Publication date: May 24, 2022
SOME EVIL WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER.
Ten years ago a witch sacrificed Britta Orchid’s family and turned her into a werewolf. Selena Stone’s spell failed, and she was never seen again. Until now.
Officer Aaron Labaye has discovered Selena’s remains in the house where Britta’s family died, and dragged Britta back to Louisiana to aid the investigation, hoping her past will break the case. Britta has a hard time resisting the handsome rookie, especially when he shows her a new drawing by her murdered little brother: Britta in her wolf-form.
As an unseen hand sets events in motion, Britta has to help Labaye dig into the murders old and new. The bloodthirsty ghost of her brother, a jealous member from her pack, and a former friend with a serious prejudice against wolves all stand to stop Britta as she fights to finally get the truth about that night ten years ago. But, as she looks harder than ever into her own dark past, Britta will confront more than just her own demons as she fights for peace for herself and for her family. She can’t hide anymore, but must find her place in a world she’s avoided—and discover what it truly means to be a wolf.
Throw Me to the Wolves is hard to define in the way of genres. From the cover, I expected something more along the lines of contemporary horror. It is, for lack of a better definition, urban fantasy with darker themes. That didn't affect my enjoyment; In fact, since I primarily review horror and urban fantasy, this was the perfect mix! There's murder, ghosts, witches, police investigation, voodoo, and of course, werewolves all rolled up into one satisfying occult thriller burrito.
The story begins with Britta Orchid being questioned in a police interrogation room. You can tell immediately that she's confident and almost a little cocky. She enjoys that she's spooked the cop she calls Officer Shiny Badge and even waves to the people she knows are behind the two-way glass. She wears a "polished, non-threatening persona" like a mask and is very secure in the knowledge that between the two of them, she is the bigger, bad in the room. Why wouldn't she be? After all, she's a werewolf. Ten years ago, a witch slaughtered her entire family, turned Britta into a wolf, and disappeared. Only now, in the same house where it occurred, pieces of the witch have shown up and the police are asking for her help.
In spite of discovering everything backward from Britta's memories as the story progresses, the story never felt mired down. The past is gradually parceled out in alternating chapters with the present, a style that usually frustrates me. However, Britta's past is just as interesting as she threads memories of her family in with her return to the bloodstained house. Both are equally horrifying with the past containing religious fervor and the supposed exorcism of Britta's ten-year-old brother and the present, the spectral regurgitation of her deceased brother and of course, the murder house.
Is there romance in this book? That's debatable. There is definitely a touch of the fated mates trope. There is also a werewolf from Britta's pack up north who has decided that he and Britta would be the perfect power couple. Was I stanning either of them? Well, it's complicated but without giving away a major plot point, I can't tell you how. The author does a good job of muddying the waters, making you unsure of who is the good guy. It all comes out in the end, kinda. We're given a prominent cliffhanger ending but if you read a lot of urban fantasy, you frankly should be anticipating that. Given that there's a diminutive Book 1 note by the title, we should expect that there will be a future continuation of the story contrived.
