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Coffin Moon
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Horror (2025)From the author of the “exciting, suspenseful, horrifying” (Stephen King) Fever House, a Vietnam veteran and his adopted niece hunt—and are hunted by—the vampire that slaughtered their family.
It’s the winter of 1975, and Duane Minor, back home in Portland, Oregon after a tour in Vietnam, is struggling to quell his anger and keep his drinking in check, keep his young marriage intact, and keep the nightmares away. Things get even more complicated when his thirteen-year-old niece, Julia, is sent across the country to live with her Aunt Heidi and Uncle Duane after a tragedy. But slowly, carefully, guided by Heidi’s love and patience, the three of them are building a family.
Then Minor crosses the wrong John Varley, a criminal with a bloody history and a trail of bodies behind him. Varley, who sleeps during the day beneath loose drifts of earth and grows teeth in the light of the moon. In an act of brutal retaliation, Varley kills Heidi, leaving Minor broken with guilt and Julia shot through with rage. The two of them are left united by only one the desire for vengeance.
As their quest brings them into the dark orbit of immortal, undead children, silver bullet casters, and the bevy of broken men drawn to Varley’s ferocity, Minor and Julia follow his path of destruction from the gritty alleyways of 1970s Portland to the desolate highways of the Northwest and the snow-lashed plains of North Dakota—only to have him turn his vicious power back on them. Who will prevail, who will survive, and what remains of our humanity when our thirst for revenge trumps everything else?
It’s the winter of 1975, and Duane Minor, back home in Portland, Oregon after a tour in Vietnam, is struggling to quell his anger and keep his drinking in check, keep his young marriage intact, and keep the nightmares away. Things get even more complicated when his thirteen-year-old niece, Julia, is sent across the country to live with her Aunt Heidi and Uncle Duane after a tragedy. But slowly, carefully, guided by Heidi’s love and patience, the three of them are building a family.
Then Minor crosses the wrong John Varley, a criminal with a bloody history and a trail of bodies behind him. Varley, who sleeps during the day beneath loose drifts of earth and grows teeth in the light of the moon. In an act of brutal retaliation, Varley kills Heidi, leaving Minor broken with guilt and Julia shot through with rage. The two of them are left united by only one the desire for vengeance.
As their quest brings them into the dark orbit of immortal, undead children, silver bullet casters, and the bevy of broken men drawn to Varley’s ferocity, Minor and Julia follow his path of destruction from the gritty alleyways of 1970s Portland to the desolate highways of the Northwest and the snow-lashed plains of North Dakota—only to have him turn his vicious power back on them. Who will prevail, who will survive, and what remains of our humanity when our thirst for revenge trumps everything else?
325 pages, Paperback
First published September 9, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,121 reviews
October 30, 2025
4⭐️
This isn’t your typical vampire story. It’s dark, melancholic, and gritty, focusing on revenge and the toll it takes mentally and physically when you hold on to it too tightly. Grief and regret play a large role in this novel. I loved the 1970s setting. You can feel the dread right from the start, and the tension just keeps building at a steady pace.
The three main characters are really well drawn. Duane Minor is a Vietnam vet struggling with PTSD, his adopted niece Julia is dealing with her own trauma after her mother went to jail for killing her abusive husband, and John Varley is the vampire whose actions set everything in motion. They’re all flawed, and their arcs are well developed, which makes the story even more compelling.
This is part horror and part thriller, though in this genre the line between the two often blurs. Overall, this was a gripping read that kept me hooked from beginning to end, eager to see how it would all play out. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
This isn’t your typical vampire story. It’s dark, melancholic, and gritty, focusing on revenge and the toll it takes mentally and physically when you hold on to it too tightly. Grief and regret play a large role in this novel. I loved the 1970s setting. You can feel the dread right from the start, and the tension just keeps building at a steady pace.
The three main characters are really well drawn. Duane Minor is a Vietnam vet struggling with PTSD, his adopted niece Julia is dealing with her own trauma after her mother went to jail for killing her abusive husband, and John Varley is the vampire whose actions set everything in motion. They’re all flawed, and their arcs are well developed, which makes the story even more compelling.
This is part horror and part thriller, though in this genre the line between the two often blurs. Overall, this was a gripping read that kept me hooked from beginning to end, eager to see how it would all play out. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
November 24, 2025
Title/Author: Book Response: COFFIN MOON by Keith Rosson
Format Read: Audiobook I purchased on LibroFM
Pub date: September 9, 2025
Publisher: Random House
Page Count: 320 pages / 11 Hours audio
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978059373...
Recommended for readers who enjoy:
-Books set in the 70s
-Complicated family dynamic and relationships
-Deeply emotional, raw, and vulnerable character-driven narratives
-Revenge stories
-Vampires and vampire lore
-Older man (Father figure role) on a journey with a young person. Think, The Last of Us (HBO show), The Road, The Wolf Road, The Professional (movie), The Dark Tower (Roland & Jake) Interview with the Vampire (Louis & Claudia)
__
Minor complaints:
-Zero complaints. Flawless execution.
Final recommendation: Duane Minor is going through a lot in his personal life which doesn't stop him from trying to be a good person and do right by the ones he loves. He even goes the extra mile when it comes to his 13 year old niece, Julia who comes to live with him and his wife, Heidi. Things are going along when suddenly, a situation turns Minor's entire life upside-down. He loses everything--and so does his niece Julia and they have to rely on each other to seek out the one who ruined their lives.
Minor and Julia are everything. I love that we stay in Minor's POV the whole time--he's our narrator but the book really could be titled "Julia", she's kind of the star. Their journey as they confront each other, face their own inner demons, while they chase down a real life demon, is the stuff of HORROR LEGEND. I mean, this is genuinely WHY horror fans choose horror over and over again...these kind of "horror with heart" stories that break the reader wide open spilling all your contents on the floor just so it can scoop you all up and put you back together again at the end.
