Hunter's Moon

by Louise Cooper

The derelict church had no roof, and the empty windows gaped like unseeing eyes, giving it the look of a huge, strange, dead animal. Gil moved under the arch - and stopped. It was only a momentary sensation, gone before she could analyse it, but it was as if a warning voice inside her had said clearly: No... When Gil and Biddy first saw the ancient church near a deserted beach in Norfolk - and met the two strange red-haired children hanging around there - Gil never thought that their lives could become so entangled with the terrifying curse it holds. Now Biddy is suddenly and seriously ill, and Gil herself feels under threat from a ghostly and menacing presence... But what is it about Gil and Biddy that makes them so alluring to this deadly spirit? Gil needs help, and only her cousin Jonas seems willing to unravel the terrifying mystery with her. But what will Gil and Jonas discover - and will they live to tell the tale?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Thriller

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1925

About the author

Louise Cooper was born in Hertfordshire in 1952. She began writing stories when she was at school to entertain her friends. She hated school so much, in fact—spending most lessons clandestinely writing stories—that she persuaded her parents to let her abandon her education at the age of fifteen and has never regretted it.

She continued to write and her first full-length novel was published when she was only twenty years old. She moved to London in 1975 and worked in publishing before becoming a full-time writer in 1977. Since then she has become a prolific writer of fantasy, renowned for her bestselling Time Master trilogy. She has published more than eighty fantasy and supernatural novels, both for adults and children. She also wrote occasional short stories for anthologies, and has co-written a comedy play that was produced for her local school.

Louise Cooper lived in Cornwall with her husband, Cas Sandall, and their black cat, Simba. She gained a great deal of writing inspiration from the coast and scenery, and her other interests included music, folklore, cooking, gardening and "messing about on the beach." Just to make sure she keeps busy, she was also treasurer of her local Lifeboat station.

Louise passed away suddenly from a brain aneurysm on Tuesday, October 20, 2009. She was a wonderful and talented lady and will be greatly missed.

Reviews

[Blondish And Bookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wild ride!

Harry Griffin is a 10 year sober Vietnam veteran. He tends to solve problems with swift violence—this has led to him saving people's lives and forming fierce and fast friendships with the people he's saved. He hasn't spoken to fellow alcoholic and former best friend Bud Maston in a year, but when Bud calls and says he just got married and is having a ceremony that he wants Harry to attend, oh, and they're all going deer hunting first—Harry, and Bud, and Bud's wife's son, Chris—Harry has to go because he owes Bud.

Bud's new family seems to be golddiggers—and totally insane. Almost immediately there is a gunfight and a dead body, and Harry is the one who did it. Astonishingly, law enforcement and the whole town seem inclined to sweep things under the rug, apparently they've got their own secrets to keep!

What I liked about this book: First, it was super suspenseful and riveting. I couldn't stop thinking about when I wasn't reading! Lots of good plot twists and every time I thought I had things figured out there'd be a new twist.

Second, Harry Griffin is a great character. He's honorable and a good friend, but also an alcoholic falling off the wagon. He's a true friend, but also has spent time in jail for assault. He's flawed in many ways, but it is impossible not to like him, even if he does the wrong thing.

Third, the setting. All the people in the town seem to be related to each other, they all have their secrets, and Harry can't tell who is genuinely trying to help him and who is trying to stop him—or even kill him!

Very satisfying and exciting conclusion. Perhaps this is not Great Literature, but definitely a great read!!

[Kurt · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's never good to find yourself asking, "When is this thing gonna end?" After enjoying a sweet buildup in the first quarter of the novel, I strolled into the Valley of Plot Doom, where my frustration at seeing no clear path out was augmented by the author's weak attempts to build characterization in minor players. By the time the story got back on track, I was tuckered out. There were definitely a few pleasant moments along the journey -- scenes in which two major characters have the requisite come-to-Jesus confrontation, or those times when you just know that holy hell is about to be unleashed because ... well, because something's gotta give. Author Chuck Logan has a gift with words and phrases (the wintry description of the northern Minnesota setting is spectacular), but the handful of times he is able to develop palpable tension are undone by too many thin threads being spun, and a book that feels twice as long as it need be.

