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Bitten

by Dan O'Brien (Goodreads Author)

3.38 of 5 stars 3.38 · rating details · 39 ratings · 24 reviews

A predator stalks a cold northern Minnesotan town. There is talk of wolves walking on two legs and attacking people in the deep woods. Lauren Westlake, resourceful and determined F.B.I Agent, has found a connection between the strange murders in the north and a case file almost a hundred years old. Traveling to the cold north, she begins an investigation that spirals deep...more

Paperback, 274 pages

Published November 21st 2011 by Create Space (first published September 2010)

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KBR Best Indie Books 2012 (Scifi/fantasy)

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Jan 10, 2011 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: winter-cold-setting, all-things-winter-challenge, werewolf, police-federal-agent-law-enforcemen, kindle-book, psychopaths-and-serial-killers, thriller-suspense, horror, monster-story, small-town-slice-of-life, warrior-woman, prophecy, 2011-reading, bbb-review

For a full review see the Bitten by Books website: http://bittenbybooks.com/

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Jun 14, 2013 Kiki rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed the actual writing in the book. Many times while reading I felt I could just close my eyes and be in the scene and in the moment. It allowed me to connect with each character in the story.

In Bitten there is some back story which shed light regarding many myths concerning werewolves and urban myths. The story put a little twist on the normal werewolf story. I love the twist of what happens to a person bitten by a werewolf. I also like how the stories weaved together. You have a detectiv...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Romancing the Book rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed by: Indera
Book provided by: Publisher
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

Murder, Werewolves, Urban Myths, Small towns, and FBI Agents! A perfect combination for this exciting, thrilling, gory murder mystery with bits and pieces of romance and paranormal!

I did enjoy the actual writing in the book. Author Dan O’Brien uses very descriptive writing. Many times while reading I felt I could just close my eyes and be in the scene and in the moment. It is refreshing to read a good mys...more Reviewed by: Indera
Book provided by: Publisher
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

Murder, Werewolves, Urban Myths, Small towns, and FBI Agents! A perfect combination for this exciting, thrilling, gory murder mystery with bits and pieces of romance and paranormal!

I did enjoy the actual writing in the book. Author Dan O’Brien uses very descriptive writing. Many times while reading I felt I could just close my eyes and be in the scene and in the moment. It is refreshing to read a good mystery that is exciting and very descriptive. It allows me to connect with each character in the story. Warning, the scenes do tend to be a bit gory and much like a horror movie. There were many times I had to shiver after reading the graphic and colorful writing. I would not recommend this for the sensitive or squeamish type.

The back story is good. It wasn’t the normal werewolf story I normally read. In Bitten there is some back story which shed light regarding many myths concerning werewolves and urban myths. The story put a little twist on the normal werewolf story. I love the twist of what happens to a person bitten by a werewolf. I also like how the stories weaved together. You have a detective investigating mysterious murders and a werewolf that seeks someone of his kind to resurrect his own supernatural race. I did want a bit more of the back story. I expected to learn more about the supernatural and mortal realms (and the new twists) along with more history of the characters and their ancestors.

Among the gory murders and the mutilated bodies author O’Brien finds a way to tie in a bit of a romance. The romance aspect of the book is also enjoyable with Agent Lauren Westlake. She is your no nonsense career driven FBI agent that gets “bit” by a love bug and turns into a young batty eyed girl in love. Many times in the novel she struggles with this persona because she is expected to be a tough and rough detective, but ends up all doe eyed and giddy over her guy Dominic. I think this part of the story was written well. I normally don’t like to read too many stories with a strong independent woman who suddenly falls apart when she falls in love. The author did a good job of giving us romance book lover’s bits and pieces of romance and attraction mixed in with horror, mystery and intrigue.

There were many other strong characters in the book including Sheriff Montgomery and by the end his relationship turns endearing and almost fatherly with Lauren. I loved the characters and their development. Sheriff Montgomery was not keen on having some FBI agent in his territory but as events unfolded he slowly starts to trust agent Westlake. This makes the story believable as most small town folks don’t want outsiders in their town! Another favorite character of mine is the transient bum. Throughout most of the book he is referred to as the vagrant or the transient and is of no use at all. Eventually with the help of Agent Westlake he opens up and ends up assisting in the investigation. Hecate was another memorable character. She plays an important role in finding who or what is killing in the small town of Locke Minnesota. Her twist is she serves as a “Guide for the Mortal Realm” and has a very unique way of helping out with the investigation.

