Mercy has been trying hard to make things better with her husband, Adam's, pack but one phone call might jeopardize everything she's worked for. Adam's ex-wife, Christy, is having trouble with a stalker ex-boyfriend and wants to come home to the protection of the pack. Adam's not one to turn away a person in need but, then again, neither is Mercy, even if that person is Adam's ex. Mercy just isn't sure if Christy's motives for coming home are purely for protection or if she's looking at taking another run at Adam. As far as Mercy's concerned, he, along with his and Christy's daughter Jesse, are hers, and if Christy wants to take her on, Mercy is more than ready to put up a fight.

If things weren't complicated enough, a fae Gray Lord named Alistair Beauclaire has demanded the return of a walking stick Mercy has that once belonged to his father. Alistair has given Mercy a one week deadline and if she can't produce the walking stick in that time, he's going to destroy the tri-cities. Between searching for Coyote, who Mercy gave the walking stick to, and trying to keep from going crazy with Christy in the house, Mercy has more than enough to deal with. Things take a turn for the worse though when it becomes apparent that Christy's stalker may not be human after all. With the body count rising by the day, this may be one mess Mercy might not come out of alive.

I did not want to start this book because starting it meant it would end and if there's one thing I hate about Patricia Briggs' books, it's that there is that dreaded last page. NIGHT BROKEN, the eighth books in Briggs' highly addictive and thoroughly engrossing Mercy Thompson series, has that much hated last page but what comes before it is pure magic for a reader. Typically I find with many urban fantasy authors that when they get this far into a series, things become stagnate and my interest begins to wane. Thankfully, that is not the case here. Briggs provides an action packed adventure full of danger, drama and a dash of romance for those of us who can't get enough of Adam and Mercy.

Briggs is a wonderfully gifted bard and the strength in her books lies not only in being able to create incredible storylines and leading characters but also having memorable side characters that you look forward to seeing pop up in her stories. With the return of many fan favorites in NIGHT BROKEN, Briggs' provides a smorgasbord of delight. Add to it her ability to write her characters like real people and you have a sure fire recipe for a great book, even if there were times I wanted to smack Adam for hurting Mercy, unintentional as it was. If you're a fan of this series, you will not be disappointed in any way, and if you haven't yet had the pleasure of discovering Mercy Thompson and all the trouble she can get into, I envy you the opportunity to experience it anew.