THAT THING AT THE ZOO by James R. Tuck

Shredding monsters is his stock and trade. He sniffs them out, tracks them down, and corners them. End of story. But when the tables are turned, expect the unexpected.

Knowing his enemy is a rule Deacon Chalk swears by. But he's never seen anything like whatever is leaving the Atlanta Zoo's most dangerous predators bloodless, skinned, and hanging high in the treetops. And he's only got until sunrise to keep it from turning the entire city into a slaughterhouse.

Now Deacon is in zoo lockdown with a handful of staffers to save. His zookeeper backup has more guts than monster-hunting experience. And the only chance Deacon has to run this thing to holy ground is to unleash his darkest, most uncontrollable instincts...

I was looking forward to getting stuck into the first book in the Deacon Chalk: Occult Bounty-Hunter series, when I found out there was a novella prequel. So, I got myself a copy for my Kindle and got stuck into it this morning.

Deacon has been called into the Atlanta Zoo after three animals are found dead, skinned and bloodless. With just a few of the zoo staff left behind, the zoo is on lockdown. But Deacon's not alone, he's got a few people able to help him narrow down what he could be dealing with. But even when he works it out, he still didn't expect how everything turns out.

This novella was great! Deacon's so kick-ass, but still has certain vulnerabilities. I loved the horror, action, mystery... and I'm also intrigued by his past. Can't wait to find out more about what happened to his family.

Yeah, this is going to be another awesome urban fantasy series! :)