Cynthia Eden is a prolific author of adult suspense and paranormal romances. By prolific I mean she’s written over fifty novels. By adult I mean “YOWZA!” But as I was scanning her book list something jumped out at me: She’d written a young adult novel.
Its not uncommon these days to find established authors trying to break into the teen market, with varying degrees of success. This one, The Better to Bite, appeared to be self published and was only available digitally. The price was right, so I bought it and dove into the story.
Anna Lambert has moved to Haven with her dad, who grew up there and has returned to take a job as Sheriff. He’s promised Anna a quieter life than the one they're leaving in Chicago. Instead they uncover a series of mysterious disappearances. But nothing stays lost to Anna, who has a freakish power that draws her to anything, or anyone, who’s missing. What she discovers is Haven’s secret. A curse passed down from generation to generation - originating with her ancestors.
The Better to Bite started off a little rocky, but soon found it’s stride. The characters were interesting, and I enjoyed the twists and turns Eden peppered throughout the plot to keep the reader guessing. Anna's power is unique and I enjoyed the way it slowly developed, giving hints and building up the tension. Add in a love triangle, some fur, claws and fangs, and a few frantic chases through dark woods...and you've got yourself a very readable book.
If you’re looking for a novel with mystery, romance, bad boys and werewolves, look no further. My only complaint is that there doesn’t seem to be a sequel…yet.
Eden, Cynthia. The Better to Bite. Digital: Curtis Brown Digitals, 2012. 4 Stars.
(Available online from Barnes and Noble and Amazon.)
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