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Seaside Shifters #1
Wild Retaliation
Chief of Police John Dakota is in a world of trouble. His peaceful town of Seaside, Oregon, has been rocked by a wave of unsolved murders. The bloody deaths are eerily reminiscent of ones that occurred in Seaside years ago. Back then John worked hard to make sure the truth about the killer was never revealed. Now he’s afraid the past is coming back to haunt him.
Trevor English, the nosy reporter who occasionally shares John’s bed, is demanding information about the crimes. He also wants more of John’s affections. But John can’t afford to give in to either demand without risking the revelation of Seaside’s biggest the town is a haven for shifters, and John is one of them.
To solve the crime—and prevent more victims—John must delve into the past. Many members of Seaside’s shifter community are involved, but it’s becoming harder and harder to tell which residents can be trusted. Even John’s family isn’t above suspicion. The body count is rising, and it looks like John is the killer’s next target.
Trevor English, the nosy reporter who occasionally shares John’s bed, is demanding information about the crimes. He also wants more of John’s affections. But John can’t afford to give in to either demand without risking the revelation of Seaside’s biggest the town is a haven for shifters, and John is one of them.
To solve the crime—and prevent more victims—John must delve into the past. Many members of Seaside’s shifter community are involved, but it’s becoming harder and harder to tell which residents can be trusted. Even John’s family isn’t above suspicion. The body count is rising, and it looks like John is the killer’s next target.
121 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 7, 2016
4 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 19, 2020
Seaside, Oregon, sounds like an idyllic little place – but, in this story, it turns out to be the setting for a series of gruesome murders, shifters trying to hide their existence, and an increasingly passionate affair between shifter chief of police, John, and an extremely curious and persistent human reporter by the name of Trevor. Both men have had the occasional encounter before this newest appearance of what looks like a shifter serial killer, but solving the latest crimes brings them closer together than ever. With John fearful of giving away his true nature and Trevor determined to find out everything he can – about everything, the tension soon grows in line with the body count.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
December 15, 2020
Seaside, Oregon, sounds like an idyllic little place – but, in this story, it turns out to be the setting for a series of gruesome murders, shifters trying to hide their existence, and an increasingly passionate affair between shifter chief of police, John, and an extremely curious and persistent human reporter by the name of Trevor. Both men have had the occasional encounter before this newest appearance of what looks like a shifter serial killer, but solving the latest crimes brings them closer together than ever. With John fearful of giving away his true nature and Trevor determined to find out everything he can – about everything, the tension soon grows in line with the body count.
Please find my full review of the second edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review of the second edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
November 1, 2016
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.5 stars
For me, the mystery was one part of the book that was done well. John’s a rather lackluster character and the writing felt ponderous and repetitive. John pretty much keeps repeating how he wants a man for keeps, but not. How he’s a loner, but there’s all these people around. Warning Trevor time and again how they aren’t serious. He’s got no commitment, and that was irritating. He seems to feel sorry for himself a lot, and that wasn’t endearing. I really struggled to care even a little about him. The murders are gross, truly, and that’s not my fave stuff to read. I’ve read dozens of police procedurals and shifter investigations—so I know they have graphic descriptions. Here, I felt the shock value was the big goal. As each body was described, I got more disgusted. I also found it kind of strange how John was able to clock out, after spending all day hunting missing persons he knew were likely being tortured or mutilated, and go get some sexy on. That disconnect, for me, was troubling.
What saved the book for me: John got honest with Trevor—who is a great guy. John’s big reveal wasn’t his choice, but he does it well, and that cemented a bond between them. The unraveling of the mystery was pretty good, and I liked that Trevor took a big role in that. At the beginning of the book we have a lonely cop with a guilty conscience, and at the end John’s got a man, and closer friends/family than before. That’s always nice, but it didn’t help me overcome the issues I had with characterization and plot. This is the beginning of a series, and I’m on the fence regarding wanting to read on. As I haven’t read much by this author, I’d probably try one more book, to see if this one wasn’t to my taste, but others could be.
Read Veronica’s review in its entirety here.