One complaint was the story just ended and left me wanting more with Lauren and Dominic. The ending left me with the impression that Detective Westlake’s adventures will continue (with another “paranormal subject”) so I will look out for another adventure with this quirky FBI agent. I look forward to seeing what other twists Dan O’Brien can come up with for the next paranormal subject. I do recommend this book for those readers that love a good mystery with lots of gore and suspense.(less)

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Mar 05, 2012 Martha Cheves rated it 5 of 5 stars

Bitten – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and A Book and A Dish

“Agent Lauren Westlake. Yes, I know about you Agent Westlake. What are you an agent of I wonder?” posited the woman quizzically. “Right. So yeah, anyways. About the creature?” The woman folded her hands across her lap and sat back. “There are many creatures in this world, Lauren of the Lake Tribes of the West. My question is what are you an agent of? We all represent something in this world. What do you repre...more Bitten – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and A Book and A Dish

“Agent Lauren Westlake. Yes, I know about you Agent Westlake. What are you an agent of I wonder?” posited the woman quizzically. “Right. So yeah, anyways. About the creature?” The woman folded her hands across her lap and sat back. “There are many creatures in this world, Lauren of the Lake Tribes of the West. My question is what are you an agent of? We all represent something in this world. What do you represent?” Lauren looked at the woman strangely, feeling claustrophobic. “I am an agent of the federal government,” she replied mechanically. The woman was not convinced with the answer. “That is to say you are an agent of a rock, Lauren of the Lake Tribes of the West. Would you like me to read your life?” “My life? Lake Tribes of the West? I thought you had information about the creature.” “I have information on a great many things, Agent Westlake. What information do you have for me? Nothing in this life is free. A cycle of reciprocity, surrounded and envelopes us, even if we do not see it.” Lauren gripped the edge of the chair, lifting her body. “I think there has been a misunderstanding. I thought you had something to tell me…” The woman waved the agent down with a quick movement of her hands. “Let me begin then. I am called Hecate. I serve as the guide from this world. Not the only guide mind you, but a guide nonetheless. I am an agent of wisdom and of truth. And you, daughter of the Lake Tribes of the West, what are you an agent of?”

Federal Agent Lauren Westlake had been in Locke, Minnesota for just a few days and she is now conversing with a another crazy woman. The first was Madeline Leftwich who for years sat every night at the train station waiting on her mother to pick her up. Now Madeline is dead and the particulars of her death are what keeps Lauren in her seat as she listens to the puzzling comments coming from Hecate. Madeline, as well as another woman found at the lake, had both been murdered by what appears to be the same ‘person.’ Both were mutilated with patches of skin removed. After catching a glimpse of what Lauren believes to be the murderer, she is convinced it isn’t a person she’s perusing but a monster of some type. From what she saw, it’s large and it’s hairy. Definitely not human.

Dominic McManus has had his own encounter with Hecate. She has given him hope for the future. She has ‘read his life’ and assured him that there will be someone coming that will help him. But Dominic sees his time running out and needs help fast. Could Lauren possibly be the one he’s been waiting on?

While reading Bitten, I felt as if I was reading a possible script for one of the supernatural shows on television involving vampires and werewolves. I also felt that it might even be a script for Criminal Minds. This book would fit both. The questions I kept asking myself as I read were – is this monster a werewolf? - is Dominic the monster? - could it really be just a crazy maniac? And then I would tell myself – if this book were made into a movie I would spend more time hiding my face from the screen as a got the heck scared out of me. Bitten is a true thriller!

