Grab onto your seats because LYCAN UNLEASHED by Tiffany Allee will take you on one wild ride. Between the crazy Otherworlders, unresolved romantic interests, and the twists and turns in the plot, this novel has something for everyone. I give it 4 stars and look forward to reading more of Ms. Allee's work.
In LYCAN UNLEASHED, detective Astrid Holmes uses her special talents to help solve crimes. Astrid is a "sensitive," which means exactly that; she is sensitive to the energy around her, whether it comes from vampire, lycanthrope, salamander – yes, you read that correctly: salamander – or inanimate objects. When evidence goes missing in a murder case she is helping investigate, she is put on administrative leave until being cleared. Astrid circumvents her boss's benching by persuading a "former" romantic interest to let her consult on the OWEA (Otherworlder Enforcement Agency) side of the investigation.
Mason Sanderson, a lycan, has serious feelings for Astrid, but he is still haunted by the demise of a previous relationship. They have to work out their romantic issues and solve the murder case before one or both of them is killed in the process.
I love murder mysteries, and I was seriously hooked by this one from the beginning. The pace of the book was quick and steady, giving you just enough information to gnaw on before changing scenes. The description of the otherworlders was enough to help you understand who's who in the book when you need to know, but not so much that it reads like an encyclopedia. I loved Astrid's description of how her sensitivities feel, especially the taste of people's energy.
The plotline is simple, which is great because it counterbalances the complexity of the world in which Astrid lives, and the romantic development is absolutely believable. The heat level of this novel rates about a 3, appropriate for readers 18 years old and up.
Most importantly, I was not able to guess "who dunnit" or predict the end, which makes the novel a winner in my book. There really wasn't anything about the novel that I didn't like. Even the length was perfect – not too short for the reader to feel cheated, and not too long for the story to drag.
All in all, LYCAN UNLEASHED was a fantastic murder mystery, easy to read and enjoy over a few days (or 1 day if you have no obligations), and I recommend it to all paranormal romance and murder mystery lovers.
**Review originally written for The Romance Reviews.com at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=10275.
