavoidable high which comes from instant celebrity, and missing the adrenaline of the chase, a beautiful nutcase is able to lure him into an extramarital shtup, which he almost instantly regrets.
Klavan’s portrayal of Adams guilt and regret is a cautionary tale in and of itself, but serves as the initial representation of the book’s overall theme. Although not quoted directly, one can relate to the words of the apostle Paul.
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Romans 7:19
At his core, Adams is man who believes in God, but seeks to keep him at arm’s length. But even this wary belief might be enough. ...
The rest of my review here.
Unfortunately for Adams, happily married, but coming off the unavoidable high which comes from instant celebrity, and missing the adrenaline of the chase, a beautiful nutcase is able to lure him into an extramarital shtup, which he almost instantly regrets.
Klavan’s portrayal of Adams guilt and regret is a cautionary tale in and of itself, but serves as the initial representation of the book’s overall theme. Although not quoted directly, one can relate to the words of the apostle Paul.
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Romans 7:19
At his core, Adams is man who believes in God, but seeks to keep him at arm’s length. But even this wary belief might be enough. ...
The rest of my review here.
February 20, 2015
Fun read full of deep thoughts
Werewolf cop: A Novel. Andrew Klavan has done it again, maybe even more profoundly. The story combines fast action, love, betrayal, self sacrifice, justice, . His characters are real people who go to church, sin, work, laugh, cry, fail and are forgiven. The situation is crazy uncanny, but interesting. How much evidence does it take? " Do you believe in this?" "Yeah, sure." The gretchenfrage.
Werewolf cop: A Novel. Andrew Klavan has done it again, maybe even more profoundly. The story combines fast action, love, betrayal, self sacrifice, justice, . His characters are real people who go to church, sin, work, laugh, cry, fail and are forgiven. The situation is crazy uncanny, but interesting. How much evidence does it take? " Do you believe in this?" "Yeah, sure." The gretchenfrage.
April 1, 2015
A title like "Werewolf Cop" sounds right out of a penny dreadful or the best of the pulps. A title that tells you about the story to expect.
So it ended up being what I suspected and not what I suspected. This was absolutely brilliant storytelling that engaged me on multiple levels. I have only read one other book of his, but again in this one he has a way of showing family life from a husbands perspective that I find totally true to life. A good man in a fallen world with his own struggles fighting temptations. The solid basis of the main characters draws you into the story. The supernatural aspects become more real feeling, because the character is. The various subplots add to the tension and the climax of the novel. Totally satisfying up to and including the last sentence.
So it ended up being what I suspected and not what I suspected. This was absolutely brilliant storytelling that engaged me on multiple levels. I have only read one other book of his, but again in this one he has a way of showing family life from a husbands perspective that I find totally true to life. A good man in a fallen world with his own struggles fighting temptations. The solid basis of the main characters draws you into the story. The supernatural aspects become more real feeling, because the character is. The various subplots add to the tension and the climax of the novel. Totally satisfying up to and including the last sentence.
June 2, 2015
Needs more werewolf. And more cop, weirdly. Less of the self-loathing adulterer, at any rate. While the book does eventually deliver on its title, it does so the same way a deadbeat delivers child support: begrudgingly, late, and determined to ensure that nobody has any fun with it.
May 4, 2015
makes little sense. bad guy gangster seeks magic thing... why, god only knows?
good guy cheats on wife with some xtra dumbass drama added into a soup pot.
Can't. do. it.
good guy cheats on wife with some xtra dumbass drama added into a soup pot.
Can't. do. it.
August 29, 2016
With a title like Werewolf Cop, I was half-expecting to experience the reading equivalent of watching Frankenfish or Sharknado. However, having enjoyed the gritty reality of previous Andrew Klaven novels, I ultimately didn’t expect this to turn into some goofball mash-up of crime fiction and classic horror. While this is a werewolf tale to be sure, it is treated seriously in this police procedural.
The origin of the werewolf in this tale goes back to the Middle Ages:
Werewolf Cop is a modern day cop story where the protagonist, Zach Adams, is a chief detective in an elite task force set up by the federal Department of Homeland Security. He and his partner are after Dominic Abend, the chieftain of a Russian mob that has already overtaken all organized crime in Western Europe and is now infiltrating the United States. As the title suggests, Agent Adams becomes afflicted with the werewolf curse during his investigation, while Abend is in possession of something that gives him power far beyond just being a mob boss. We follow Agent Adams as he tries to take down Dominic Abend while also permanently ending the curse of the werewolf.
There is far more to this story, though, than just a typical creature feature. It seems to be a dramatization of this famous quote attributed to Albert Einstein:
“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.”
Western civilization in this story is largely secular, if not downright belligerently atheistic, much like in our own world. The setting is defined succinctly by the character Gretchen Dankl :
“We see the violence now, the riots, the burning, and we think it is destroying us. But no, this is not the case. It is not the violence. It is the peace, the too-much peace that came before. We were already destroyed. You see, where there is no spirit, there is only flesh. Where there is only flesh, there is nothing but pleasure and pain. Where there is nothing but pleasure and pain, who would choose pain? Who would choose conflict? If you will not fight for the good, if you will not suffer for the good, then there is only evil. This is what Dominic Abend understands. This is how he has triumphed over us.”
