Review: Moonrisers: A Moonriser Werewolf Mystery by Jeri Westerson
Book Blurb:
Jeff Chase is just a regular guy, surfing in his hometown of Huntington Beach, hanging with friends, cruising the ladies. At least he used to be. A few months back, he managed to get himself into a load of supernatural trouble and ended up getting bitten. By a freakin’ werewolf! So now he’s a guy with a werewolf problem, and he’s back in HB trying to make sense of it all, figuring out what it means to be a wolf; running his own tea and spice shop; hitting the waves; and meeting new girls. But there’s danger there that he never knew about. Surfer gangs, a werewolf pack...and murder. And now Voodoo seems to be a big part of his new awareness of the supernatural, with a Voodoo coven now on his radar. Or is he on theirs? And he can’t tell who’s a friend or who’s an enemy. But he’s gonna find out. Because he sure as hell doesn’t want to get blamed for murder. WereJeff may be a bad dude...but he’s NO bad wolf.
Genre: Mystery, Scary, Supernatural, Suspense, Urban Fantasy, Werewolves, Witches--
Keep in mind that this book can be read independently of the Booke of the Hidden series with it's own characters and conflicts, as well as a brand new mystery. I just don't recommend it because of all the backstory about Jeff and his WereJeff predicament as well as all the references to the coven and magic from the previous series. Also, because the Booke of the Hidden series was fantastic and I think all Urban Fantasy fans should give it a whirl!
I will admit that Jeff was not my favorite character when he first showed up in the Booke of the Hidden series. He was a total player, cheating on his ex and then thinking she would race back to his arms. But then he was turned into a werewolf and stepped up to responsibility and maturity and I really liked who he became by the end of the series. But I feel a little like he took a step back in this book, turning into Player Jeff too much for me to really like him. He slept with two different women in this story (one while on a date with another) and had feelings for a third. And it was over the course of just a couple of days of being back in town. Keep in mind, he was not dating anyone and there were no expectations, I am just afraid he is is back to man-whoring and I don't like it. He did step up in the werewolf aspect though and is taking initiative in all aspects of his supernatural/business life which I appreciate. I also enjoyed the fact he has internal monologues and references him self as Jeffy and WereJeff. I think Jeffy shows that he has potential towards the end of the book and I am intrigued to see what he becomes.
“It’s the beach, dude. Gotta have the fish.”
“Why do you call everyone ‘dude’. You said this earlier.”
“Well… like I said. It’s a California thing. Everything’s a dude. I even say it to my truck.”
As a Southern Californian (SoCal for sure!) who now lives elsewhere, this conversation is legit. "Dude" is a multipurpose word that can be used in any situation regardless of gender. I have had this exact conversation multiple times and it made me laugh to see it here. Jeff is the epitome of the California surfer bum, from his looks, personality, goals and speech. Actually the whole setting was like being back on the beach, the author gave life to the small shops, beach and pier, making everything feel very authentic. Pure beachy, mystery escapism at it's finest.
I loved the new magic aspect to the story with the introduction to Voodoo and all things werewolf! It was creepy and interesting, bringing a new dynamic to this supernatural world and I loved it. I can't wait to see what new crazy/scary will pop up next. The side characters are also very detailed and I like that Jeff has his own supernatural researcher since leaving the coven.
Overall this was a great start to a new urban fantasy mystery series and I look forward to what happens next- and I am game for more surfing werewolves.
Catch up on how Jeff became WereJeff with the Hidden Series
Book Blurb:“Westerson creates an utterly believable history of witches, demons, and magic for her claustrophobic New England village including a heroine with enough spark, smarts, and stubbornness to keep both the bad guys and the deliciously dangerous love-interest on their toes.” —Kat Richardson, author of the Greywalker series
After a relationship gone bad in California, Kylie Strange moves to rural Maine for a fresh start. But she gets more than she bargained for when she finds a supernatural book bricked into the wall of her new tea shop, Strange Herbs and Teas. As soon as she opens the Booke of the Hidden, the quiet town of Moody Bog suddenly becomes a lot more interesting.
First the mysterious and handsome Erasmus Dark shows up unannounced, claiming to be a demon and warning Kylie of untold destruction. She waves him off, until a museum proprietor turns up dead, and the sheriff targets Kylie as a suspect. With the help of Erasmus and a ragtag group of local Wiccans, Kylie unravels the Booke's secrets, and they begin to believe the culprit is someone--or something--much more sinister than a run-of-the mill human murderer.
