Literature / The Howling (1977)

Cover of the first edition.

The Howling is a 1977 horror novel written by Gary Brandner. It follows the tale of Karyn Beatty, a young woman whose idyllic life is shattered when she is attacked and raped in her own home. Two months on, Karyn continues to struggle with trauma over the attack, prompting her husband Roy to suggest they temporarily move away from the suburbs of Los Angeles to the Californian countryside.

The small, remote town of Drago initially seems like a perfect place for Karyn to recuperate. However, Karyn quickly senses there is something not right about the town. Night after night, Karyn is plagued by mysterious, sinister howling from the nearby woods and it's far from the only troubling thing about Drago. Karyn came here to put her terrors to rest, but her nightmare is only just beginning.

The novel received two sequels, The Howling II in 1979 and The Howling III: Echoes in 1985; the first sequel is a direct continuation, while the second is more of a spin-off / reboot. In 1981, a loose film adaptation of The Howling was released, which is much more well-known than the book, spawning a film franchise. The 1988 film Howling IV: The Original Nightmare is actually a more faithful adaptation of the book, though it too differs on several plot points.

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Tropes found in the novel include:

• Bad People Abuse Animals:
  • Max Quist kicks Lady the dog when she bites him, trying to protect her owner from him.
  • Something in the woods surrounding Drago kills Lady, with Karyn finding what's left of her. It's initially thought to be a wild animal, but Karyn later realises it was a werewolf; as werewolves are established to retain their sapience and some degree of control after transforming, it likely killed Lady just for the hell of it.
• Best Friend: Chris Halloran is established early on to be Roy Beatty's best friend and has also become close to Roy's wife of one year. Chris is coming over to the Beatty's house to celebrate their wedding anniversary with them, and so he's the one who finds and helps Karyn after she's raped. He does his best to support both of them, especially Karyn, in the aftermath of the assault; he's actually more empathetic towards Karyn than Roy. When Karyn realises just how dangerous Drago is, she contacts Chris and begs him to come to Drago with a weapon, because there's no one else she knows or trusts who can help. Chris shows up as soon as he can armed with silver bullets, saving Karyn from the werewolves, though unfortunately it's too late for Roy.
• Betty and Veronica: Roy is married to Karyn, his kind, wholesome though traumatised wife of one year. However, he also finds himself intensely attracted to Marcia, a mysterious, sultry woman who runs a store in his new home of Drago. Roy and Karyn have difficulties being intimate due to Karyn's trauma from a recent sexual assault, while Marcia is openly flirtatious with Roy and he gets turned on just by holding her hand. He starts an affair with Marcia, ultimately choosing her over Karyn, though even after becoming a werewolf he retains enough of his love for Karyn to try and save her from the other werewolves. 
• Big Damn Heroes: Karyn is alone and besieged by werewolves with only a shotgun for protection (which isn't all that effective against her attackers) when Chris comes hurtling up the driveway, running over a few of the wolves and shooting others with a handgun loaded with silver bullets.
• Bitch Alert: In Marcia Lura's first scene, it's made clear she's not an especially savoury person because despite both Roy and Karyn being present - and them clearly being a couple - Marcia barely looks at Karyn unless she talks to her directly, addresses most of her words only at Roy and flirts with him. Marcia is polite enough when she talks to Karyn, but it's obvious to Karyn that she's trying it on with Roy without a hint of shame.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing:
  • Oriole Jolivet initially seems to be a friendly, maternal woman and one of the few residents of Drago Karyn warms to, if not a bit of a nosy chatterbox. When Karyn goes to her for help after being attacked by a werewolf, Oriole pretends she's going to help before transforming into a wolf herself, grinning the whole time, revealing she's just as murderous as the rest of the town and willing to kill Karyn to keep their secret.
  • Dr Volkmann presents himself as a kind and reasonable man who helps the Beattys and listens to Karyn's concerns without judgement. He's also a werewolf and tricks Karyn into locking herself in her house with him, under the pretense of rescuing her, then transforms and attacks her while they're alone together for no discernible reason beyond sadism; he could've killed her or handed her over to the other werewolves at any time, but goes through an entire charade of not knowing the town's secret and wanting to help her just to give her a false sense of security.
• Bittersweet Ending: Karyn and Chris escape from Drago and burn the town to the ground, killing many of the werewolves in the process. However, as they're driving away they can hear howling in the distance, so it appears some of the werewolves survived. Karyn is also more traumatised than ever, especially with Roy having become a werewolf and likely being killed in the fire.
• Car Hood Sliding: In the climax, Chris jumps over the hood of his car to reach the driver's side quickly, as the werewolves are right behind him.
