Blood Red Moon by Mark Allen

     Caleb has been a werewolf for the last 180 years. During that time he has avoided most notice being drawn to himself. He has been content to stay to himself for all of this time until his co-worker Russell brings him and Russell's cousin, Marla, into an ongoing police investigation. Normally a history professor would have no place hunting a serial killer, but in this case there is historical significance. The only problem? The murders are being done by other werewolves. Somehow, Caleb must find "The Master" and stop whatever is going on before wolves are exposed to humans. Can one "man" stop the plan that has been set into motion?

    The author offered me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. There were parts of this book that I loved and others that I hated. For instance, when Marla was first described on Caleb and her first meeting at a party before our story takes place the description of her made me want to hurl. Not because it was disgusting, but it is the type of description that so many female readers complain about when it comes to male authors. "Marla was mixed race, white and hispanic. Tall and slender, she had been born with a body type that would stay height-weight proportionate all her life. She had slugged her way through college on sports scholarships and part-time jobs, she still kept her raven hair short on her neck to keep it out of the way. Delicate feet, strong calves, muscular thighs, flat belly, and small perky breasts. Toned arms and shoulders. She still swam laps and ran several days a week." Spare me. To give Mark credit, this is the only time in the book he did this, but it was still annoying. 

    If that is ignored then the book is enjoyable. I feel like there is a spot in the book where Martinez states he is going to find out just what Caleb's secret is, which doesn't fit with what is learned later. That being said I didn't go back and search for that particular instance as it was a tiny detail thrown in during the first time Caleb goes to the police station. I could be misremembering things.  

    Alright, I have had my complaints. Now on to all of the things that I enjoyed about this book. Because, really, the issues can be found within two paragraphs out of a 250 page book. Completely not fair to judge based on those things alone. Caleb is a great mix of old world charm, alpha protectiveness, and new age independence. Russell is a sleeze bag, but the kind where you want to just grin and roll your eyes at his antics rather than actually be upset with or over him. Marla is in a lot of internal turmoil throughout the book, which I can't blame her for at all. The characters are well-rounded and relatable. They feel like real people, not someone who could only survive trapped in a page. 

    The backstory was engaging and tied in well with the present. The "villain" was someone that you love to hate, as all villains should be. The scenery was beautifully depicted and it was easy to image the events as they took place. Not only that, but the book was well written, outside of what was discussed earlier. For a book that has yet to be released there are very few grammatical errors or typos found within the pages. 

    This book is truly a gory, gruesome werewolf story and just up my alley. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I have. Pick up your copy today at Amazon for $5.99 by clicking here. This book is available on Kindle Unlimited.