3.5 stars
For me, the mystery was one part of the book that was done well. John’s a rather lackluster character and the writing felt ponderous and repetitive. John pretty much keeps repeating how he wants a man for keeps, but not. How he’s a loner, but there’s all these people around. Warning Trevor time and again how they aren’t serious. He’s got no commitment, and that was irritating. He seems to feel sorry for himself a lot, and that wasn’t endearing. I really struggled to care even a little about him. The murders are gross, truly, and that’s not my fave stuff to read. I’ve read dozens of police procedurals and shifter investigations—so I know they have graphic descriptions. Here, I felt the shock value was the big goal. As each body was described, I got more disgusted. I also found it kind of strange how John was able to clock out, after spending all day hunting missing persons he knew were likely being tortured or mutilated, and go get some sexy on. That disconnect, for me, was troubling.
What saved the book for me: John got honest with Trevor—who is a great guy. John’s big reveal wasn’t his choice, but he does it well, and that cemented a bond between them. The unraveling of the mystery was pretty good, and I liked that Trevor took a big role in that. At the beginning of the book we have a lonely cop with a guilty conscience, and at the end John’s got a man, and closer friends/family than before. That’s always nice, but it didn’t help me overcome the issues I had with characterization and plot. This is the beginning of a series, and I’m on the fence regarding wanting to read on. As I haven’t read much by this author, I’d probably try one more book, to see if this one wasn’t to my taste, but others could be.
Read Veronica’s review in its entirety here.
July 3, 2017
Ethan Stone is a new author for me and have nothing but praise for this book. I really could not put this book down. It reminded me a bit of the movie, “The Last Stand” with Arnold Schwarzenegger, but instead vicious crime lord and his cronies we have a shifter gone mad. I really don’t want to give too much away and spoil this read for anyone, because it really is good! The book starts off with a bang with a murder right from the start. It just so happens that it is very similar to a string of killings that happened nine years’ prior, that Chief of Police John Dakota is very familiar with.
The thing is, the killer was taken care of. Consequently, this leaves John hoping that the past is not coming back to haunt him. However, once a few more people/shifters' are murdered in the same way and pattern, he knows he that his is not a wild animal, but a shifter gone mad. John has a copy cat on his hands that is bringing the past events back to life.
Not to mention, that John’s FWB is the town’s reporter for The Sentinel, Trevor English. Not only that, but Trevor is clueless about the shifter community and John wants to keep it that way. One of the big reasons why John keeps in at arm's length. Yet, as things progress, John starts wanting more out of their arrangement. He finally realizes that Trevor is his mate, and when they are almost hurt by the crazed shifter, it more than cements it in stone for John.
Even though, both Trevor and John get their HEA, it does leave it open for the next story. We are left with hope of a future mpreg book. I don’t know about you, but I do fancy me a good paranormal mpreg book!
I am one of many reviewers at Gay Book Reviews and can be found here: http://gaybook.reviews/author/steph/
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The thing is, the killer was taken care of. Consequently, this leaves John hoping that the past is not coming back to haunt him. However, once a few more people/shifters' are murdered in the same way and pattern, he knows he that his is not a wild animal, but a shifter gone mad. John has a copy cat on his hands that is bringing the past events back to life.
Not to mention, that John’s FWB is the town’s reporter for The Sentinel, Trevor English. Not only that, but Trevor is clueless about the shifter community and John wants to keep it that way. One of the big reasons why John keeps in at arm's length. Yet, as things progress, John starts wanting more out of their arrangement. He finally realizes that Trevor is his mate, and when they are almost hurt by the crazed shifter, it more than cements it in stone for John.
Even though, both Trevor and John get their HEA, it does leave it open for the next story. We are left with hope of a future mpreg book. I don’t know about you, but I do fancy me a good paranormal mpreg book!
I am one of many reviewers at Gay Book Reviews and can be found here: http://gaybook.reviews/author/steph/
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 13, 2021
Low angst, quick read but a good story.
May 14, 2018
I love shifters and bear shifters are some of my favorites. I liked that this book was a cop story with a shifter police chief. I spent the whole book trying to figure out who the killer was. I love that. The mystery element added to the romance is great. I especially liked that John's potential mate was a reporter. Reporter and police chief....oh the fun that brings. This was a nice little short shifter book with an intriguing mystery rolled into it. I'm definitely interested in reading the second book. I like this little town and its inhabitants.
September 7, 2016
Book: Wild Retaliation
Author: Ethan Stone
Rating: 4 Stars
This story contained two of my favorite things...shifters and mystery! Add to the fact that it’s a bear shifter (among others) living in a town where the humans do not know the shifter exist makes this murder mystery even better! Now I haven’t ever read Ethan Stone before so I was excited by the story and getting to read a new to me author!
Murder mysteries are some of my favorite tropes because of all the tension of “who’s the villain?” and “Are they going to catch the bad guy in time?” questions that run through your mind while reading. Add in Trevor English the human who is the friends with benefits for our resident Chief of Police and bear shifter John Dakota and now we have some heat and altogether a different kind of tension. More than a couple times in the book I wanted to skip to the end to see who the murderer was because sitting on the edge of my seat was getting to me! But alas I was good and just went along for the ride the author took me on.
John knows what will happen next because the murders seem to follow the same MO as a string of murders that happened nine years ago, ones that hit very close to home. But what doesn’t help him solve the case is that he basically has to hide more than normal about the case because of the fact that they know it's a shifter which is the town's biggest secret. And all the while we get to see John start to struggle with his friends with benefits relationship with Trevor and how it’s starting to feel one kiss at at time like more, more that he is not ready for now or maybe ever, no matter what his bear says.
And Trevor, the reporter for the local paper, unbeknownst to John loves him but doesn’t want to push to hard too fast because he knows John will bolt. Again secrets seem to be the name of the game in this story! Trevor is a combination of hot and sweet especially when it comes to Johnny. John is a tough guy with a wall built around him not letting anyone too close but really he cares deeply for his people and his town. Both characters were well developed and were a great fit together! There was a quick mention of mpreg at one point as for someone who loves that I hope it is incorporated in some of the future books but I understand there are many who do not feel the same.
The town was full of interesting characters that played a great help in keeping the tension and murder mystery alive. I hope some of the future books are about some of them and we get to see more of their backgrounds.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://diversereader.blogspot.com/ *
Author: Ethan Stone
Rating: 4 Stars
This story contained two of my favorite things...shifters and mystery! Add to the fact that it’s a bear shifter (among others) living in a town where the humans do not know the shifter exist makes this murder mystery even better! Now I haven’t ever read Ethan Stone before so I was excited by the story and getting to read a new to me author!
Murder mysteries are some of my favorite tropes because of all the tension of “who’s the villain?” and “Are they going to catch the bad guy in time?” questions that run through your mind while reading. Add in Trevor English the human who is the friends with benefits for our resident Chief of Police and bear shifter John Dakota and now we have some heat and altogether a different kind of tension. More than a couple times in the book I wanted to skip to the end to see who the murderer was because sitting on the edge of my seat was getting to me! But alas I was good and just went along for the ride the author took me on.
John knows what will happen next because the murders seem to follow the same MO as a string of murders that happened nine years ago, ones that hit very close to home. But what doesn’t help him solve the case is that he basically has to hide more than normal about the case because of the fact that they know it's a shifter which is the town's biggest secret. And all the while we get to see John start to struggle with his friends with benefits relationship with Trevor and how it’s starting to feel one kiss at at time like more, more that he is not ready for now or maybe ever, no matter what his bear says.
And Trevor, the reporter for the local paper, unbeknownst to John loves him but doesn’t want to push to hard too fast because he knows John will bolt. Again secrets seem to be the name of the game in this story! Trevor is a combination of hot and sweet especially when it comes to Johnny. John is a tough guy with a wall built around him not letting anyone too close but really he cares deeply for his people and his town. Both characters were well developed and were a great fit together! There was a quick mention of mpreg at one point as for someone who loves that I hope it is incorporated in some of the future books but I understand there are many who do not feel the same.
The town was full of interesting characters that played a great help in keeping the tension and murder mystery alive. I hope some of the future books are about some of them and we get to see more of their backgrounds.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://diversereader.blogspot.com/ *
September 16, 2016
****Reviewed for Prism Book Alliance®****
Wild Retaliation had a very good and mysterious, if gruesome, plot. The murders were horrific and I was surprised by the killer. Not that the motive was unexplained, but I didn’t see it coming.
