When animals begin to get mutilated wild dogs, wolves, coyotes or even a cougar are the usual suspects, except the livestock is not being eaten, just eviscerated. The small Wyoming town of Potters Field is in the middle of cattle and horse country. It wasn't a slow book, but it was brooding and character driven and I liked that quite a bit. Blending that countryside with the eerie tale being told paid off much better than expected and gave it a unique flavor.It wasn't the slick, fast paced thriller I was expecting (from my previous Morrell thriller, Creepers). As I read through the descriptions of the little town of Potter's Field and the ranches surrounding it, I just kept picturing the beautiful scenery from Brokeback Mountain. Setting his spooky tale there gave it a unique spin. However, I have to give him major points for setting his werewolf tale in Wyoming. His description isn't as sharp as it was in his later book, Creepers. Morrell makes you care about the characters, and not just on whether they will survive the events of the story. Dunlap, Slaughter (and I appreciate that David Morrell took the time to deal with what could be such a goofy name) and the medical examiner are believable characters with depth. Morrell presents us with a group of men (all the lead characters are male) who are severely flawed and in need of redemption of one sort or another. Something that spreads and becomes more brutal as the moon becomes full.The characters were the real strength of this novel. It seems the extremely cold winter has brought something down from the hills. While investigating the remains of the commune, the reporter is drawn into the middle of a sinister investigation of a string of animal mutilations that become murders. In an attempt to protect the town's good name, the mayor teams him with Police Chief Slaughter. Dunlap is sent to do a retrospective.He gets more than he's bargained for.

There was a shooting and the hippies slowly drifted away. The hippies and the townsfolk were like oil and water.

Down at the heel reporter Gordon Dunlap is sent to the small Wyoming town of Potter's Field where, in 1970, a wealthy eccentric decided to open a commune up in the hills above the town. I was very impressed with The Totem, David Morrell's take on the werewolf myth.

The Totem by David Morrell