• Chekhov's Gun: Inez explains to Karyn that her car has a safety system built-in that means the engine won't start unless the driver's seatbelt is clipped in. When Oriole claims Inez was killed after crashing her car and going through the windshield, Karyn instantly suspects this can't be true because it would mean Inez wasn't wearing her seatbelt, but she couldn't have been driving without it on.
• Cigarette of Anxiety: As she waits for Roy to return home or Chris to arrive from L.A., Karyn sits in her house smoking a cigarette to calm her nerves, knowing that the werewolf is somewhere outside and she doesn't have much protection against it.
• Clingy Jealous Girl:
  • Karyn displays a downplayed, justified example of this behaviour; she states she’s never considered herself the jealous type before, but she is coldly polite towards Marcia at best and thinks some catty things about her (such as imagining she’s a witch or a sex worker) due to Marcia unsubtly flirting with Karyn’s husband (in front of Karyn, no less) and Roy’s obvious attraction to Marcia. Karyn is right to be wary of Marcia, as she becomes Roy’s lover, turns him into a werewolf and tries to kill Karyn to have him to herself. Upon being confronted by a transformed Marcia, Karyn recognises her and promptly puts a silver bullet through her eye.
  • Marcia is possessive of Roy from almost the moment they meet and realise they have a mutual attraction, never mind that he’s already married; she all but ignores his wife unless Karyn addresses her directly and when Roy tells Marcia he has to leave Drago for Karyn’s sake, a look of rage briefly passes over her face before she composes herself. She turns Roy into a werewolf specifically so he will stay with her, rather than go away with Karyn. In the climax, Marcia joins the other werewolves’ attack on the Beatty house and personally tries to kill Karyn, who not only recognises her but instinctively knows she wants her dead because of Roy.
• Closest Thing We Got: Anton Gadak is the self-proclaimed sheriff of Drago; he’s not officially a sheriff as Drago is so small it doesn’t even have a police department, but he’s the closest equivalent and is treated as such by the residents and by neighbouring police departments. Karyn, however, doubts his integrity and skills, especially considering that nearly twenty people have disappeared in and around Drago over the past few decades and his failure to investigate the disappearance of two hikers. She later suspects that Anton is not just incompetent but is actively covering up the werewolf attacks. He’s also revealed to be a werewolf himself.
• The Coroner Doth Protest Too Much: When Oriole tells Karyn about Inez' death, she claims Sheriff Anton Gadak found Inez' car smashed against a tree near Karyn's driveway, with Anton believing she "must've fallen asleep at the wheel"; Oriole conveniently adds that it wouldn't be a good idea to view the body as Inez went through the windshield and got badly cut up. Karyn is immediately suspicious because the safety system built into Inez' car means the engine wouldn't even start without her seatbelt being clipped in, which should've kept her in her seat even if she crashed. Karyn also notes that there aren't any trees near her house large enough to cause that kind of crash, nor any signs of damage to the trees that are there. The reader already knows that Inez wound up as werewolf chow, with Karyn coming to the same grim conclusion.
• Damsel out of Distress:
  • Subverted when Max rapes Karyn; she makes a valiant effort to fight him off, hitting, kicking and scratching him, but he overpowers her easily and she can't fight anymore after he slugs her in the stomach, winding her and causing her to miscarry.
  • When a werewolf gets too close to her house, Karyn shoots at it with a shotgun and manages to drive it off after wounding its ear, though she notes the werewolf isn't as severely hurt as it should've been and she's left feeling more unnerved than ever by the encounter.
  • Played straight in the novel's climax. After realising how much danger she's in, Karyn calls Chris and begs him to pick her up from Drago, also urging him to bring a gun and silver bullets. When she's attacked by a werewolf at her house, Karyn takes Roy's truck and tries to flee in it, though as she doesn't know how to drive she ends up crashing the car and has to run for help. Upon learning everyone in Drago is a werewolf, she ends up back at the house and does her best to barricade herself inside, armed with a shotgun, buying time for Chris to arrive. She helps him hold off the werewolves with a flaming torch and silver bullets until they can make it to his car, and manages to shoot Marcia in the head when she attacks her.
• Dirty Cop: Karyn starts to suspect Sheriff Anton Gadak is corrupt or worse, covering up the mysterious disappearances in Drago. Notably, he insists a coyote killed Karyn’s dog despite Karyn’s doubts, and he claims that Neal and Pam’s van was abandoned for nearly a week and fails to make enquiries about their well-being, even though Karyn saw the couple just a day before and knew they were going back to town for their van. Anton is adamant the van has no number plates and was probably stolen and dumped by joyriders. When Karyn is told Inez died in a supposed car crash, Karyn is unsurprised to hear the sheriff was first on the scene and rightly suspects a cover-up. It's later confirmed Anton is a werewolf and has been using his position to protect Drago’s secret.