It is not a difficult leap to make the connection between Dominic Abend in this fictional world and the rise of radical Islamic terrorism, and our reaction to it, in our own. Your agreement, or lack thereof, with the point of view taken in this story will likely determine whether you like it or hate it. Taken just on its merits as a werewolf story, though, this is great entertainment. Agent Adams initial confrontation with the werewolf is very cinematic in its presentation of setting and action. There are more than enough werewolf attacks, with their requisite carnage, to satisfy the monster-lover in all of us.
I found Werewolf Cop to be a wildly entertaining modern day monster tale, with its own unique origin story. I thought it was also a prescient allegory of Albert Einstein’s famous words and the state of our world.
The origin of the werewolf in this tale goes back to the Middle Ages:
Werewolf Cop is a modern day cop story where the protagonist, Zach Adams, is a chief detective in an elite task force set up by the federal Department of Homeland Security. He and his partner are after Dominic Abend, the chieftain of a Russian mob that has already overtaken all organized crime in Western Europe and is now infiltrating the United States. As the title suggests, Agent Adams becomes afflicted with the werewolf curse during his investigation, while Abend is in possession of something that gives him power far beyond just being a mob boss. We follow Agent Adams as he tries to take down Dominic Abend while also permanently ending the curse of the werewolf.
There is far more to this story, though, than just a typical creature feature. It seems to be a dramatization of this famous quote attributed to Albert Einstein:
“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.”
Western civilization in this story is largely secular, if not downright belligerently atheistic, much like in our own world. The setting is defined succinctly by the character Gretchen Dankl :
“We see the violence now, the riots, the burning, and we think it is destroying us. But no, this is not the case. It is not the violence. It is the peace, the too-much peace that came before. We were already destroyed. You see, where there is no spirit, there is only flesh. Where there is only flesh, there is nothing but pleasure and pain. Where there is nothing but pleasure and pain, who would choose pain? Who would choose conflict? If you will not fight for the good, if you will not suffer for the good, then there is only evil. This is what Dominic Abend understands. This is how he has triumphed over us.”
It is not a difficult leap to make the connection between Dominic Abend in this fictional world and the rise of radical Islamic terrorism, and our reaction to it, in our own. Your agreement, or lack thereof, with the point of view taken in this story will likely determine whether you like it or hate it. Taken just on its merits as a werewolf story, though, this is great entertainment. Agent Adams initial confrontation with the werewolf is very cinematic in its presentation of setting and action. There are more than enough werewolf attacks, with their requisite carnage, to satisfy the monster-lover in all of us.
I found Werewolf Cop to be a wildly entertaining modern day monster tale, with its own unique origin story. I thought it was also a prescient allegory of Albert Einstein’s famous words and the state of our world.
July 12, 2016
I picked this up on a whim while visiting the library, and I will definitely be avoiding this author in the future.
This was basically nothing but misogynistic, conservative tripe. When it wasn't devolving into awful, awful prose, it was shoving the protagonist's "godly ways" down the reader's throat, or going on and on about how much he loved his good little Christian wife and how much guilt he felt over cheating on her. And the women characters…do not even get me started. The only reason I managed to finish it was because in spite of myself, I enjoyed most of the werewolf bits, and the mythology behind the werewolf curse. But even then, it was only barely tolerable enough for me to finish.
This was basically nothing but misogynistic, conservative tripe. When it wasn't devolving into awful, awful prose, it was shoving the protagonist's "godly ways" down the reader's throat, or going on and on about how much he loved his good little Christian wife and how much guilt he felt over cheating on her. And the women characters…do not even get me started. The only reason I managed to finish it was because in spite of myself, I enjoyed most of the werewolf bits, and the mythology behind the werewolf curse. But even then, it was only barely tolerable enough for me to finish.
June 3, 2015
I wrote a review, and my tablet crashed. This will not be as thorough as I would like.
Are we victims of our circumstances, or are we "captains of our soul"? How important is it to believe in something greater than ourselves? And when we are confronted with evil, how will we measure up? These are questions for Agent Zach Adams to contemplate through the story. While Europe is in a crisis beyo d description, and the U.S. Seems to be slouching towards this cancer as well, Zach and his partner are assigned a grisly murder scene.
I actually wish to give this book 4.5 stars. It isn't perfect. Zach's wife is one-dimensional, and almost appears to be simple-minded. It took a while for the werewolf to emerge. When one character goes into a monologue about irony, the reader almost wonders if Klavan is engaging in this with his comments on religion.
And yet, I could not put the book down. Despite my earlier comment regarding irony, Klavan's further comments on religion and believing allowed me to decide to take it as face value. Religion is there, and it is not mocked. Zach is a good man, who has a chink in his Integrity Armor, but as none of us are perfect, we can understand his struggle to be good and honest, and agonises that he has not lived up to his expectations. Yet, who is in control? His nature, or who he wants to be?
Klavan's prose moves smoothly, and it made for an enjoyable read. He does throw mother-lode words out here and there, but I've read worse in Tom Clancy. His descriptions of the aftermath of violence are there, but I've read worse in Sreven King. The supernatural elements are interesting, and intriguing. I did not want to put this book down, and that hasn't happened for a while.
