Review - Hemlock

by Kathleen Peacock
publisher: Katherine Tegen
date of publication: May 8, 2012
format: ARC
pages: 400
source: SBB ARC Tours
read it in: 1 night

From Goodreads:

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

Hemlock is a little different than your typical werewolf novel.  Rather than being relegated to the shadows and full moon-lit nights, lurk amongst everyday citizens who know that there are werewolves, though they don't know who they might be.  In the town of Hemlock, being a werewolf is a disease, one that some people would do anything to eradicate.  This approach to the werewolf story made for a fresh twist on the folklore that usually makes its way into stories and novels. This characteristic, and more, are what make Hemlock a riveting, interesting read, one that I stayed up long into the night reading.

Mac, the main character of Hemlock, finds herself in a very tough situation when her best friend is brutally murdered by a rare white werewolf.  She is a girl consumed by guilt and questions due to her absence when her friend tried to call her before she died.  It is guilt and sadness that make Mac unwilling to let the circumstances of Aimee's death remain ignored.  It is during her attempts to solve the mystery surrounding Amy's death that we get a sense of who Mac really is.  She is a very complex character with a keen sense of loyalty and an obstinate streak that won't allow her to sit back and take things at face value.  I found that I liked Mac for her complexities and willingness to go the extra mile to find the answers she needs.

The mystery that makes up Hemlock was so intense and riveting that I read the entirety of the book in a single night, simply because I had to know what would happen next.  The pace is neither too fast nor too slow, making it easy to process the information as it comes without giving things away too soon.  Hemlock's setting makes for an interesting place for a werewolf epidemic.  Affluence surrounded as it is by more run-down neighborhoods make it like any number of cities in the real world, making the acknowledged presence of werewolves both surreal and sinister.  I found the angle to be very enjoyable.

Fans of werewolf fiction, take heed: you must read Hemlock.  Kathleen Peacock has created a fantastic story of murder, betrayal, guilt, and acceptance.  Every bit as chilling as a cold, moonlit night, Hemlock was able to keep me enthralled from cover to cover.  If you're looking for a slightly different spin on werewolves, you should definitely pick up this book.  The thrills and chills just don't stop!

Buy Hemlock at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This ARC was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Southern Book Blogger ARC Tours. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.