Review: Hemlock

Hemlock (Hemlock, #1) by Kathleen Peacock
Publisher: HarperCollins 
Format: ARC
Source: Blog Tour 
Release Date: May 8th, 2012
Amazon |  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.

Typically I'm not a fan of murder mystery novels, but I couldn't turn down the opportunity to read one with a werewolf spin! Not only did Hemlock keep me on my toes, but it also played out completely different from how I envisioned it! The unpredictability of this novel is what kept me hooked throughout it's entirety. 

In Hemlock, Kathleen provides a much needed breath of fresh air to the the werewolf genre. I found it interesting that Kathleen made the existence of werewolves common knowledge in this book. The lupine syndrome is treated as an epidemic. It's such a simple premise, but I can't recall a werewolf story I've read where the same is true! Hemlock seemed to carry a Salem Witch Trial likeness with it that only added to the tension of the murder storyline.

The characters in Hemlock were fantastic! They were real and relate-able; especially Mac, the protagonist. She was strong and very likeable. On top of the characters, I thoroughly enjoyed the romance aspect of this book! Kathleen did a wonderful job providing tension within the love triangle without making it annoying and overbearing. Let's face it: it's pretty easy to get frustrated with love triangles! Two-thumbs up for a successfully written romance!

Hemlock will appeal to readers of many genres! Yes, even those who haven't liked werewolf books in the past! There's much, much more to this book than werewolves. Whether you are looking for a good YA romance, an intriguing mystery, or an action-packed read Hemlock will deliver!

This book was reviewed as part of the Hemlock ARC Tour, hosted by PARAFANTASY!

Ezmirelda - Thanks so much for the opportunity to read this awesomeness!