Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Wolfman by Stanley Trollip

 
First Line: It was a cold Monday morning when Crystal Nguyen finally made up her mind to resign.
 
When her career doesn't move as quickly as she wants it to, young investigative reporter Crystal Nguyen decides on a risky approach: to create the news and then report on it. Her reporting goes viral when she suggests that there may be someone out there-- possibly part of the Hunt-the-Hunter movement-- who is determined to go after poachers who are killing Minnesota's endangered gray wolves. Crystal gives the person a name, Wolfman, and the television station's ratings soar. 
 
Then a man is shot, and Crystal begins to worry that she's created a copycat, someone intent on punishing poachers-- possibly even killing them. Now she has to downplay the Wolfman and try to convince the copycat to stop. But this only angers him. He feels betrayed, and now he's after Crystal.
 
~
 
I first met Crystal Nguyen in Dead of Night written by the writing team known as Michael Stanley. In Wolfman, one half of that writing team, Stanley Trollip, has written a prequel, telling Crystal's story prior to Dead of Night
 
In Dead of Night, I had some problems with Crystal Nguyen, and after reading this book, I don't think I'll ever be her BFF; she's just too self-centered and impulsive even if her heart is in the right place. Crystal wants to be an environmental investigative reporter for National Geographic, but she goes out of her way in Wolfman to jeopardize her chances. Career in television not moving fast enough to suit you? Well then, just create your own news and report it. What could possibly go wrong? 
 
In the first half of this book, Crystal spends too much time jumping in without thinking, and then she doesn't like the  consequences. Like most young people, she also thinks she's ten feet tall and bulletproof. Time and again, her actions put her in danger. A friend finally has to get in her face and say, "I don't think you get it. Just because you are in the right, doesn't make you safe!"

Did my opinion of Crystal ruin the book for me? Not at all. I was thrilled to see that she actually did some growing up in the second half, and I really liked her attitude toward what she'd done. Sharing Crystal's relationship with a gray wolf she named Alfie also went a long way in helping me understand her. 

Besides trying to solve the mystery, I quickly learned to look forward to Crystal's biathlon scenes, which both illuminated her character and added depth and excitement to the story.

Will we be seeing Crystal Nguyen again? I don't know. One thing I do know is that, if she does make another appearance, I'll undoubtedly read it. I may not particularly like her, but I do like reading about the trouble she gets herself into in her quest to save the natural world.

Wolfman by Stanley Trollip
ISBN: 9780997968965
White Sun Books © 2021
Paperback, 246 pages
 
Thriller, Crystal Nguyen prequel
Rating: B+
Source: the author 

6 comments:

  1. I'm so glad you enjoyed this, Cathy. I really like Trollip's work with Michael Sears on the Detective Kubu series, and I've heard good things about this one. So it's good to hear you liked it.

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    1. Yes, I did, although some may think it strange that I liked the book even though I didn't care for the main character. I may not like Crystal, but she certainly never bores me! LOL

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  2. I've got mixed emotions about this one. The main character sounds so unethical that I'm not sure that I could get past her fake news exploitation...but it sounds like quite the thriller. We'll see.

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    1. I have to admit that part of me kept reading, hoping that she'd get into all sorts of trouble.

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  3. I would have mixed emotions about this one as well. But I am glad to hear that she grows in the course of the story - that helps a lot. And a relationship with a gray wolf sounds quite interesting.

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    1. Yes, it does mean a lot that she begins learning the error of her ways during the course of the book.

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