Kitty Takes a Holiday    by Carrie Vaughn Order:  USA  Can Warner, 2007 (2007) Paperback Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Martina Bexte After successfully lobbying in Washington for equal rights for all supernaturals - and being outed as a werewolf live on national television for her trouble - late night talk show host Kitty Norville figures it's time for a break. Holed up in a remote Colorado cabin, she plans on working on a book about her life as a werewolf so far. Not that Kitty can concentrate: between her annoyance at a rival talk show host possibly stealing her thunder and wondering who's leaving gruesome totems outside her door, she's not getting much writing done. But even out in the middle of nowhere, trouble comes calling when werewolf hunter Cormac Bennett shows up with Kitty's lawyer, Ben O'Farrell in tow. Ben's been bitten and infected by a werewolf and Cormac figures Kitty's the best person to help him through his first transformation and adjustment to life as a werewolf. Kitty's still a bit skittish around the enigmatic and close-mouthed Cormac - the man had tried to kill her after all. But there's no question that she's ready to help Ben. His skill at keeping her out of hot water, not to mention his friendship, has been invaluable. As Ben fights for his life, Cormac and Kitty try to figure out who wants to put a curse on her. Leads are slim so Kitty decides to report the incidents to the sheriff. Unfortunately, he and the locals aren't in too much of a hurry to help out a werewolf. Once it's clear that Ben will survive, Cormac heads back to New Mexico to find and finish off the strange red-eyed creature that attacked them. Kitty meanwhile, has a whole new problem to deal with: Ben's inner wolf is emerging and Kitty's definitely interested in this whole new and interesting side of Ben O'Farrell. But the creature that attacked Ben isn't done with him yet and shows up at Kitty's cabin with Cormac hot on its trail. For the second time in as many weeks, Cormac saves the day, but this time there's heavy price to pay. While this installment presents plenty of mystery and action, Vaughn focuses the quieter interludes on delving deeper into the lives of her major players, particularly Cormac and Ben, whose common background was only hinted at before. Their relationship puts a whole new spin on the trio's character dynamic, especially once Ben, however reluctantly, gives in to his new animal side and he and Kitty form their own pack. Vaughn's choice of the evil malevolence responsible for Ben's transformation and Cormac's undoing is also presented with nifty twists, making Kitty Takes a Holiday another imaginative offering in a series that continues to grow and satisfy. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Fantasy books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews