Horror Book Review: Werewolf Nights (Mari Hamill)

I’m going to be honest, when I saw that Werewolf Nights was a cross between romance and horror, I shuddered. Instant flashes of Twilight ran through my head and I really wasn’t sure I’d enjoy this book.

It’s always great to be wrong in these situations.

Don’t get me wrong though, I don’t think this book is meant for someone quite like me. A mid-30s heavy metal loving, horror gore-hound man but that doesn’t mean I didn’t find it entertaining or enjoy Mari Hamill’s style of writing.

The story blends werewolf fantasy, romance and horror to tell a compelling story with many twists and turns. It sees a small town overrun by Hollywood, there to make a movie about a werewolf. Widowed bakery owner Catherine Mercy ends up in the position to audition for the leading lady role and to her surprise, lands it.

Fame brings with it many problems but she can handle it. What she struggles with is her feelings for co-star Greg Byron. A mysterious man who is she drawn too against her better judgement.

As romance blossoms between the two, Greg is bitten by a wolf and begins to transform into a werewolf. Catherine is desperate to save her love but ends up uncovering a werewolf legend that ties into her own family’s history.

Werewolves are one of my least favourite fantasy/horror characters. They’re not that versatile when it comes to development so we often get the same rehashed stories over and over again. That’s not the case with Werewolf Nights. Here we get an interesting mix of lore and new ideas sprinkled heavily with passion.

It makes for an entertaining read even if it is a little cheesy with the dialogue at times. Rather then make you cringe though; it will often just put a little smile on your face. I think this is because it reads like a low budget werewolf movie. It’s very easy to picture this on the screen playing out before your eyes.

It is a bit slow at first as we get to know Catherine and the town but this works in Mari Hamill’s favour. Later, when things get a bit more frantic, it’s easy to will Catherine on and cheer for her triumph. It is without a shadow of a doubt, a page turner but probably best suited for the teenage crowd.

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