Shadow of the Beast Paperback – December 1, 2004

Margaret L. Carter has written an intelligent and intriguing novel that reads very much like something out of real life, with the exception that we are given entree into the life of a woman who is a werewolf. Usually, werewolf novels tend to be overly male-centric and treat the werewolf as a mindless beast crazed with bloodlust. So, it was for me, very refreshing to read a novel about a WOMAN WEREWOLF. (The transformation sequences were well done. I could appreciate Jenny's anxiety when she woke up one morning naked not far from the remnants of an animal she had killed the previous night as a wolf. Frightened, she managed to make it home, barely escaping exposure. )I was also fascinated with the way Jenny, through psychoanalysis, was able to tap into her "Wolf" side, overcome a number of challenges, and learn to fully embrace and accept being a werewolf.Hopefully, in future, more intelligently written and imaginative werewolf novels will come into the market. Novels that feature men and women alike as werewolves, hailing from all walks of life. May some deft writer or group of writers do for the werewolf genre what Anne Rice has already done for vampires!

I can't believe the glowing reviews of this book. Despite being 241 pages long, half of this page count are blank pages at chapter ends with a typeface so large as to almost seem like a childrens book. I read the whole book while waiting for a flight at Warsaw airport. The writers style was so lightweight and the plot so predictable (it was obvious the female central character would kill the rapist and her father in her werewolf guise). Also at times it felt like I was reading a cheap dime store housewifes romance novel in the descriptions of the love affair between Jenny and Kurt (and God how cheesy are these character names). Not enough real horror or dark descriptive narrative for my liking. As an avid reader of werewolf novels, I would recommend avoiding this. Appalling.

In Annapolis, Maryland, to say that life has been harsh for legal research assistant Jennie Cameron would be a major understatement of the truth. Jennie's biological father simply vanished not long after she was born. She has no memories of the man except for the few tidbits her mother mentioned over the years. A red-eyed feral animal killed her two siblings in her home, leaving Jennie in shock, with nightmares, and an unsuccessful therapy.However, Jennie's nightmare is just beginning to turn real as the neighbor's cat is mangled and left dead in the nearby snow followed closely by the death due to cardiac failure of her mother. Still grieving, a rapist attacks Jenny only to be ripped apart by some animal that leaves Jenny alone as if she is a ward. Only Jenny has the power to defeat the beast of evil that stalks her every movement, but she needs to go deep into her own past to release the feral power hiding inside her. The cost of freeing her dark side could be her grip on humanity.THE SHADOW BEAST is a brilliant tale that combines classic werewolf horror with psychological suspense. The story line is fast-paced with no wasted subplots as the reader follows Jenny's descent into the early stages of depression. Jenny is a great character and her boyfriend Kurt provides more insight into her personality. Fans of horror tales will fully relish this grim, taut thriller that demonstrates the genre has a new star, Margaret L. Carter.Harriet Klausner

From the first few pages I knew I had made a mistake purchasing this book. It is formulaic light horror romance of the worst kind. The plot as well as the characters are predictable and ultimately forgettable with a juvenile interpretation of the werewolf archetype.

A young woman with a traumatic past has to deal with yet more horror as her dreams turn out to be real. As a piece of literary prose, it is very well written, giving great character depth and a superb sense of the emotions that the heroine faces.Having said that, the story itself is not particularly gripping, possibly because, being quite short, there isnt quite enough there to keep you fascinated until the small hours. Not much book for a lot of money, which is unfortunate, given how well it is written...