Widdershins is the first book in Jordan L. Hawk’s Whyborne & Griffin series. I’d heard quite a bit of buzz about this series in one of my reading groups. I took the plunge, and I have absolutely no regrets about this decision.

Percival Endicott Whyborne spends his days working in a museum as a comparative philologist, and he is perfectly content with his solitary life. When private detective Griffin Flaherty believes that an ancient book may be the key to his case, Whyborne offers to help with translation. Before he knows it, the shy and withdrawn Whyborne is thrown into the middle of something that defies explanation. Something truly terrifying is afoot, and Whyborne and Griffin must team up if they are going to defeat the evil that has been unleashed. As Whyborne spends more time with Griffin, he finds it more and more difficult to suppress his feelings. He thinks it impossible that Griffin could ever return those feelings. But after seeing some of the things that he has seen, Whyborne should know that anything is possible.

It’s hard to describe Widdershins. It’s a Victorian-era American m/m paranormal, but parsing it down into a few descriptors does not do it justice. It’s so much more than that. To begin with, Widdershins refers to the name of the New England city that Whyborne calls home. His ancestors have lived in Widdershins for centuries, but that’s all I can say about them without giving away too much. Widdershins is a rather staid locale, but there is something sinister lurking beneath the surface.

Whyborne and Griffin are an unlikely pair, but despite their vast differences, their mutual understanding is established almost immediately. I love that Griffin is the more outgoing one, but Whyborne is significantly taller. I loved the way their relationship developed slowly, but once the spark was lit, wow!

If I had one complaint about this book, it would be that Whyborne does not like his given name. Percival is a perfectly lovely name, but he doesn’t like it. He likes Percy even less. Griffin’s solution for a nickname is rather endearing, but you’ll have to read the book to find out more about that.

I would absolutely recommend Widdershins. This is the perfect blend of romance, mystery, and action. I have actually read the first three books in the series. The tenth book has just been released, and from what I understand, Hawk plans to end the series with book eleven. Armed with this knowledge, I have been rationing out my reading experience even though every instinct has me wanting to ignore my family in favor of a marathon reading experience. I am certainly looking forward to reading anything and everything Hawk has to offer.