I liked that there were all manner of shifters, not just wolves, and that they all got along, more or less. The lore behind the shifting was interesting. I was surprised though that there weren’t more shifters on the police force. In a town of 3000, a 1000 of which being other, you would expect more. That didn’t affect my liking of the story though.
John and Trevor seemed an unlikely pair, though they were hot between the sheets. I found it interesting to see John re-evaluate his relationship status as the book went on. We don’t see much about Trevor, we don’t get to know him well… where he came from, his family, his past is all missing. It is sometimes difficult in a first person narrative to get in depth with the other characters, but I think we could have had more information.
There is a major plot point that isn’t well explained and left me wondering, however, if you just roll with the punches and allow it to be a deus ex machina it works.
This is my second book by Ethan Stone, and based on it, I will definitely check out more of his work and this series.
Wild Retaliation had a very good and mysterious, if gruesome, plot. The murders were horrific and I was surprised by the killer. Not that the motive was unexplained, but I didn’t see it coming.
I liked that there were all manner of shifters, not just wolves, and that they all got along, more or less. The lore behind the shifting was interesting. I was surprised though that there weren’t more shifters on the police force. In a town of 3000, a 1000 of which being other, you would expect more. That didn’t affect my liking of the story though.
John and Trevor seemed an unlikely pair, though they were hot between the sheets. I found it interesting to see John re-evaluate his relationship status as the book went on. We don’t see much about Trevor, we don’t get to know him well… where he came from, his family, his past is all missing. It is sometimes difficult in a first person narrative to get in depth with the other characters, but I think we could have had more information.
There is a major plot point that isn’t well explained and left me wondering, however, if you just roll with the punches and allow it to be a deus ex machina it works.
This is my second book by Ethan Stone, and based on it, I will definitely check out more of his work and this series.
August 27, 2016
I was given a copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
This story combines elements of a classic detective story with more modern shifter lore to create an exciting murder mystery. As Chief of Police in Seaside, Oregon, bear shifter John Dakota is a fantastic character - he is a little bit fierce, a tiny bit tubby and he has dark secrets he needs to keep hidden.
I loved the murder mystery elements of the story - it was difficult to guess the murderer and I found myself suspecting everyone. I enjoyed the shifter element of the story though I would have liked a bit more world building to explain the nature of the shifters in more detail. My only annoyance was the mention of male pregnancy late in the story (fortunately only a mention) which is always a complete turnoff for me. Hopefully later books won’t explore this idea any further.
The townsfolk in Seaside (Really? Not even an attempt at a town name?) are an interesting mix of humans and shifters and I’m hoping we see more of them in later books. Even in a short book, all the characters manage to be interesting and colourful. Trevor worked better for me as a hookup than a mate - I wasn’t too sold on the romance element of the story, though the sex between John and Trevor is very hot. The mate concept felt forced and I’m not too sure why a murder mystery has to have a HEA in 2016.
There are several possible characters who can carry this series further. I’m hoping to see more of Jenna, Titus or Tyson but there are several possible ways this series can go and I’m already looking forward to the next story.
This story combines elements of a classic detective story with more modern shifter lore to create an exciting murder mystery. As Chief of Police in Seaside, Oregon, bear shifter John Dakota is a fantastic character - he is a little bit fierce, a tiny bit tubby and he has dark secrets he needs to keep hidden.
I loved the murder mystery elements of the story - it was difficult to guess the murderer and I found myself suspecting everyone. I enjoyed the shifter element of the story though I would have liked a bit more world building to explain the nature of the shifters in more detail. My only annoyance was the mention of male pregnancy late in the story (fortunately only a mention) which is always a complete turnoff for me. Hopefully later books won’t explore this idea any further.
The townsfolk in Seaside (Really? Not even an attempt at a town name?) are an interesting mix of humans and shifters and I’m hoping we see more of them in later books. Even in a short book, all the characters manage to be interesting and colourful. Trevor worked better for me as a hookup than a mate - I wasn’t too sold on the romance element of the story, though the sex between John and Trevor is very hot. The mate concept felt forced and I’m not too sure why a murder mystery has to have a HEA in 2016.
There are several possible characters who can carry this series further. I’m hoping to see more of Jenna, Titus or Tyson but there are several possible ways this series can go and I’m already looking forward to the next story.
September 6, 2016
The mystery and intrigue pulled me in from the first page and I couldn't put it down.