• Don't Go in the Woods: There are rumours that the heavily-wooded valley Drago resides in are haunted or cursed, with Karyn learning there have been many strange deaths and disappearances over the years and the locals from the surrounding towns give the area a wide berth. Karyn keeps hearing something howling in the woods and she's not convinced it's a coyote or an owl like Roy claims. Karyn's dog goes missing in the woods and Karyn finds her remains not far from the house, convincing her there's something dangerous out there. A young couple out on a hike are killed by a wolf on an isolated trail, raising more alarm bells for Karyn when she realises they're 'missing'. She soon shares Inez's belief a werewolf hunts in the valley... and hoo boy is she right.
• Downer Beginning: The novel begins with Karyn being horrifically raped in her own home and suffering a miscarriage, leaving her completely traumatised and destroying her previously happy life.
• Downfall by Sex: Roy's lust for Marcia and apparent inability to live without sex for a few months while his wife recovers from sexual violence ends up being his downfall. It drives a deeper wedge between him and Karyn, as while she never directly confronts him about an affair, she suspects there's something going on as neither Roy or Marcia are exactly subtle about their attraction, and he acts standoffish when she questions him about his whereabouts during his extramarital trysts. It also culminates in Marcia turning Roy into a werewolf so he can stay with her permanently.
• Driving Question: For Karyn and Inez, their most pressing question is "Who in Drago is a werewolf?" They both later realise the futility of this question, because the answer is "Everyone".
• Ear Ache: Karyn shoots off a wolf's ear with a shotgun, with Roy finding the ear later. After figuring out it was actually a werewolf, Karyn begins looking for people in town with ear injuries to see which of them is the werewolf, eventually spotting Sheriff Anton Gadak with the side of his head bandaged, though he claims he had a boil and there's no visible injury.
• Establishing Character Moment: Karyn is introduced as a fairly ordinary, positive person who enjoys her life, but she quickly senses there's something not right about Max Quist when he tries to trick his way into her house, and fights tooth-and-nail to try and stop him raping her despite her terror. While her initial happy and carefree nature contrasts with her being more withdrawn and fearful following the rape, Karyn's first few scenes also establish her as an observant, determined person with good instincts for things that are suspicious or out-of-place, and someone unwilling to go down without a fight. 
• Food Slap: When Oriole starts turning into a werewolf in front of her, Karyn flings a cup of hot coffee into her face, giving her a chance to run for it.
• Foreshadowing:
  • The prologue tells the story of a European village named Dradja that was home to a mysterious "Evil" that killed nearly an entire family of sheep farmers. When an angry mob marched on the village and demanded the culprit be handed over, no one spoke up and so the mob killed everyone in Dradja. Inez later brings up the story with Karyn, citing her belief that Dradja was home to a werewolf, though she wonders why the villagers refused to name the werewolf to save themselves. Near the end, Inez finally realises the truth behind Dradja: the entire populace were werewolves. She realises to her horror the same is true of Drago in the present-day.
  • In the prologue, it's mentioned that the mob killed any of the Dradja villagers they caught, indicating that some were able to flee. Oriole mentions to Karyn that the original founders of Drago came from somewhere in Europe, with the obvious implication that they were survivors of Dradja and brought their evil with them, with Karyn later putting two-and-two together.
  • Karyn's first inkling that there's something not right about Drago is when she notices deep, shoulder-high scratches in her front door, which she thinks look an awful lot like claw marks.
  • It's mentioned early on that Karyn never learnt to drive; she's originally from Manhattan so she never needed to (a lot of New Yorkers don't own cars and rarely drive because it's easier to walk, get a cab or take the subway). Roy - who has lived in California his whole life - states she should take some lessons as "it could be important" one day if something happens and there's no one to drive her. The 'something' turns out to be Karyn realising Drago is inhabited by werewolves who want her dead; she's unable to flee by car (she'd never make it on foot) and Roy - now a werewolf himself - refuses to take her. She has to call Chris for help and buy time until he can rescue her; she also ends up crashing Roy's truck when she tries to escape from a werewolf.
  • Inez mentions she used to be a Carmelite nun years ago, but left the order because of a personal conflict. She also has no husband or children, and lives a relatively solitary life in a small, quiet town. It's later revealed she was forced to leave the convent because she's a lesbian (or possibly bisexual) and was caught in bed with a novice nun.