Are we victims of our circumstances, or are we "captains of our soul"? How important is it to believe in something greater than ourselves? And when we are confronted with evil, how will we measure up? These are questions for Agent Zach Adams to contemplate through the story. While Europe is in a crisis beyo d description, and the U.S. Seems to be slouching towards this cancer as well, Zach and his partner are assigned a grisly murder scene.
I actually wish to give this book 4.5 stars. It isn't perfect. Zach's wife is one-dimensional, and almost appears to be simple-minded. It took a while for the werewolf to emerge. When one character goes into a monologue about irony, the reader almost wonders if Klavan is engaging in this with his comments on religion.
And yet, I could not put the book down. Despite my earlier comment regarding irony, Klavan's further comments on religion and believing allowed me to decide to take it as face value. Religion is there, and it is not mocked. Zach is a good man, who has a chink in his Integrity Armor, but as none of us are perfect, we can understand his struggle to be good and honest, and agonises that he has not lived up to his expectations. Yet, who is in control? His nature, or who he wants to be?
Klavan's prose moves smoothly, and it made for an enjoyable read. He does throw mother-lode words out here and there, but I've read worse in Tom Clancy. His descriptions of the aftermath of violence are there, but I've read worse in Sreven King. The supernatural elements are interesting, and intriguing. I did not want to put this book down, and that hasn't happened for a while.
February 22, 2018
It sounded like a fun idea, but it was a boring, muddled mess of cardboard characters that somehow had too much and too little going on at the same time. The plot is a pandering mishmash of Things 'Muricans Are Scared Of: Nazis, Russians, Muslims and uppity wimmin.
First, the toxic masculinity: pretty much the only woman who isn't looked down on is the homemaking wifey. I have nothing against 'housewife' as a life choice, there are great housewife characters out there, BUT it's like this woman never leaves the house except to go to church; she has no interests, curiosities, feelings, or ambitions beyond waiting on her husband's every need and desire, and this is all portrayed as proof that she is 'the perfect wife'. She is pure and angelic, and her two Obligatory Cute Children are likewise perfect and angelic little decorative props (whereas anyone who either has multiple kids or has siblings knows there should be some fighting and whining here and there). Every other woman is either the Manipulative Psycho Girlfriend or is contemptibly weak and/or incompetent at her job--she's only here to fill a PC quota, she needs a man to tell her what to do, she bases all her actions on needing people to like her, etc. The message here is 'women are no good outside the home'. The female reporter gets a slightly more positive portrayal, though possibly only because she's looking for who killed her fiance (and ruined her dreams of domesticity!). The protagonist's gruff partner is known for spewing racist and misogynist diatribe, which the protagonist (and everybody else) amusedly tolerates because 'there's a kernel or truth in it' and 'he says what everyone else is thinking'. In other words, 'I'm not racist or sexist, but I agree with the racist and sexist things this racist sexist says!' *HEAVY SIGH*
Next, the unnecessary political background crap: the author is trying to make the point that this evil dude is taking down Europe. How? By somehow, mysteriously, without explanation, having Europe taken over by, I don't know, unspecified muslims? I'm guessing, because at one point they mention in passing that France adopts Sharia law. Despite this being big news, almost nobody in the States seems to know about it (when you'd think the US sensationalist news would be losing their minds and bombarding everyone with it 24/7). It's not really explained, it doesn't seem to matter to anyone (?!?), and it really wasn't necessary to advance the plot anyway. It's just slapped on there for supposedly-scary-but-really-just-excessive-and-annoying effect.
Now, we need to make our protagonist perfect yet flawed and relatable: okay, so he's, like, pretty religious, okay? Only he lets his perfect little wifey do most of the religioning for him (delegating! Because I've got more manly things to do!). But, like, he's flawed, okay, so he gets totally manipulated into sex with a Psycho Girlfriend and then spends 80% of the time dodging Psycho's calls and feeling guilty (fair enough, but did your guiltiness have to have such melodramatically pious tones? I'm Christian myself, but I found this guy VERY annoying). And then the problem gets resolved WAY too conveniently--very cliche.
To top off the lazy character-making, the villain: okay, what's evil and scary? Nazis! What else? Those commie Russians! (Remember, this is for a 'Merican audience). So how can I make a character who's super-scary? How about he's half-German, half-Russian, AND he's an ex-Nazi, AND he came from behind the Iron Curtain, AND he has, like, evil powers! Super evil foreigner!!!! *eye-roll*
Finally, the werewolf part: some aspects of it were cool--I liked the creepy visitations--but it took WAY too long to get to the werewolfy parts. And once the initial turn-into-a-werewolf attack happened, it took way too long to wolf out again. This is the selling-point of the book, built into the very title, and it felt like a slog to get the slightest touch of it.
Honestly, I forced my way through 2/3rds of the book hoping it would improve and had to quit. There are much better werewolf books out there, and what little good parts there are here are buried under too much awfulness.
