Shades of the Wolf-Karen Whiddon

Shades of the Wolf

Karen Whiddon

Harlequin Nocturne, Jan 1 2014, $5.75

ISBN: 9780373009374

Since her husband David died eighteen months ago in Afghanistan, grieving shapeshifter Anabel Lee receives visits from numerous ghosts except her beloved whom she desperately needs to see.  Already a pariah in Leaning Tree due to a dumb thing she did and her seemingly talking to herself, Anabel ignores the haunted spirits pleading with her to help them.

However, when ghost Tyler Rogers arrives, he seems different than all the myriad of previous spirits who have stalked her as he seems almost alive.  Additionally Tyler astonishes her by his actions; especially instead of the usual begging her to contact a loved one, he needs her to save his sister Dena held he claims by a serial killing warlock shifting Drakkor.  Tyler believes that Anabel possesses incredible paranormal power, but she denies it.  Still she agrees to help him starting with a visit to the police.  As they work together to save his sibling, they fall in star-crossed love because he is a ghost and she remains haunted by guilt re her late spouse.

With a nod to a paranormal romantic movie (nameless to not give away a critical late twist) from about a decade ago, Shades of the Wolf is a fantastic urban fantasy romance.  The ghost and the denier make a wonderful couple as they search for his sister while anticipating a butt stomping from their powerful evil adversary and wonder if their love is a heaven-sent Job like test or a cosmic joke from hell.

Harriet Klausner