Reflections

There are a lot of books now set in paranormal worlds filled with werewolves and vampires, but this one stood out for me because the main character is a Native American based shape-shifting coyote (not as strong as a werewolf but faster) who works as an auto mechanic when she's in human form. Mercy Thompson owns--sort of--the garage she works at and she acts independently--no pack behavior for her--but she was raised by werewolves so she is well versed in their culture. There are other paranormals in her life as well--her ex-boss is a gremlin and one of her best customers is a vampire with a VW bus that needs a lot of work. When a confused, newly made and so potentially dangerous werewolf turns up looking for a job there's no way she can send him off on his own, even though trying to help him sets in motion a world of trouble. I love the tone of the story, gritty but not melodramatic.