First, the toxic masculinity: pretty much the only woman who isn't looked down on is the homemaking wifey. I have nothing against 'housewife' as a life choice, there are great housewife characters out there, BUT it's like this woman never leaves the house except to go to church; she has no interests, curiosities, feelings, or ambitions beyond waiting on her husband's every need and desire, and this is all portrayed as proof that she is 'the perfect wife'. She is pure and angelic, and her two Obligatory Cute Children are likewise perfect and angelic little decorative props (whereas anyone who either has multiple kids or has siblings knows there should be some fighting and whining here and there). Every other woman is either the Manipulative Psycho Girlfriend or is contemptibly weak and/or incompetent at her job--she's only here to fill a PC quota, she needs a man to tell her what to do, she bases all her actions on needing people to like her, etc. The message here is 'women are no good outside the home'. The female reporter gets a slightly more positive portrayal, though possibly only because she's looking for who killed her fiance (and ruined her dreams of domesticity!). The protagonist's gruff partner is known for spewing racist and misogynist diatribe, which the protagonist (and everybody else) amusedly tolerates because 'there's a kernel or truth in it' and 'he says what everyone else is thinking'. In other words, 'I'm not racist or sexist, but I agree with the racist and sexist things this racist sexist says!' *HEAVY SIGH*
Next, the unnecessary political background crap: the author is trying to make the point that this evil dude is taking down Europe. How? By somehow, mysteriously, without explanation, having Europe taken over by, I don't know, unspecified muslims? I'm guessing, because at one point they mention in passing that France adopts Sharia law. Despite this being big news, almost nobody in the States seems to know about it (when you'd think the US sensationalist news would be losing their minds and bombarding everyone with it 24/7). It's not really explained, it doesn't seem to matter to anyone (?!?), and it really wasn't necessary to advance the plot anyway. It's just slapped on there for supposedly-scary-but-really-just-excessive-and-annoying effect.
Now, we need to make our protagonist perfect yet flawed and relatable: okay, so he's, like, pretty religious, okay? Only he lets his perfect little wifey do most of the religioning for him (delegating! Because I've got more manly things to do!). But, like, he's flawed, okay, so he gets totally manipulated into sex with a Psycho Girlfriend and then spends 80% of the time dodging Psycho's calls and feeling guilty (fair enough, but did your guiltiness have to have such melodramatically pious tones? I'm Christian myself, but I found this guy VERY annoying). And then the problem gets resolved WAY too conveniently--very cliche.
To top off the lazy character-making, the villain: okay, what's evil and scary? Nazis! What else? Those commie Russians! (Remember, this is for a 'Merican audience). So how can I make a character who's super-scary? How about he's half-German, half-Russian, AND he's an ex-Nazi, AND he came from behind the Iron Curtain, AND he has, like, evil powers! Super evil foreigner!!!! *eye-roll*
Finally, the werewolf part: some aspects of it were cool--I liked the creepy visitations--but it took WAY too long to get to the werewolfy parts. And once the initial turn-into-a-werewolf attack happened, it took way too long to wolf out again. This is the selling-point of the book, built into the very title, and it felt like a slog to get the slightest touch of it.
Honestly, I forced my way through 2/3rds of the book hoping it would improve and had to quit. There are much better werewolf books out there, and what little good parts there are here are buried under too much awfulness.
October 3, 2023
Klavan's ability to smoothly bring the supernatural horror element into an otherwise straightforward police drama is impressive, even after having read several of his other novels. The pacing in this is great. And as usual, I particularly enjoyed Klavan's witty, at times comical dialogue between characters. It's a fun read.
January 25, 2019
I think this writer has a lot of talent. His descriptions are highly evocative. There were a few phrases worth re-reading for their smoothness, their polish; I wanted to absorb them.
That being said, I felt like this book was not written with a female audience in mind. I don't have a problem with writing weak-willing or pushy or cruel female characters. Women are capable of being all of these things and more. The trouble is how the protagonist reacts to these women and to sexist remarks by his coworkers. His partner will say something like "well, you know, women just need a man to control them or they're not happy" and Zach will think "like most of the things he says, it's rooted in some truth..." Boo. Quite an unflattering perspective for a protagonist - it would almost constitute a character flaw if it were remedied, or even challenged, at any point.
It originally felt like sexist attitudes were being played for laughs (the sexist, racist partner was obviously not setting any glowing moral standards), but later in the book, it becomes clear that these views are pervasive to the point of... I don't know, have you ever read a book whose views are so unfair to women that they kind of come full circle and seem noble? This is that book. Those "women are pure, they needs must be protected, for they cannot know what is right for themselves; as a man I understand this fact of nature" books.
I don't have a problem with the pure Christian homemaker wife. I don't have a problem with the scheming adulterer woman. These are characters, they're viable, they're believable. Zach's reaction to them is permissible. The dearth of upstanding female characters is what gets me. The women in the police force and few other side female characters are treated in such a dismissive, unimportant manner that I found it hard to feel like if the protagonist met *me* he'd respect me at all. At one point, Zach's inner monologue even describes something like "the point when a woman's youthful beauty begins to turn" or whatever about a woman who is supposedly 27. Ouch.
Oh well. I left this book with a bad taste in my mouth. Authors, please stop reducing all of your female characters to lesser, pitiable versions of the men in your story.
That being said, I felt like this book was not written with a female audience in mind. I don't have a problem with writing weak-willing or pushy or cruel female characters. Women are capable of being all of these things and more. The trouble is how the protagonist reacts to these women and to sexist remarks by his coworkers. His partner will say something like "well, you know, women just need a man to control them or they're not happy" and Zach will think "like most of the things he says, it's rooted in some truth..." Boo. Quite an unflattering perspective for a protagonist - it would almost constitute a character flaw if it were remedied, or even challenged, at any point.
