Title: Werewolf on Madison Avenue
Author: Edward R Lipinski
Publisher: Readers Magnet, LLC
ISBN: 978-1-959761-44-0
Genre: Fantasy / Humor
Pages: 189
Reviewed by: Allison Walker

Read Book Review

Optimistic, young Jeff Foxlove wants nothing more than to break into the world of advertising. Unfortunately, the only agency to call him in for an interview is the infamously scandalous Cudmore Agency, referred to as “Crudmore Agency” by its rivals and critics, where Jeff is put to work writing raunchy slogans for hygiene products. His first headline: “When you’ve got a bad case of crotch rot that burns at your vitals down under, use JockPal to put the fire out before it destroys your family jewels.” In this classic werewolf story, the optimistic young businessman sacrifices his morals for career success and, in doing so, literally becomes a monster. Werewolf on Madison Avenue, written by Edward R Lipinski, is a cute and fun story with a dark and subtle sense of humor.

Werewolf on Madison Avenue is a classic werewolf story; while vacationing in a remote destination, a man is bitten by some unexplainable creature. The locals warn this man of something supernatural and altogether unnatural, but being a skeptic, the man returns home and unwittingly unleashes a ravenous terror upon his city. Despite its classic inspiration, this story is just unpredictable enough to stay entertaining. Plus, there’s a nice parallel between Jeff sacrificing his morals for financial gain and career success, becoming a metaphorical monster with his literal transformation into a wolfman with a taste for human flesh. At one point, Jeff’s boss at the ad agency, Damon Cudmore, even tells Jeff that when writing ads, you need to “go for the jugular.” That’s exactly what happens.

The story has a fun, subtle, and often dark humor, especially in the Cudmore ad office. When Jeff confesses to being a werewolf and a murderer to his boss, Damon Cudmore asks, “These people you say you killed; were any of them our clients?” And once Jeff becomes a werewolf, the story really picks up. Cudmore’s solution to his best copywriter and hand-picked protege becoming a werewolf is to hire Brooklyn Iron and Steelworks to build a cage in the sub-basement of the office. From there, he uses Jeff’s wolf-form to film a shaving cream commercial. That humor may be a little dark but Lipinski’s writing is an absolute laugh riot.

Damon Cudmore’s villainy is rivaled only by that of his brother, Pythias Cudmore. The best part is, the brothers could be real people. We all know someone like this. While Jeff is the protagonist of the story, the real hero is doubtlessly Willard, whose character arch surpasses even the transformation of Jeff into a wolfman.

Werewolf on Madison Avenue is a fun and modernized re-telling in the classic werewolf genre. The story is just unpredictable enough, primarily through humor, to distinguish itself from other stories. Anyone looking for a quick-read creature feature will certainly get a laugh out of Werewolf on Madison Avenue.