STALKING THE OTHERS is an urban fantasy aficionado's melting pot. We have the kick-ass heroine, Shiarra Waynest, on a mission of vengeance. There is a sexy-yet-seemingly evil vampire who Shia is attracted to but does not trust. We also have werewolves, a ghost inhabiting a magical belt that gives the heroine heightened strength, speed, and healing capabilities, and a group of humans that put everything on the line to hunt the numerous supernatural creatures that exist in this alternate New York. STALKING THE OTHERS is the fourth book in the H&W Investigations series by Jess Haines.

The book opens with Shiarra continuing her hunt (from the previous book Deceived By The Others) for her sleazy ex-boyfriend Chaz and his pack of werewolves. She believes Chaz killed a local journalist who published a revealing article about Chaz' pack, called the Sunstrikers. Shia is also on a quest for revenge because Chaz cheated on her.

Shia is also wanted by the police who suspect her as the killer of the murdered journalist so she is constantly on the run. Her family has disowned her, she cannot trust anyone and she is also desperate to find her missing sister.

Inwardly, Shia seems to place a lot of blame on herself for the chaos that has arisen in her life and the life of those closest to her. In the previous book, she was attacked by a werewolf in Chaz' pack and therefore there is a possibility that she may turn during the next full moon. There is nothing that Shia wants less than to become a monster, but it seems that with the magical belt's influence, she may have already become one. Outwardly it seems that Shia is taking all of that guilt out in the form of blind revenge. She tears through the city without much thought about who she is killing when she is wearing the magical belt.

I will start off by saying that I had not read the previous three books in the series, but I would definitely recommend doing so before reading STALKING THE OTHERS. The book was very entertaining, but reading the previous books would help avoid confusion and help to understand specific aspects of the story. Reading the previous books should also help to understand the psyche of the heroine more in the present novel. As a regular reader of urban fantasy, I found all the necessary components to make this an engaging story. Shiarra is a tough character who has outside forces that seem to make her a bit frenzied and destructive, but manages to maintain a sense of humor that makes her more likable. I look forward to seeing where her journey takes her in the next book!

Book Summary

Vampires, werewolves, mages - the Others are very real, and wreaking havoc in Shiarra Waynest's life. But now, she's retuming the favour...Once, she was one of the good guys - or as close as a New York P.I. can get. Then Shiarra Waynest was drawn into the world of the Others. Every faction has its own loyalties and agenda.

And Shia's recent betrayal by her ex-boyfriend means that she may be on the verge of becoming a rogue werewolf at the next full moon...Of course, with all the threats against her, Shia's not sure she'll live long enough to find out. The enigmatic vampire Royce wants her back in his clutches, as do two powerful werewolf packs, along with the police. Instead of going into hiding, Shia is enlisting the aid of her enchanted hunter's belt and every dirty P.I. trick she knows. If she's going down, she'll take out as many of her enemies as she can - and hope that in the process, she keeps whatever humanity she has left...