This is that kind of novel and it can't be missed. Do not sleep on it. Also, the audiobook is perfection. The narrator is perfect.
And it's scary as hell. There are scenes that will stay with me and haunt me whenever I think about this book or recommend it. Some seriously dark stuff. Really good. All the stars
Comps: Think, The Last of Us (HBO show), The Road, The Wolf Road, The Professional (movie), The Dark Tower (Roland & Jake)
Also, revenge vampire stories like Rovers by Richard Lang and The Suicide Motor Club by Christopher Buehlman, also a little Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
Format Read: Audiobook I purchased on LibroFM
Pub date: September 9, 2025
Publisher: Random House
Page Count: 320 pages / 11 Hours audio
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978059373...
Recommended for readers who enjoy:
-Books set in the 70s
-Complicated family dynamic and relationships
-Deeply emotional, raw, and vulnerable character-driven narratives
-Revenge stories
-Vampires and vampire lore
-Older man (Father figure role) on a journey with a young person. Think, The Last of Us (HBO show), The Road, The Wolf Road, The Professional (movie), The Dark Tower (Roland & Jake) Interview with the Vampire (Louis & Claudia)
__
Minor complaints:
-Zero complaints. Flawless execution.
Final recommendation: Duane Minor is going through a lot in his personal life which doesn't stop him from trying to be a good person and do right by the ones he loves. He even goes the extra mile when it comes to his 13 year old niece, Julia who comes to live with him and his wife, Heidi. Things are going along when suddenly, a situation turns Minor's entire life upside-down. He loses everything--and so does his niece Julia and they have to rely on each other to seek out the one who ruined their lives.
Minor and Julia are everything. I love that we stay in Minor's POV the whole time--he's our narrator but the book really could be titled "Julia", she's kind of the star. Their journey as they confront each other, face their own inner demons, while they chase down a real life demon, is the stuff of HORROR LEGEND. I mean, this is genuinely WHY horror fans choose horror over and over again...these kind of "horror with heart" stories that break the reader wide open spilling all your contents on the floor just so it can scoop you all up and put you back together again at the end.
This is that kind of novel and it can't be missed. Do not sleep on it. Also, the audiobook is perfection. The narrator is perfect.
And it's scary as hell. There are scenes that will stay with me and haunt me whenever I think about this book or recommend it. Some seriously dark stuff. Really good. All the stars
Comps: Think, The Last of Us (HBO show), The Road, The Wolf Road, The Professional (movie), The Dark Tower (Roland & Jake)
Also, revenge vampire stories like Rovers by Richard Lang and The Suicide Motor Club by Christopher Buehlman, also a little Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
January 18, 2026
Phenomenal!! Like The Last of Us with vampires. Bloody, emotional, thrilling as hell- this was a crazy journey!!
May 2, 2026
Duane Minor, alongside his wife, Heidi, are the guardians for their 13-year-old niece, Julia. Duane is a veteran and works in a bar known as the Last Call Tavern, which is owned by his mother-in-law, Joanne; Duane and his family live in the apartment situated above it.
When a couple of bikers start visiting the bar on a regular basis, Duane begins to get an uneasy feeling. He soon discovers they are selling drugs, and his mother-in-law Joanne has something to do with their presence. When he confronts her, Joanne resorts to blackmail to keep him quiet—she is withholding information about an incident concerning Duane he doesn't want the rest of his family to know. The biker gang has a very dangerous leader in the form of John Varley; Duane doesn't initially realise what or how dangerous he actually is.
The premise was great with its tale of vengeance and vampires, but it was slow-paced, and I was struggling to stay engaged, especially through the middle portion of the book. I didn't really like Duane or how his character was written; he was such a short-fused, I-know-best kind of guy. It's because of him and his interfering attitude that everything kicks off in the first place, so it comes as no surprise when Duane eventually suffers the consequences of messing with the biker gang and all the tragic events that ensue.
Julia's character was also written quite oddly; she seemed much older than a 13-year-old for the most part. Duane and Julia's relationship dynamic was jumbled; there was a peculiar juxtaposition between their conversations and then their actions towards each other. This leads me to my next point of how some of the dialogue was stilted; the way the characters communicated sounded unnatural and forced, and in parts it was leaning into 'too much tell over show'—I think trying to explain the narrative through dialogue is probably one of the reasons it came across as wooden.
I perhaps should have liked this more than I did given its horror elements, but some of the writing and contrivance in parts of the story arc didn't quite work for me. The ending was not only predictable from pretty early on but was also rushed through quickly, which made it all fall really flat. In my opinion if an author is going to go down the well-worn path of vampire lore, then there's got to be something original thrown in the mix, but there wasn't anything new here; it was all rather formulaic with mostly unlikeable characters to boot.
When a couple of bikers start visiting the bar on a regular basis, Duane begins to get an uneasy feeling. He soon discovers they are selling drugs, and his mother-in-law Joanne has something to do with their presence. When he confronts her, Joanne resorts to blackmail to keep him quiet—she is withholding information about an incident concerning Duane he doesn't want the rest of his family to know. The biker gang has a very dangerous leader in the form of John Varley; Duane doesn't initially realise what or how dangerous he actually is.
The premise was great with its tale of vengeance and vampires, but it was slow-paced, and I was struggling to stay engaged, especially through the middle portion of the book. I didn't really like Duane or how his character was written; he was such a short-fused, I-know-best kind of guy. It's because of him and his interfering attitude that everything kicks off in the first place, so it comes as no surprise when Duane eventually suffers the consequences of messing with the biker gang and all the tragic events that ensue.
