Shepherd’s Watch

Shepherd’s Watch
by Counios & Gane
Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing
Review by Michelle Shaw
$19.95 ISBN 9781927756959

Shepherd’s Watch is the second book in the Shepherd and Wolfe mystery series by Regina authors Angie Counios and David Gane. I’m always a bit wary of being introduced to a new author or series but this book exceeded all my expectations. I loved it so much, in fact, that I went out and bought the first book in the series so that I wouldn’t miss out!

The books revolve around the lives (and adventures) of two high school students, Tony Shepherd (well-adjusted, athletic and bright) and “wise-ass troublemaker”, Charlie Wolfe. In the first book, Along Comes a Wolfe, Tony’s girlfriend goes missing and it’s suspected that a serial killer is at work. The boys investigate and barely escape with their lives. Shepherd’s Watch is set a few months later at the lake where Tony and his family are spending the summer. Charlie arrives at the cabin unannounced and soon the boys are investigating the disappearance of a local man who has inexplicably gone missing.

From the start of the book, I had an idea of where the plot was going. But my preconceived ideas soon fell apart and the plot veered off in a completely different direction. The clues were all there from the beginning (I went back and checked!) but Counios and Gane fooled me good!

The narrative flows together as smoothly as if it were written by a single author. Both Counios and Gane (who are in-laws and friends) come from a screenwriting background and
you can see it in the fast paced short scenes which frequently end on a cliffhanger. As one reader said at a recent signing: “I couldn’t stop reading. I kept telling myself, the chapters are short, just read another one. I literally couldn’t put it down.”

Along Comes a Wolfe won best first novel at the recent Saskatchewan Book Awards. Although the books are marketed as YA, I have no doubt that readers of all ages will be delighted to discover this fabulous series. The third book will be released later this year, and I can’t wait to read it.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR ONLINE FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM