SOURCE: The Dark Cry of the Moon (1985) by Charles L. Grant

DESCRIPTION: "...A baying while the figure began to writhe without moving, began to shimmer without reflecting, began to transform itself from shadow black to deadly flat white...Huge, white, with staring amber eyes; huge, swaying, its claws already out and scratching slowly against stone; huge, panting, its fangs slicing the moon's surface when it lifted again to bay..."

PLOT: Lucas Stockton is the new sheriff of Oxrun Station and he already has three murders on his hands. A werewolf is prowling the little town. The police chief suspects the mystery is linked to the rich Drummond family, a crippled father, a son scarred by the Civil War and another who ran off to Europe to avoid service. To make matters worse the other suitor for Johanna Crenshaw's hand is Bartholomew Drummond. Lucas, with the help of his Gypsy housekeeper and a handful of deputies, solves the real mystery and stops a terror. (I won't revel who the werewolf is.)

WEREWOLF FACTS: Pretty standard werewolf, a large white wolf. Grant's only addition is glowing amber eyes. I would have liked some new werewolfery but alas...

INTERESTING FACTS: This book is a good, fast-paced read with a mildly difficult mystery (and a lousy cover.) I have to admit I figured it out fairly quickly. My favorite bit was the description of Lawrence Drummond trapped under a pile of corpses in a battle field, their blood dripping over him, while wolves feed from the slain. The sheriff element reminded me a little of The Totem by David Morrell. Highly recommend this book.