Julia's character was also written quite oddly; she seemed much older than a 13-year-old for the most part. Duane and Julia's relationship dynamic was jumbled; there was a peculiar juxtaposition between their conversations and then their actions towards each other. This leads me to my next point of how some of the dialogue was stilted; the way the characters communicated sounded unnatural and forced, and in parts it was leaning into 'too much tell over show'—I think trying to explain the narrative through dialogue is probably one of the reasons it came across as wooden.
I perhaps should have liked this more than I did given its horror elements, but some of the writing and contrivance in parts of the story arc didn't quite work for me. The ending was not only predictable from pretty early on but was also rushed through quickly, which made it all fall really flat. In my opinion if an author is going to go down the well-worn path of vampire lore, then there's got to be something original thrown in the mix, but there wasn't anything new here; it was all rather formulaic with mostly unlikeable characters to boot.
April 18, 2026
**4.5-stars**
Coffin Moon centers around Duane Minor, a Vietnam Vet working as a bartender in his wife, Heidi's, parent's bar, and his 13-year old niece, Julia, who the couple recently took in.
Duane is struggling with his sobriety, while Julia is struggling with some very traumatic events in her home life that has left her separated from her mother and brother.
When Minor ends up crossing the baddies that try to pull some shady sh*t at the bar, it changes all of their lives forever. Leading the charge for the bad guys is a man named John Varley, not your average killer, who sleeps during the day and whose teeth grow extra long at night.
After Heidi is killed in retaliation for Minor's interference, he is wracked with guilt, while Julia is filled with rage. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game of pursuit across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Their goal is to root out John Varley and make him pay for all he's taken from them.
Will any amount of blood be able to sate their grief and guilt?
This was devilishly good. Set in the 1970s, I feel like Rosson did a fabulous job channeling the gritty Crime Fiction vibes of that era. The tone of it, it's morose, devastating and heavily vengeance-focused. We love to see it.
I'd love to read this again and take more time with it. This time through, I went rather quickly, so focused on what was going to happen. In future, I think it would be worth a revisit to focus in more on the character work and relationships.
I loved both Minor and Julia. Their interactions together and the way their bond evolved, it felt so natural and it truly tugged at my heart-strings.
Additionally, John Varley was fascinating. We learn quite a bit about him and his history, and those are some of the moments that I would like to revisit the most. There was something sweeping and epic-feeling about his story that brought even more to the historical meat of this story.
There were so many devastating moments in this book. Moments where I would read it and think, OMG, how would you get over that? But Minor and Julia just kept on going on, and I love that resilience and even if it was driven by rage in Julia's case, I respected the hell out of their strength.
It felt like Rosson poured a lot of emotion into this one. It hurt my heart a bit, not gonna lie, but it was so worth it. I was sad about much of it, but impressed with the fact that Rosson could make me feel so much for these characters in such a short amount of time.
Overall, I found this to be such a unique and classic-feeling Horror story. I have never read anything from this author before, but I will be reading more in the future.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Random House, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I think this will definitely be one of my most memorable reads of 2025!
Coffin Moon centers around Duane Minor, a Vietnam Vet working as a bartender in his wife, Heidi's, parent's bar, and his 13-year old niece, Julia, who the couple recently took in.
Duane is struggling with his sobriety, while Julia is struggling with some very traumatic events in her home life that has left her separated from her mother and brother.
When Minor ends up crossing the baddies that try to pull some shady sh*t at the bar, it changes all of their lives forever. Leading the charge for the bad guys is a man named John Varley, not your average killer, who sleeps during the day and whose teeth grow extra long at night.
After Heidi is killed in retaliation for Minor's interference, he is wracked with guilt, while Julia is filled with rage. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game of pursuit across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Their goal is to root out John Varley and make him pay for all he's taken from them.
Will any amount of blood be able to sate their grief and guilt?
This was devilishly good. Set in the 1970s, I feel like Rosson did a fabulous job channeling the gritty Crime Fiction vibes of that era. The tone of it, it's morose, devastating and heavily vengeance-focused. We love to see it.
I'd love to read this again and take more time with it. This time through, I went rather quickly, so focused on what was going to happen. In future, I think it would be worth a revisit to focus in more on the character work and relationships.
I loved both Minor and Julia. Their interactions together and the way their bond evolved, it felt so natural and it truly tugged at my heart-strings.
Additionally, John Varley was fascinating. We learn quite a bit about him and his history, and those are some of the moments that I would like to revisit the most. There was something sweeping and epic-feeling about his story that brought even more to the historical meat of this story.
There were so many devastating moments in this book. Moments where I would read it and think, OMG, how would you get over that? But Minor and Julia just kept on going on, and I love that resilience and even if it was driven by rage in Julia's case, I respected the hell out of their strength.
It felt like Rosson poured a lot of emotion into this one. It hurt my heart a bit, not gonna lie, but it was so worth it. I was sad about much of it, but impressed with the fact that Rosson could make me feel so much for these characters in such a short amount of time.
Overall, I found this to be such a unique and classic-feeling Horror story. I have never read anything from this author before, but I will be reading more in the future.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Random House, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I think this will definitely be one of my most memorable reads of 2025!
June 9, 2025
The modern vampire novel that you have been waiting for!
This exceptional novel mostly follows Duane, a Vietnam vet, through a plethora of horrors and tribulations. When a series of horrific events decimates his family, Duane sets off in search of answers and retribution.
This book shocked me, I hadn't expected it to be such a beautifully tender and yet excessively brutal tale.
Excuse the pun, but there is plenty to get your teeth into, from gruesome scenes of violence and moments of beauty and awe to extremely tender and heartbreaking events, which made me think deeply about my humanity. This novel has it all!
