Rating: 2 stars

It seems that every time I turn around I'm faced with yet another sub-par entry into the paranormal/urban fantasy genre. Nothing would have pleased me more then to crack open Night Life and be immersed in the exciting life of a werewolf-heroine. Alas, that was not the case and this book will sink into the pile of so many others that are trying to break through in the genre.

Luna Wilder (seriously?) is a Nocturne City detective and an Insoli were. Insoli are packless and considered no more then gutter trash but Luna prefers it that way. When she is called to the scene of a murdered hooker, she knows immediately that the woman was also a were. After another such woman turns up, bloodied and dead in the room of the District Attorney's son, Luna fears that a serial killer may be on the loose. In order to solve the case before another woman dies, Luna will have to join forces with Dimitri, the leader of the Redback pack, whom she suspects may have a hand in the killings. The only problem is that as much as Luna mistrusts Dimitri, she also feels an undeniable pull for him. Their chemistry could unravel the entire case, and Luna's career.

The genre is full of "tough-as-nails" heroines with large chips on their shoulders and something to prove to the men around them. Luna proves to be crafted from this same bitter, self-destructive mold; no new ground is broken here. The character had little depth, the dialogue was very wooden and forced, and the scenarios were entirely too unbelievable. The woman rushes into danger continuously, with no back-up and no just cause, only to be seriously injured, after which she does it again, and again. Seems to me that a detective of this caliber would have been removed from the force long ago. Maybe things are done differently in Nocturne City but they aren't done well.
-------------------
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (March 4, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0312948298
ISBN-13: 978-031294829