Chief of Police John Dakota is investigating a string of murders that appear to be copy cats of murders that happened 9 years ago. The murder must somehow be connected to the old case, because they know details that weren't released to the public.
On top of that he is starting to have strong feelings for his sometimes bed partner, Trevor than he is willing to admit. If John was 100% sure that he could trust Trevor with his secret he would dive in head first, but he isn't sure how Trevor will take the news that he is a bear shifter.
Trevor is a reporter for the local news paper and has been love with John for a while, but he knows not to push the man too far or else he may walk away. Willing to take what John is able to give he hopes one day John will be able to open up to him.
When Trevor uncovers eerie similarities between the current murders and those from 9 years ago John is forced to reveal his secret. Together they will have to discover why the murders are being reenacted and who is behind it before it's too late.
This book was awesome, I stayed up way too late reading because I was so engrossed and couldn't put it down.
The mystery kept me on my toes, I never would have guessed who was behind it. There were a lot of characters in the book, but they were well described so I never was confused.
The story moved at a steady pace and there weren't any plot holes that I found. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I can't wait for book 2.
ARC provided by author/publisher in exchange for an honest review via Two Chicks Obsessed.
Chief of Police John Dakota is investigating a string of murders that appear to be copy cats of murders that happened 9 years ago. The murder must somehow be connected to the old case, because they know details that weren't released to the public.
On top of that he is starting to have strong feelings for his sometimes bed partner, Trevor than he is willing to admit. If John was 100% sure that he could trust Trevor with his secret he would dive in head first, but he isn't sure how Trevor will take the news that he is a bear shifter.
Trevor is a reporter for the local news paper and has been love with John for a while, but he knows not to push the man too far or else he may walk away. Willing to take what John is able to give he hopes one day John will be able to open up to him.
When Trevor uncovers eerie similarities between the current murders and those from 9 years ago John is forced to reveal his secret. Together they will have to discover why the murders are being reenacted and who is behind it before it's too late.
This book was awesome, I stayed up way too late reading because I was so engrossed and couldn't put it down.
The mystery kept me on my toes, I never would have guessed who was behind it. There were a lot of characters in the book, but they were well described so I never was confused.
The story moved at a steady pace and there weren't any plot holes that I found. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I can't wait for book 2.
ARC provided by author/publisher in exchange for an honest review via Two Chicks Obsessed.
October 19, 2016
Ethan Stone is a new-to-me author, and I enjoyed this introduction and his take on the shifter genre. I really liked the world building in the town of Seaside, and would love to read more about it. Wild Retaliation isn’t a typical shifter story, but it wasn’t too off the wall either. It’s a fast paced murder mystery/thriller/shifter romance that drew me in from the first pages. The reader is thrown into the middle of a case that has ties to John Dakota, the MC’s, past.
The description of the murder was quite graphic but not overly so. The beginning caught me, but I did feel a bit off balance at how abrupt the introduction was. The story begins to smooth out quickly, though, and it moves along at a fair clip. I was easily able to figure out the culprit of both the past and the present mystery with the clues the author presented.
I was a bit disappointed in the romance between John and Trevor because I kinda disliked John. I don’t know why, but his personality seemed off to me somehow; however, I enjoyed the story nonetheless. There was a surprise bit of Mpreg mentioned at the end of the book, which, in one way, I hope doesn’t actually happen. I enjoyed my time with Mr. Stone and his lovely shifter town of Seaside, and hope to return to it once more.
Reviewed by Angel for The Novel Approach Reviews
The description of the murder was quite graphic but not overly so. The beginning caught me, but I did feel a bit off balance at how abrupt the introduction was. The story begins to smooth out quickly, though, and it moves along at a fair clip. I was easily able to figure out the culprit of both the past and the present mystery with the clues the author presented.
I was a bit disappointed in the romance between John and Trevor because I kinda disliked John. I don’t know why, but his personality seemed off to me somehow; however, I enjoyed the story nonetheless. There was a surprise bit of Mpreg mentioned at the end of the book, which, in one way, I hope doesn’t actually happen. I enjoyed my time with Mr. Stone and his lovely shifter town of Seaside, and hope to return to it once more.
