by Kit Whitfield

This speculative fiction thriller puts a furry, bloody spin on racism by taking place in a world where 99.6% of the population are "lycos," turning into violent beasts at the full moon. The despised remainder of the population, the "barebacks," are born without this ability, and as a consequence, are conscripted into DORLA, an agency which monitors lycanthrope behavior during the full moon and attempts to minimize the damage they do at that time. A lyco bit off a bareback's hand during a full moon, and DORLA staffer and bareback Lola Galley has been assigned to the lyco's defense. When the bareback victim is murdered, Lola investigates, facing many obstacles from a society that sees her as a second-class citizen.