Blood For The Sun: Alexander Smith #1

A werewolf detective in Boston for reasons he can't remember finds himself investigating the murder of a child in project housing--a murder with definite signs of occult ritual. Alexander Smith is over 100, a Black/Native American mix from Canada, back in the days when it was a refuge for runaway slaves. He's suffering from what seems to be a form of dementia that strikes weres that live too long. His memory, both long- and short-term, is spotty at best; sometimes he finds himself in places with no idea why he went there, or what he was looking for, yet he has a vast store of obscure bits of information that come to him at odd moments. Despite his memory lapses, he's driven to solve crimes, especially those against children, to expiate his own past crimes. His inner dialog is fascinating as he tries to hold himself together when dealing with the police, the local supernatural underworld, an unfriendly pack of werewolves, his vampire foster daughter, a magical scientist, and more. In some ways, this is a standard dark urban fantasy mystery, but as damaged detectives go Alexander is a doozy barely able to remember enough to get by at some points, but strangely likable as he keeps plugging along without self-pity, just wondering at his condition and where it's going to lead him.

(Carolyn Cushman LOCUS - the magazine of the science fiction & fantasy field, October 2014)