Reviewed by Angel for The Novel Approach Reviews
May 2, 2018
Wild Retaliation is the first book in the ‘Seaside Shifters’ series. It’s told in first person through the eyes of John Dakota, the Chief of Police of Seaside, Oregon. The other MC is Trevor English, the town’s reporter.
March 9, 2021
I should have loved this book - it has all the things I usually do. A mystery, a cop who isn't sure he is ready to come out and a gruesome serial killer on the loose. Three things hindered me from loving this book. The first is that I didn't particularly like John in the first half of this book. The second was Trevor's reaction didn't necessarily ring true when faced with some new information (although it's hard to say for sure because we don't get much depth or background on Trevor). Finally the killer was so obvious I had it figured out very early in the book. I've read other books by Ethan Stone that I gave 4 stars so this may have just been a one off for me.
June 17, 2017
My first Ethan Stone book and I think he has a new fan and potential stalker! I loved this book. I really enjoyed the realness of Stone's writing and the relatability of the characters. I liked how the main character was not the stereotypical "gay" hero...he had a belly and he was sexy as heck. The mystery and the cast of characters surrounding 'Johnny' was excellent. I look forward to reading more stories from Stone. A great experience!!!
January 8, 2021
This was a great book--I really enjoyed it. I read both books and enjoyed both of them. The characters were interesting and the storyline was my cup of tea--paranormal and a mystery with romance thrown in.
June 18, 2017
Having lived in Seaside, and worked for the police department, I had to read this book! A lot of fun thinking the town was a shifter haven. And hearing about all the old haunts.
August 11, 2018
nice story - the suspense part was well done and it took me quite awhile to get the solution
October 19, 2022
Parts of this were kinda dumb, the mystery was moderately well done. Not sure if I'll read the sequel.
August 31, 2016
I am such a sucker for shifter books. Then you add in the fact that there is a hot bear shifter cop, human lover who has no idea about shifters, and a murder mystery.... Well I am officially in heaven.
John is the police chief in there small town but as with any small towns, there are secrets that are protected and very few people are let in on those secrets. In this case, the secret revolves around shifters in the area and in order to protect those shifters not many people are made of aware of them. And on top of that John has his own secret of being a bear shifter but more then than that he has the secret of who was behind the murders that took place in their small town nine years ago. Those secrets have stayed buried for many years but all of that is starting to resurface now that there is a copy cat on the lose.
Hohnnis trying desperately to figure out who is behind the murders and why they are copying the murders that happened 9 years ago, especially since he knows the killer from then was disposed of.
Trevor is Johns no strings attached friends with benefits friend but more then that he is also a reporter and a human who is not aware of shifters. John wants to be more with Trevor as much as Trevor does but he is scared of how Trevor will react once he learns all his secrets. Not just the shifting but his part in disposing of the killer nine years ago.
As more murders occur the harder it gets keeping the information from Trevor. Once John decides to be honest with Trevor he hopes they can be together but that may not happen because the killer has his sites set on John.
This book is the first book in this series and it was an exciting read. At every twist and turn there was more questions than answers and I suspected so many of the characters in the book right along with John. I am ashamed to admit I even considered the killer to be Trevor too. Not having enough evidence to say for sure it was one character or another made this an exciting read. I could not predict what was going to happen next and that made me want to hurry up and get to the next page to find out. I truly enjoyed reading this exciting, action packed boom and think this going to be another favorite series of mine.
Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review.
John is the police chief in there small town but as with any small towns, there are secrets that are protected and very few people are let in on those secrets. In this case, the secret revolves around shifters in the area and in order to protect those shifters not many people are made of aware of them. And on top of that John has his own secret of being a bear shifter but more then than that he has the secret of who was behind the murders that took place in their small town nine years ago. Those secrets have stayed buried for many years but all of that is starting to resurface now that there is a copy cat on the lose.
Hohnnis trying desperately to figure out who is behind the murders and why they are copying the murders that happened 9 years ago, especially since he knows the killer from then was disposed of.
Trevor is Johns no strings attached friends with benefits friend but more then that he is also a reporter and a human who is not aware of shifters. John wants to be more with Trevor as much as Trevor does but he is scared of how Trevor will react once he learns all his secrets. Not just the shifting but his part in disposing of the killer nine years ago.
