This is a collection of four short stories involving cross references to characters in MaryJanice’s other books, but each enjoyable alone.
Santa Claws – Werewolf Alec Kilcurt has come to visit the American Pack Leader, and encounters the love of his life – ringing a charity bell and wearing a Santa outfit. How can Alec convince Giselle Smith that they are meant to be together, and keep her from freaking out over his secret?
Monster Love – Richard Will has been a vampire for a long time, and he’s lonely. But how can he find someone who will love the monster he is? Janet Lupo is an abrasive and unpopular werewolf, confined by Pack rules and unhappy with her life. Could it be they are meant for each other? (Note: there are elements of this story which may not appeal to some people – kidnapping and forced seduction. In the end, it works okay for me, but is not for everyone.)
There’s No Such Thing as a Werewolf – Doctor Drake Dragon was hidden from the Pack by his mother due to his blindness. Now, he’s a doctor in the human world, and one night he rescues Crescent Muhn, a woman who seems determined to learn how to fly by flinging herself off of tall structures. If he’s a werewolf, what is she?
A Fiend in Need – Antonia is a werewolf – but she cannot change forms. She does, however, see the future – and she sees that she needs to leave her Pack and go help Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor – if only she know what she needed to do for Queen Betsy. George is one show more of the fiends whom Betsy had been trying to rehabilitate – he’s a man of few words and fewer memories. Antonia takes one look at George and knows his name is Garrett Shea, and there is just something about him she cannot turn away from. show less
Santa Claws – Werewolf Alec Kilcurt has come to visit the American Pack Leader, and encounters the love of his life – ringing a charity bell and wearing a Santa outfit. How can Alec convince Giselle Smith that they are meant to be together, and keep her from freaking out over his secret?
Monster Love – Richard Will has been a vampire for a long time, and he’s lonely. But how can he find someone who will love the monster he is? Janet Lupo is an abrasive and unpopular werewolf, confined by Pack rules and unhappy with her life. Could it be they are meant for each other? (Note: there are elements of this story which may not appeal to some people – kidnapping and forced seduction. In the end, it works okay for me, but is not for everyone.)
There’s No Such Thing as a Werewolf – Doctor Drake Dragon was hidden from the Pack by his mother due to his blindness. Now, he’s a doctor in the human world, and one night he rescues Crescent Muhn, a woman who seems determined to learn how to fly by flinging herself off of tall structures. If he’s a werewolf, what is she?
A Fiend in Need – Antonia is a werewolf – but she cannot change forms. She does, however, see the future – and she sees that she needs to leave her Pack and go help Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor – if only she know what she needed to do for Queen Betsy. George is one show more of the fiends whom Betsy had been trying to rehabilitate – he’s a man of few words and fewer memories. Antonia takes one look at George and knows his name is Garrett Shea, and there is just something about him she cannot turn away from. show less
A woman on crutches stumbles out of a dry cleaner’s store, and Reacher stops to help her - and gets kidnapped with her moments later. Transported to a Montana militia base camp, FBI Agent Holly Johnson and Reacher soon find themselves in a world of crazy anti-world government extremists, in a political Catch-22 bringing the Armed Forces, FBI, and President’s Office official decrees into conflict with each person’s personal desires.
A New York private investigator tracks down ex-MP Jack Reacher in Florida, but before Reacher can decide whether to cooperate, the PI is killed. Reacher is a drifter, working menial jobs and moving on whenever he gets restless. He decides to track down the PI’s client, and see what might have gotten him killed. Jack’s former commanding officer Leon Garber has just died, while waiting for the PI to find Reacher. Garber hoped to enlist Reacher’s help with a MIA case from the Vietnam War. Garber’s daughter, Jodie (who has been in love with Reacher since she was fifteen) is also in danger, and they team up to solve the mystery Leon Garber started to investigate.