• A Friend in Need: Late in the novel, Chris receives Karyn's answering machine message begging him to travel all the way from Los Angeles and pick her up from Drago (as she can't drive), to bring a gun and, if possible, silver bullets. Chris could've just ignored the message because the last time he spoke to Karyn, she was acting irrationally, rudely dismissed him and even punched him in the face when he was just trying to help her (he'd inadvertently triggered her trauma from her sexual assault by touching her arm). Chris also notes that what she's suggesting in her message sounds pretty delusional. Chris decides that because Karyn sounds frightened and he knows her to be generally rational that she's in genuine danger. He considers calling the cops for help, but ultimately decides to put himself in harm's way and do exactly as Karyn asked, fighting off at least a dozen werewolves to save her.
• From New York to Nowhere: Karyn and Roy Beatty start out living in the suburbs of Los Angeles (and Karyn previously lived in New York); they rent a house in the tiny country town of Drago, which is so small it doesn't show up on most maps and even people who have lived in California all their lives have never heard of it. The Beattys hope the drastic change in scenery will help Karyn recover from her traumatic experience in L.A., though Karyn finds it difficult to adjust to living rurally. And then she finds out about the werewolves...
• Hair-Contrast Duo: Roy's two love interests have contrasting hair colours and personalities. Karyn is blonde and is generally a kind, well-meaning and sensitive person. Marcia has black hair and is aloof, sensual and much more morally dubious.
• Happily Married: Roy and Karyn have been happily married for one year, but it all goes downhill after Karyn is raped. Roy is initially supportive but gradually pulls away from Karyn physically and emotionally and eventually betrays her to be with Marcia.
• Healing Factor: Werewolves can heal swiftly from almost any injury, provided it wasn't inflicted with fire or silver. After Karyn shoots off a werewolf's ear, she and Inez have to be quick to find someone in Drago with a corresponding injury, as Inez says in a few days the werewolf will have completely healed. This apparently kicks in the moment a normal person becomes a werewolf, as Roy gets bitten on the shoulder down to the bone and collapses outside his house, but the wound has healed completely by the time Karyn finds him the next morning.
• Heroes Love Dogs: Main protagonist Karyn has a pet miniature collie named Lady, who she adores. Lady attempts to protect her from her rapist but unfortunately, she being a rather small and timid dog, she gets kicked away quite easily and spends the rest of the scene cowering outside the room. Karyn is deeply concerned when Lady goes missing and she's distraught when she later discovers Lady's mutilated remains.
• Imperiled in Pregnancy: Karyn is three months pregnant when she's attacked by Max Quist. She tells him she's pregnant in a desperate attempt to stop him from raping her. He just says she won't have to worry about him impregnating her then. The physical trauma inflicted on Karyn during the assault causes her to have a miscarriage.
• It's All About Me: Roy initially shows care and concern for Karyn, and tries to accommodate her in the aftermath of her rape, yet he ultimately proves himself selfish and inconsiderate. He gets frustrated when Karyn doesn't respond to his efforts the way he wants, expects things to be exactly as they were before and his thoughts tend to revolve around how inconvenient it is for him that his perfect life got upheaved. He's particularly self-absorbed when it comes to sex, not really considering Karyn's feelings and getting visibly annoyed by her lack of enthusiasm (which is especially unreasonable considering she was raped only two months ago). He begins avoiding Karyn rather than trying to support her and angrily dismisses her concerns as paranoia. While he feels a bit guilty for cheating on Karyn with Marcia, it's not enough to stop him and he justifies it as needing an outlet because his wife isn't giving him what he wants.
• Lie Back and Think of England: Karyn's psychological trauma from being raped just two months ago results in her no longer enjoying sex with her husband. She feigns enjoyment because she wants to please him and desperately hopes things will just go back to normal, but Roy notices she's faking. The one time she genuinely starts to feel desire for Roy and enthusiastically initiates sex, they're disrupted by the sound of howling. 
• Lost Pet Grievance: When her dog Lady disappears shortly after moving to Drago, Karyn is worried sick about her and looks everywhere she can think; she's afraid a wild animal got Lady and is frustrated that Roy and the sheriff don't seem to take her concerns seriously. When she stumbles upon poor Lady's decapitated head in the woods, Karyn is so hysterical her husband has to call for a doctor. Considering she's already been through a traumatic experience, it's unsurprising that losing her beloved dog - and in such a horrific way - has a severe impact on her well-being.
• Lured into a Trap: Karyn is holed up in her house armed with a shotgun when she hears Roy calling her name and begging for help outside. She rushes out of the house - leaving behind the gun - to help him and spots him near the edge of the property, before he abruptly disappears into the woods. Karyn then turns to see a werewolf blocking her from getting back to the house, with Roy's voice urging her to run, and realises she was intentionally lured outside.
