Final Exam: the Don Weston prequel to 'Blame it on the Moon'

by Lou Pugliese

A missing provost. A murdered president. A fired professor found dead. At Churchville University, the only thing deadlier than the politics... is the truth.

When Isabel Helms, the ambitious new provost of a struggling liberal arts college, vanishes after a secret rendezvous, the campus reels. Days later, the university president is found savagely murdered—and a recently fired professor turns up dead in an apparent suicide. But nothing is what it seems.

Enter Don a widowed former Philadelphia detective, now Chief of Police at Churchville University. He thought he'd traded high-stakes homicide for campus hijinks. Instead, he's facing a chilling investigation tangled in scandal, betrayal, and secrets buried deep in the school's leadership.

With a methodical mind shaped by personal loss, Weston navigates academic rivalries, hidden affairs, and small-town suspicion. And while readers know more than he does—thanks to haunting vignettes from each victim’s final moments—the question Will Weston catch the killer before the next name is crossed off the list?

🔥 Dark, cerebral, and disturbingly intimate, Final Exam delivers gut-punch twists and one unforgettable investigator. If you like cozy mysteries, ‘Final Exam’ may not be for you. If you like crime thrillers that share dark, disturbing details of graphic murder and alternate lifestyles, you’ve found your next read.✔ For fans of Michael Connelly, Louise Penny, and Tana French. Final Exam is the prequel to Blame It on the Moon but stands alone as a complete and compelling mystery.

Genres: Mystery

210 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2025

About the author

Author, Lou Pugliese is retired from two careers: a senior manager at Toyota Motors with national (US) and international experience, and a business professor at a small, liberal arts college in Shenandoah Valley Virginia.

Lou and his wife Kathy (and their dog Mitch) are now settled in Green Cove Springs Florida. His writing influence comes from both careers, extensive travel, and a passion for obscure research.

Outside of his mystery and historical fiction writing, he published his doctoral dissertation on the roots of prejudice, and has had poetry published through voxpoetica. Lou belongs to the Mystery Writers of America and the Florida Writers Association (FWA), hosting the monthly FWA chapter for Clay County Florida.

Reviews

[theravingbooknerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a journey Don Weston takes you on throughout this novel. I was on edge the entire time. The suspense, the obscene, the MYSTERY.

I was pleasantly happy with this novel and had a great time reading it. Once I got into the story, I couldn't put it down! The way that Lou writes has a way of captivating you and connecting you to the characters. I felt like I was right there in the story. Almost as if I were hovering above the scenes and watching them play out.

There are some noteworthy TW, but the chapters are short and easy to read if you only have a couple minutes to read.

I am so glad that I picked this up and thoroughly enjoyed supporting the author.

[Deep Choudhary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Final Exam: The Don Weston Prequel to ‘Blame it on the Moon’ by Lou Pugliese is an absorbing crime thriller that delivers suspense, sharp storytelling, and a compelling lead character. Don Weston, a former Philadelphia detective turned small-town university police chief, thought he was settling into a quieter life at Churchville University. However, when the college provost vanishes, a faculty member takes their own life, and the president is found murdered in a gruesome scene, Don is pulled into an investigation far more complex than he ever anticipated.

One of the strongest aspects of the novel is its richly developed setting. Pugliese captures the insular world of academia with precision, revealing the hidden tensions, politics, and power struggles that simmer beneath the surface of Churchville University. The financial instability of the school, the clashing interests of faculty and administration, and the secrets lurking behind closed doors all add layers of intrigue to the mystery. It’s a refreshing departure from the typical big-city crime backdrop, proving that even a seemingly quiet college town can be full of deception and danger.

Don Weston is an engaging protagonist—experienced, intelligent, and world-weary but still determined to uncover the truth. His years as a city cop give him an edge, but his transition to university policing adds an interesting contrast to his investigative approach. He’s not just solving a crime; he’s navigating an environment filled with egos, academic politics, and institutional dysfunction. The way he pieces together the mystery, relying on both his instincts and his old connections in law enforcement, makes for an engaging and unpredictable journey. Pugliese keeps the pacing tight, with each new revelation adding to the growing sense of urgency. The twists feel organic, and the mystery unfolds in a way that keeps you guessing until the end. The blend of dark themes with moments of dry humor and sharp dialogue adds depth to the story, making it an enjoyable and immersive read. Whether you’re new to Pugliese’s work or a returning reader from Blame it on the Moon, Final Exam stands on its own as a compelling, well-crafted thriller that leaves a lasting impression.

[Tanairi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lou Pugliese’s “Final Exam” does not disappoint, especially if you enjoy reading about police work and crime. Through this book, I gained insights into higher education politics and the civil war reenactment movement. I particularly enjoyed the character Don Westin and look forward to reading more stories featuring him.

The character development of Dr. James Giles is spot-on, accurately portraying a self-righteous man who feels superior to others, uses religion to control and shame those around him, and is resistant to change.

The plot is well-structured, and the pacing is just right, keeping the reader engaged throughout the entire story. However, I would have liked a more in-depth exploration of Glenn Weaver’s emotional and mental state. I wish Mr. Pugliese had devoted more time to developing this character's storyline. I also would have appreciated a bit more tension in the narrative.

Overall, this is a great read but I do have to warn you of two things.

1. There are some graphic descriptions of sexual crimes in the book, but it is not prevalent throughout the entire story.

2. As a mother of two, a full-time worker, and a student, I was so engrossed in this book that I neglected a few of my responsibilities.

It’s hard to put down a good crime/mystery book, and this one is definitely among them.

[Doug Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Facing a financial crisis, Churchville University brings in a new president and provost. The new administration does its job professionally and efficiently, but some hurt by budget cuts are, understandably, unhappy. And sadly, someone is unhappy enough to brutally murder the new president. Meanwhile, the provost disappears, and an art instructor who has terminal cancer commits suicide.

These crimes are shocking for residents of a small college town. Fortunately, campus security chief Don Weston is a retired Philadelphia police officer. He coordinates an investigation with local and state authorities that soon uncovers the truth.

The writing in this fast-moving police procedural is a little awkward, the dialogue sometimes a bit stilted. The details of the gruesome murders are not for the squeamish or faint of heart.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Final Exam is more than a mystery; it's a powerful reminder that truth, no matter how hidden, always demands to be found. Through twists, tragedy, and resilience, it inspires us to face challenges head-on and never stop seeking justice, even when the path is dark.

[Dan A. Foster · Rating 1 out of 5]

Final

Not for me. Gruesome and disgusting. Only writing more because of a twenty word minimum for a review. Better stuff elsewhere.

[Sandra]

Dnf

[Chris Webster · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me.

Just not my style at all. I didn’t like the characters, or the lack of suspense. I did get through to the end in case it grew on me but it didn’t.

[John Roach, · Rating 5 out of 5]

very readable yarn

[Karen Siddall · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing peek into Don Weston’s past in this riveting tale of missing persons, sexual liaisons, and murder in the prequel to Blame It On the Moon.

Final Exam is author Lou Pugliese’s riveting prequel to his earlier cold-case historical mystery, Blame It On the Moon, and reveals some of his main character’s backstory from when he was the Chief of Police at a small liberal arts school, Churchville University. Typically a quiet member of the Churchville, Pennsylvania community, the university soon headlines the news when a well-liked university provost goes missing during a massive school restructuring, which includes sudden and extensive system-wide faculty layoffs. Rumors run rampant regarding the missing woman’s relationship with the university president and his wife, but there are few actual clues for Chief Don Weston to pursue. Calling on his connections at the county and state levels in order to leverage their more robust resources, Weston gathers a small team to investigate. However, the case barely gets off the ground when another faculty member goes missing during a fire at his home, and that won’t be the last.

While Don Weston is the university chief of police and the most experienced on the case, the investigations are truly an ensemble performance. Weston earned his law enforcement chops over the years he spent working his way up through the ranks at the Philadelphia Police Department. He is joined by Detective Rick Walker from York County and Lt. Shane Mitchell representing the state, both of whom bring a hint of hero worship to the table, having heard Don’s praises sung by their respective supervisors before their assignments.

The three conduct a steady and comprehensive investigation, the story unfolding in the style of a police procedural. Told mostly from Weston’s point of view, the reader gets a good idea of how he came to his position at Churchville and a feel for his prior successes in Philadelphia. Until the incidents of the story, he was experiencing a growing discontent with the unending sameness of his current job. He misses his wife, Helen, lost to cancer some years earlier, but uses her memory as a sounding board for his decision-making. All of this prepares the reader for Don’s eventual move to a new home and career at the opening of Blame It On the Moon.

The plot is well-paced, and the action is tight. However, the names of the characters changed at times over the course of the story and need to be reviewed. The murders are vividly described and graphically detailed, their means and methods horrifically matched to the killer’s opinion of his victim’s guilt and misdeeds. The acts are shocking and hard to read. The killer’s actions are measured and meticulous in their execution and performed with the perpetrator’s knowledge that he will never have to answer for what he has done, adding to the difficulty of the three investigators’ job.

I recommend FINAL EXAM to readers of grittier mysteries and suspense and fans of the previous novel who want to know more about the main character’s backstory.