It originally felt like sexist attitudes were being played for laughs (the sexist, racist partner was obviously not setting any glowing moral standards), but later in the book, it becomes clear that these views are pervasive to the point of... I don't know, have you ever read a book whose views are so unfair to women that they kind of come full circle and seem noble? This is that book. Those "women are pure, they needs must be protected, for they cannot know what is right for themselves; as a man I understand this fact of nature" books.
I don't have a problem with the pure Christian homemaker wife. I don't have a problem with the scheming adulterer woman. These are characters, they're viable, they're believable. Zach's reaction to them is permissible. The dearth of upstanding female characters is what gets me. The women in the police force and few other side female characters are treated in such a dismissive, unimportant manner that I found it hard to feel like if the protagonist met *me* he'd respect me at all. At one point, Zach's inner monologue even describes something like "the point when a woman's youthful beauty begins to turn" or whatever about a woman who is supposedly 27. Ouch.
Oh well. I left this book with a bad taste in my mouth. Authors, please stop reducing all of your female characters to lesser, pitiable versions of the men in your story.
March 16, 2015
Won this book as a Goodreads First Reads winner.
Will update when I have finished the book, but I'm glad the cover has changed. The new one looks much nicer and more mature (less of that bad supernatural YA novel vibe).
____________________________________________________
Update:
Upon seeing this book's name I thought it would be some teenage supernatural book akin to Twilight that is so prevalent nowadays. However, this is an adult supernatural book about a cop who has been turned into a werewolf and his quest to find a criminal and end the curse. There is a lot of gore and some language, definitely not a young adult book. Somehow the author managed to pull of the supernatural aspect of it in a serious setting without it turning out to be ridiculous. The book is easy to get into, but some of the characters come off a bit flat (especially the women).
Will update when I have finished the book, but I'm glad the cover has changed. The new one looks much nicer and more mature (less of that bad supernatural YA novel vibe).
____________________________________________________
Update:
Upon seeing this book's name I thought it would be some teenage supernatural book akin to Twilight that is so prevalent nowadays. However, this is an adult supernatural book about a cop who has been turned into a werewolf and his quest to find a criminal and end the curse. There is a lot of gore and some language, definitely not a young adult book. Somehow the author managed to pull of the supernatural aspect of it in a serious setting without it turning out to be ridiculous. The book is easy to get into, but some of the characters come off a bit flat (especially the women).
April 26, 2015
This is a strange mix of a police procedural and a paranormal battle for good and evil between a greater and lesser evil force. That makes for a very interesting reading experience. I did think the lesser evil force was a little whiny in places, but when you've been a stalwart force for good and an upright super cop for years, and you suddenly become, of all things, a werewolf, a little complaining is allowed. This one is a wild ride, but fun.
April 12, 2017
Ah! That title!
But a seriously good grasp on the human situation.
Family man Texan cop investigates a gruesome murder which could be the tipping point in a much bigger man hunt. As the world is in turmoil, Zach faces choices that he has made and must make to save not only his family but the very society in which they live.
Oh. And there's a magical thingamagig and stuff to do with the title.
But a seriously good grasp on the human situation.
Family man Texan cop investigates a gruesome murder which could be the tipping point in a much bigger man hunt. As the world is in turmoil, Zach faces choices that he has made and must make to save not only his family but the very society in which they live.
Oh. And there's a magical thingamagig and stuff to do with the title.
April 7, 2015
This story will make an excellent movie with proper screen writing. In fact, I bet it will be better than the book because there will be less religious guilt with more basic story interest. 6 of 10 stars
March 23, 2015
Christian author but not necessarily Christian fiction. action, fast plot, highly suspenseful, well written. Strong elements of right and wrong, forgiveness. Loved it. Will be reading more.
January 7, 2020
Terrible writing, clunky and childish. Plus the writer is a misogynist, anti-feminist and it comes across quite strongly in how he writes about women.
Red flags guys, avoid this novelists books.
Red flags guys, avoid this novelists books.
March 13, 2025
Sure changed my life.
December 30, 2017
Klavan writes so you want to keep reading. It's fast-paced, lean, and just the right amount character development and description.
It's clear from the reviews that some hate this book and some love it. Count me in with the lovers.
I've read enough of the haters to know that some resent the book's Christian definition of good and evil. According to one of the characters, the problems erupting in European riots stem from the abandonment of God:
"We see the violence now, the riots, the burning, and we think, 'Ach, it is destroying us,' Gretchen Dankle continued. 'But no, this is not the case. It is not the violence. It is the peace, the too-much peace that came before. We were already destroyed –inside, you know–before the rioting began. You see, where there is not spirit, there is only flesh. Where there is only flesh, there is nothing but pleasure and pain. Where there is nothing but pleasure and pain, who would choose pain'?"
The book goes on to further critique the nihilism of Europe: "We would rather become what is evil than dare to oppose it."
