Reviewed by Annika

TITLE: The Wolf at the Door

SERIES: Big Bad Wolf #1

AUTHOR: Charlie Adhara

NARRATOR: Erik Bloomquist

PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio

RELEASE DATE: July 16, 2019

LENGTH: 8 hours, 17 minutes

BLURB:

A former FBI agent is partnered with the enemy in this suspenseful male/male shifter romance from debut author Charlie Adhara.

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:

From listening to the book I never would have guessed that this was Charlie Adhara’s debut novel, it sure didn’t read like one. It was complex and intricate and engaging and everything a good book should be.

Agent Cooper Dayton never aspired to work for the BSI, the secretive Bureau of Special Investigations, where once you start, you can never leave, never talk about what you see or do. Never talk about the fact that not only were werewolves real, they were living right alongside the humans, working, living and loving. But just like humans, a select few commits crimes and it’s up to Cooper and BSI to stop them. The new case Cooper is assigned is different for many reasons. Not only is he supposed to work with a new partner; Park. Park is also one of them. The case they are investigating is filled with traps and twists that didn’t quite add up. Added to the challenge is the rising tension and suspicions between humans and wolves that are the verge of blowing up.

I loved both Park and Cooper, there was something magnetic between them pulling towards each other. I loved how their relationship grew slowly from that first instant attraction of strangers, to the mistrust and suspiciousness of very reluctant partners and then evolving to respect and admiration. Both of them grow in this book, expand their mind-set and re-evaluated what they thought was true and what they knew is true. We saw them form a true partnership and I can’t wait to see how it evolves even further, especially as things are on the brink of changing everywhere.

If I had one negative thing to say about this book, it would be that the mystery was a bit too easy to figure out from the get go. But you know what, I had such a great time with these guys that I didn’t mind that, I had a blast listening to this book either way beginning to end.

Not only was this my first Adhara novel, but also my first experience with Erik Bloomquist. It’s such a treat to listen to new narrators, and even more so when you end up enjoying them. And I did enjoy Bloomquist’s narration. He has great pacing and engaging tone. He might not distinguish between the characters beyond male or female, but I find that I didn’t mind that. The story just sucked me right in and I was too busy solving crimes to ponder Bloomquist’s lack of different voices.

One of the things that I most appreciated was that Adhara didn’t fall in the info dump trap and told us everything about Park and Cooper and the world they were living in. Instead she left us clues and conversations so that we got to know Park and Cooper were little by little. Making us feel like we actually slowly got to know them by spending time together instead of being told who they were. I love it that there is still so much left untold, left to explore, but not in a cliffhanger sort of way. It leaves the reader/listener with a hunger for more and a need to pick up the next book – a smart move if you ask me. I for one am going straight for book two.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

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