As more murders occur the harder it gets keeping the information from Trevor. Once John decides to be honest with Trevor he hopes they can be together but that may not happen because the killer has his sites set on John.
This book is the first book in this series and it was an exciting read. At every twist and turn there was more questions than answers and I suspected so many of the characters in the book right along with John. I am ashamed to admit I even considered the killer to be Trevor too. Not having enough evidence to say for sure it was one character or another made this an exciting read. I could not predict what was going to happen next and that made me want to hurry up and get to the next page to find out. I truly enjoyed reading this exciting, action packed boom and think this going to be another favorite series of mine.
Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review.
October 9, 2016
Review can be read at It's About The Book
John Dakota’s nightmare has come true. As the local police chief he’s aware of how similar the gruesome murders in his jurisdiction are to the heinous crimes committed in the past. To complicate matters, John is also the local Alpha and the crimes in the past were committed by a shifter. Keeping shifters secret is of utmost importance. To complicate matters (heh), John has been the bed partner of the reporter for the town of Seaside’s local paper. Things are never easy for John. He knows what types of victims will be next and where they will be found, but he’s in a race to find his suspect among a group of townspeople afraid the past has come back to haunt them all while trying to hide his real self from a guy he may be falling in love with.
This is a good mystery. I trusted no one. Without revealing any information, I’d just like to say I really liked how the mistrust was set up and spread to all the possible suspects. I think the romance aspects of this were charming, but the mystery stole the show for me. I also liked John’s relatively low self esteem. John is a guy with a lot of authority, but doesn’t see himself as anything special. Not only physically, but in terms of his actions. John has carried a surprisingly heavy burden without asking for any kind of help. Seeing a lot of people not only respect him for that but attempt to help him and alleviate his burden was good.
If you’re a fan of shifters and are looking for a good mystery this book is a great weekend read and worth your time.
John Dakota’s nightmare has come true. As the local police chief he’s aware of how similar the gruesome murders in his jurisdiction are to the heinous crimes committed in the past. To complicate matters, John is also the local Alpha and the crimes in the past were committed by a shifter. Keeping shifters secret is of utmost importance. To complicate matters (heh), John has been the bed partner of the reporter for the town of Seaside’s local paper. Things are never easy for John. He knows what types of victims will be next and where they will be found, but he’s in a race to find his suspect among a group of townspeople afraid the past has come back to haunt them all while trying to hide his real self from a guy he may be falling in love with.
This is a good mystery. I trusted no one. Without revealing any information, I’d just like to say I really liked how the mistrust was set up and spread to all the possible suspects. I think the romance aspects of this were charming, but the mystery stole the show for me. I also liked John’s relatively low self esteem. John is a guy with a lot of authority, but doesn’t see himself as anything special. Not only physically, but in terms of his actions. John has carried a surprisingly heavy burden without asking for any kind of help. Seeing a lot of people not only respect him for that but attempt to help him and alleviate his burden was good.
If you’re a fan of shifters and are looking for a good mystery this book is a great weekend read and worth your time.
September 7, 2016
~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~
This is the start of a new series, and certainly has a good range of characters that can be leads in future installments. We are pitched straight into the mystery, so the level of world building is kept to an absolute minimum and just injected into the story line.
The plot is really good, with plenty of uncertainty for the reader, ensuring that the possible suspects are many, and the outcome unknown. Things between John and Trevor are definitely hot, in spite of the shifter issue, and John eventually decides he must trust the human he cares about so much. The pace certainly never slows, and for quite a short book, there is a lot of story.
I am curious to see where this goes next, and hope that book 2 is well on its way to being written!
This is the start of a new series, and certainly has a good range of characters that can be leads in future installments. We are pitched straight into the mystery, so the level of world building is kept to an absolute minimum and just injected into the story line.
The plot is really good, with plenty of uncertainty for the reader, ensuring that the possible suspects are many, and the outcome unknown. Things between John and Trevor are definitely hot, in spite of the shifter issue, and John eventually decides he must trust the human he cares about so much. The pace certainly never slows, and for quite a short book, there is a lot of story.
I am curious to see where this goes next, and hope that book 2 is well on its way to being written!