But there is a good in the book that can distinguish and perhaps even extinguish the evil. The detective Zach Adams is caught in the transition between the two. He wants to be like his wife--good, and not just any good, but God-fearing good. But he also resents God for interfering with how he wants to arrange his life. His partner knows what evil is (because he sees it everyday on the job) and becomes a nihilist, i.e. taking the perspective that life is ultimately meaningless so construct your own meaning and live on. Zach will be willing to die for something good and his partner will be willing to kill to preserve what he thinks is good-- hedonistic existence. Quite a contrast.
There is moral fuzziness too, like whether Zach come clean about a one night stand with a seductress and risk losing his wife and family or keep his conscience to himself and spare them the pain? He knows he would rather tell the truth than be blackmailed but will he tell the truth for truth's sake?
The paranormal comes into play in morally ambiguous ways as well. It seems to be evil but it also seems that it can be used to stop the evil:
"'And yet it has been like that for me and my country,' Professor Dankl went on, her voice still deep and hollow but full of feeling too, full of a world-weary fondness that struck Zach as somehow particularly European. 'Liebestod. I have sacrificed even my immortal soul to defend her--to defend her from evil and from death--to chase them through the centuries of unbelief, alone in my understanding of them.... My love, my love,' said Professor Gretchen Dankl. 'It is for you I have become and abomination'."
Klavan has written a great story from a profound perspective.
It's clear from the reviews that some hate this book and some love it. Count me in with the lovers.
I've read enough of the haters to know that some resent the book's Christian definition of good and evil. According to one of the characters, the problems erupting in European riots stem from the abandonment of God:
"We see the violence now, the riots, the burning, and we think, 'Ach, it is destroying us,' Gretchen Dankle continued. 'But no, this is not the case. It is not the violence. It is the peace, the too-much peace that came before. We were already destroyed –inside, you know–before the rioting began. You see, where there is not spirit, there is only flesh. Where there is only flesh, there is nothing but pleasure and pain. Where there is nothing but pleasure and pain, who would choose pain'?"
The book goes on to further critique the nihilism of Europe: "We would rather become what is evil than dare to oppose it."
But there is a good in the book that can distinguish and perhaps even extinguish the evil. The detective Zach Adams is caught in the transition between the two. He wants to be like his wife--good, and not just any good, but God-fearing good. But he also resents God for interfering with how he wants to arrange his life. His partner knows what evil is (because he sees it everyday on the job) and becomes a nihilist, i.e. taking the perspective that life is ultimately meaningless so construct your own meaning and live on. Zach will be willing to die for something good and his partner will be willing to kill to preserve what he thinks is good-- hedonistic existence. Quite a contrast.
There is moral fuzziness too, like whether Zach come clean about a one night stand with a seductress and risk losing his wife and family or keep his conscience to himself and spare them the pain? He knows he would rather tell the truth than be blackmailed but will he tell the truth for truth's sake?
The paranormal comes into play in morally ambiguous ways as well. It seems to be evil but it also seems that it can be used to stop the evil:
"'And yet it has been like that for me and my country,' Professor Dankl went on, her voice still deep and hollow but full of feeling too, full of a world-weary fondness that struck Zach as somehow particularly European. 'Liebestod. I have sacrificed even my immortal soul to defend her--to defend her from evil and from death--to chase them through the centuries of unbelief, alone in my understanding of them.... My love, my love,' said Professor Gretchen Dankl. 'It is for you I have become and abomination'."
Klavan has written a great story from a profound perspective.
May 7, 2019
Winner of the "Holy Crap, How Did I Not Know About This Book?" award, which comes with a positive review on Goodreads and a free trip to Whataburger.
I was minding my own business on a rare trip to the library and saw this book all by itself on the shelf, probably because none of the other books wanted to hang out with a tome with such a goofy title. But I froze in my tracks. First, because of the Stephen King quote on the front comparing Klavan to Cornell Woolrich, one of my favorite creepy weird authors. Second, because if I ever wrote a book (not happening: I've never had an original thought in my life) I would probably call it "Werewolf Cop." It would be followed by "Vampire Fireman" and "Zombie Coast Guard Guy." The only difference is that my books would suck out loud, whereas this little gem was the first book I've read in three or four years (which means three or four hundred books) that I couldn't put down. I even took it to work, closed my office door, and pretended to be busy while I read it. (Full disclosure: I'm an attorney, and at my billing rate this free library book cost me about $2500 bucks to read--thanks a lot Mr. Klavan).
What is there to like?
Great main character who is dealing with two demons at once: His infidelity to his wife and his propensity to eat people once a month. And the wrestle with infidelity was perhaps the more compelling story.
This curious writing style where Klavan repeats words from sentence to sentence in a way that creates a suspenseful drumbeat cadence, almost like a soundtrack. Very Poe-like.
Characters who believe in God but aren't treated as whack jobs or simpletons. That's a rare find.
Enough blood that I almost read the book while wearing a plastic sheet, as if I were in the front row of a Gallagher performance.
This is a smart, suspenseful, often deeply creepy book. Can't say enough good things about it. And now I'm a rabid (sorry for the pun) Andrew Klavan fan.