Rosson has created an absolute masterpiece here and one that'll live in my memories for a long time. A must read for horror fans.
This exceptional novel mostly follows Duane, a Vietnam vet, through a plethora of horrors and tribulations. When a series of horrific events decimates his family, Duane sets off in search of answers and retribution.
This book shocked me, I hadn't expected it to be such a beautifully tender and yet excessively brutal tale.
Excuse the pun, but there is plenty to get your teeth into, from gruesome scenes of violence and moments of beauty and awe to extremely tender and heartbreaking events, which made me think deeply about my humanity. This novel has it all!
Rosson has created an absolute masterpiece here and one that'll live in my memories for a long time. A must read for horror fans.
November 21, 2025
A vampire walks into a bar...... Sounds like the opening to a joke, doesn't it? But Coffin Moon is no joke! It reads like a '70s noir horror film, and I mean that in the best way possible! Coffin Moon is gripping, dark, mesmerizing, gritty, and moody. I would go so far as to say, it's a bloody good book! If you enjoy a good vampire book, this is the book for you. But be warned, these are not Twilight vampires. These ones are violent, scary, dark, and horrific.
It's 1975 and Duane Minor is back home and working as a bartender after a tour in Vietnam. His marriage to Heidi is rocky, and he is trying his best to take care of his thirteen-year-old niece, Julia. But then a vampire walked into the bar where he works......
I enjoyed the darkness in this book and the quest for vengeance. I enjoyed this look at who the real monsters are, what one does for love, what one is willing to do for revenge, and what happens when all hope is lost. This book took me and the characters on a road trip of rage, revenge, blood, grief, heartbreak, and connection. People, man, they will break your heart. Duane and his niece, Julia, do just that in this book. The author did a tremendous job with their characters and had me caring for them, fully invested in their plight, and their bond.
Dark, horrific, heartbreaking, gritty, and raw!
I listened to the audiobook and thought the narration was fabulous.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
It's 1975 and Duane Minor is back home and working as a bartender after a tour in Vietnam. His marriage to Heidi is rocky, and he is trying his best to take care of his thirteen-year-old niece, Julia. But then a vampire walked into the bar where he works......
I enjoyed the darkness in this book and the quest for vengeance. I enjoyed this look at who the real monsters are, what one does for love, what one is willing to do for revenge, and what happens when all hope is lost. This book took me and the characters on a road trip of rage, revenge, blood, grief, heartbreak, and connection. People, man, they will break your heart. Duane and his niece, Julia, do just that in this book. The author did a tremendous job with their characters and had me caring for them, fully invested in their plight, and their bond.
Dark, horrific, heartbreaking, gritty, and raw!
I listened to the audiobook and thought the narration was fabulous.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
October 7, 2025
Wow, this was a super cool book!
COFFIN MOON reads more like a Hard Case Crime book (which is perfectly fine with me) than a traditional horror novel. The story takes place in the 70s and has that noir, grime feel lingering throughout. What a cool choice!
This is my first book from Keith Rosson, and it definitely won't be my last.
We follow Duane Minor, a Vietnam vet, and his niece, Julia. After some bad choices and some worse tragedy, the two are forced to flee for their lives. Eventually, they decide to hunt down the mysterious John Varley. Getting revenge on a vampire is not the easiest of pursuits.
I loved the feel of this book. I grew to love Rosson's style, and every character was memorable in their own way. I cannot express how much joy that brings me when reading any book. Not everyone can do that, and Rosson makes it look easy.
I give COFFIN MOON 5 stars!
It feels like there's been a resurgence in great vampire novels over the last half decade, and COFFIN MOON is a welcome addition!
For more cool vamp stories check out: The Gathering, In the Valley of the Sun, Bless Your Heart, The Traveling Vampire Show, and The Summoning. (Also, I'm assuming you've already read 'Salem's Lot and Rice's Vampire Chronicles)
COFFIN MOON reads more like a Hard Case Crime book (which is perfectly fine with me) than a traditional horror novel. The story takes place in the 70s and has that noir, grime feel lingering throughout. What a cool choice!
This is my first book from Keith Rosson, and it definitely won't be my last.
"Everything hurts...Sorrow, vengeance, even joy. Everything's got teeth on it."
We follow Duane Minor, a Vietnam vet, and his niece, Julia. After some bad choices and some worse tragedy, the two are forced to flee for their lives. Eventually, they decide to hunt down the mysterious John Varley. Getting revenge on a vampire is not the easiest of pursuits.
"He ruined you, didn't he? Broke your heart. Left pieces of those people on the ceiling..."
I loved the feel of this book. I grew to love Rosson's style, and every character was memorable in their own way. I cannot express how much joy that brings me when reading any book. Not everyone can do that, and Rosson makes it look easy.
I give COFFIN MOON 5 stars!
It feels like there's been a resurgence in great vampire novels over the last half decade, and COFFIN MOON is a welcome addition!
For more cool vamp stories check out: The Gathering, In the Valley of the Sun, Bless Your Heart, The Traveling Vampire Show, and The Summoning. (Also, I'm assuming you've already read 'Salem's Lot and Rice's Vampire Chronicles)
November 8, 2025
5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ebook format 📖
Here’s a few reasons on why you should read this if you like horror and vampires:
✔️ 1970s setting with a crime noir feel to the book. Gritty is my name!
✔️ Set in the PNW which has themes of gloom, isolation and fog slowly crawling up from the ground.
Always a good location for horror and true crime. 🧐😂
✔️ Vampires that actually FEEL like a monster. 👏
✔️ Beautiful at times, but also brutal and gory. Just how I like my horror!
I’m super glad I gave Coffin Moon a chance along with reading Keith Rosson for the first time. It won’t be the last!
