Book Review: Stowe Away
Posted: May 31, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Dark Humor, Fiction, Review, Speculative Fiction, Werewolf fiction, Werewolf Fiction | Tags: Book Review, Canadian Werewolf, Canadian Werewolf in New York, Mark Leslie, Stowe Away, Werewolf, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
About the Book
HOW DO YOU KEEP AN INNOCENT CHILD SAFE FROM A PREDATOR WHEN YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE BEAST THAT ASSUMES CONTROL OF YOU?
A train bound for Vermont leaves Manhattan at 11:35 AM. It takes approximately 9 hours to arrive. Sunset at the arrival destination occurs at 8:20 PM. How does Michael Andrews, a man on that train who is afflicted with a werewolf curse, resolve the fact that the math just doesn’t work out in his favor? Or in favor of the young girl who is trapped, and cornered?
Michael’s unequivocal desire to help usually thrusts him into the middle of tight spots. And though he has never been good at math, he is consistently good at compounding the peril in his day. On an urgent and last minute trip to help a dear friend in need, he finds someone else to help along the way.
Can Michael figure out how he’ll be able to protect his young, innocent traveling companion as she tries to make her own cross-country escape from the predator who relentlessly stalks her? And does this curious child hold her own answers that can, in turn, help Michael?
In a tale that has been described as Logan meets Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Mark Leslie has crafted a thrill-ride that explores Michael Andrews, Alpha Wolf and Beta Human as he embarks on a life-altering road trip that sends him hurtling towards his own psyche as it brings him miles away from his familiar home territory.
Audible: https://www.amazon.com/Stowe-Away-Canadian-Werewolf-Novella/dp/B08GH4Y4XJ
My Review
Anyone who follows my reviews here might know that I’m a big fan of Mark Leslie’s Canadian Werewolf series. Stowe Away is book 1.5 in the series. You can check out my reviews of the other books in this series at the links below.
I received a free audiobook copy of Stowe Away from responding to Mark Leslie’s newsletter. What a sweet deal. Stowe Away is a novella length story in the Canadian Werewolf series. It is narrated by Scott Overton, who narrates the other audiobooks in the series, as well. As per his usual, he does an excellent job with handling the voices of multiple characters, including the character of a thirteen-year-old girl for this one.
Obviously, I am a fan of this series. Stowe Away was no exception. Michael Andrews must get to Gail, to be the loving and supporting friend in her time of need. As luck would have it, the train is the mode of transportation that will get him there the quickest. But it’s the full moon and the train doesn’t arrive at the destination before it rises.
How to deal with this dilemma is on his mind when he comes across a young girl in trouble, stirring the superhero tendencies in him. She’s hiding from a man who is searching for her on the train, and if he finds her, he wants to silence her for good. Now Michael has to figure out how to help the girl and get off the train before the moon rises and he changes into his alter-ego wolf-self.
Stowe Away is a novella length Canadian Werewolf tale with a full story arc and all the hallmarks that make this series fun to read. I give it five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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Book Review: Canadian Werewolf in New York
Posted: September 9, 2022 Filed under: Audiobook Review, Book Review, Books, Fiction, Opinion, Speculative Fiction, Werewolf fiction | Tags: Audio Books, Book Review, Canadian Werewolf in New York, Mark Leslie, Paranormal, Speculative Fiction, Supernatural, Werewolf, Writing to be Read 7 Comments
When I picked up Canadian Werewolf in New York, by Mark Leslie, I must admit, I had visions of one of my favorite werewolf movies. But Leslie’s wolf isn’t one plagued by the spirits of his victims, as are the American versions. It was a pleasant surprise to find that I was wrong on that note.
Mark Leslie’s werewolf uses his more beastly senses like superpowers to come to the aid of the damsel in distress, making this story a cross between a pulp story and a werewolf cozy, as his writer turned wolf character goes about solving mysterious disappearances for the woman he loves, and fighting crime in a classic hero’s journey. Quite entertaining.
His main character, Michael, is a Canadian writer, trying to make it in the big apple, but of course he’s also a werewolf. The appearance of his old flame asking for his help finding out what her fiance is up to throws him into a mystery, calling his sleuthing skills into play. At the same time, there’s another wolf in town, and he must use all of his heightened wolf senses to sniff out his rival and protect the girl.
As an author, I know it can be very effective to use the senses to help put the reader in the story, but I also know it can be tricky writing in details of the senses other than those we use and think about most. But, Leslie has managed to skillfully craft in and use the sense of smell throughout this tale, taking the reader on an olfactory adventure like none I’ve had before. Brilliant!
I listened to this tale in the audio book form, and I must say that the narrator, Scott Overton, does a fantastic job, never once stumbling on difficult character nicknames like “Mr. Hyper-halitosis”. He also did a fabulous job with a Yorkshire accent and the female voice.
I truly enjoyed listening to Canadian Werewolf in New York. I found it fresh and entertaining, and I give it five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
