Review: Well-written characters bring the story to life
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 13, 2010
On vacation, FBI agent Trey Walters heads north in wolf form to see if the reports of a giant lynx are true. Trey is a shifter. A person able to "shift" into an animal form (in Trey's case, a wolf, making him a werewolf). He does manage to find the lynx, and discovers it's another shifter, possibly the only of his line, that can change into a lynx. Jonah is a hermit living in the mountains who shuns humans, and it takes him quite a while to accept Trey's friendship. What neither bargained for is a relationship that is far beyond friendship. Over several years, Trey tries to leave his dangerous past behind, but Jonah still gets caught up in it, and is now in deadly danger.Set in the same universe as "Feral", "Marked", and "Monster", the character of Trey (who has appeared in all the stories) is fully fleshed out in "Lynx". More insight is given to Trey, and we gain deeper understanding into his desires and motivations. We have a man who has seen, and caused, a lot of death, and now he's getting tired of it. Jonah's character is explored just as deeply. A man who realizes he needs human companionship even though he doesn't like it, Jonah is a complex character full of neuroses, fears, and desires. The interactions between the two, as with all of Joely's characters, is wonderfully detailed and intricate. Add into the mix a healthy does of erotic passion and good, old-fashioned intrigue, and the result is a very satisfying story.There are weaknesses, though they don't detract much from the book. The ending is a bit abrupt and could have used a bit more detail. Also, the story takes place parallel to the previous stories. It starts shortly after "Minder" and "Monster", runs alongside "Feral" and "Marked", and finishes at a point in time afterward. This does create a slight feeling that the story was "squeezed in" to the others, but not so extreme as to prevent you from enjoying it. The character of Trey was used in the author's other stories set in this universe, and this story is sort of a gift to him, finally giving him the life he longed for.Good writing, an interesting universe, and well-developed and deep characters make this a very good read indeed.