• Lust Object: Marcia for Roy. He quickly develops an intense attraction to her, but he admits it's not the same as the emotional connection he felt with his wife. Marcia even lampshades this; when Roy impulsively tells her he loves her, she bluntly says that while he has strong feelings for her, he doesn't love her, pointing out that he barely even knows her and their relationship is built entirely on sexual attraction (not that Marcia minds).
  Roy: I do love you, Marcia.
  Marcia: No. You admire me. You want me. You may even need me. But you do not love me. [...] Not yet. You do not love me yet. But you will, my Roy, you will.
• Matchstick Weapon: In the climax, Karyn creates a makeshift torch by taping lighter fluid-soaked towels around a shower brush and lighting it; she and Chris use it to hold the werewolves at bay while they try to get to a car, as fire is one of the only things that can kill a werewolf. Once they make it to the car, Chris flings the torch into dried grass in the middle of the werewolves, starting a huge fire that spreads through the town.
• Meaningful Name:
  • Marcia Lura. Her surname, Lura, is a German variation on Lorelai, meaning "alluring" or "temptress" (in folklore, Lorelai was a siren who lured men to their deaths), which is fitting for Marcia's characterisation as a mysterious seductress who tempts Roy to betray his wife. Her first name, Marcia, means "warlike" or "dedicated to Mars", hinting at her fiercer nature as a werewolf.
  • Karyn's miniature collie Lady is gentle and well-behaved.
• Moe Greene Special: Karyn shoots a transformed Marcia in the eye with a silver bullet in self-defence, killing her almost instantly.
• Morphic Resonance: When the werewolves transform from human to wolf, their fur is a similar colour to their hair and their eyes are the same colour. They also have a similar build in terms of size and muscle (e.g. a lean man becomes a lean wolf). Marcia is black-haired with green eyes, with her wolf form having black fur and bright green eyes; when she attacks and bites Roy, he recognises her by her eyes. Roy is a blonde and his wolf form has pale yellow fur, with Karyn eventually recognising him.
• Mundanger: Long before the werewolves show up, the first major threat Karyn encounters is the human - yet no less monstrous - serial rapist Max Quist, who breaks into her home and sexually assaults her.
• My Greatest Failure: Inez is still filled with shame that as a nun many years ago, she was caught sleeping with a novice nun, resulting in them both being kicked out (especially as the novice was younger than her and had initially come to her for help). It's implied Inez believes that saving Karyn from the evil of Drago is a way to atone for giving into temptation and potentially ruining her lover's life.
• Naughty Nuns: Played for Drama. Inez used to be a Carmelite nun named Sister Adelaide, but was forced to leave the convent because she was outed as being attracted to women; namely, a novitiate came to her for comfort and advice one night, they were unable to resist their mutual attraction and slept together, with the other nuns finding them sharing the same bed.
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Inez is driving to the Beatty house to warn Karyn that everyone in Drago is a werewolf. Someone steps out in front of her car and she's prepared to run them down, only to slam on the brakes when she sees it's Karyn's husband. It would probably have gone better for Inez if she had run Roy over, because by now he's a werewolf too.
• Our Werewolves Are Different: According to Inez Polk, a person can become a werewolf if they make a deal with the Devil, by inheriting it genetically or, in rare cases, being bitten by a werewolf and surviving. Inez also states that unlike vampires, werewolves aren't undead but are just as alive as humans and have similar lifespans. In their wolf forms they resemble unusually large wolves and they retain their sapience (albeit with their more primal instincts taking over). As wolves, they are preternaturally strong and resilient, being able to heal from almost any injury in days or even hours. The only things that can deal fatal injuries to them are fire and silver. Unlike in Hollywood movies, the full moon has no influence on werewolf transformations; they can turn at will after night falls.
• Outliving One's Offspring: In the prologue, the shepherd Kyust and his wife Anya have a young daughter. One evening, she goes missing while playing near the forest, with her mother later finding her mutilated remains.
• Overcome with Desire:
  • Inez and the novitiate she slept with experienced this; one moment the novitiate was crying in Inez' room and Inez was consoling her, the next they were embracing and kissing and one thing led to another. The way Inez describes the encounter implies she'd been suppressing her sexuality for a long time (both because of her being a nun and the general societal taboo against homosexuality), but their close proximity and emotional intimacy in an enclosed, private space brought the feelings to the forefront. They were both forced to leave the convent when they were discovered.
