Sometimes the Wolf

Finished July 16

Sometimes the Wolf by Urban Waite

This dark novel is set in the northwest U.S., and centers around deputy sheriff Bobby Drake. Twelve years previous to the events in the novel, Bobby's father Patrick had been sheriff. Bobby had been away at university. Bobby's mother had been ill, and Patrick had taken to some illegal acts for money. He was caught and convicted, and is now coming out of jail. 

Bobby has agreed, reluctantly, to take his father in for a short time until he gets on his feet. Bobby's wife Sheri is agreeable to it as well. They will give him the room they had prepared for another purpose, which has a single bed in it. 

Bobby has been working with the local wildlife office with a situation involving a local wolf. The wolf has had some interactions with local farmers and has been blamed for some without solid proof, and the wildlife officer Ellie is planning to capture and tag the wolf so that they can track it and be aware of its whereabouts. 

Patrick seems a little wary once out, thinking that other cars are following them, or that people are watching them, and Bobby has put it down as part of the experience of getting out of prison, and not being used to the freedom and open space that now exists for him. 

Bobby also holds a lot of resentment towards his father. He quit university, came home, sold some of the land to save the house, and now lives in that house with his own wife, and works for his father's old deputy, who is now sheriff. 

Soon after his release, men from his past do appear in Patrick's life, and Bobby and Sheri are at risk. The federal agent who has been on Patrick's case from the beginning has also reappeared, and his presence raises other questions. 

This is a dark story, of fathers and sons, of guilt and the weight of it on those close to us, and of revenge. It is a fast-paced story with lots of action and suspense. 

Lone Wolf

Finished March 30

Lone Wolf by Diana Palmer, Kate Pearce, and Rebecca Zanetti

This is a collection of three short novels all with a wolf as part of the story. 

The first one is Colorado Cowboy by Diana Palmer. This story has twenty-three-year-old Esther Marist is a real jam. Esther had fled her mother Terry's house in Aspen, Colorado after her mother's latest boyfriend Darrin pushed her mother down the stairs in a temper. She has her purse, but not her phone, and isn't really dressed for the winter weather. Esther is afraid to go to the police as Darrin had indicated he had contacts there. She ends up getting a ride from a middle-aged couple driving a semi who drop her off in northern Colorado where she told them she had friends. She ends up on the doorstep of Iraq war veteran Butch Matthews who works for the wildlife service and has a wolf he rehabilitated as a pet. The story is cute, but a little too sweet for my taste. Esther seems worldly wise in some ways, and completely innocent in others. She grew up in boarding schools, but has no friends. She's eager to please and only wants a happy home in her future. As the man hunting her grows near, it is Butch and his friends, who've become hers, along with long-lost family that save the day. 

The second story, The Wolf on Her Doorstep by Kate Pearce is set in the ranching country of California, and was the best story in my opinion. Beth Baker works at the Garcia Ranch and is in charge as the novel opens, with the Garcia family on vacation. She grew up in the area and her brother is a mechanic at the family-run gas station. Beth is also raising two young men, her own son Mike who is home for the summer from college, and her ex-husband's son Wes, who works as an apprentice carpenter in town.  One of the cabins on the ranch is currently rented by Conner O'Neil, a Navy SEALS veteran, and because he hasn't shown up for his weekly supplies from the general store, Beth agrees to take them up to him. Beth has another worry, as her ex-husband Sean has written her son from prison trying to get back into his good books. Beth knows the violence that he's capable of, but Mike was too young to remember the abuse. Wes is with Beth because Sean killed Wes' mother and she offered him a home. Conner has a wolf pet named Loki who accosts Beth soon after she gets to the ranch. I liked Beth as she's no fool, she's capable of a lot of things and has survived some bad times with grace. The chemistry between Beth and Conner was nicely done, and both were drawn as realistic people. A satisfying read. 

The third story is Rescue: Cowboy Style by Rebecca Zanetti and set in rural Wyoming. Hallie is on the run from something and when she crashes her car into a fence in a storm, she made her way to a clubhouse for local cowboys, following the only light she could see. She meets one of the men who own a large ranch in the area, Trent Logan. He's very pushy and although he doesn't force himself on her, he does make some questionable moves and talks in a very sexist way. Hallie has stumbled on something a little mysterious here that she struggles to understand as she still tries to find a way to save herself from what's chasing her. There was a wolf that followed her from her car, and it seems to have been tamed by someone and seems fixated on looking out for her. By the end, there is some sense of what the wolf represents. Hallie is a woman who has a college education, but seems a little helpless, and doesn't seem to put up much resistance to Trent's advances or sexist outlook. This story bothered me in a lot of ways. It seems to be the story referenced by the series indicator attached to the book, Redemption Wyoming, #1. 

All three novels have ex-military men as the male love interest. 

Old Wolf

Finished April 24
Old Wolf by Avi, illustrated by Brian Floca

This children's novel has two narrators and takes place in the Iron Mountain area of Colorado. One is Nashoba, the aging leader of a wolf pack. The time is early spring, and the wolf pack hasn't eaten in a while. Nashoba is challenged by one of the young males in his pack and while he remains leader, he has been injured. He leaves the pack, including his two young cubs, in search of food to show that he still has the skills to remain leader. He is assisted by a raven, also aging, who hopes that his pack's kill will provide food for her flock as well.
Casey lives with his parents on the edge of the forest. He is just turning thirteen and is addicted to a video game called Bowhunter, where he shoots animals with a bow and arrow. Casey has played it enough to think himself skilled, but, in the world of the video game, the animals he shoots keep reanimating again and again. He seems to have most difficulty targeting two animals, a wolf and a raven.
This is a story of nature and its connection with us, and how we interact for both good and bad effect. The illustrations are lovely.

Wolves!

Finished May 19
Wolf: Legend, Enemy, Icon by Rebecca L Grambo, photographs by Daniel J Cox
I've always been fascinated by wolves, and remember writing my major Grade Six essay (and accompanying speech) on the wolf.
This book looks at many aspects of the wolf, in particular how it relates to humans. There is history of the wolf as a species, the various legends in Asia, Europe and the New World that relate to the wolf, how the wolf was revered or feared by different cultural groups, and how it interacts with other animals in the environment.
The pictures are gorgeous and the text is interesting.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Latest Nevada Barr

Finished April 25
Winter Study by Nevada Barr
This is the first instance where Barr has revisited a National Park in her Anna Pigeon series. Here, Anna returns to Isle Royale in Lake Superior off the coast of Minnesota. This story is set in winter, around the real-life study of wolves on the island. Anna has accepted this opportunity to be part of the study as she knows that wolves will be a future consideration at her park in the Rockies. This year the study has a couple of government-chosen observers as Homeland Security is moving to open the park in winter as part of their border patrol against terrorism. If the park is opened in winter, the winter study of wolves will be shut down, and the park employees and scientists are fighting to prove that the study is still offering valuable information. However, it would appear this year that the wolves are behaving oddly, showing less fear of humans. As the group tries to figure out what is going on, people's fears began to surface. When a female member of the team is savaged by wolves the danger becomes personal and Anna finds herself fighting to save her own skin.
As usual, lots of action, drama and personal agendas going on. I read it almost nonstop, and enjoyed it thoroughly.