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Richard "Dick" Moonlight #4
Murder by Moonlight: Dick Moonlight, Book 5
What’s a nice, proper dame like Joan Parker doing in a place like Dick Moonlight’s office? The scar running down her face - from the business end of an axe - has something to do with it. Shortly after the attack that killed her husband and left her for dead, she pointed the finger at her son, Christopher, who now sits in jail.
But the woman insists the police have it all wrong - Christopher didn’t do it - and she just needs the private eye to prove it. Moonlight knows mothers will say anything to protect their kids. He also knows how the police can take a mistake and run with it. Having been nearly dead a time or two himself makes Moonlight a little more empathetic. He takes the case, and soon the clues lead him toward something more sinister than he’s ever seen before.
But the woman insists the police have it all wrong - Christopher didn’t do it - and she just needs the private eye to prove it. Moonlight knows mothers will say anything to protect their kids. He also knows how the police can take a mistake and run with it. Having been nearly dead a time or two himself makes Moonlight a little more empathetic. He takes the case, and soon the clues lead him toward something more sinister than he’s ever seen before.
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First published December 1, 2012
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About the author
Vincent Zandri
249 books576 followers"Vincent Zandri is one of the most acclaimed thriller writers working today!" --Publishers Weekly
“Zandri (is) a veteran wordsmith who executes quality and quantity at superlative levels.” --Book Reporter
"The story of Vincent Zandri is the story of our times."
--Business Insider
"Vincent Zandri hails from the future."
--The New York Times
“Sensational . . . masterful . . . brilliant.”
--New York Post
"...big time author..."
--Digital Journal
Considered one of the most prolific writers of his generation, Vincent Zandri is the winner of the 2015 PWA Shamus Award and the 2015 ITW Thriller Award, both for MOONLIGHT WEEPS in the Best Original Paperback category. He is also the NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, and AMAZON KINDLE OVERALL NO.1 bestselling author of hundreds of novels, novellas, and stories, including THE REMAINS, MOONLIGHT WEEPS, THE EMBALMER, THE SHROUD KEY and QUIETLY INTO THE NIGHT. His list of domestic publishers includes Delacorte, Dell, Down & Out Books, Thomas & Mercer, Blackstone Audio, Tantor Media, and more. He is also the CEO of Bear Media. An MFA in Writing graduate of Vermont College, his work is translated in the Dutch, Russian, French, Italian, and Japanese. Having sold over 1 million editions of his books, Zandri has been the subject of major features by the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and Business Insider. He has also made appearances on Bloomberg TV and the FOX News network. In December 2014, Suspense Magazine named Zandri's, THE SHROUD KEY, as one of the "Best Books of 2014." Suspense Magazine selected WHEN SHADOWS COME as one of the "Best Books of 2016". He was also a finalist for the 2019 Derringer Award for Best Novelette. A freelance photojournalist, freelance writer, and the host of the popular YouTube Podcast, "The Writer's Life," Zandri has written for Strategy Magazine, RT, Living Ready Magazine, New York Newsday, Hudson Valley Magazine, The Times Union (Albany), Game & Fish Magazine, CrimeReads, Altcoin Magazine, The Jerusalem Post (ghost), Market Business News (ghost), Duke University (ghost), Colgate University (ghost), New York University (ghost), The Rice University Gazette (ghost), Yale University (ghost), Digital Journal (ghost), and many more. An Active Member of ITW, he lives in New York and Florence, Italy. For more go to WWW.VINZANDRI.COM
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 31, 2015
The case itself, begins as a job to find evidence to get Joan Parker's son Chris released while he awaits trial for the murder of his father and the attempted murder of his mother by fireman's axe. Moonlight completes his part of the deal but his gut is still telling him something is off and he continues to look into the matter on his own.
The plot itself is slow and steady at times but it never drags. there wasn't that feeling of racing against the clock, more like we're just along for the ride with Moonlight and waiting to see how it pans out.
A bit darker of an installment in the series... several twists I didn't expect and a couple things that made me glad I wasn't eating at the time. I recognized two parts of the plot as ripped from the headlines (the first one I can't place the exact details, but I vaguely remember hearing about it)... the two put together in a story is a bit out there but slightly chilling at the same time.
It all came together in the end, not a neat bow exactly but a sense of finality fills the air as the final connections are in place. The final connection Moonlight made surprised me but it made sense looking back on it.
The twisted villains of this story were all the more unsettling because they were s o good at hiding behind the facades of normal people. You might sense something off about them and you might steer clear but the darker truth hiding under there... well...
Atmospheric writing (right word)... a good installment of the series all in all, would recommend.
