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A WHIFF OF GARLIC features Doyle Griffin, a cop in a small Southern town. Griffin is normally a nonbeliever of the supernatural; however, he is dating a Wiccan priestess, Sarah Trinkle. While doubting the existence of the supernatural, he does believe Sarah has powers and abilities outside of normal experience. Unfortunately, his disbelief will once again be shaken. In a nearby town, a werewolf display was stolen. Then the body of Tree, a bouncer at the local nudie bar, is found murdered. Tree’s head was removed and his body cavities were stuffed with garlic. The bullet that killed Tree was a silver bullet, i.e. the one weapon the traditional will kill werewolves. Griffin finds himself trying to track down someone who is murdering werewolves or attempting to murder werewolves. His list of suspects is long including a local dog breeder whose personal pet closely resembles a wolf. The more Griffin investigates, the more confusing the case becomes. Griffin must stop the killer before the killer finds another victim. The use of the supernatural is very popular in fiction. It helps explain why unusual things happen as well as draw in a larger reading audience. A fan of werewolves is more likely to read a mystery where werewolves feature then a mystery without them. A WHIFF OF GARLIC does a good job of combining the two genres. Hunter does not expect the reader to believe in shape shifting or in magic. Instead, the reader must merely believe in the possibility that not everything is easily explained. The myth of the werewolf is explained in great depth as well as modern understandings of it. The difference between someone truly changing into a werewolf is discounted, while the idea of someone having a spiritual connection to wolves is supported. The books main selling point is the cast of characters. They are interesting and unique. Some of them appear to be stereotypes, but that is merely a disillusion. As an example, Sarah is not a mindless fruitcake who believes in the goddess and the supernatural. She is a licensed therapist who happens to follow the religion of Wicca. She is practical and realistic, regardless of her religion. One cannot help but worry about the characters and the trouble in which they find themselves. A WHIFF OF GARLIC is one of the more successful hybrids of the mystery/ supernatural genres. The characters are realistic and interesting. The supernatural elements are there; however, the “woo woo” nature of them are missing. This book has a grittiness not normally associated with supernatural mysteries. David Hunter has the ability to become one of the top authors of this hybrid genre.
Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, August 2003
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