Ebook format 📖
Here’s a few reasons on why you should read this if you like horror and vampires:
✔️ 1970s setting with a crime noir feel to the book. Gritty is my name!
✔️ Set in the PNW which has themes of gloom, isolation and fog slowly crawling up from the ground.
Always a good location for horror and true crime. 🧐😂
✔️ Vampires that actually FEEL like a monster. 👏
✔️ Beautiful at times, but also brutal and gory. Just how I like my horror!
I’m super glad I gave Coffin Moon a chance along with reading Keith Rosson for the first time. It won’t be the last!
September 23, 2025
Searching for John Varley, the vampire who killed Minor’s wife Heidi, Minor and Julia will do anything to hunt him down. What a journey this was! The character development is off the charts, and the writing is so raw and emotional that I felt like I was right there with them. A brilliant effort from Keith that hooked me from the very first page.
September 22, 2025
This is one of those books where there is so much character and relationship development that it almost feels light on horror, even though the horror is actually a brutal, constant threat. The writing is amazing. I loved the ending. My favorite part was that the main characters did not feel typical for their roles -- the little girl was not helplessly frozen by fear, the protagonists and antagonist went down unexpected paths. I wish there was a little more to pad out the middle section, especially around the time jumps, but overall it's an incredibly crafted novel.
April 21, 2026
What started out a gritty folk vampire story in a post-Vietnam War backdrop became something even more genre-bending than I expected. This opens with Duane, a war-vet navigating new struggles with his adopted niece Julia. Duane has been struggling with alcoholism and doing his best. There was great character work for him and Julia and I really enjoyed the depth and realness of their relationship. Duane is trying to do the right thing but a chance encounter with what turns out to be a vampire gang goes very wrong and his wife, Julia's aunt, is brutally murdered by something inhuman. With Duane's past resurfacing, the police even question Duane, and one annoying detective in particular becomes very suspicious and problematic for Duane. The plot works through a lot of small town bigotry and postwar trauma.
In Julia and Duane's quest for justice and truth, we come to learn more about the vampire lore in this world. One name in particular, Varley has resurfaced from a murder charge in the 1930's, and murders as far back as the 1800s. Varley is the vampire who threatened Duane, the one who seems to be leading the gang, the one whose face reflects only a cloud in the mirror. Varley has a long, dark history and Duane and Julia are about to find out.
Some highlights of the story included the setting, the creepy 'children's museum', and the creative additions to traditional vampire lore. I won't give any spoilers, but I have said this is a little more than a vampire story. These vampires cannot be killed by a wooden stake, but something else, much less common and harder to come by. Another highlight includes Varley's relationship with his Thrall was very interesting and we even get their perspective for a few chapters. Having multiple complex relationship dynamics on both sides of the morally gray scale really made for a fascinating horror and amped my rating for this book.
I would compare this to the recent films Twenty-Eight Years Later and Sinners. Parts may feel slowly paced for some readers, but that ended up building the vibes and giving a big pay off with surprises and twists.
In Julia and Duane's quest for justice and truth, we come to learn more about the vampire lore in this world. One name in particular, Varley has resurfaced from a murder charge in the 1930's, and murders as far back as the 1800s. Varley is the vampire who threatened Duane, the one who seems to be leading the gang, the one whose face reflects only a cloud in the mirror. Varley has a long, dark history and Duane and Julia are about to find out.
Some highlights of the story included the setting, the creepy 'children's museum', and the creative additions to traditional vampire lore. I won't give any spoilers, but I have said this is a little more than a vampire story. These vampires cannot be killed by a wooden stake, but something else, much less common and harder to come by. Another highlight includes Varley's relationship with his Thrall was very interesting and we even get their perspective for a few chapters. Having multiple complex relationship dynamics on both sides of the morally gray scale really made for a fascinating horror and amped my rating for this book.
I would compare this to the recent films Twenty-Eight Years Later and Sinners. Parts may feel slowly paced for some readers, but that ended up building the vibes and giving a big pay off with surprises and twists.
September 19, 2025
“Everything hurts. Is that rude of me? Everything hurts, always. Sorrow, vengeance, even joy. Everything’s got teeth on it.”
September 17, 2025
Hot damn this was phenomenal!!!
1970's, Portland, Oregon
Duane Minor has returned home from Vietnam with PTSD and nightmares that plague him every time his head hits the pillow. He knows he should be grateful for even being alive. He has the love of his life, Heidi, and supportive in-laws, that allow Duane to run the bar they own. They recently have taken in Heidi's sisters daughter, 13 year old Julia, after her mother is sent to prison for murder.
One night at the bar two men enter with menace twinkling in their eyes. Duane knows their bad news but Duane wasn't prepared. He had know idea that in confronting them would destroy his entire life.
Now it's just Duane and Julia. Both of them are full of rage and hell bent on vengeance.
They head out on the road to find the beast of a man that brought their world crashing down upon them.
Prepare yourself for the ultimate confrontation.
This book was everything I wanted in a vampire novel. It's gritty, it's violent, and it's bloody as hell. What I hadn't expected was how well written this is. I can't tell you how many highlight worthy lines there were. Rosson grab me by the heart and then twisted it with glee. I was so truly invested in these characters. I loved them all. Except, you know, the vampires. That said, John Varley, our brutal antagonist, was so well drawn that it was impossible to not be intrigued by him, his background, and how he became the monster he is. So, yeah, I was 100% invested from the beginning to the end. I may have even shed a tear or two. This will undoubtedly be one of my favorite books of the year. ALL. THE. BLOODY. STARS!!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🧛♂️
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for my complimentary copy.