The plot itself is slow and steady at times but it never drags. there wasn't that feeling of racing against the clock, more like we're just along for the ride with Moonlight and waiting to see how it pans out.
A bit darker of an installment in the series... several twists I didn't expect and a couple things that made me glad I wasn't eating at the time. I recognized two parts of the plot as ripped from the headlines (the first one I can't place the exact details, but I vaguely remember hearing about it)... the two put together in a story is a bit out there but slightly chilling at the same time.
It all came together in the end, not a neat bow exactly but a sense of finality fills the air as the final connections are in place. The final connection Moonlight made surprised me but it made sense looking back on it.
The twisted villains of this story were all the more unsettling because they were s o good at hiding behind the facades of normal people. You might sense something off about them and you might steer clear but the darker truth hiding under there... well...
Atmospheric writing (right word)... a good installment of the series all in all, would recommend.
June 11, 2013
A Rose By Any Other Name...
MURDER BY MOONLIGHT’s Richard Moonlight is a dick in just about every way imaginable. He’s Dick, but everyone calls him “Moonlight,” (except his girlfriend Aviva who mostly calls him “Moonlight,” but calls him “Richard” when she really wants his attention); he’s a dick, as in “private investigator”; and he’s a self-admitted dick, as in “asshole.” While this may sound like the makings of a disaster, nothing could be further from the truth.
Moonlight is an old-fashioned type of P.I., a former cop who relies on his intuition and bullshit detector as much as evidence, a gumshoe who drives his dead father’s hearse, a divorced father of a 10-year-old son he rarely sees and about whom he feels too guilty to call regularly. He has his problems—a suicide attempt that left a .22-caliber bullet fragment in his brain that occasionally causes him to black out and could kill him may be the least of them—but he doesn’t suffer from moral ambiguity, lack of courage or indecision.
In M BY M, Moonlight takes a case from a woman nearly killed, along with her husband, by someone wielding a fireman’s axe, to exonerate her youngest son who has been arrested for the crime. Moonlight reluctantly takes it on, but doggedly pursues the truth even when he’s convinced of the son’s guilt, and continues to pursue it even when developments in the case result in the son being freed on bail, ending Moonlight’s employment. It’s at this point, when Moonlight keeps digging, that the book really takes off, getting more twisted and ugly with each passing minute.
Vince Zandri has created a character and milieu in M BY M that is as hardboiled as a 20-minute egg. Borrowing from a rich and storied tradition, Zandri nonetheless keeps it fresh by making his P.I. vulnerable, real, and surprisingly likeable for an avowed “dick.” His writing is taut and muscular, and the action exciting and not beyond the realm of believability for a 40-something man with a bullet in his head.
While this is my first taste of Zandri’s well-established series, I didn’t feel I missed anything by not knowing Moonlight’s backstory. However, now that my appetite’s been whetted, I’ll eagerly devour earlier entrees. A solid contribution to the hardboiled P.I. canon.
MURDER BY MOONLIGHT’s Richard Moonlight is a dick in just about every way imaginable. He’s Dick, but everyone calls him “Moonlight,” (except his girlfriend Aviva who mostly calls him “Moonlight,” but calls him “Richard” when she really wants his attention); he’s a dick, as in “private investigator”; and he’s a self-admitted dick, as in “asshole.” While this may sound like the makings of a disaster, nothing could be further from the truth.
Moonlight is an old-fashioned type of P.I., a former cop who relies on his intuition and bullshit detector as much as evidence, a gumshoe who drives his dead father’s hearse, a divorced father of a 10-year-old son he rarely sees and about whom he feels too guilty to call regularly. He has his problems—a suicide attempt that left a .22-caliber bullet fragment in his brain that occasionally causes him to black out and could kill him may be the least of them—but he doesn’t suffer from moral ambiguity, lack of courage or indecision.
In M BY M, Moonlight takes a case from a woman nearly killed, along with her husband, by someone wielding a fireman’s axe, to exonerate her youngest son who has been arrested for the crime. Moonlight reluctantly takes it on, but doggedly pursues the truth even when he’s convinced of the son’s guilt, and continues to pursue it even when developments in the case result in the son being freed on bail, ending Moonlight’s employment. It’s at this point, when Moonlight keeps digging, that the book really takes off, getting more twisted and ugly with each passing minute.
Vince Zandri has created a character and milieu in M BY M that is as hardboiled as a 20-minute egg. Borrowing from a rich and storied tradition, Zandri nonetheless keeps it fresh by making his P.I. vulnerable, real, and surprisingly likeable for an avowed “dick.” His writing is taut and muscular, and the action exciting and not beyond the realm of believability for a 40-something man with a bullet in his head.
