“An old-fashioned thriller with a few twists.” –Library Journal An ex-FBI agent is partnered with the enemy in this suspenseful first installment of Charlie Adhara’s Big Bad Wolf series Hunting for big bad wolves was never part of agent Cooper Dayton’s plan, but a werewolf attack lands him in the carefully guarded Bureau of Special Investigations. A new case comes with a new partner: … case comes with a new partner: ruggedly sexy werewolf Oliver Park.
Park is an agent of The Trust, a werewolf oversight organization working to ease escalating tensions with the BSI. But as far as Cooper’s concerned, it’s failing. As they investigate a series of mysterious deaths unlike anything they’ve seen, every bone in Cooper’s body is suspicious of his new partner–even when Park proves himself as competent as he is utterly captivating.
When more people vanish, pressure to solve the case skyrockets. And though he’d resolved to keep things professional, Cooper’s friction with Park soon erupts…into a physical need that can’t be contained or controlled. But with a body count that’s rising by the day, werewolves and humans are in equal danger. If Cooper and Park don’t catch the killer soon, one–or both–of them could be the next to go.
Big Bad Wolf
Book 1: The Wolf at the Door
Book 2: The Wolf at Bay
Book 3: Thrown to the Wolves
Book 4: Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Book 5: Cry Wolf
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OMG, where have I been hiding!? If this book is anything to go by, this series is the perfect finish for this shi…, erm, WTF year and I am so binge reading it!!! I needed something to wow me… Consider me wowed. Beautiful slow burn, well fleshed out characters, mystery within a mystery, steadily paced suspenseful plot and a twist in the end that was so unexpected! I loved it!
I have to say one thing. Someone somewhere called Cooper Dayton judgmental. Hmmm, I would have to disagree. He was cautious and wary as he should have been. I liked him a lot. He was loyal, inquisitive and just. Oliver Park, his werewolf counterpart, was for the lack of a better word intense but also steadfast and surprisingly tender. I liked them together as well as individually. They complemented and completed each other perfectly.
The story is told from single POV, Cooper’s. But the author clearly showed Oliver Park through Cooper’s eyes and I never felt like I was missing out on any side. It’s a gift.
The mystery was complex with many lines leading in different directions and never pointing specifically at anyone. It moved steadily and never felt stale of repetitive. There was an underlying tension that the mystery was even bigger than what it seemed, and, boy, did it erupt in the end like one huge mess where no one was left standing. Bliss.
In the end Cooper and Oliver were so cute. *le sigh* I enjoyed it so much. I am so happy that there are more books in the series because I can’t possibly wait to find out how both men are getting on and how they are going to fall in love and make me sigh again.
This was so good. Interesting and original, with a riveting and action-packed mystery storyline that kept me guessing and two unforgettable main characters that are so lonely and unsure and that desperately need each other. Completely unputdownable.
I loved how relatable Cooper was: he changes so much throughout the book. He makes quite a lot of assumptions and mistakes in the beginning but my god, was it nice to see a very flawed, insecure main character, who’s first instinct is to build a wall around his thoughts and feelings, slowly but surely grow and start dismantling his walls and prejudices. I loved him so much, even when I wanted to kick him. I also found his gut issues so relatable, since I, too, have a ton of gut issues, and it’s something you don’t always get to see in a MC.
I absolutely adored Park and I’m very looking forward to seeing a bit more of him and his mysterious past, and also exploring his and Cooper’s explosive relationship and chemistry. Dislike (and instant attraction) to sweet caring and fiery and HOT love making? YES PLEASE.
The mystery bit was also very well done, if a bit confusing at times (but maybe that’s just me being not at the top of my game), and I’m very very curious to see a bit more of the wolf community and pack laws and what actually makes wolves different from humans. I will be jumping into book two very soon.
On top of the delicious tension filled romance between an awkward MC full of self doubt and a seemingly self assured but not too cocky werewolf, there were two things I absolutely adored about this story. First, the MC spends a lot of his time confronting his prejudices & the biased way he’s been trained to do his job, the allegories here are obvious but it’s not too heavy handed. It definitely overcomes my usual reluctance to read LEO focused narratives. Second, the identity of the villain wasn’t glaringly obvious. You had to put the clues together (or like me & the MC have them fall into place at the big reveal), a breath of fresh air from groaning at the incompetence of the MC missing the obvious. All in all this was an excellent fusion of paranormal romance & mystery and I will absolutely be continuing this series.
