A sleepy town in southwestern Pennsylvania - quiet, peaceful and serene. That is, until some cattle are slaughtered on a moonlit night in late summer, and the locals realize they have new neighbors - savage ones.
After twenty years in the Marine Corps, Major Frank Cutlip comes home to the quiet hills of his beloved Pennsylvania to take up a new life as the sheriff of Allegheny County.
Professor Beth Lowe took up a post at Paxton University because she became enamored with western Pennsylvania’s charms, a more enduring love than she thought she would ever feel for a man.
When Beth’s dog is savaged by wolves, their peaceful lives are shattered, and their fates entwined. On the brink of death, the dog not only survives but grows larger… and more vicious. A thousand-year cycle of carnage is reaching its climax once more, and the peaceful wooded hills will soon be smeared with blood.
Sheriff Cutlip leads his community in a hunt for the hidden terror, but then his own brother is bitten, his blood corrupted by the ancient evil. The sheriff must confront terrible choices, and he can’t do so alone.
Excerpt
An eerie howl split the night air. It seemed to go on forever, rising in pitch and holding, before slowly falling off. Beth felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and Lizzie stood frozen, staring up into the hills. Beth had completed her graduate work in the Gila National Forest of New Mexico, and had heard her share of coyotes yelping.
This wasn’t a coyote.
The howl was stronger—almost demanding—and lacked the mournful tone of a coyote’s lament. Flapjack whined then sprang up to pace back and forth, hunching his shoulders and sniffing ceaselessly. Another howl burst forth, this one closer.
Keeping her eyes on the dog, Beth commanded, “Honey, go inside. Everything is fine, but I think you should go in for a minute.” A third howl cut off any protest the youngster might have made, and the slamming screen door was evidence of her compliance.
Turning her attention back to the woods line, Beth considered the agitated canine. “Come on, boy. Let’s go inside. We got enough bugs tonight, anyway.”
Suddenly, a faint rustling came from just inside the trees, and as her eyes snapped toward the sound, she could swear she saw a shadow flitting by an opening. Flapjack’s whimpering elevated and he was now standing with ears up.
Suddenly, he bounded forward and cleared the fence in one leap. Beth scarcely had time to scream “Flapjack!” before he disappeared into the blackness of the forest.
Professional Reviews
Brilliant Debut Novel
I was a little unsure reading this after recently reading Anne Rice's The Wolf Gift however it actually proved to be the perfect book to compliment it, at opposite ends of the spectrum they both contemplate the nature of man and beast and whether good and evil are such easily defined concepts. The story twists and turns with engaging believable characters I highly recommend it.
Great Read
I was fortunate enough to Beta Read this book. It is an excellent read. If you like a fast paced adventure and werewolves then this one's definitely a winner. Beth and Lizzie get a new dog named Flapjack, and so the adventure begins. Flapjack turns out to be no ordinary dog. After escaping and being bitten, Flapjack makes an amazing recovery. How could this happen? After some livestock problems in the area soon the Sheriff is involved. I don't want to give too much away about this well written book. It certainly deserves a read.
beautifully orchestrated combination of fantasy, suspense, and action
What a refreshing take on the werewolf story! This was a beautifully orchestrated combination of fantasy, suspense, and action. Thomas Rydder did a wonderful job of creating this suspense thriller. The characters were portrayed with great depth and feeling. You truly connected to them and routed with them through their challenges, hunts, and dilemma's. I found it very refreshing the way the werewolves were portrayed and evolved... I thought the weaving of that fantasy into the thriller aspect very well done. There were enough ebbs and flows to the pace to keep the plot moving smooth, a lot of personal trauma and growth with all the characters, and a satisfying and positive resolution. A great read, and one that I would recommend to anyone.