I was minding my own business on a rare trip to the library and saw this book all by itself on the shelf, probably because none of the other books wanted to hang out with a tome with such a goofy title. But I froze in my tracks. First, because of the Stephen King quote on the front comparing Klavan to Cornell Woolrich, one of my favorite creepy weird authors. Second, because if I ever wrote a book (not happening: I've never had an original thought in my life) I would probably call it "Werewolf Cop." It would be followed by "Vampire Fireman" and "Zombie Coast Guard Guy." The only difference is that my books would suck out loud, whereas this little gem was the first book I've read in three or four years (which means three or four hundred books) that I couldn't put down. I even took it to work, closed my office door, and pretended to be busy while I read it. (Full disclosure: I'm an attorney, and at my billing rate this free library book cost me about $2500 bucks to read--thanks a lot Mr. Klavan).
What is there to like?
Great main character who is dealing with two demons at once: His infidelity to his wife and his propensity to eat people once a month. And the wrestle with infidelity was perhaps the more compelling story.
This curious writing style where Klavan repeats words from sentence to sentence in a way that creates a suspenseful drumbeat cadence, almost like a soundtrack. Very Poe-like.
Characters who believe in God but aren't treated as whack jobs or simpletons. That's a rare find.
Enough blood that I almost read the book while wearing a plastic sheet, as if I were in the front row of a Gallagher performance.
This is a smart, suspenseful, often deeply creepy book. Can't say enough good things about it. And now I'm a rabid (sorry for the pun) Andrew Klavan fan.
dnf
January 12, 2022DNF at roughly 15%
From the beginning you're walked into an extremely graphic crime scene, so be warned of that, it didn't bother me much descriptively. However once the main character and his partner were introduced it got to a point where MC was describing his partner going into intense detail about how much of a racist, sexist, misogynistic dick bag he was... only for the MC to agree with a flippant "He's absolutely right, of course, but we don't say that out loud." I couldn't continue with it after all that. The MC was just so unlikable, and something about the writing just didn't work for me.
I don't usually rate books I haven't finished, but this would be a one star. I found the premise interesting, I really love werewolves and have trouble finding non romance books with them so this was kind of exciting to see in a two for one sale, but obviously I made it maybe two hours out of twelve. Reading spoilers about how the MC starts toting his own virtue calling himself Godly while cheating on his wife and murdering people... yea, I do not care to finish it. Glad I was able to return it.
From the beginning you're walked into an extremely graphic crime scene, so be warned of that, it didn't bother me much descriptively. However once the main character and his partner were introduced it got to a point where MC was describing his partner going into intense detail about how much of a racist, sexist, misogynistic dick bag he was... only for the MC to agree with a flippant "He's absolutely right, of course, but we don't say that out loud." I couldn't continue with it after all that. The MC was just so unlikable, and something about the writing just didn't work for me.
I don't usually rate books I haven't finished, but this would be a one star. I found the premise interesting, I really love werewolves and have trouble finding non romance books with them so this was kind of exciting to see in a two for one sale, but obviously I made it maybe two hours out of twelve. Reading spoilers about how the MC starts toting his own virtue calling himself Godly while cheating on his wife and murdering people... yea, I do not care to finish it. Glad I was able to return it.
November 4, 2018
Andrew Klavan's Werewolf Cop-the title handily spells out the plot of the book. I enjoyed this novel but it was an uphill climb-you need to get about about seventy-five pages in before things get juicy. If you don't have the patience to go that far you will miss out on something you might enjoy, warts and all. Because no this book is not perfect-but it is interesting and fun if you can take the first steps of the journey. Put it this way: I will be seeking out more Andrew Klavan in the future. This is an author who cannot be judged on the basis of one book alone. The fact that I feel I should read another of his books should tell you something.
April 6, 2017
3 1/2 stars actually.
December 17, 2015
This book was caught between two and three for me. On the one hand, I enjoyed the fast-paced paranormal mystery. It was a genuinely fun read. I enjoyed the tone of super-hardboiled detective story that you don't often find mixing with the paranormal. On the other hand, there's a weird current of misogyny that runs through the book. For example:
*Early on, a female detective is described as having been hired to fill a quota.
*The main character's boss, a woman, is described as insecure and overcompensating, caring too much what all the higher-ups think of her.
*The main character's wife is just the ultimate perfect angel, and even responds to news that with patience, understanding and forgiveness. Her name is Grace - can you be any more heavy-handed?
*Margo, is a cardboard cutout crazy ex-girlfriend, basically.
*Last, but not least, a character I had high hopes for, reporter Imogen Storm, in the end is reduced to someone who "needs a man to believe in her." Like, literally, that's how she's described.
So you can see why I'd be irritated. The only woman who escapes this treatment is Gretchen Dankle So - two stars for gender issues, three for writing.
Recommended for fans of:
Hellboy
The Dresden Files
The Monstrumologist
The X-Files
*Early on, a female detective is described as having been hired to fill a quota.
*The main character's boss, a woman, is described as insecure and overcompensating, caring too much what all the higher-ups think of her.
*The main character's wife is just the ultimate perfect angel, and even responds to news that with patience, understanding and forgiveness. Her name is Grace - can you be any more heavy-handed?
*Margo, is a cardboard cutout crazy ex-girlfriend, basically.
*Last, but not least, a character I had high hopes for, reporter Imogen Storm, in the end is reduced to someone who "needs a man to believe in her." Like, literally, that's how she's described.