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Dec 13, 2011 Bookworm007 rated it 5 of 5 stars

I wish anyone reading this could have watched my facial expressions while I read Bitten. When was the last time you read a book that got real reactions out of you? I laughed out loud at times, stared at the page with a hand covering my open mouth in shock at others. That might seem dramatic but I got really into this story. This is a thriller taking place in the unlikely location of Minnesota. The main character, Lauren, is a strong woman who knows what she wants and how to get it. It is mostly...more

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Jan 24, 2012 Arlena rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-stars, ebooks, thrillers, suspense, paranormal

Author: Dan O'Brien
Published by: Create Space
Age Recommend: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Raven Rating: 5
Blog Reviewed For: GMTA
Review:
"Bitten" by Dan O'Brien was indeed a good thriller with some suspense and romance.
The story is of how a predator stalks the small town of
Locke, Minnesota and a FBI agent Lauren Westlake come to
town and opens up a investigation that takes the police department to levels it's never been before. I believe the author did an excellent job with bringing out the best i...more

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May 28, 2012 Naj (Unputdownable Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

FBI Agent Lauren Westlake has a knack for investigating cold cases that seem to pop up again spontaneously in different parts of the U.S. Her new case leads her to a cold northern Minnesotan town, where a string of murders occurred. As the investigation gets deeper, everything starts to seem... supernatural.

I won't consider this book as a complete paranormal book. It seemed more plain fiction with a touch of paranormal, horror and suspense. To be honest, the book didn't seem so into suspense, i...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, advanced-readers-copy

***This book was received as a free advanced reader's copy***

This was a supernatural crime mystery type of book. It had a good plot, the pace was a bit off, but the characters were good. And it looks like it may be the start of a series, which sounds interesting.

Lauren Westlake is headed to a sleepy little town up North on the trail of a case. A series of strange, possibly supernatural killings have happened, and a new murder has brought her here. The local police force, while resentful at first...more ***This book was received as a free advanced reader's copy***

This was a supernatural crime mystery type of book. It had a good plot, the pace was a bit off, but the characters were good. And it looks like it may be the start of a series, which sounds interesting.

Lauren Westlake is headed to a sleepy little town up North on the trail of a case. A series of strange, possibly supernatural killings have happened, and a new murder has brought her here. The local police force, while resentful at first, soon appreciates her help when another murder occurs that is just as grisly as the first. And it won't be the last either. But Lauren's even got a little romance going as well, with a mysterious man who seems older than he really is. But since the town is full of strange surprises it doesn't alarm her. The cold blooded killer is still on the prowl, and Lauren knows she has to stop him, but its going to be tougher than she thinks.

I liked Lauren. She's pretty no-nonsense and won't take any crap. But at the same time she kind of seems unsure of herself as well. She does fall a little fast for her love interest, but hey, chemistry can happen that way sometimes. The police are also pretty no-nonsense but they are believable for the most part. And I liked the O'Brien gave them some backstories. I was a little weirded out by Hecate, unless she appears in the rest of the series (if it is in fact a series) she just seemed out of place and like an afterthought in this book. Her character and conversations almost made the book unbelievable (well unbelievable in the scope of a supernatural novel anyway). She just didn't seem authentic.

I will say that there is a lot of gore, violence, sex, and wildly colorful language in this book. I'm thinking that if you're sensitive to any of these things, it probably won't be to your taste. But the gruesome did make it a good horror story. It was descriptive and very visual. The conversation I felt a bit strange. I'm assuming this is modern time and the language was a bit formal for now, although I did like that he used northern expressions for some of the characters. I guess for a supernatural suspense, it just seemed like poetic language mixed in between cusswords, and it didn't come off natural. The idea of the killer and the backstory behind it was unique. I actually liked the twist that O'Brien put on the werewolf myth. It was different.

I would read the next in this series and will probably look for it to hit shelves. I'm eager to see if it puts a different spin on another supernatural being.

Bitten
Copyright 2011
274 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2012

More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com (less)

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Jan 05, 2013 Sydney Squidney rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, supernatural, werewolves, ebooks, free-kindle-book, 2013-january-reading-list, my-reviews

Mostly, I admire people who have the courage to publish their writings, exposing themselves to the world that includes criticism and rejection.

The author of Bitten surely created an interesting spin on werewolf attacks that won't soon be forgotten, and I thank him for putting forth an innovative take on the werewolf genre.

However, the story, despite having a great plot idea, suffered from poor structure and lacked sufficient editing, so I am glad my copy was a free kindle read.

Often the characte...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Shae Carcar rated it 3 of 5 stars

If you are squeamish, I don't recommend it for you because this book is not for the faint-hearted.

Bitten is complete werewolf story, which is why I was interested in it in the first place, I will admit. It's about a lady named Lauren Westlake, who's a serious F.B.I Agent. She goes to Locke, a small town in Minnesota because there had been a few suspicious deaths that happened, and it was her job to solve the mystery.