Wow! I am floored this is a debut. It was so good. The world-building, character development and humor imposed throughout was flawless. The audio was one of the best I have ever heard as well and performed by Erik Bloomquist, who just became one of the narrators I will definitely seek out. So, this book had mystery, shifters, humor, romance and just so much more. The mystery was great, and I found that I followed the same path that Agent Dayton did throughout and could see where he was heading with his thinking. Agent Park was harder to read, but I think it was how his character was written which made it even more. Then the depth of the side characters was so well done too. I cannot wait to continue this story. Very well done. Definitely recommend.
An amazing start to brilliant series
Love this book
This’s been the month to start reading well known series with lots of positive reviews. And I can’t complain of that decision at all.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a mystery/suspense book, especially a paranormal one. And it’s been longer since I found one where I didn’t solve the plot within the first chapters.
Since this is narrated from Cooper’s POV I loved the way how ,through his doubts and questions, we find out all the details about werewolves and the way they are organized. Like I said before, the mystery plot was on point and the romance, I wouldn’t say it was angsty but it wasn’t insta-love either.
I think Park was by far my favourite character. His way of showing Cooper all the times he was being prejudiced regarding werewolves without treating him like a lost cause. Can’t wait to read the next books and unveil his own secrets.
Park and Cooper are engaging characters and their chemistry is an important piece of the plot.
The Wolf at the Door is an absolutely wonderful mix of several of my favourite genres, and it’s a positively amazing book. It’s an M/M, wolf shifter, romantic suspense story. That’s quite a mouthful, but it’s so, so good.
Right, so. I can obviously enjoy a fine suspense novel, but if there’s no love and shenanigans interwoven into the suspense-y storyline, I’ll get bored. I’m all about the love. But this read has it all. Two partners attracted to each other but unsure of the other one’s feelings. People that can turn into wolfs and are impossibly strong and fit (yum). Naughty, delicious raunchiness. And all is mixed in with the overall plot of finding a clawed killer. Obviously I was engrossed from the very beginning.
I would have liked to see more of Park’s wolf characteristics. Sure, he’s super fit and built, and he has a very good sense of smell. But it sure would have been nice to get to see him in action, so to speak. There was a noticeable lack of sweaty, bare-chested show-downs. Which is a bit of a shame if you ask me.
Also, the entire story is told from the viewpoint of Cooper. So the read keeps you guessing a lot concerning Park and wolfs in general. I suppose that’s part of the allure though, and there are three more books already where hopefully more will be revealed. I truly hope the next book – The Wolf at Bay – has dual POVs. I’d just love to get into Park’s head.
The Wolf at the Door is a great, great read. And I adored Adhara’s writing. It’s really funny how you can just immediately tell sometimes, whether the author is a man or a woman. In Cooper’s musings when he tries to connect all the dots in the case, he compares it to trying to make a bed with a too-small sheet. That was probably the best analogy I’ve read in a long time. It’s also – in my mind – not a comparison a male author would have made.
But to sum thing up; The Wolf at the Door is a truly great read and I’ve already bought the sequel. That should make plenty clear how I feel about it.
https://reflectionsofaswedishgirl.blog.se/
I enjoyed this series. Cooper is an FBI agent who survives a werewolf attack. He’s in a space of ‘What the fuck? Werewolves aren’t real but I know what I saw!’ and he is offered a new role in a new division which will explain everything….on the understanding that if he accepts the new role, his career in the FBI is over. He accepts, and is told that yes, werewolves are real, and he is now part of the Bureau of Special Investigations which investigates werewolf crime. Oh, and his new partner is a werewolf.
The first book in the series is set in neutral territory as Cooper and Park investigate a suspected serial murderer. I love it when I can’t predict who the killer is. This book kept me guessing.
The humour was brilliant. I loved Cooper’s snark.
If you enjoy paranormal romance, this series is great. A nice balance of action and emotion, and I thought the incorporation of the werewolves into the real world was realistic and well done.
An original take on shifters, mixed with police procedurals, makes for a series that’s utterly captivating.
Another new-to-me author knocks it out of the ballpark! Charlie Adhara is a talented writer and this was an awesome debut novel.
I was totally captivated by this book and couldn’t put it down. Not only does Adhara give us a great story-line, but she also throws in some super hot sex and the start of a love story. Park and Cooper had amazing chemistry – reminded me of Levi and Dominic (Seven of Spades). And I love their banter.
Slow burn romantic suspense, intriguing mystery, unique paranormal universe, unpredictable twists and turns, sexy-times, banter, friends to lovers…highly recommended
Loved this book. I love that it was steamy without being a ton of sex. Too much sex ruins a good book. This has a nice mystery going too. Recommended!