So you can see why I'd be irritated. The only woman who escapes this treatment is Gretchen Dankle So - two stars for gender issues, three for writing.
Recommended for fans of:
Hellboy
The Dresden Files
The Monstrumologist
The X-Files
May 22, 2019
Overall feel: watching a smart adult play with paper dolls.
Good: A main character from Texas and an interesting analogy about how the standard bearers of past generations have failed us. It was nice to have a married protagonist for a change, but...
Bad: ... apparently if your protagonist is married, they have to have an affair (for which the main character can't be man enough to take some responsibility for). I've lived in Texas my entire life, the Houston-area for most of it, and I've never heard anyone who sounded this ridiculous. The characters were either flat or painfully oblivious. The majority of the book read like a Christian romance novel - obligation and duty were shoehorned in to replace attraction and sexual tension.
Conclusion: A mercifully quick read that was short on the fun aspects of urban fantasy and long on Texas and Christian stereotypes.
Good: A main character from Texas and an interesting analogy about how the standard bearers of past generations have failed us. It was nice to have a married protagonist for a change, but...
Bad: ... apparently if your protagonist is married, they have to have an affair (for which the main character can't be man enough to take some responsibility for). I've lived in Texas my entire life, the Houston-area for most of it, and I've never heard anyone who sounded this ridiculous. The characters were either flat or painfully oblivious. The majority of the book read like a Christian romance novel - obligation and duty were shoehorned in to replace attraction and sexual tension.
Conclusion: A mercifully quick read that was short on the fun aspects of urban fantasy and long on Texas and Christian stereotypes.
April 27, 2024
Out of all the books I've read from Andrew Klavin, this novel is his most unorthodox. There's some really good writing here, including moments that feature some of his best work. That said, I offer this praise with a massive asterick, as this book in stumbles in a place where a lot of his past Christian fiction books haven't. But before that, let's talk about the story.
Zach Adams, a hotshot special agent and cop, needs to take down the elusive Dominic Abend before he brings complete global anarchy. But in the midst of his criminal investigation, he struggles with his own immorality, as he caves to lust and lies. As this story gives way, a seeming legend about a werewolf transformation looms. Werewolf Cop brings you into a reality rife with vexation. It's this aspect that I both enjoyed and despised about the book.
The mystery/suspense novel finds success in its world-building and characters. Through Klavin's words, you get a great sense of your grim surroundings, as well as the varying cultures in Zach's precinct, home, and elsewhere. Characters, both major and minor, are also described in earnest. Dominic, a vile villian indeed, is also admittedly impressive and compelling. While the efforts to set the different scences are admirable, they do offer too much detail. The reasons why I feel this way is because 1) it makes the story longer than it needs to be, and 2) I want to imagine my own details too, which Klavan's vivid decriptors can impede. The author's impression of a dark world also works against overarching moral compass, which leads to my greatest grievence with the book.
For a Christian fiction novel from a professing Christian author, this book is highly corrupt when it comes to abrasive acts. It is decedent in swearing, hyperviolence, faux spirtuality, and other micellaneous evils. There are also blasphemies against God, which I hated. The intent seems to be to potray its fallen world as decaying further. But it is taken too far. As believers, we are called to be set apart from the world, as part of our witness for Jesus Christ. However, Werewolf Cop is not merely indestinct from a secular product. Instead, it is one of the most volitle pieces of fiction that I've ever read. For a work under the Christian fiction moniker, this is uncalled for.
While I continue to see this book a well-written entry in Klavan's fiction ensemble, it is also flagrant in its immorality. And because of that, I cannot in good conscience recommend it.
Zach Adams, a hotshot special agent and cop, needs to take down the elusive Dominic Abend before he brings complete global anarchy. But in the midst of his criminal investigation, he struggles with his own immorality, as he caves to lust and lies. As this story gives way, a seeming legend about a werewolf transformation looms. Werewolf Cop brings you into a reality rife with vexation. It's this aspect that I both enjoyed and despised about the book.
The mystery/suspense novel finds success in its world-building and characters. Through Klavin's words, you get a great sense of your grim surroundings, as well as the varying cultures in Zach's precinct, home, and elsewhere. Characters, both major and minor, are also described in earnest. Dominic, a vile villian indeed, is also admittedly impressive and compelling. While the efforts to set the different scences are admirable, they do offer too much detail. The reasons why I feel this way is because 1) it makes the story longer than it needs to be, and 2) I want to imagine my own details too, which Klavan's vivid decriptors can impede. The author's impression of a dark world also works against overarching moral compass, which leads to my greatest grievence with the book.
For a Christian fiction novel from a professing Christian author, this book is highly corrupt when it comes to abrasive acts. It is decedent in swearing, hyperviolence, faux spirtuality, and other micellaneous evils. There are also blasphemies against God, which I hated. The intent seems to be to potray its fallen world as decaying further. But it is taken too far. As believers, we are called to be set apart from the world, as part of our witness for Jesus Christ. However, Werewolf Cop is not merely indestinct from a secular product. Instead, it is one of the most volitle pieces of fiction that I've ever read. For a work under the Christian fiction moniker, this is uncalled for.
While I continue to see this book a well-written entry in Klavan's fiction ensemble, it is also flagrant in its immorality. And because of that, I cannot in good conscience recommend it.
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