  • Roy finds himself unable to resist Marcia; while searching for any sign of the wolf Karyn shot in the woods, he encounters Marcia and they have sex right there and then. Later, when Roy goes to Marcia's shop to tell her that he and Karyn are intending to leave town and so they'll probably never see each other again, he ends up having sex with her for hours. Roy repeatedly tells himself that it's wrong to cheat on his wife, but he finds Marcia so desirable he can't stop himself. This proves to be his undoing, as Marcia ends up turning him into a werewolf so he can stay with her. 
• Paralyzing Fear of Sexuality: Karyn has major problems being intimate with her husband Roy after being raped, often feeling disconnected from her body or suffering from flashbacks to the assault. She has to force herself to be intimate with him and doesn't much enjoy it, even though she really wants for their sex life to go back to the way it was. Roy becomes increasingly frustrated by this, culminating in him starting an affair with Marcia.
• Past Experience Nightmare: Karyn often suffers nightmares about her rape, resorting to sleeping pills to get through the night without waking up screaming. It's one of the reasons her therapist recommends she get out of Los Angeles for a while to help her relax. It doesn't help much though, because now she's kept awake by creepy howling.
• The Power of Love: Roy has been a pretty crap husband to Karyn of late, but in the end he still loves her enough that he's able to fight back against his more bestial instincts as a werewolf, trying to warn her away from a trap and fighting another werewolf to the death to protect her.
• Rape as Drama: Max Quist's brutal rape of Karyn Beatty is the catalyst for the novel's events; Karyn's trauma over the assault prompts her and Roy to move to Drago so she can recuperate away from where the assault happened. The rape negatively affects her mental/emotional state and causes issues within her marriage, particularly as Roy becomes decreasingly sympathetic to his wife's trauma.
• Resist the Beast: In the climax of the tale, Roy tries to resist the urge to kill people and follow the other werewolves' murderous ways; although he goes along with their plan to lure Karyn out of the house, he manages to retain enough humanity to warn her to run at the last moment. When the werewolves launch a direct attack on the house, Roy - in his wolf form - fights and kills Dr Volkmann to protect Karyn and has enough self-control to jump out the window rather than harm her.
• Ridiculously Average Guy: Roy Beatty is mentioned as being a pretty normal 29 year old middle-class man, who had an uneventful upbringing in California, never moved out of his home state, did well but not brilliantly at school and college, has a stable job, a nice house in the suburbs and is planning to start a family with his wife of one year (even she mentions she initially found him "stodgy"). He's completely thrown for a loop when Karyn is violently raped; it never occurred to him that he might be affected by such a crime and it's implied that because he's never experienced anything like it, he doesn't know how to deal with it or properly help Karyn cope. Roy thinks that if he and Karyn try hard enough to forget about the rape, everything can just go back the way it was two months ago and he's increasingly frustrated that things don't turn out like this. He's wilfully oblivious that there's something abnormal about Drago and is highly susceptible to Marcia's charms, remarking that she's like no one he's ever met, which only draws him to her more strongly.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: In 1583, a mob wiped out the village of Dradja to eliminate the Evil that dwelled there and avenge a murdered shepherd and his family, as well as countless others who had been killed by the Evil over the years. The mob tortured to death every man, woman and child in Dradja they could find, piled up and burned their bodies, slaughtered all the animals and then burnt down the village itself, just for good measure.
• Sacrificial Lion: Inez Polk is one of the main supporting characters; she becomes a close friend and confidant to Karyn, and is one of her only allies in Drago as Roy becomes increasingly distant and she realises she can't trust her neighbours. Inez figures out that all of Drago's inhabitants are werewolves and is on her way to warn Karyn when she's waylaid and killed by a werewolf. When Karyn learns of Inez' death in a supposed 'car accident', she realises the werewolves killed her to shut her up and she herself is in grave danger, calling Chris for help.
• Serial Rapist: Max Quist has a history of sexual violence towards women, with Karyn being his latest victim. As he's quickly arrested for and pleads guilty to Karyn's rape, hopefully he won't be able to harm any more women.
• Sexless Marriage: Roy and Karyn's sex life begins to dry up after Karyn's rape; Karyn struggles to find any enjoyment in sex because of her trauma, outright dreading going to bed with her husband, and Roy eventually gives up initiating sex entirely, instead seeking sex from Marcia.
• Sex Starts, Story Stops: While Roy and Marcia's affair is definitely relevant to the plot and there is build-up to the sex scene, their second sexual encounter goes on for nearly four pages and is explicitly-detailed, much of which isn't that necessary for further developing the story and characters. It especially stands out given their first sexual encounter was kept much shorter (about a page) while still getting the point across.