October 9, 2016
I loved that this book shows us a town that is a shifter haven with a bear shifter as the Sheriff of this lovely little town. The town is shook by a series of murders that are the copy of murders that happened several years before. John knows these are copycat murders, but there does not seem to be a motive and there are so many possible suspects.
I like the mystery in this book, it is pretty easy to figure out the who; the why and how are a little more difficult to figure out.
At first I did not see the relationship between John and Trevor, but as the book went on and John worked through his feelings you started to see what these two men meant to each other.
And something that has nothing to do with this book - my boys and I spent a few summer vacations in Seaside, OR. It is a great place to take young boys on vacation!
I like the mystery in this book, it is pretty easy to figure out the who; the why and how are a little more difficult to figure out.
At first I did not see the relationship between John and Trevor, but as the book went on and John worked through his feelings you started to see what these two men meant to each other.
And something that has nothing to do with this book - my boys and I spent a few summer vacations in Seaside, OR. It is a great place to take young boys on vacation!
September 9, 2016
Decent Mystery
3.5 stars. Shifter serial killer, small town cop/bear shifter, local newspaper reporter add up to an enjoyable mystery with a little romance thrown in.
3.5 stars. Shifter serial killer, small town cop/bear shifter, local newspaper reporter add up to an enjoyable mystery with a little romance thrown in.
September 10, 2016
Good mystery, nice romance. I did not guess the bad guy, which is usually not the case.
September 22, 2016
Review coming soon to the Novel Approach blog
October 31, 2016
It's time to stop reading this author, I think.
July 23, 2017
This book was alright, though I found it a bit annoyingly inconsistent, keeping me from really enjoying it.
John Dakota is the Chief of Police in Seaside. Nine years ago a series of murders rocked the tourist town until it turned out they were caused by a rogue bear. What the public never knew was they were actually caused by a rogue bear shifter, which John covered up as he too is a shifter. Many permanent inhabitants of Seaside are shifters and they live a quiet private existence with some humans aware of them. Now a new series of murders has started, a copycat to the ones nine years ago. John has to find the shifter while keeping it quiet from the town at large and his on/off relationship with town reporter Trevor, a human.
The biggest bother in this book was the points about the relationship between John and Trevor. They've been friends with benefits for a while, though Trevor has shown he would love something more. John starts off thinking they can't have more because Trevor is human. This makes no sense because it was clearly stated before that shifters in the town married humans, and told them the secret. Then John says he isn't interested in a relationship, despite waxing poetically about having someone to talk to or come home to. Finally John straight ignores Trevor saying 'I love you' because it was during sex so he couldn't mean it. John was just being obstinant on the matter and no reason he gave made sense.
When it came to the murders those were fairly well done save one point of contention. If you've got a person you know is going to be the next victim, maybe protect them, and do it yourself or with someone free of suspicion. Otherwise the mystery was pretty decent and I did wonder with each suspect who would be the murderer.
Both a fairly mediocre romance and mystery, this is a book you can pick up and finish easily, but it won't really stay with you.
John Dakota is the Chief of Police in Seaside. Nine years ago a series of murders rocked the tourist town until it turned out they were caused by a rogue bear. What the public never knew was they were actually caused by a rogue bear shifter, which John covered up as he too is a shifter. Many permanent inhabitants of Seaside are shifters and they live a quiet private existence with some humans aware of them. Now a new series of murders has started, a copycat to the ones nine years ago. John has to find the shifter while keeping it quiet from the town at large and his on/off relationship with town reporter Trevor, a human.
The biggest bother in this book was the points about the relationship between John and Trevor. They've been friends with benefits for a while, though Trevor has shown he would love something more. John starts off thinking they can't have more because Trevor is human. This makes no sense because it was clearly stated before that shifters in the town married humans, and told them the secret. Then John says he isn't interested in a relationship, despite waxing poetically about having someone to talk to or come home to. Finally John straight ignores Trevor saying 'I love you' because it was during sex so he couldn't mean it. John was just being obstinant on the matter and no reason he gave made sense.
When it came to the murders those were fairly well done save one point of contention. If you've got a person you know is going to be the next victim, maybe protect them, and do it yourself or with someone free of suspicion. Otherwise the mystery was pretty decent and I did wonder with each suspect who would be the murderer.
Both a fairly mediocre romance and mystery, this is a book you can pick up and finish easily, but it won't really stay with you.
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