The Frenzy Way by Gregory Lamberson
July 21, 2011by Gregory Lamberson
Medallion Press
I’ll begin by telling you how impressed I was with Medallion’s production of this trade paperback. The covers – both front and back – are stunning. Before even cracking open the book, the action starts with Tommy Castillo’s and James Tampa’s cover design. It’s nice to see a publisher put that much care into how a book looks. You don’t that these days from the New York big boys.
Right off the bat by examining the cover you know you’re in for a no-holds barred werewolf novel. And The Frenzy Way does not disappoint.
Vampires and zombies have taken over the book shelves and the minds of readers, so a lycanthrope novel that actually delivers a serious bite of entertainment is a delicious change of pace. Lamberson delivers a quick read that burrows into your brain like a silver bullet. Filled with Native American and European lore, you can tell he’s done his research but doesn’t bog the reader down with details as the body count rises.
In The Frenzy Way werewolves try to live in peace with humans, staying under the radar, until a member of the pack goes rogue. The NYPD thinks they have a copycat on their hands, so in comes hero cop, Captain Anthony Mace; the man who put away the city’s last serial killer with a werewolf complex. Except this time all the evidence is pointing to the real thing. Eyewitness accounts describe a beast leaving the scene of each crime. And the killer is taunting Mace, getting bolder with each crime. The clues are mounting, pointing at werewolves and an Inquisition dagger used to slay the beasts. But the investigation is going in circles.
Cue mysterious John Stalk, a police officer from the Native Reserve who could be either ally or obstacle. Mace suspects Stalk knows more than he’s saying. The man shows up at the crime scenes as fast or faster than the cops and he seems to be on the hunt.
Lamberson develops the werewolf mythos with skill, making it intricate enough to be believable without losing the machine-gun action. No matter which direction he turns, Mace faces a new murder or a battle for his life. It’s easy to care for the hardworking cop each time it looks like he might not make it. Those scenes really pack a punch to the reader’s gut.
The end of the book left me wanting more, which is something every reader looks for in a book that keeps you reading even after your eyes are too tired to follow the lines.
According to other fans of the book a sequel is in the works. I’m hoping there is.
Have you read The Frenzy Way? What did you think?