1970's, Portland, Oregon
Duane Minor has returned home from Vietnam with PTSD and nightmares that plague him every time his head hits the pillow. He knows he should be grateful for even being alive. He has the love of his life, Heidi, and supportive in-laws, that allow Duane to run the bar they own. They recently have taken in Heidi's sisters daughter, 13 year old Julia, after her mother is sent to prison for murder.
One night at the bar two men enter with menace twinkling in their eyes. Duane knows their bad news but Duane wasn't prepared. He had know idea that in confronting them would destroy his entire life.
Now it's just Duane and Julia. Both of them are full of rage and hell bent on vengeance.
They head out on the road to find the beast of a man that brought their world crashing down upon them.
Prepare yourself for the ultimate confrontation.
This book was everything I wanted in a vampire novel. It's gritty, it's violent, and it's bloody as hell. What I hadn't expected was how well written this is. I can't tell you how many highlight worthy lines there were. Rosson grab me by the heart and then twisted it with glee. I was so truly invested in these characters. I loved them all. Except, you know, the vampires. That said, John Varley, our brutal antagonist, was so well drawn that it was impossible to not be intrigued by him, his background, and how he became the monster he is. So, yeah, I was 100% invested from the beginning to the end. I may have even shed a tear or two. This will undoubtedly be one of my favorite books of the year. ALL. THE. BLOODY. STARS!!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🧛♂️
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for my complimentary copy.
April 2, 2026
“Everything hurts. Is that rude of me? Everything hurts, always. Sorrow, vengeance, even joy. Everything’s got teeth on it.”
i just love "horror with heart" stories 🥹🥹 i don't know if this is a 4.5 or a 5 but i DO know this is my favorite Keith Rosson that i've read, which is crazy because i went into this thinking there's just no way Keith can top the absolute rock & roll chaotic rollercoaster that was Fever House but i stand corrected. he absolutely can!
i avoided all reviews like the plagued so i went in expecting that same gritty madness from FH...what i was not expecting was to be in my feelings by the end of it. i loved almost everything about this. the 1970's setting was perfect & really fits the story, the writing was amazing, i loved all the characters. YES, even Varley. i loved to hate him, we have that same love/hate relationship that me & Negan from twd have ok, i can't explain it! the character development, honestly...*chefs kiss* 😘🤌🏽🤌🏽 the relationship between Duane & Julia pulls at the heartstrings. i just wanted to wrap Julia up in a blanket & tell her everything is going to be ok.
everyone & everything was just so sad!
the only thing that i didn't love was the ending. like, what the hell Keith?! how is that the ending! on one hand i did like it but i needed more clarity. i have questions that demand answers. i need closure!
if you like gory & sad slow burn vampire books, Coffin Moon is for you.
also, can i get like a movie adaptation orrrr...
i just love "horror with heart" stories 🥹🥹 i don't know if this is a 4.5 or a 5 but i DO know this is my favorite Keith Rosson that i've read, which is crazy because i went into this thinking there's just no way Keith can top the absolute rock & roll chaotic rollercoaster that was Fever House but i stand corrected. he absolutely can!
i avoided all reviews like the plagued so i went in expecting that same gritty madness from FH...what i was not expecting was to be in my feelings by the end of it. i loved almost everything about this. the 1970's setting was perfect & really fits the story, the writing was amazing, i loved all the characters. YES, even Varley. i loved to hate him, we have that same love/hate relationship that me & Negan from twd have ok, i can't explain it! the character development, honestly...*chefs kiss* 😘🤌🏽🤌🏽 the relationship between Duane & Julia pulls at the heartstrings. i just wanted to wrap Julia up in a blanket & tell her everything is going to be ok.
everyone & everything was just so sad!
the only thing that i didn't love was the ending. like, what the hell Keith?! how is that the ending! on one hand i did like it but i needed more clarity. i have questions that demand answers. i need closure!
if you like gory & sad slow burn vampire books, Coffin Moon is for you.
also, can i get like a movie adaptation orrrr...
September 14, 2025
Coffin Moon is heavy stuff, and Keith Rosson handles it with absolute mastery. He's crafted an eloquent, emotionally charged and terrifying story of trauma and grief that's both visceral and deeply moving. The book thrives on contradiction: an innocent victim consumed by guilt, rage and revenge; a brutal killer with moments of tenderness and vulnerability. At its heart, it's about innocence lost in the wake of brutal violence, the guilt we suffer by endlessly faulting ourselves, and the struggle to keep our own inner monsters under control. My only quibble is that some of the mystical vampire elements feel a little hokey, but at least they are not really consequential to the main narrative. Coffin Moon now joins Christopher Buehlman's The Lesser Dead as not only my favorite vampire novels, but my favorites in the genre.
September 1, 2025
“One thing you can be certain of, boy. Things change. Even for those such as us.”
In 2018, I read a book by a promising local author titled Smoke City. It was complex and kept me on my toes, and all told, it was a good novel. Since I enjoyed it, the small publisher he was working with sent me another of his books, The Mercy of the Tide. I liked it, too.
Fast forward. I received a galley this year by the same author, but he was no longer working with the itty-bitty press. No, he was published by Random House. This made me sit up and take notice! My thanks go to NetGalley and Random House for the invitation to read and review Coffin Moon, the scariest straight-up horror novel you’re likely to find on the shelves this year. It will be available to the public September 9, 2025.
The premise is this: our protagonist, Duane Minor, is back from Vietnam. The year is 1975; the place, Portland, Oregon. His wife Heidi is living in an apartment over the bar her parents own, and Duane goes to work for them. Heidi’s 13-year-old niece, Julia, comes to join them as well after her mother is sent to prison. Duane is a bit shaky, following his tour of duty, but he’s sober, has pulled himself together, and things are going pretty well. That is, until the vampire takes over the bar.
