Sometimes, you just want something pulpy and fun, and Jeff Strand's Wolf Hunt delivers on that front and then some. The setup couldn't be more simple: a couple of hired goons are told to deliver a prisoner in a cage to another man, and then warned that he's a werewolf. Sure, they're skeptical, and rightfully so, and it's to Strand's credit that he keeps us unsure if and when the truth will be revealed - yes, this is a horror novel, but we have a bit where we wonder what he's got up his sleeve. And then, when you least expect it, all hell breaks loose, and Wolf Hunt turns into gloriously over-the-top carnage and mayhem, with a pair of hitmen after a sociopathic, hateful werewolf. If the tone of Wolf Hunt wasn't what it is, the book could be misery-inducing; it's undeniably violent, and much of the book's tension comes from the danger of putting a violent, terrifying psychopath in the midst of a lot of innocent people. But Strand manages to keep the story fun, even when it's horrifying; he spends as much time on the repartee between the characters, and their sardonic, increasingly irritable commentary makes the book more amusing than it might otherwise be. Plus, Strand keeps things moving at a rocket's pace; this is a pulp book, and he knows that people are reading it for thrills and fun, and it's that idea that drives the book to never let things slow down. Strand throws in some great set-pieces and complicates the story just enough to keep it compelling, but in the end, this is a simple tale of good vs. evil - well, evil vs. less evil. And by the final brutal showdown, if you're not having a blast, well, I don't know what to tell you. It's pulpy, gory, horror adventure stuff, and I really enjoyed it.
- Josh Mauthe
- Josh Mauthe