• Shapeshifting Excludes Clothing: Werewolves have to remove their clothes when they transform, seeing as their clothes aren't well-suited to a wolf's physiology. When Roy starts to transform for the first time, he finds that his clothes feel extremely uncomfortable and restrictive and takes them off almost instinctively. There's also a chilling moment where Karyn has to gone to Oriole for help and she steps behind her to get bandages; Karyn notices that Oriole's voice has become oddly muffled and turns to see her pulling off her sweater. Karyn is initially confused until Oriole starts to transform.
• Shotguns Are Just Better: Zig-zagged. Roy gets Karyn a shotgun and teaches her how to fire it to make her feel more secure in the house. Karyn shoots what looks to be a wolf with the shotgun, but it doesn't cause nearly as much damage as one would expect. Karyn later learns that ordinary bullets don't do much against werewolves, so the shotgun isn't much use to her. She still keeps it close because it's the only weapon she has. When Chris comes to save Karyn, he brings a handgun that's a much smaller calibre; it's not as powerful as the shotgun, but it's much more lethal to the werewolves because it's loaded with silver bullets. Chris wishes he did have a firearm with more power and spread given the sheer number of werewolves, but under the circumstances he had to make do with what was available.
• Silver Bullet: Silver is said to be one of the only things that can cause permanent and fatal damage to werewolves. When Karyn calls Chris for help, she begs him to bring silver bullets with him as a precaution. Chris heeds her warning, going out of his way to find someone who will make him silver bullets today, no questions asked, and buying an entire silver ingot for the bullets (as he's unsure how much is needed). It's just as well, because when he gets to Drago Karyn is besieged by over a dozen werewolves and the silver bullets are their only defence, with Chris only wishing he'd had more than twelve bullets made.
• Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Karyn states that when she first met Roy, she thought of him as "stodgy", but that she soon realised that beneath that he could be gentle, thoughtful and kind, with these traits being what made her fall in love with him. As a result, Karyn realises there's something really not right when Roy - who unbeknownst to her has become a werewolf - becomes openly belligerent and mean-spirited; while he had already been losing patience with her, he'd never been outright cruel to her or made her feel unsafe.
• Slashed Throat:
  • A werewolf kills Neal by tearing at his throat with its teeth, also breaking his neck with its powerful jaws.
  • Roy, in his wolf form, kills Inez by ripping out her throat; she fortunately dies quickly and before Roy starts eating her.
  • A transformed Roy kills Dr Volkmann (also a wolf) by biting into his neck.
• Sleeps in the Nude: It's mentioned that since marrying Roy, Karyn usually sleeps naked next to him. Due to their problems with intimacy following Karyn's rape, Karyn begins wearing a nightgown, symbolising the loss of intimacy between the couple and Karyn's increasing discomfort being vulnerable with Roy.
• Small Role, Big Impact: Max Quist only appears at the start of the book, but he kicks off the whole plot by raping Karyn, prompting her and Roy to move to Drago to help Karyn's recovery. His vile actions cast a shadow over Karyn and Roy for the rest of the story, influencing later events.
• So Happy Together: Karyn and Roy at the start. They're about to celebrate their first wedding anniversary, they both have good jobs they love, they have a beautiful home in the suburbs and Karyn has recently learned she's pregnant. Then serial rapist Max Quist comes along and it's all downhill from there, albeit more drawn-out than is typical for this trope.
• Spooky Animal Sounds: On her first night in Drago, Karyn is deeply unsettled by the sound of howling from the woods near her house. Her husband doesn't much notice or care at first, but Karyn is unnerved that the howling continues night after night, sometimes sounding as though it's right outside their house. Roy tries to reassure Karyn it's probably just a coyote or even an owl, but she believes it's a wolf despite them being uncommon to the area. She later begins to suspect the howling is not from an ordinary wolf but a werewolf. As Karyn and Chris are fleeing from Drago as it burns, Karyn is horrified that she can still hear howling, meaning at least some of the werewolves survived.
• Super-Toughness: Werewolves are highly durable, due in part to their supernatural healing factor. Karyn shoots a werewolf in the head with a shotgun at close range and while it blasts off its ear, she notes that it should've been a lot more seriously injured. Pam repeatedly beats a werewolf with a wooden stick she's using as a crutch, hard enough to snap the stick, and it doesn't even faze it besides making it mad. When Chris comes to Karyn's rescue, he runs over two of the werewolves with his car; he notes that they should've been crushed, but they just twitch a bit before getting to their feet and glaring at him.