[charlie! · Rating 4 out of 5]

i first read this when i was 11 and it was my favourite book for years idk why. i loved the concept of this evil tall lady and it's not too hardcore horror. i think i had a crush on the cousin as well.
since 2015 i've read this book bc i have my own copy several times and i still don't get thAt bored of it. i've tried calculating everyone's age bc they're never mentioned but i don't think the ages add up to the description/comparisons of the ages.
i will always associate norfolk with this book. gill was kinda annoying.

[Dan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harry Griffin is a loner who's witnessed some of war's rawest moments. A survivor, he is guided in all things by his unfailing loyalty and honesty. But a tragic altercation in Minnesota's North Woods that leaves a young man dead and suspicions of murder hanging in the air tests Harry's courage as never before. Nothing could have prepared him for the eerie silence that has fallen over the incident, the challenge to his nerve, and the raw carnality of his best friend's wife.

Digging for answers in a town ready to lash out in fear of the dark secrets he is moving ever closer to, Harry ignores the signs of danger at his own peril. Until it all ignites in a fire of unexpected betrayal and a bloody settling of accounts.

[Holly Morey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love dark stories, but I have mixed emotions about this one. I kept getting lost in the story especially when minor characters were brought into the story for no real reason. Harry is a 10 year sober Viet Nam vet. He is definitely a loner but is very loyal to his friends. Harry's long time friend Bud asks him to come to Northern Minnesota to act as his best man. Strange things begin to happen in the small town where Bud was planning to marry. Events and the people of the town are not really what they seem. I almost quit the book in the middle, but I am glad that I finished. I think I will give this author another chance, especially since this was one of his first books. Hopefully the next book won't be so convoluted

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was pretty good for a first novel. It has a lot of twists and turns. Sometimes it felt like you’d never figure out what the hell was going on, but something wasn’t right and you want to figure it out. I live near the area where the action takes place so I liked that he kind of had the great Northwoods personalities were pretty accurate. Worth your time to check it out.

[Steve Payne · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author is suffering from too vivid an imagination. Certain sections, especially the ending were so convoluted it made it difficult to read. I finished the book because I wanted to see what happened but I can't say I was sad to see it go.

[Ginger Perry]

Way too long and way too little

[Frank Consalvo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book yet it is a bit preposterous. Still kept me engaged.

[Jean Doolittle · Rating 2 out of 5]

We have lots of good writers in Minnesota and reading books with a local setting is always a kick. That was some of my motivation for continuing to plow through this book, along with a perverse pleasure in some of the excruciating verbosity. Logan can turn a colorful phrase, but so OFTEN he shouldn't have. Take this phrase--sounds like prose poetry until you take it apart and say, "What???" "His hazel eyes had mellowed--had left tough and were hitchhiking toward wise--but they could still sting with the disciplined snap of sweat hitting a varnished gym floor." "Cox hailed from the white backwoods tribe that burned leaded gasoline and carried their young full term in a grease pit and delivered them by chain hoist and suckled them on a sharp stick."
See...colorful, but ultimately uninformative. He piles metaphor upon simile upon tortured amplification and allusion, until the plot is lost in a Minnesota blizzard.
This was his first novel, so I could give him a little slack. I see he has written more books over a long career, but I don't think I'll bite. I'll go to William Kent Krueger for my Minnesota mystery needs.

[Twistedtexas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worst of the Year - 2019

0.5/10 - Dumbest read of the year for sure. Maybe the worst.

Mild spoiler alert...

Early in the novel, Harry sneaks into the bushes on a hunting trip and fucks Bud's wife... possibly in the ass, but that isn't really specified. Moments later, he catches back up with Bud...

Bud gripped his rifle and his eyes glowed in the faint light. Harry wondered if he could sniff the sweet babyshit of sex lingering in the crisp air.



What the fuck is "sweet babyshit of sex"? Am I just sexually naive? I even Googled the phrase, and got zero results.

So I trudged through about 280 pages, then skim-read the remaining 120, just to see how it ended.
Anyway, this is the second time I have tried Chuck Logan, and will be my last. Sweet babyshit of sex, indeed!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed The Hunter’s Moon, the sequel to The Werewolf’s Daughter. It isn’t just another YA romance with a side of vampires, werewolves, or wizards. It is a werewolf novel, and it is a story of family, friendship, and love. Lani and Lisa journey to Romania to find a cure for Lisa’s dad, who has become a werewolf. Along the sidelines of the story, the reader sees Lani and Jace’s relationship grow and face challenges. But the story is primarily focused on Lani and Lisa tackling their own challenges as they try to find a cure other than a silver bullet. No pressure there, travelling to a foreign country, where they are unfamiliar with the language both written and spoken. It is a fast-paced read that I couldn’t wait to turn the page to see what would happen next. Street drops hints about characters, causing the reader to question their true intentions, but sometimes the reader will still be surprised.

[Carolyn (in SC) C234D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this several years ago and don't remember details. At the time I noted "Hard to evaluate. A good yarn but a shade too violent, and hard to follow at times. The main character goes off the wagon after ten years, to get the edge he needs to handle all the crap that's going on. His old best friend calls him for help. Harry winds up killing a teen-aged boy to save his friend's life. But who is pulling the strings?

Some lines from the book that I liked:

"He sounded to me like an experiment where all the mice got out."
"He could feel the blood shoot the rapids of his heart."

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

what appears to be a “simple murder” turns out to be a more than convoluted mess of characters, entangled over the years—though no one knows it at the time. A bit hard to follow all the 20+ characters, but really this was an engrossing book. Surprising twists (multiple) at the end; 1996 hardback recommendation of Debbie, a Staffer @ Madison County Public Library, Berea; 4 out of 5 stars; maybe should be 3 out of 5 because all the characters were hard to follow; 392 pgs.; read 11 Aug 2014/#54

[Rebekkila · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good story and moved pretty quickly for the most part. One thing that really bothered me was the protagonist's dental hygiene habits. He abuses his gingiva and probably the underlying tooth structure with over aggressive brushing, often times brushing until his gingiva(gums) bleed. Remember your toothbrush bristles should not splay out or be tipped in red!

[Qazyman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a story that drowns under the weight of wasted words. The beginning was well constructed and the ending was action packed. In addition, the characters were interesting and deep, but the middle of the story rambled endlessly, and really didn't have a strong connection to the story.

I hoped that the story would come together, as some parts were fun to read, but it just didn't happen.

[Madiha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this was kinda rocky road. The starting is slow and dull, but it starts to build up fast and gets good and then takes a nose dive again. The plot has a lot of suspense and it leaves you guessing when you do get engaged. There were moments I'd yawn and moments where I wouldn't put it down. The ending is good. So all in all, its an okay thriller, worth reading if you can borrow.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thriller - Harry Griffin, recovering alcoholic, gets a 3AM call from his drunken AA sponser, Bud. Millionaire Bud wants Harry to join him and his new stepson on a hunting trip in Stanley, MN, the source of Bud's family fortune. Bud's new wife makes a play for Harry, her son tries to kill Bud and is shot by Harry, her daughter attacks Harry. Wheels in wheels - fast and exciting.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very uneven first book by Logan. Parts of the book are powerfully written and parts make little sense at all. The plot set-ups are often clumsily written and some of the characters logic are completely illogical. There is some ability here but it needs to mature.

[Laraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was Logan's first book and while it was a fairly good read, it was not up to his other books IMHO. Have South of Shiloh set up to read next...and I will have read all of Logan's books, most of which I have rated very highly.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Logan's debut novel is a real page turner. A loner in upper Minnesota, stumbles into a towns dark secret.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good beach book.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent bit of crime-based entertainment, with just enough twists to keep it interesting. Though there were some aspects that stretched by suspension of disbelief to the breaking point.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hunter's Moon was not nearly as well-written as other books by this author, but it was still an interesting read.

[Carolina Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read by Chuck Logan, one of my favorite authors. Tight plot with memorable characters. Lot's of twists and very fast pace. Loved it.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just Okay vacation read