"The Pack" was a fun and scary little book that you just had to keep reading.
Beth is a journalist in Sydney lusting after a NY position. Having fled the city of Brereton twelve years ago at a young age and after a marriage proposal by Gabe, she is reluctant to return when her boss, Mr Brown asks her to cover a story there regarding canine attacks on humans and cattle alike.
Fueled by her ambition and possibly her subconscious need to see the people she cares for again, she drives to Brereton with her young daughter.
It is all rumors and speculation when she gets there and everyone is happy to share an opinion bordering on urban legend with dog interbreeding in order to make the perfect killer dog for dog fighting, but Beth finds out it's all true the hard way.
Barely surviving a dog attack herself, thanks to Gabe, now a National Parks and Wildlife officer, Beth knows there's a story right there. What she doesn't know, though, is that as she delves even deeper into this mystery she is undeniable danger, herself and everyone she cares about.
I really liked how packed with action the book was. It really didn't stall or drag at all. From the very first moment you became acquainted with Beth and her life and then into the little community of Brereton.
Although the story telling was more "tell" than "show" and I'm usually not sold on this, it worked really well for this book since it mostly focused on the action. Through people's reactions and words, you had no trouble understanding them and what drove them, what made them act that way. The motives ranged from love and loyalty, to anger, revenge, even stubbornness.
Though, one usually aches for more characterization and depth, this book was all about non-stop action and people being in danger that you couldn't help sympathizing and feeling for them.
I also really like how the author had passages about most of the victims and how they met their end and reading about someone and his story, starting to feel for him and then BAM! having him taken away was quite a shock and really kept your blood pumping. It kind of reminded me of Karin Slaughter and her books in which she makes you care about the victims too and then takes them away from you, which I'm particularly excited about.
Even the dash of romance was believable and even though the story wasn't heavily based on that, it still managed to put a smile on your face and make you hope for a reunion. I think generally, the book read like a movie which was really fascinating.
I don't think there were any blatant plot holes I can think of regarding the book, although I did find myself screaming when Jackson, Beth and Gabe went into the dog's lair as it was a sane thing to do. I mean come on, they had rifles, not machine guns...what could they do if the whole pack attacked them at once? And Jackson not getting inside his shed when his dog started barking made me cringe. Then again, I guess people there are more take-charge and confident hardened as they are by their way of life and their familiarity with guns and they might not have watched as many horror flicks as I have! :P *g*
All in all, an interesting and exciting action-packed little story that made your heart beat that little faster.
