Wolves Among Us

Garrett (Chosen: The Lost Diaries of Queen Esther) offers historical fiction readers a disturbing and fact-based glimpse into "the burnings" that took place in the 1500s in Germany. In a small village near the Black Forest, a double murder sets the stage for a charismatic inquisitor to begin a terrifying witchhunt among the town's women. Mia, the sheriff's wife, is the axis around which this story turns as she keeps her past a secret while dutifully tending to her sickly daughter and her aged mother-in-law. The town's priest, Father Stefan, struggles with leading his flock faithfully while keeping evil from taking over the village. Confused about what is good and what is evil, these two characters embark on much soul-searching as the violence around them intensifies to a stunning conclusion. Garrett quite successfully pens a dramatic, thought-provoking tale that will leave readers happily unsettled, as this author's message can be found frighteningly too close to home for comfort. (Apr.)