Then enters Dominic. He is polite, old-fashioned, and of course, attractive! La...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Donald rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, goodreads-giveaways

Just read the 03-31-12 email: "You are one of our First Reads lucky winners! You will soon receive a free copy of Bitten in the mail. Please allow a few weeks for shipping."

Self pubbed books often don't get the editorial attention needed to make them work. Every poorly chosen or misspelled word or bad bit of grammar act as speed bumps to the reader—taking them out of the story and out of the moment to contemplate errors.

Some people can pull it off. Some can't.

On page 18 of the copy I have: Laure...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Katrina rated it 4 of 5 stars

It’s been awhile since I have read a thriller = horror story and I must say I was intrigued by Dan o Brian's story Bitten. I enjoyed the writing style, fluent flowing and very well detailed storyline. The descriptions are vivid and easily envisaged, many a scene may even cause your hairs on your arms to stand on end and Even certain scenes will make you cringe. The horrific parts will have your heart racing and your blood pumping along with the characters and victims in this story.

A predator =...more It’s been awhile since I have read a thriller = horror story and I must say I was intrigued by Dan o Brian's story Bitten. I enjoyed the writing style, fluent flowing and very well detailed storyline. The descriptions are vivid and easily envisaged, many a scene may even cause your hairs on your arms to stand on end and Even certain scenes will make you cringe. The horrific parts will have your heart racing and your blood pumping along with the characters and victims in this story.

A predator = killer roams the small town On Minnesotan, there is talk of wolves, or bears roaming the bush and killing and attacking people deep within the woods. Vicious death has taken place and Lauren Westlake is in the town at the right place. She is F B I, very knowledgeable and was brought to this town by chance that the strange murders all had a connection.

Lauren and the Sergeant of the town begin an investigation that brings about more than any of them could possibly imagine. Creatures of the night are discovered and hundreds of years of Myths and nightmares are brought forth. Lauren finds more than what she ever bargained for.

Dan O Brian has blended his storyline well, giving the reader, equal amounts of horror, suspense, intrigue and even a little romance within a climax that will have the reader on the edge of their seat !!! Slight humour was added in to give you a giggle - the condiment girl had me smirking. I was drawn into this book within the first few chapters and could say I read this in almost one sitting. I would recommend this to all who enjoy a paranormal filled with horror, it is quiet detailed - at times filled with gore, but do keep in mind it has a wonderful scripted storyline to boot. Graphic language is also present so if this offends then this book is not for you !!

I look forward to more of Dan's books in this series; the ending now has me more curious than ever as to where Lauren is on her next Field trip. Am also hoping she may also come across her wolf man somewhere in the future. ** being a romantic at heart - I enjoyed the romance put forth between Lauren and her wolf man, lustful, and delicious ** what can I say! I’d run with wolves any day!!!

4 1/2 stars!!!!!
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Mar 17, 2012 Beverly rated it 4 of 5 stars

My Thoughts:
This is a completely new and different feel for the werewolf story. It hints at the supernatural and ritualistic from the start and delivers in the end. I enjoyed the characters, but the plot is the driving force. Hecate was an interesting and unexpected touch. Lauren is a strong, driven woman with a sense of purpose and a desire for justice. The language is wonderful, Dan O'Brien is a master at visual description. The story is fast paced and dramatic. I loved the idea of a man who w...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I hadn't really been expecting much from this free kindle ebook, but I ended up really enjoying this old school werewolf horror story. Basically we have a FBI agent, Lauren Westlake, who follows cases of spree killings that bear the hallmarks of appearing to be animal maulings to a small town....

OK, so the author has borrowed from The X Files by having the lead be a FBI agent, but the way he has mixed action and thrills together with humour and romance, added a slight twist to werewolf lore and...more

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Jul 14, 2012 David Brown rated it 3 of 5 stars

Werewolves are one of the popular ingredients for horror stories and films but there is always the challenge to do something different with them rather than rehashing what has gone before. Dan O’Brien’s Bitten explores the myth of werewolves but from a slightly different angle.

