Lucy Doig

It's Christmas Eve at the Merry Monarch. Nestled amongst the Yorkshire Dales, the pub is preparing to host its annual scavenger hunt for its rabble of regulars.

There's the landlord, Mickey, his wife Sofia and their wayward son, James; local policeman Alex and his supernaturally minded deputy Don; as well as Sita, Mrs Fazarkaley, the Kapoors and Curtis, who's never far from his beloved dog Barkley. Quite the crowd.

And this year, they are interrupted by a knock at the door from Maddie Marlowe, a journalist who was homeward bound to Edinburgh for Christmas - only to be stranded by car failure, and by the snow storm that's closing in on the village.

When the power is cut off and darkness descends, the hunt turns deadly. Maddie and her unexpected Christmas companions must try to find the murderer amongst them…

My first term of university: bad grades and worse sex. After losing my sister/best friend Grace and spending my teenage years suffering for it, I thought academia could be my saviour. So, I buried my head in as many books as I could find. But it turns out you can't just turn the page on years of guilt. Still, the university library has become something of a haven away from the darkness.

Until a werewolf bit me in the romance section. And to my surprise, I kinda liked it.

I should have died - but instead, in true me form, I fell in love with the mysterious wolf that nearly tore me to shreds.

Now I feel myself changing, experiencing urges like never before. Maybe I should run for my life, but suddenly a dark bond is pulling me in closer…