Monsters Within is a good, quick read. I wish it had been longer, but since it’s the beginning of a series, I won’t hold that against anyone.
This book takes place in the quiet little town of Red Creek. Red Creek appears to be a stereotypical small town in many ways. Local drunks, local legends, and rumor mills abound. When Nikki accidently witnesses Saul, the town recluse, doing something unusual after being insulted by one of the local bar patrons, her interest is definitely piqued.
I felt kind of bad for Saul. His family’s history isn’t pleasant. He tries to avoid further complications by staying away from the townspeople as much as possible, which, in a way, may just be giving them more fuel to their rumor fire. It certainly doesn’t help to dispel the idea that he is a vampire. He just wants to be left alone in peace until it is his turn to feed according to the rules of which his kind follow.
Lester needs his ass handed to him. I really really didn’t like that guy. He’s the jerk in town that always is trying to give everyone else a hard time to make himself feel like he’s not a piece of worthless crap. He thinks harassing Saul is his God given right or something.
Nikki is kind of an idiot. I say that with love, because in a way I also admire her bravery. But her bravery could definitely get her killed under the wrong circumstances. I understand her being curious about Saul, but the lengths to which she went to get to know him were a bit much in my opinion. Though I did enjoy the way they eventually interacted as their mindsets evolved to more than just the very basic of ideas.
There is a bit of mystery in this book when people start showing up ripped to pieces. Being the town recluse, this makes Saul look immediately suspicious, but he insists he had nothing to do with it. The laws allow only one vampire family per territory, so either he’s lying or someone has invaded his territory.
The acting Sherriff, Kyra was a strange character to me. At times, she felt strong and smart, and other times she felt a little bit stalker-ish and weak. I will have to keep reading this series before I make a definite decision about how I feel about her. My feelings for her could go either way.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read. It read quickly and easily. The storyline worked well with the author’s writing style. There is some gory violence, which doesn’t bother me at all, but consider yourself warned if you have a weak stomach! I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a new vampire series with a different take on vampire politics.