In the cold Minnesotan town of Locke some gruesome murders have begun out in the woods. Suggestions of bear attacks and wolves on two legs have the local Sheriff, Montgomery, left scratching his head. However, he has assis...more Werewolves are one of the popular ingredients for horror stories and films but there is always the challenge to do something different with them rather than rehashing what has gone before. Dan O’Brien’s Bitten explores the myth of werewolves but from a slightly different angle.

In the cold Minnesotan town of Locke some gruesome murders have begun out in the woods. Suggestions of bear attacks and wolves on two legs have the local Sheriff, Montgomery, left scratching his head. However, he has assistance in the form of FBI agent Lauren who is in town to investigate the murders and her suspicions lean towards the supernatural which Montgomery and his peers find both amusing and ludicrous. The question is can Westlake and Montgomery put aside their differences and catch the killer before it’s too late?

Lauren arrives in Locke at the outset and encounters a woman who is talking little sense. This same woman is later ambushed and killed in the woods after Lauren has left her. Bodies are severely mutilated with parts of them missing but where is the killer? Lauren has her suspicions but she has to tread carefully around Sheriff Montgomery who is initially resentful of her presence in town. Try as they might though, Westlake and Montgomery are powerless as the body count begins to rise in Locke. Add to this Lauren’s meeting with a local, Dominic, and a spot of romance being in the air and there are one or two complications.

Bitten approaches the werewolf myth in a very interesting way. It would be at the risk of ruining the plot to reveal this but let’s just say at one point Lauren meets the mysterious Hecate out in the woods and she offers both insight and riddles for Lauren to solve about who the killer is and how his reign of terror started. We get snippets from the perspective of our killer, referred to as the creature, and revealing what he does with body parts which will leave some people a little squeamish.

Although Bitten was a decent horror story I had issues with aspects of it. Lauren enters a bar at the start and sees off a challenge from a local woman, revealing our FBI agent is one tough lady. She later sees off a disgruntled husband of a murder victim in a similar tough fashion. However, she soon meets Dominic and goes from tough talking agent to giggly school girl, which I felt diminished her character. I’ve nothing against the romance in the book but this sudden change didn’t work for me. The horror itself is very gruesome and there is an interesting plot and myth about werewolves and the danger they can pose which is worth reading.

Bitten is a decent horror story but I did find issues with the main character. Tough people can be vulnerable, there’s no denying that, but I felt it was too easy for Lauren to melt once she had met Dominic. A more gradual development of their romance would have been better. The gory aspects of the novel won’t suit everyone but the horror element did work well for me.(less)

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Jan 16, 2012 Blakely rated it 4 of 5 stars

My synopsis of BITTEN by Dan O’Brien:
Lauren Westlake, an F.B.I. agent, arrives in a small Minnesota town after opening a cold case file. A killer is on the loose. But Lauren and the local police department must figure out if their killer is human, animal, or…other?

First, the downfalls:
O’Brien seems to stumble into the stereotypical trap that a woman only has something negative to think upon meeting another woman. This immediately left me questioning the believability of the main heroine, Laure...more My synopsis of BITTEN by Dan O’Brien:
Lauren Westlake, an F.B.I. agent, arrives in a small Minnesota town after opening a cold case file. A killer is on the loose. But Lauren and the local police department must figure out if their killer is human, animal, or…other?

First, the downfalls:
O’Brien seems to stumble into the stereotypical trap that a woman only has something negative to think upon meeting another woman. This immediately left me questioning the believability of the main heroine, Lauren. As an F.B.I. agent, wouldn’t she notice deeper traits or have gut feelings rather than allow herself to get sidetracked by someone’s heavy makeup or hot-pants? Now, while I kept a sense of humor about it -and could have easily created a drinking game out of it- I can’t help but comment that it is mathematically impossible to have that many hussies and harlots in one small town.
(Although, to be honest, I’ve never been to Minnesota.)
Also, O’Brien repeats information a lot more than is comfortable. Characters should be used to relay information to the reader. However, I found myself reading the same conversation, only between different characters. Or Lauren would think something and then turn right around and say those exact thoughts to another character. Then why, as the reader, did I need to know she was thinking them right before she said them? (Now, having read that, pretend you have to listen to me tell someone else the exact same thing. Redundant.) O’Brien needs to give his readers more credit to connect the dots. I can do it. I had my mental pencil ready to go and everything.

