2 out of 4 stars
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What would make a vampire and a werewolf work together? If you’re thinking a serial killer, then you’re correct. The Cactus Killer by Jeremy Croston introduces readers to the werewolves of Full Moon and the local sheriff, Victor “Vic” Inglewood, in this supernatural mystery. Vic is different from other wolves. When wolves turn thirteen, they go through their first transformations, but Vic never fully transforms. Instead, he has heightened senses, and he uses them to fulfill his duties as sheriff of Full Moon. His days as sheriff are usually quiet, but that changes when a century old vampire named Elizabeth asks for Vic’s help solving a big problem: vampires are being staked and drained of blood, and the only “calling card” left by the killer is pieces of cacti embedded in the heads of his victims. As Vic and Elizabeth work to stop any more killings from happening, the killer gets bolder, and the killings start happening closer to home. It is a race to save supernatural creatures from extinction, and Vic and Elizabeth are running out of time.
Creating new communities in works of fiction is not an easy task, but Croston manages it just fine. Full Moon is setup like a small town, and readers will be able to connect with the small town feel in the book. The information and important details about the werewolf and vampire communities are easy to understand, and they are presented in a way that will not bore the reader. It really helps that readers learn about the vampire community with Vic because it never feels like too much information is being thrown at readers at once.
The plot starts off strong, but it loses its way about a quarter of the way through and seems to stay lost until the last quarter of the book. I say this because a lot of the plot seems so unnecessary. The characters get together, and they talk about what they already know a lot. This would be okay if it happened just once, but it happens multiple times, and I grew tired of these scenes quickly. It takes Vic and Elizabeth three tries to get to one place because they are repeatedly attacked. These scenes make the book seem really, really long.
The dialogue is clear, and in most places it helps to move the story forward. In several scenes there are a lot of characters present, but it is always clear who is speaking. The one problem I have with the dialogue is that Elizabeth’s word usage seems too contemporary. She is a century old, but her word choice does not reflect her age, and she sometimes sounds like a teenager.
Vic is a great character, and he shines in this novel. He is a fully developed character, and he shows a lot of growth throughout the plot. I enjoyed being inside his head, and I felt that his decisions consistently reflect the kind of character he is. Her strange word choices aside, Elizabeth is a strong character. She is a good asset to Vic in his quest to catch a killer. The minor characters are not as stellar as the main two characters. The minor characters are not developed, and I didn’t feel connected to any of them. I do not want to spoil anything, but something awful happens to a minor character. I know I was supposed to feel something when I read about that character, but I didn’t feel anything at all. This is because I never got a chance to know the character before the devastating scene.
I give The Cactus Killer by Jeremy Croston 2 out of 4 stars. It is the first in a series, and I am hesitant to pick up the next installment. The wayward plot and underdeveloped minor characters do not allow me to give this book anything more than 2 stars. I would recommend this book to patient readers who enjoy supernatural mysteries.
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The Cactus Killer
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