Award-winning author Jeri Westerson crafts a tale of magic, murder, and romance, drawing us into the mystical world that surrounds Strange Herbs and Teas.
Book Blurb:Deadly Rising
A Booke of the Hidden Novel #2
by Jeri Westerson
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pub Date: 10/23/18
Things were quiet in Strange Herbs & Teas. For about a week.
Our crossbow slinging hero and her ragtag gang of Wiccans have earned some rest. But when Kylie learns that the Booke may have released not one, but two creatures of horror out into the world, it’s up to her to save Moody Bog. Again.
Calling upon the devilishly handsome demon Erasmus once more for help, Kylie’s determined to handle the mischief of the Booke and go back to a normal life. But when digging through Moody Bog’s history leads her to the ghost of her grandfather, the past she once knew is turned upside down.
Can Kylie save the town and her grandfather, or will the horrors of the Booke be too much to handle?
You can read my 5 Star review of Deadly Rising HERE
Book Blurb:Shadows in the Mist
A Booke of the Hidden Novel #3
by Jeri Westerson
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pub Date: 05/14/19
Small town tea shop proprietor Kylie Strange already has a lot on her plate. The last thing she needs is more trouble to spring up from the mystical Booke of the Hidden. Keeping one step ahead of a scheming demon, supernatural assassins, and Baphomet—an angry god hellbent on stealing the Booke—it’s all more than enough for one person to handle. And that’s without mentioning her competing affections for the handsome and human Sheriff Ed and the demon Erasmus Dark. But soon enough, Kylie and her coven hear whispers of new disturbances in Moody Bog. Strange creatures have been stalking the townsfolk through the fog and rumors of violent encounters confirm their deadly intent. Worst of all, the Booke of the Hidden is not to blame, and no one is sure who is. Kylie and her coven of wiccans need to prioritize. Which is worse? The mysterious and lethal figures in the mist, or Baphomet, who—if he gets his way—will unleash Hell on Earth onto oblivious little Moody Bog.
Book Blurb:The Darkest Gateway
Booke of the Hidden Book Four
Jeri Westerson
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Publisher: JABberwocky Literary
Date of Publication: October 2, 2019
Number of pages: 301
Word Count: 90,181“Whoever said country life was dull didn’t know Moody Bog.”
With the arrival of Samhain, the supernatural Booke of the Hidden is set to release a barrage of deadly creatures onto the hapless village of Moody Bog, Maine.
Tea proprietor Kylie Strange knows the showdown is coming and wants to end the Booke for good. But the only way to accomplish this is a journey to the Netherworld and get the help of the only being powerful enough to destroy the Booke: Satan himself. And, though the brooding and elusive demon Erasmus Dark has captured Kylie’s heart against her better judgment, she ignores his repeated warnings that the mission guarantees her doom.
Los Angeles native JERI WESTERSON is the author of twelve Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Mystery novels, a series nominated for thirteen national awards from the “Agatha” to the “Shamus”. Her fifth novel BLOOD LANCE was named one of the Ten Hot Crime Novels for Colder Days by Kirkus Reviews, and her sixth, SHADOW OF THE ALCHEMIST, was named Best of 2013 by Suspense Magazine. For BOOKE OF THE HIDDEN, her urban fantasy series, Publishers Weekly said, “Readers sad about the ending of Charlaine Harris’s MIDNIGHT, TEXAS trilogy will find some consolation in Moody Bog.” The fourth and final in the series, THE DARKEST GATEWAY, releases October 2, 2019. Jeri also writes the humorous SKYLER FOXE LGBT MYSTERIES under the pen name Haley Walsh. Jeri’s short stories were included in several mystery anthologies, including Shaken: Stories for Japan (for the 2011 Earthquake Relief Fund). Jeri was also featured on two local NPR shows, “My Awesome Empire” and KVCR-Arts. She has served two terms as president of the Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, twice president of the Orange County Chapter of Sisters in Crime, and as vice president and California Crime Writers Conference co-chair for the Los Angeles Chapter of Sisters in Crime. See more about Jeri at JeriWesterson.com, BOOKEoftheHIDDEN.com, and SkylerFoxeMysteries.wixsite.com/novels.
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