Now, the goodies:
While there were a few downsides to O’Brien’s work, there were numerous positives and unexpected treats. I was immediately intrigued by his beautiful way with words and wintry landscape. I hate to be cold (I despise it, actually), but he made me long for thigh-high snow and icy tree branches snapping in the darkness as I read. Every major event became a vivid portrait. The atmosphere is cozy yet alarming. It is reminiscent, at times, of the campy early nineties television show ‘Twin Peaks’, as well as ‘Wolf Lake’, a show that focused on small town mysteries and dark werewolf secrets.
O’Brien especially delivers the “cringe” factor. Pushing the reader in all the right ways, the extra bits of gore are definitely appreciated. If a body has been disemboweled, I want to see it go the distance. And O’Brien does just that.
What really stands out, however, is O’Brien’s incredibly unique and macabre twist on the traditional werewolf story. Through a series of run-ins with key individuals, the main character learns that not one, but two individuals are responsible for the bodies littering the frigid woods. I cannot add more for fear of spoiling it for others. And I would hate to do that.

Bottom line:
Dan O’Brien’s BITTEN adds a fresh twist to the traditional werewolf story. A great read for any horror or supernatural fans. And the ending totally hooked me into the sequel. So get to it, O’Brien. I want more.
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Apr 03, 2012 iamjenai rated it 2 of 5 stars

I had high hopes for this book as I'm really into werewolf stories. The book started out strong, nice plot, a lot of action but it slowed down after the first quarter, picked up after a few more chapters and then slowed down again when I was almost halfway. I just lost interest in the main character, Lauren Westlake, there's nothing special with this FBI agent. I hate to compare but I'm thinking of Anita Blake whenever she's discussing some case with the police, seemed like a baby FBI agent to m...more

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May 12, 2012 Jordan rated it 2 of 5 stars

*Won through a Goodreads Giveaway.

This book had a number of elements that, if taken in a different direction, could have made for an enjoyable book. That being said, I have to say that I didn't put Bitten down. A small victory, no?

The hardest thing to swallow was not the werewolf mythology, but rather Bitten's heroine, F.B.I. Agent Lauren Westlake. As the story progressed it became painfully clear that very little to no research had been made to shape a believable agent. Right from the beginnin...more

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Dec 25, 2012 Karielle Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog

Bitten (Lauren Westlake Mysteries #1) by Dan O'Brien
Page Count: 274
Release Date: 16 April, 2012
Publisher: self-published
Source: Complimentary copy provided by author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you!)

I reviewed O'Brien's The Journey back in July, and while it didn't exactly strike my fancy, I decided to give the author another try with this one. Bitten flows in a slightly different vein, with the same eerie glow, but a more developed plot, cast, and structure that made it...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: signed, review-copy

Bitten was sent to me by the author for review. I think it’s one that would appeal to those who enjoy supernatural reads with a touch of romance. The story took me a while to get into but once I was into it I was very curious to find out how it would end. The characters are likable and the monster is quite horrific and disgusting in description.

My issue with this book is the language used. The authors style is not bad but not easy to get lost in. He writes with very little if any usage of contra...more Bitten was sent to me by the author for review. I think it’s one that would appeal to those who enjoy supernatural reads with a touch of romance. The story took me a while to get into but once I was into it I was very curious to find out how it would end. The characters are likable and the monster is quite horrific and disgusting in description.

My issue with this book is the language used. The authors style is not bad but not easy to get lost in. He writes with very little if any usage of contractions. This results in a very formal manner of speech which is present anyway but the lack of contractions adds to it a great deal. If the conversation was less how should I put it old fashioned is all I can come up with it would have been I think a different book. I’m not sure if people 50 or 100 years ago even spoke like this but perhaps the author is an old fashioned kind of guy.

The formal manner results in a bit of a dry hard to get into style. It’s one that for some reasons bothered me at odd times throughout the book. In the beginning a great deal and I would put it down look at it and sigh. Then pick it back up as review books I force myself to read no matter what and once I got a little ways in I would really get into the story and it wasn’t noticeable. Then a conversation would take place and I’d be thrown off again but by then I was into the story so much and wanting to know what would happen so I would push through.

Then later in the story the language became very in your face going from Victorian to motherfucker thrown about which really threw me as the character saying it yes totally but to go from one to the other was very noticeable.

The book wasn’t bad and has many raving reviews on amazon and goodreads. I’m not going to say this book will not appeal as I got into it myself and found things in it I liked but it’s not perfect, many others based on those reviews clearly loved it so yes if you like supernatural with a different twist try it. I myself would call it good and leave it at that.

My thanks to Dan for the review copy.(less)

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Jan 28, 2012 Tammy ~NovelOpinion rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

Lauren Westlake is an F.B.I. agent who becomes enthralled by a cold case she discovers. Dating back a century there have been several violent murders in different places of the country. What ties them together with an impossible timeline is the fact that all the victims are torn and shredded in the same manner by, seemingly, the same weapon.
It had been speculated that these were some sort of animal attack but as Lauren reviews the cases she is intrigued by the hints of a supernatural cause.
Using...more Lauren Westlake is an F.B.I. agent who becomes enthralled by a cold case she discovers. Dating back a century there have been several violent murders in different places of the country. What ties them together with an impossible timeline is the fact that all the victims are torn and shredded in the same manner by, seemingly, the same weapon.
It had been speculated that these were some sort of animal attack but as Lauren reviews the cases she is intrigued by the hints of a supernatural cause.
Using a vacation as an excuse to investigate on her own she travels to Locke, Minnesota where the latest victim has been found.

Here is the book summary:A predator stalks a cold northern Minnesotan town. There is talk of wolves walking on two legs and attacking people in the deep woods. Lauren Westlake, resourceful and determined F.B.I Agent, has found a connection between the strange murders in the north and a case file almost a hundred years old. Traveling to the cold north, she begins an investigation that spirals deep into the darkness of mythology and nightmares. Filled with creatures of the night and an ancient romance, the revelation of who hunts beneath the moon is more grisly than anyone could have imagined.

This did not turn out to be your typical werewolf story. Elements of horror, police procedural and Urban Fantasy give Bitten a wide appeal.
I enjoyed the relationship Lauren strikes up with the small-town Sheriff and his officers. As the story progressed I was unsure of how things were going to turn out and, indeed, I was surprised by the turn of events.

I had a hard time reconciling the smart and savvy F.B.I. agent Lauren with the scattered Lauren that meets Dominic, a mysterious new-comer to Locke. Though it is most likely meant to portray an attraction between Lauren and Dominic and her feeling that there was something off about him, it was unclear and stood out for me. I also wanted a bit more character development. More meat on the secondary characters as well. (No pun intended.) Other than that I did enjoy the story and I see a huge potential for future Lauren Westlake novels.

I am looking forward to more from Dan O'Brien in this series.(less)

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Mar 14, 2012 Angel Erin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Won this in a giveaway and I wasn't sure how to rate this one. Went back and forth between a 2 and a 3 star rating. I finally had to settle on a 2. I did like the overall plot, but honestly I just wasn't too thrilled with the writing style. It just didn't suit me.

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May 12, 2013 Sabrina Morgan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I won this book from the Goodreads give aways.
I liked this book because I love it when the author changes things from what we think we know to be true about our myths. Take Bitten for instance, Dan O'Brien has take the Werewolf lore and mixed it up a bit. Instead of Werewolfs being made, they are born, kinda like elves, witches and what not. If a human gets bitten they go insane and start murdering people. This book is full blood and gore.

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Feb 06, 2012 Lauren Murphy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

3.5 stars

review to come soon

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Mar 19, 2012 Dawn Martens rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads-goodreads-giveaway, books-i-own

I didn't like this at all... The story was boring. spelling mistakes. Grammar errors.......

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May 26, 2013 Annie is currently reading it

May 21, 2013 Linsay marked it as to-read

Shelves: kindle-to-read

Apr 27, 2013 Dave Edlund rated it 4 of 5 stars

Apr 08, 2013 Deborah marked it as general-library · review of another edition

Apr 05, 2013 Katie marked it as indie-own · review of another edition

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About Dan O'Brien

I have been writing novels for over a decade and had a couple published by traditional, small houses. Riding the self-publishing boom, I have four books in print that are available in paperback or e-book format. If you are interested in reading them, I am always open to sending out samples (or PDFs) to those who are interested.

I was born on the east coast and spent most of my life moving around....more

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The Path of the Fallen (The Fallen Chronicles)

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