While this is my first taste of Zandri’s well-established series, I didn’t feel I missed anything by not knowing Moonlight’s backstory. However, now that my appetite’s been whetted, I’ll eagerly devour earlier entrees. A solid contribution to the hardboiled P.I. canon.
October 24, 2015
This was an excellent story, although pretty graphically dark. Lots of family secrets revealed.
June 27, 2024
ho played Lizzie Borden on the Parkers?
How many times do you find a series or character that not only grabs your attention and provides unending entertainment, but fills your reading/listening experience with snarky humor? Well, prior to finding the Dick Moonlight series books and series that contained all of the previous items were few and far between. However, since discovering the Dick Moonlight series and Vin Zandri’s other stories finding each of these items in a single book is the regular occurrence. Of course, each Dick Moonlight story is filed with an ample amount of snark, a very good mystery, most have a bit or more of adult entertainment and each is populated by characters who each have deep flaws, not just Moonlight.
Murder by Moonlight is the latest of my forays in this series and listening to it narrated by the great R C Bray took it to a level reading alone wouldn’t have achieved. While I have a well-developed imagination, when R C Bray is involved, my imagination goes crazy with living inside the story. So far of all the Moonlight stories I’ve read or listened to, Murder by Moonlight was the most complex as far as figuring out who the bad guy was and why in this case the murder occurred. Since I hate spoilers, I’m not going to say more about the story, other than if you enjoy a good murder mystery investigated by a deeply flawed but likeable PI, give Murder by Moonlight a read or listen.
How many times do you find a series or character that not only grabs your attention and provides unending entertainment, but fills your reading/listening experience with snarky humor? Well, prior to finding the Dick Moonlight series books and series that contained all of the previous items were few and far between. However, since discovering the Dick Moonlight series and Vin Zandri’s other stories finding each of these items in a single book is the regular occurrence. Of course, each Dick Moonlight story is filed with an ample amount of snark, a very good mystery, most have a bit or more of adult entertainment and each is populated by characters who each have deep flaws, not just Moonlight.
Murder by Moonlight is the latest of my forays in this series and listening to it narrated by the great R C Bray took it to a level reading alone wouldn’t have achieved. While I have a well-developed imagination, when R C Bray is involved, my imagination goes crazy with living inside the story. So far of all the Moonlight stories I’ve read or listened to, Murder by Moonlight was the most complex as far as figuring out who the bad guy was and why in this case the murder occurred. Since I hate spoilers, I’m not going to say more about the story, other than if you enjoy a good murder mystery investigated by a deeply flawed but likeable PI, give Murder by Moonlight a read or listen.
February 10, 2018
What do you get when you get a smart alec PI that has a built in lie detector. Moonlight is mouthy and almost to the point of rude most of the time but he can see the truth and calls a person out on it. Moonlight is already beating himself senseless over the death of a person he believes innocent but could not get cleared or even paroled. He carries in his head a shard of a bullet left from an aborted suicide attempt that could end his life at any given moment. After being hired by the mother of the person accused of killing her husband and leaving her hideously scarred to prove her son could not have done it, he still is not satisfied. His investigation and determination have left him still hungry for a truth - and leads him down a very dark path to the evil that lives and thrives in Bethlehem.
April 28, 2018
Had its lulls, all the detail reiterated in the end.
But i kept reading and I would read another by this author. I like mysteries but didn't feel so captivated by this book. I actually put this down a number of times .
But i kept reading and I would read another by this author. I like mysteries but didn't feel so captivated by this book. I actually put this down a number of times .
November 10, 2017
Suspenceful
It kept me in suspence and interested in what really happened. I wanted to know the truth as much as he did. The truth was mind blowing.
It kept me in suspence and interested in what really happened. I wanted to know the truth as much as he did. The truth was mind blowing.
March 21, 2018
Awesome
Very exciting until the very end could not put it down! Very surprising thought I had it figured out but I didn't!
Very exciting until the very end could not put it down! Very surprising thought I had it figured out but I didn't!
January 22, 2018
A good read
Kept ur attention from the beginning
Also kept u guessing. Great little read and must say I enjoyed it very much.
Kept ur attention from the beginning
Also kept u guessing. Great little read and must say I enjoyed it very much.
August 17, 2020
I really enjoyed this Kindle book. I liked the humor injected throughout, the plot and some really interesting twists and turns. This author is creative and I look forward to reading more from him.
December 20, 2018
Vincent Zandri created a perfect PI when he developed Dick Moonlight as smart mouthed, but gets the truth no matter what or how. Mr Zandri’s writing style draws me in and Moonlight, as Dick is known, holds me with his way of digging and questioning suspects that’s never taken well by them. It’s excellent writing and complicated, hard to figure out, storylines.
