Who's Afraid of The Big Bad Wolf?

Rating 5/5

Time for a little horror this month. I confess I was hoping to base today’s review on A.K .Faulkner’s Jack Of Thorns, a book I had read back in January. However, the review for that one hasn’t been coming together as smoothly as I’d hoped and considering how long it’s taken it might be too late to post it. Instead, I settled on Nat Cassidy’s When The Wolf Comes Home, a twilight zone influenced suspense horror with fleshed out characters and descriptive gore.

In When The Wolf Comes Home readers follow Jess, a struggling actress and part time waitress who is unexpectedly forced to go on the run with a nameless five year old referred to only as ‘the boy’. In pursuit of them is the child’s father, who’s possibly a rampaging monster, and an FBI agent with big dreams for himself. However, all may not be what it seems and the question is who’s really the monster.

As mentioned already, the story for When The Wolf Comes Home plays out like a kind of Twilight Zone episode. However, there are elements of Little Red Riding Hood and, The X Files mixed in there was well. If you’re a reader who likes your nineties style horror you are more than likely going to enjoy what this novel has to offer. It’s suspenseful, hair-raising with twists you don’t see, and those you do still have that same shock effect.

It’s very descriptive, its gore which a bonus for readers looking for something a little more gruesome.

That being said, When The Wolf Comes Home is not your standard ‘entertainment over meaning’ horror. Behind all the story’s chaos, there is a strong theme on relationships and trauma, specifically with the absent and/or abusive father. This is prominently portrayed through Cassidy’s characters, specifically Jess and the boy. Put together readers get a clear sense of their fear and the bond they form between each other along their journey.  

The story doesn’t just cover the main character’s perspectives, it also covers the perspective of the pursuers. FBI agent Santos is ambitious. He seeks to prove to his superiors he is not fodder for their grand plans and has more to offer.  He is on a mission and is determined to complete it. And that, despite his charm, makes him dangerous. Just as dangerous as the boy’s father.

Comparing these two I surprisingly found myself viewing the father as a kind of sympathetic villain. I don’t want to hint to any spoilers here but as you delve further into the story’s plot it is understandable why the father would go to great lengths to hunt down his son. That’s not to say I agree with his actions. He is abusive and extremely deadly. However, as readers learn more about his background you kind of get why he would be so intent on finding him.

When The Wolf Comes Home is a cat and mouse blood-soaked novel with detailed characters, suspenseful moments and a shocking conclusion that will stick with its readers even once they have closed the book.