• The Titling: The title refers to the sinister howling that torments Karyn nightly and is a big clue as to the true nature of the villains.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: Roy has his flaws at the start, but he at least tries to be compassionate and understanding towards Karyn following her horrific ordeal, and feels guilty for getting frustrated with her as he knows it's not her fault. He gradually becomes less patient and empathetic towards her; he loses his temper with increasing frequency, outright avoids his wife because he finds her annoying and cheats on her. After becoming a werewolf, Roy is downright nasty towards Karyn, not bothering to hide his contempt and openly insulting and mocking her. And that's without mentioning the homicidal impulses...
• Town with a Dark Secret: At first glance, Drago appears to be a normal Californian mountain town, if not a bit creepy and rundown. However, there have been a lot of mysterious disappearances and deaths in the area (and that's just the ones people know about), with Karyn coming to believe there's a supernatural explanation. It's eventually revealed the inhabitants of Drago are actually werewolves who have been terrorising the area for generations.
• Trauma Button: While trying to comfort an obviously-distressed Karyn, Chris inadvertently triggers her traumatic memories of being raped by taking hold of her shoulders and pulling her closer. Karyn has a complete meltdown (especially as since the rape, no other man has touched her save her husband); Chris seems to morph into her rapist before her eyes and her mind is flooded with awful memories. She starts screaming at Chris to Get Out! and even punches him in the face in her panic.
• Trauma Conga Line: The entire novel is this for Karyn. First she is violently raped in her own home and has a miscarriage. Then she moves to a remote town that is terrorised by a bloodthirsty werewolf and turns out to be populated entirely by werewolves, her husband ends up becoming one of them after cheating on her, her new friend Inez is murdered by the werewolves trying to save her and her dog is killed.
• Twisted Ankle: Pam was hiking in the woods around Drago when she sprained her ankle, prompting her and her boyfriend Neal to stop off at Karyn's house to get help before trying to make it back to their van. When a werewolf attacks them en-route, Pam's ankle injury hinders her efforts to save Neal and her attempt to flee from the beast when it turns on her.
• Uncertain Doom: It's unclear if Roy survives; after recognising Roy in his wolf form, Karyn persuades Chris not to shoot him and Roy jumps out a window, with that being the last Karyn and Chris see of Roy. It's possible he was killed in the fire that consumes Drago, but his fate is ultimately left ambiguous.^spoilersIt's confirmed in the sequel that he survived
• Violently Protective Girlfriend: When Neal is attacked by a werewolf, his girlfriend Pam tries to beat the creature off with her makeshift crutch, but it ultimately has little effect.
• Virus-Victim Symptoms: After Roy is bitten by a werewolf, he becomes a lot more irritable and outright cruel towards Karyn. Even when he's in a more positive mood, Karyn finds it unsettling, as he comes off downright manic; his mood also shifts with the slightest provocation. He loses his appetite for cooked food, especially if it's not meat, and starts spending a lot of time outdoors, including sneaking out at night. Although there's no obvious change to his appearance, Karyn finds there's just something 'off' about him, as if he's stranger who looks like her husband.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: Karyn meets and helps a nice young couple, Neal Edwards and Pam Sealander, who were hiking in the area until Pam sprained her ankle. In the next scene, they get attacked and killed by a werewolf while taking a shortcut to their van through the woods. Despite only knowing them briefly, Karyn likes them a lot and is concerned when she sees their supposedly-abandoned van being towed, realising something must've happened to them. She tells Inez that she owes it to Pam and Neal to figure out the truth.
• Working-Class Werewolves: Many of the werewolves of Drago work ordinary, low-earning jobs: Marcia and the Jolivets run shops, Anton Gadak is the unofficial sheriff and so probably doesn't get paid for his work, while Volkmann is the local GP who operates out of his house. The town itself is a bit rundown and visibly poor with several closed businesses, there isn't even a post office and it doesn't get a lot of outside visitors. It's implied the werewolves are generally content to keep it this way, as it allows them to retain a lower profile and avoid unwanted attention from outsiders.
• You Killed My Father: In the prologue, Kyust believes that the unnamed Evil in Dradja is responsible for his daughter's murder and sets off alone to get revenge. He is killed, prompting his sister Rachel to contact their brothers to help her and Kyust's widow. Rachel is also killed by the Evil, prompting her brothers to raise a mob of a hundred people and storm Dradja to find the culprit. When the villagers refuse to give the killer up, the mob wipes them all out.
• You Taste Delicious: An especially disturbing example. When Max rapes Karyn, he bites her on the thigh hard enough to draw blood. She has to take medication to treat the resulting infection and the wound leaves a scar that can't yet be treated with surgery, making it a constant physical reminder of the rape. Karyn finds that somehow, Max biting her is one of the most horrific things that occurred in the entire attack and the memory that haunts her most.

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