5 stars, must read goodreads!
5 stars, must read goodreads!
December 12, 2024
Zandri is by no means a master of the crime genre, but Murder By Moonlight is a good read with a complex plot, clearly defined characters and a few good twists along the way. His writing is sparse, while the division into short chapters – sixty-six in all, some of them no longer than a single page – ensures a fast-paced story.
Overall, it's a fun read, and if crime is your favourite genre then you'll probably enjoy this.
It isn't perfect. Some of the situations don't ring true and nor do all the characters. Calling your detective 'Dick Moonlight' and having him drive his late father's hearse seems a bit too contrived. You can't blame Zandri for making Moonlight a divorced, 40-something borderline alcoholic with personal 'issues' because almost every detective since Marlowe has been that. Ian Rankin gets away with it, so why shouldn't Vincent Zandri? But Moonlight's got a much younger, hot, intelligent, artist girlfriend and almost every woman he meets is young, hot, intelligent and seems to fancy him. Being a divorced, 40-something borderline alcoholic with personal 'issues' myself, I can safely say this is not the norm. Maybe I should trade in the BMW for a hearse.
A plot twist should be a surprise the moment you read it but seem inevitable two seconds later. Zandri's plot twists are surprising alright, but some of them seem to come completely out of the blue, and the 'dark secret' at the heart of the town seemed a bit clichéd. Once or twice Moonlight seems to guess the truth from nothing and I can't for the life of me see how he worked it out. One time he returns to the murder scene for no other reason than "something tells me…". That's not really good enough.
'Murder By Moonlight' is far from a classic, and the fact that it's Zandri's ninth full-length novel suggests that he's never going to write a classic. But it's not pulp either, and fans of detective stories will enjoy reading it on the beach.
Overall, it's a fun read, and if crime is your favourite genre then you'll probably enjoy this.
It isn't perfect. Some of the situations don't ring true and nor do all the characters. Calling your detective 'Dick Moonlight' and having him drive his late father's hearse seems a bit too contrived. You can't blame Zandri for making Moonlight a divorced, 40-something borderline alcoholic with personal 'issues' because almost every detective since Marlowe has been that. Ian Rankin gets away with it, so why shouldn't Vincent Zandri? But Moonlight's got a much younger, hot, intelligent, artist girlfriend and almost every woman he meets is young, hot, intelligent and seems to fancy him. Being a divorced, 40-something borderline alcoholic with personal 'issues' myself, I can safely say this is not the norm. Maybe I should trade in the BMW for a hearse.
A plot twist should be a surprise the moment you read it but seem inevitable two seconds later. Zandri's plot twists are surprising alright, but some of them seem to come completely out of the blue, and the 'dark secret' at the heart of the town seemed a bit clichéd. Once or twice Moonlight seems to guess the truth from nothing and I can't for the life of me see how he worked it out. One time he returns to the murder scene for no other reason than "something tells me…". That's not really good enough.
'Murder By Moonlight' is far from a classic, and the fact that it's Zandri's ninth full-length novel suggests that he's never going to write a classic. But it's not pulp either, and fans of detective stories will enjoy reading it on the beach.
January 23, 2016
True confession: I'm not much of a murder mystery fan ("Loves Music, Loves to Dance" by Mary Higgins Clark aside). I usually find the plot predictable, characters two-dimensional, and the ending not that surprising. I picked up this book last spring for book club, I just couldn't get into it - even if it was based on the real-life murder of the Porco family in Delmar, NY - very close to where I live. But at the start of the new year I decided to give it another shot and am glad I did. Now I wish I paid more attention to the trial - the lurid details and racy headlines at the time turned my stomach - so I could sift fact from fiction. I know the author changed the ending, but I am left wondering - was there really an old camp left standing in the woods near Five Rivers? Did Chris get help from neighbors/friends to commit his brutal crimes? And was there really ever a "Great Society" of Bethlehem?
February 7, 2013
A page turner. Written in the first person present tense and a spare prose style. Dick Moonlight is a private eye, ex-cop, failed suicide with a bullet fragment lodged in his brain which may at any time move killing him. He is gratuitously offensive to any person he questions. He is intuitive, reaching unverifiable conclusions which are inevitably correct within minutes. But suspend disbelief and go along for the ride and enjoy it. I think the ending is a little drawn out. One blindingly obvious error - MRI is contra-indicated in people with metal in the eyes and brain, as these pieces will defintely move. Moonlight does well to refuse it, and the medics poorly to suggest it.
