WITCHING MOON

The newest entry in York's paranormal Moon series opens with the attention-grabbing first line: "The last guy who had walked in his shoes was a dead man." Hero Adam Marshall, a Georgia nature preserve ranger, has an edge over his murdered predecessor, however; his feet transform into big hairy paws. The naturalist with a nose for crime-busting is a werewolf. The mysterious marshland shelters secrets and superstitions of its own, including a coven of witches who won't be stopped in their generations-old quest for revenge. Dr. Sara Weston, a young botanist with a flair for medicinal herbs—in addition to more fantastical talents she's blocked all her life—aids Adam, but will she get in touch with her powers before she becomes a victim? Since the villains and the source of Sara's powers are revealed early on, this book is considerably less suspenseful than York's previous offering, Edge of the Moon. Still, York's colorful characterizations, mood-setting sentences ("The rustling sound skittered over her skin like insect legs") and flair for details make this paranormal romance a compulsive read. (Oct. 7)