Devereau Webb is in uncharted territory. He thought he knew what he was doing when he chose to enter London’s supernatural society but he’s quickly discovering that his new status isn’t welcome to everyone.

He’s lived through hard times before and he’s no stranger to the murky underworld of city life. But when he comes across a young werewolf girl who’s not only been illegally turned but who has also committed two brutal murders, he will discover just how difficult life can be for supernaturals – and also how far his own predatory powers extend.

I’m a fan of Helen Harper’s seven-book Firebrand urban fantasy series about Detective Constable Emma Bellamy, a member of the Met’s Supernatural Squad, who, each time she’s killed (it happens a lot), rises like a phoenix twelve hours later (every time so far, at least…).

In a series populated with vampires, werewolves, pixies, fairies and witches, it was surprising that one of the most unconventional characters was Devereau Webb, a human local gang leader who sees himself as a Robin Hood figure. A leader with big ambitions, Webb sets out to do something forbidden and risky: become a werewolf through illegal means and win himself a place at the supernatural table, while retaining his gangster empire.

It’s clear Webb was a favourite of Helen Harper’s as well, because, after ‘Fortune’s Ashes’ concluded Emma Bellamy’s story and brought the Firebrand series to an end, she decided to bring Devereau Webb into the limelight with two novels of his own.

‘The Noose of the New Moon’ takes up Webb’s story shortly after his unconventional transformation into a werewolf. Things have not gone to plan. The werewolf clan leaders see him as a threat and refuse to admit him. His own gang are afraid of him, and the Supernatural Squad (in Bellamy’s temporary absence) are insisting he moves to the part of London reserved for supernaturals. In addition to navigating all this, Webb becomes entangled with a young girl who has been illegally turned into a werewolf and who everyone- vampires, werewolves, and humans- believes should be killed.

The book was fast, tense fun. It works as a spinoff from the Firebrand series, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a standalone novel. I liked getting Webb’s take on the denizens of the supernatural world. He and Bellamy see it very differently. Webb is an engaging character: charismatic, clever and brave. He’s a natural leader, driven not by a desire for power but by a strong need to make things better for himself and his people.

If you enjoyed the Firebrand series, then this book offers you a return to that world, but with a fresh energy and a different agenda. If you haven’t read the Firebrand series, start with ‘Brimstone Bound’. I thought it was a lot of fun.

The second book in Devereau Webb’s Woflbrand series, ‘License to Howl’ is already on my shelves. It has some new challenges for Webb and, like the title, the idea of them makes me smile.