February 7, 2017
Wow!
Mr. Zandri does it again!! This one will keep you guessing right up to the end. Just when you think you have it--wait for it!! I absolutely did not see this ending coming. What a great thing to not figure it out totally until you read it. Would totally recommend. You will not be disappointed if you like nitty gritty detecting. Thanks again Mr Zandri!
Mr. Zandri does it again!! This one will keep you guessing right up to the end. Just when you think you have it--wait for it!! I absolutely did not see this ending coming. What a great thing to not figure it out totally until you read it. Would totally recommend. You will not be disappointed if you like nitty gritty detecting. Thanks again Mr Zandri!
June 30, 2013
Really great summer thriller read! I thought I knew about this murder case living in the area of "The Little Town of Bethlehem" but Zandri took the story to a whole new level. Don't want to be a spoiler, but the ending was tense and terrific! Didn't see any of it coming, which is the mark of a great crime thriller. Love Moonlight and his foibles. A great classic Dick if there ever was one!
May 4, 2013
I'm not a big reader of private dick books. And this wast my first foray into this type of book in a long time. While it wasn't perfect it was a light fun read. The story and the character's sardonic barbs kept me turning pages at a brisk pace. It was the main character's major flaw that knocked this down a star for me. Who has ever heard of a PI who blacks out when the action ramps up or his blood pressure goes to high? Other than that big issue it was an enjoyable read.
July 26, 2020
A new series for me; narrator a fave of mine
I am pleased to have discovered the Dick Moonlight series by excellent author Vincent Zandri. I have had several books narrated by R.C. Bray, a favorite of mine. This series looks promising featuring private investigator Dick Moonlight with his quick wit and humor as he weaves this mystery with twists, turns and surprises throughout. I was lucky to buy this for a reasonable $7.16. Highly recommended.
👏✍🏻🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟✍🏻👏
I am pleased to have discovered the Dick Moonlight series by excellent author Vincent Zandri. I have had several books narrated by R.C. Bray, a favorite of mine. This series looks promising featuring private investigator Dick Moonlight with his quick wit and humor as he weaves this mystery with twists, turns and surprises throughout. I was lucky to buy this for a reasonable $7.16. Highly recommended.
👏✍🏻🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟✍🏻👏
August 30, 2013
I think this is a top notch book with a detailed storyline and excellent characters. A more in depth review can be found on my blog at
http://wendyhjones-bookaholic.blogspo...
http://wendyhjones-bookaholic.blogspo...
October 17, 2013
Entertaining hardboiled detective novel that kind of went off the rails for me at the end. I liked the main character, and the whole bullet in the brain thing is a very clever variation on this genre and adds a layer of poignancy. The ending didn't work for me, but still an entertaining read.
January 24, 2015
Keeps you going
This is a great suspense story which I enjoyed. Never saw the actual end coming and since this is my first Moonlight book, I am considering more. He has developed the characters well and the story moves along well.
This is a great suspense story which I enjoyed. Never saw the actual end coming and since this is my first Moonlight book, I am considering more. He has developed the characters well and the story moves along well.
March 15, 2016
What a story!
Moonlight. A surprising name for a 'dick'. A brilliant fast moving plot, with sufficient characters for a small town thriller. Well written in chandleresqe style, with an amazing climax. Would definitely read more from this author.
Moonlight. A surprising name for a 'dick'. A brilliant fast moving plot, with sufficient characters for a small town thriller. Well written in chandleresqe style, with an amazing climax. Would definitely read more from this author.
March 17, 2016
Entertaining...
A modern, old-fashioned detective full of wit. I wasn't sure I would like the first-person narrative, but when I added narration, the story came alive. This was my first Dick Moonlight "adventure". I would read more, but only with the added narration of RC Bray.
A modern, old-fashioned detective full of wit. I wasn't sure I would like the first-person narrative, but when I added narration, the story came alive. This was my first Dick Moonlight "adventure". I would read more, but only with the added narration of RC Bray.
May 27, 2014
A crime story that was fast moving and kept my interest. The criminal mind is unpredictable and so was the story. We will never know enough about the type of persons who do heinous criminal acts.
April 27, 2015
Good read
I liked this book. it kept me on my toes. I would recommend it to anyone who likes suspense or mystery.
I liked this book. it kept me on my toes. I would recommend it to anyone who likes suspense or mystery.
November 22, 2016
Great book
This book will have you second guessing and unsure of your initial decisions as to who had done what. A great murder mystery all the way through.
This book will have you second guessing and unsure of your initial decisions as to who had done what. A great murder mystery all the way through.
May 17, 2013
A little too violent for me.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews