Ah yes, the inevitable story with a Wendigo - this time, its a monster out in the state park, killing hikers. Joanne, along with a few friends, and some unwelcome FBI agents need to figure out whats going on.

Again, this is a fairly standard plot, but with interesting characters who are a bit more than standard, it make for an interesting story. Not great, but fun. ( )

Coyote is back and Joanne gets to meet him in person. He has to adjust to he being a warrior shaman, she has to adjust to him being alive. ;-) There's back story fill and another person from Joanne's past. I imagine that the next book might take us out of Seattle to North Carolina and a visit with Joanne's father. Looking forward to finding out in the next book! ( )

Joanne is well established at this point and is starting to learn how to effectively use her powers. She is also maturing as a detective, rather than relying exclusively on her power to solve crimes. The story is well paced with a good mix of humor and action. We finally get a peek into who Coyote is and a better idea of the story behind Jo's interactions with him. We also get a look at some of the fall out from her high school adventures. Overall, another great installment in the series. ( )

Joanne and Billy are now the woo-woo team – the pair with supernatural abilities who help with those cases that are just too weird for anyone else. So when people show up dying and partially eaten but without a scrap of any kind of forensic evidence on the bodies, it’s time to call them in.

But even magic can’t work miracles and there’s a limit to what even they can sense, much to their frustration. What they do learn is that their enemy is far more dangerous than they imagined and is going to take some… unorthodox messages to track and stop

Thankfully, Joanne is pretty good at unorthodox methods – as she proves not only to the people around her but also to Coyote, her mentor, finally free from a supernatural coma. In his absence Joanne has grown considerable and they have to refind their balance with what she’s learned, how she’s grown, the path she is on – and the fact they’re both in the real world, in the flesh.

It’s another fun mystery – with a lot evolved. The progression in how the police force treats Joanne and Billy has excellently developed through the series to Morrison now overtly recognising them as his woo-woo experts. The mystery itself is interesting and, while it is quickly solved in terms of “whodunnit” the how to stop it part of the story maintains some excellent tension and questions to keep the story going. The story is really well paced without any lags or moments of boredom, confusion, or vast leaps of logic. But the star of this book has to be the characterisations

I really love the introduction of Coyote, and I really thought I wouldn’t. I expected his presence to shake his mystique and it did. But it did it extremely well because it not only humanised him but helped Joanne to grow. Coyote is a person. He’s more knowledgeable than Joanne, in many ways more capable and Joanne and has powers and skills Joanne can’t touch.

But he is a person and he isn’t god. There are areas where Joanne is better suited than him, there are areas where Joanne is more powerful than him and there are things she can do which he cannot. And him showing up didn’t turn this into a story that focuses on Coyote, Joanne is still the protagonist, she is still the one investigating, she is still the one in charge and the one who makes the decision in her city and her life. I liked that it made it really clear that they can be powerful in different ways and walk different path. That Coyote, healer, teacher, advisor has far greater strengths in those areas – but Joanne doesn’t have to follow the same way; she’s a warrior, a defender, a soldier who heals things and makes things better in her own way. I liked that he had his precious philosophy that was truly valuable to him – but at the same time it was acknowledge he could have that and not need Joanne to follow it.

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The series seems to get stronger with every book. The character development and world building keep pulling me back, every time! ( )