That’s all you need to know of the plot to get started. In fact, I don’t even recommend reading the promotional blurb, because it’s better if you come to it on your own. What I will say is that this is not just any horror novel. There is more depth to it than you typically see, philosophical questions inextricably wound into the decisions that Duane and his niece must make. There’s also far more character development than I generally see in this genre. Finally, the word smithery Rosson brings to it makes this book grittier, more heart-rending, and far more thought provoking than other books of its ilk. Mr. Rosson was a good author before, but the brilliance of his prose has surged since his early work.
As I get older, I find I only have enough fortitude to read one or two horror novels each year; the rest of the time, I reach for other genres. If you are also an infrequent reader of horror, I strongly urge you to make this story a priority. It’s the sort of novel that stays with you long after the last page is turned.
But the sun is coming up; I must leave you.
In 2018, I read a book by a promising local author titled Smoke City. It was complex and kept me on my toes, and all told, it was a good novel. Since I enjoyed it, the small publisher he was working with sent me another of his books, The Mercy of the Tide. I liked it, too.
Fast forward. I received a galley this year by the same author, but he was no longer working with the itty-bitty press. No, he was published by Random House. This made me sit up and take notice! My thanks go to NetGalley and Random House for the invitation to read and review Coffin Moon, the scariest straight-up horror novel you’re likely to find on the shelves this year. It will be available to the public September 9, 2025.
The premise is this: our protagonist, Duane Minor, is back from Vietnam. The year is 1975; the place, Portland, Oregon. His wife Heidi is living in an apartment over the bar her parents own, and Duane goes to work for them. Heidi’s 13-year-old niece, Julia, comes to join them as well after her mother is sent to prison. Duane is a bit shaky, following his tour of duty, but he’s sober, has pulled himself together, and things are going pretty well. That is, until the vampire takes over the bar.
That’s all you need to know of the plot to get started. In fact, I don’t even recommend reading the promotional blurb, because it’s better if you come to it on your own. What I will say is that this is not just any horror novel. There is more depth to it than you typically see, philosophical questions inextricably wound into the decisions that Duane and his niece must make. There’s also far more character development than I generally see in this genre. Finally, the word smithery Rosson brings to it makes this book grittier, more heart-rending, and far more thought provoking than other books of its ilk. Mr. Rosson was a good author before, but the brilliance of his prose has surged since his early work.
As I get older, I find I only have enough fortitude to read one or two horror novels each year; the rest of the time, I reach for other genres. If you are also an infrequent reader of horror, I strongly urge you to make this story a priority. It’s the sort of novel that stays with you long after the last page is turned.
But the sun is coming up; I must leave you.
August 3, 2025
Unflinching and razor-edged, Rosson pushes vampire storytelling into new directions without re-inventing the mythology, and that combination of old and new, retro-chic with diamond-edged fangs, is remarkably alluring. The best part of this story is its heart, with a conflicted and complicated main characters right in the bloody center of it. The story doesn’t shy away from being emotional and it finds the perfect vehicle for that vulnerability in its characters. The main character, primary antagonist, and handful of ancillary characters are all unique and engaging, each with their own jagged edges and personal tragedies. No one feels convenient or phoned in, but genuine and messy and real, and that really shines through.
Compared to Fever House the story is much less frenetic, but it still has a good sense of momentum. The tragic events that are given away in the description don’t happen immediately, we have a hefty section of the story where we are getting to know these characters and start to care for them and their difficulties as well as their triumphs before the rug is pulled out from under us. On one hand the set-up is a very tried and true revenge story set-up, and although it has a few uncommon shades thrown in to decorate it the larger plot is not unexpected in the genre. However, he uses that formula to great effect, adding enough backstory and twists and turns to keep it lively, again exploiting the retro feel of the world-building and the narrative conceit to give a timeless story about love and responsibility. After the initial setup the story moves at a good pace, never frenetic or out of control feeling but always with an air of desperation, a devil-may-care attitude of nothing left to lose that really kept me invested. The writing is crisp and descriptive, doing a good job of helping set the atmosphere and explore our characters’ inner lives without ever feeling treacly or manipulative. There are a handful of action scenes that all feel energetic and well-choreographed, they are easy to visualize but still feel sloppy and realistic. There isn’t an excess of gore but when blood and guts are called for Rosson doesn’t shy away from them, using spectacle to move the story and characters forward.
I do think there was some missed potential here. The story is short and propulsive, and the length fits the story told, but I feel like there was a chance to expand the story a bit and add more speedbumps to the journey that would have been fun. There is a dark road trip at the center of this story, a going and a returning, and there is more that could have been done with that. I am all for a lean story and generally that’s preferred to one bloated and unwieldy, but I wouldn’t have minded if some character motivations were a little more fleshed out and there was just a little more gristle to chew on. Thematically, though, Rosson hits the mark. Every character, antagonists included, is a complicated combination of tragedy, circumstance, and bad decisions. Ideas of family and redemption are front and center, but trauma/PTSD, substance abuse, dedication, loyalty, self-awareness, and what it means to be a perpetual outsider are all woven into the story. The vampire mythos isn’t wildly new, but it is a fresh take, both in terms of vampire morphology and vampiric emotional reality. The atmosphere and general world-building are tight and really immersive, and the story is exploiting its genre sensibilities to tell a painfully human story.
