Mr. O’Brien was kind enough to send me a copy of his book, Bitten. To tell you a little about the story, the heroine, Lauren Westlake is an agent for the F.B.I. She arrives on a bitterly cold night in a small town called Locke in Minnesota. There is talk of a mysterious wolf-like creature that preys on people. Westlake is determined to find the truth about the murders. Westlake is convinced that the new murders are linked to a century old case-file.

Westlake is a dedicated F.B.I. agent that works odd cases. It would be interesting to see more of her background as it is what drives her to be so determined to solve cases. She is open to her feelings and is not shut-off from believing about the paranormal. When hearing something that has no basis in fact, she is still willing to use the information to solve her case.

There are several key characters in the book, Westlake being the most prominent. Her love interest in the book is Dominic McManus, a well-built, handsome man of mystery. The local sheriff is Sheriff Montgomery; he is puzzled by the murders and the sudden appearance of Westlake. Another key character is a wise woman that lives deep in the woods. Known as Hecate, she tells Westlake some strange things about the murders.

I really liked the book and the way that O’Brien handled the werewolf myth. He has a really unique twist on it that I have not read anywhere else. It is rare when a common element in horror stories is explained in a way that no one else has written. The story was enjoyable to read and had enough twists and curves to keep your interest.

O’Brien tells a solid story with some very unusual aspects. Some of the scenes will seem familiar, but the story on a whole is very good. I would have like to have some of the relationships end differently, but I would definitely read more books about Westlake. This character could be built into a series character like Riley Jenson or Anita Blake.

It would be great to see a series of books written by O’Brien establishing Lauren Westlake as the next paranormal heroine. Westlake is tough, professional, and likeable. Likeable is important in a main character. Only time will tell if O’Brien will follow up Bitten with another book about Westlake.