Review: The Wolf at the Door by Charlie Adhara

Title: The Wolf at the Door

Series: Big Bad Wolf: Book One

Author: Charlie Adhara

Publisher: Carina Press

Length: 275 Pages

Category: Paranormal, Mystery

At a Glance: I’m so excited for more in this series, and from this author in general. The Wolf at the Door is a unique mystery, packed with humor, romance, and suspense.

Reviewed By: Jules

Blurb: Hunting for big bad wolves was never part of Agent Cooper Dayton’s plan, but a werewolf attack lands him in the carefully guarded Bureau of Special Investigations. A new case comes with a new partner: ruggedly sexy werewolf Oliver Park.

Park is an agent of The Trust, a werewolf oversight organization working to ease escalating tensions with the BSI. But as far as Cooper’s concerned, it’s failing. As they investigate a series of mysterious deaths unlike anything they’ve seen, every bone in Cooper’s body is suspicious of his new partner—even when Park proves himself as competent as he is utterly captivating.

When more people vanish, pressure to solve the case skyrockets. And though he’d resolved to keep things professional, Cooper’s friction with Park soon erupts…into a physical need that can’t be contained or controlled. But with a body count that’s rising by the day, werewolves and humans are in equal danger. If Cooper and Park don’t catch the killer soon, one—or both—of them could be the next to go.

Review: I was less than a chapter into The Wolf at the Door when I found myself going to Goodreads to see what other books Charlie Adhara had written (sadly, the answer was none), because I loved her style from the first page. I literally highlighted the second sentence of the book. Her writing is so sharp and intelligent and filled with a dry wit that I love. I also found myself immediately caring about Cooper Dayton—even though it maybe took a little minute before I actually liked him—and Oliver Park, and I knew I was going to love them together from their very first interaction on the page.

The blurb describes Park as a “ruggedly sexy werewolf,” and I certainly have to agree. He’s definitely sexy as hell, but it’s not just his rugged good looks or his brawn that give him his sex appeal… Oliver is sexy for a whole host of reasons. He’s intelligent, surprisingly quiet and soft-spoken, thoughtful, and funny. And, his loyalty, obvious dominance in the wolf community, and protectiveness are pretty attractive as well, as Special Agent Cooper Dayton comes to find out. Cooper realizes eventually that it’s easier to just roll with the attraction rather than try to fight it, so he does.

I mentioned that it took me a minute to like Cooper, and that’s true. I did find him somehow endearing straight away; I have a note on my Kindle in chapter two that says “Omg he’s so awkward. I love him.” But, unlike Park, he isn’t actually very likeable until a little further in, when he starts opening up a bit. I think we’ve just started to scratch the surface with getting to know these guys, though, especially Oliver, so I’m super excited to learn more about them in the sequel.

There were a couple of tiny issues I had with the story. First, I had a bit of trouble keeping all of the secondary characters straight. I had to keep reminding myself who they all were and where they fit in. Maybe it was because there were so many different groups to keep track of: wolves, cops, civilians, forest service folks, BSI agents, those in the Trust, etc. Second, I had never heard the word ‘unsub’ before and had to go look it up. Ha! Maybe I’m the only person who didn’t know the term—clearly I need to brush up on my crime dramas—but it maybe would have been cool to have it quickly defined in the book. But, like I said, those were teeny, tiny issues. Overall it was extremely well-done, and I loved the premise.

One other thing that wasn’t really a problem for me, but is probably worth noting, is that for a werewolf story, there really isn’t a lot of wolf stuff that happens on page. We know there are werewolves, and a big part of the story is the tension between the BSI and the Trust, and those who are for or against wolves ‘coming out.’ But, there is only one actual shift that happens in the book, which is at the very end, and all of Park’s wolf attributes are very subtly mentioned or kept more under the surface. I’m wondering if there is going to maybe be more shifter-type stuff in the next book. I definitely hope so!

I’m so excited for more in this series, and from this author in general. The Wolf at the Door is a unique mystery, packed with humor, romance, and suspense. I don’t typically read shifter stories, but boy am I glad I picked this one up! The blurb grabbed my attention, and the story totally delivered. I absolutely recommend it. Even if you haven’t tried many shifter books, or really liked them in the past, there is a good chance you will dig this one. I can’t wait to dive into the next book!

You can buy The Wolf at the Door here:
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