First book in a delicious slow-burn shifter series. Cooper Dayton and Oliver Park work for opposing agencies testing a new human/shifter alliance. Cooper’s on the mend from a bad werewolf attack. Besides his pain, he has trust issues and is bad at emotions in general. Oliver’s past is a bit mysterious, but he seems like just the sort of thoughtful partner Cooper needs to work through his personal stuff. These two knock up against each other nicely with words and physicality. The book ends with a solid Happy For Now & Book 2 is available. Highly recommend.
My Thoughts – 4 out of 5 Unicorns – I really liked it!!!
***I choose what I read and review based on what intrigues me!! Yes, I got a review copy of this book, but no one tells me what to think, feel, or write about any book!
The cover is mysterious and a little spooky!
This is the first book in the series and the first book by this author. This is for adults only due to the violence and m/m steamy scenes. This is a romance between two men.
I wanted to read this book because it was a mysterious FBI type book. I like reading action-packed books where you aren’t sure what will happen next. This book was not predictable. Every time I thought I knew who did it, I would find out I’m wrong. I love when an author has me running around in circle not knowing what is happening. The romance is light is this book as they are getting to know each other and are unsure especially with being partners and working this case. I liked trying to figure it out along the way with Cooper and Park. You really will be surprised who it is. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!
I recommend to any shifter fans to love mysteries and CSI type situations where you are trying to figure out who did it, and you might also need to like m/m books!
Just finished The Wolf at the Door by debut author Charlie Adhara and it was freaking awesome! So suspenseful and exciting, this was a hard book to put down. Let me tell you why this is a must-read book.
Cooper started with the FBI but after a werewolf attack, he finds himself working the BSI. Park is with a werewolf oversight organization called The Trust. Their purpose is to ease tensions with the BSI. There’s been a series of mysterious deaths and the PTB have decided to pair up Cooper and Park to investigate. A human with issues with werewolves partnered up with a werewolf – this is going to be interesting!
Who is the killer and why? ACK! This is another one of the stories that I thought I was going to figure it all out before the big reveal. Dead bodies, missing people, curious characters are all there, I just needed to puzzle it out. Instead, I found myself drawn in and just let it happen. When the ‘And the killer is…and why they did it’ reveal is done, I was just floored. It wasn’t what or who I expected. Frankly, every reveal was an epic surprised. Okay, well, I did have a list of suspects running through my head and may have guessed some of it right. However, their motives and reasons why I was completely off base on those guesses.
In as much this The Wolf at the Door was a suspenseful mystery, it also had a romance side to it. No insta-love here, which I find sometimes can ruin a story. Instead, we are given a story where wariness, turns to trust as we watch what builds between Cooper and Park: a solid partnership as a working team and a something more. I’m still having a hard time believing this is Ms. Adhara’s debut book. Her world building, characters, and attention to building the right amount of intensity to the plot was spot on and I usually find in seasoned authors. I see good things coming from this author and look forward to reading them.
I received this book from The JeepDiva with the express purpose of an honest review. The opinions, contents, and rating of this review are solely mine.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Sarah –
The hunt for a werewolf serial killer sees human BSI agent Cooper paired with werewolf Trust agent Park in a creepy small town.
Cooper’s paranormal branch of the FBI feels a little bit X-Files and the shifter/human partnership feels a little bit THIRDS. The whole mix of murder mystery/paranormal horror/police procedural feels fresh and had me thoroughly invested from the start.
There isn’t as much world-building or character development in this first book as I’d have liked. I think we’re half-way through the story before Cooper and Park trade first names. Park’s life is never properly explored, and we don’t ever learn much about the origins of werewolves in this book. I’m hoping subsequent books give us more information. This is an action story and we don’t learn enough about Cooper or Park to fully care for them.
This story focuses mostly on the agents’ murder investigation. There are a few clues that point readers in the right direction, but I had a little WTF? moment at the baddy reveal. Even going back through the book, I wasn’t sure there was enough for me to solve the story alongside Cooper and Park.
I liked the relationship between Cooper and Park – the mistrust between them is slowly replaced by grudging respect and later by something more complicated. There are a few steamy moments here, but the sex is between partners who can’t quite let their suspicions go. This isn’t a romance – though I suspect the series may become more romantic.
This book is very promising. So far, I like the premise and I like the characters in this series. I enjoyed the investigation. I’m hoping for more world building and character development in the next book. I’m also hoping that I’m going to end up loving this series.
Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.