I want to thank the author, the publisher Random House, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Compared to Fever House the story is much less frenetic, but it still has a good sense of momentum. The tragic events that are given away in the description don’t happen immediately, we have a hefty section of the story where we are getting to know these characters and start to care for them and their difficulties as well as their triumphs before the rug is pulled out from under us. On one hand the set-up is a very tried and true revenge story set-up, and although it has a few uncommon shades thrown in to decorate it the larger plot is not unexpected in the genre. However, he uses that formula to great effect, adding enough backstory and twists and turns to keep it lively, again exploiting the retro feel of the world-building and the narrative conceit to give a timeless story about love and responsibility. After the initial setup the story moves at a good pace, never frenetic or out of control feeling but always with an air of desperation, a devil-may-care attitude of nothing left to lose that really kept me invested. The writing is crisp and descriptive, doing a good job of helping set the atmosphere and explore our characters’ inner lives without ever feeling treacly or manipulative. There are a handful of action scenes that all feel energetic and well-choreographed, they are easy to visualize but still feel sloppy and realistic. There isn’t an excess of gore but when blood and guts are called for Rosson doesn’t shy away from them, using spectacle to move the story and characters forward.
I do think there was some missed potential here. The story is short and propulsive, and the length fits the story told, but I feel like there was a chance to expand the story a bit and add more speedbumps to the journey that would have been fun. There is a dark road trip at the center of this story, a going and a returning, and there is more that could have been done with that. I am all for a lean story and generally that’s preferred to one bloated and unwieldy, but I wouldn’t have minded if some character motivations were a little more fleshed out and there was just a little more gristle to chew on. Thematically, though, Rosson hits the mark. Every character, antagonists included, is a complicated combination of tragedy, circumstance, and bad decisions. Ideas of family and redemption are front and center, but trauma/PTSD, substance abuse, dedication, loyalty, self-awareness, and what it means to be a perpetual outsider are all woven into the story. The vampire mythos isn’t wildly new, but it is a fresh take, both in terms of vampire morphology and vampiric emotional reality. The atmosphere and general world-building are tight and really immersive, and the story is exploiting its genre sensibilities to tell a painfully human story.
I want to thank the author, the publisher Random House, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Read
December 5, 2025DNF
February 16, 2026
GRIT. 🍻 GORE. 🩸 VAMPIRES. 🦇 Coffin Moon drops us straight into the dark and gritty world of 1970s Portland, where Vietnam vet Duane Minor’s quiet life gets ripped apart after crossing paths with a man he should’ve never underestimated. What follows is messy, fast, and full of vampire mayhem; sometimes fun, sometimes brutal, sometimes frustrating. It feels like a slasher flick mashed up with an action movie, complete with a brooding antihero and plenty of gore.
This book really does feel like an adventure. It is chaotic, fast, and sometimes unhinged. We meet our antagonist quickly, and the setup is kind of like an old action movie trope: protagonist pisses off antagonist, they butt heads, and then suddenly it’s way bigger than the main character realizes. In this case, our antagonist, John Varley, decides to go absolutely feral (committing a whole bunch of murder over what basically amounts to a cock block... MEN 🙄) and from there the story just doesn’t let up.
The downside of that quick start is that it didn’t give me much space to connect with the characters. Things moved fast, sometimes too conveniently, and the emotional weight never fully settled for me personally. And when I say that things moved too quickly and conveniently, I'm saying that just a few chapters in, I couldn't make sense of some of the decisions that were being made. I found them to not be believable or true to what had been built of the characters so far... and because of that, they felt like convenient plot points.
AAAAND here’s where my bias shows: guys like Duane absolutely annoy the hell out of me. My guess is he’s not written to be especially likable, but I still struggled with him. I want to be clear here: I have PTSD and violent trauma myself, so it’s not that I don’t understand or that I think everyone should process the same way. It’s just that the way Duane is written often felt less like a layered human being and more like a stylized ’70s action star with a chip on his shoulder. He’s got that “don’t mess with me, I could be dangerous” vibe, almost Rambo-like… (except he never really lives up to that larger-than-life image). It was hard for me to care about him in the way I wanted to. His grit and grime, his way of thinking, annoyed me more than it made me feel sympathy for him (you're dark inside; we get it, bro).
Julia, Duane’s niece, is the other major character, and I think Rosson really wanted her arc to hit with emotional impact. I could see what he was going for, how this trauma and this world shaped her and guided her actions, but for me it didn’t quite land. It felt a little unfinished, like the emotional threads didn’t get tied off tightly enough.
But here’s the thing: even though I wasn’t emotionally attached, I did find myself having fun with the ride. There’s some vampire lore here that was genuinely new to me and that I thought was really cool (like vampires puking if they drink too much blood). These little details made the book stand out in ways I appreciated.
The stretch of the book I liked most was the third quarter. That’s where the pacing clicked and felt right: it was bloody, fast, and fun. I especially loved the chapters told from John Varley’s perspective—his story was a blast, and I found him to be more compelling than the other characters. The gore throughout the book, especially in Varley's chapters, is very slasher-film: quick, messy, a little disturbing, but also occasionally comical (though that might just be me).
Another thing that tripped me up was the writing style. Rosson bounces between very workmanlike, straightforward prose (“he walked into the room, he picked up the thing, he left”) and bursts of gory, purple-prose action-film energy (think: guts slushing, heavy breathing in the middle of a kill scene). Sometimes it worked and hit hard, but sometimes it just left me wishing for more consistency and more feeling; less telling me what someone did, more letting me feel it with them.
And I know the tone of this review probably makes it sound like I didn’t enjoy the book, but that’s not the case. I did. It’s a fun vampire novel, and I think it would actually make a really great film. But it wasn’t surprising to me. I saw most of the twists and even the ending coming. And for that, it isn’t one of those stories that I’ll hold close to my heart forever.
So here’s my final thought: if you love vampire books and action movies, this will be right up your alley. If you’re into vampire lore and like finding those little fresh details to tuck away, you’ll enjoy that too. But if you want something unpredictable, deeply emotional/more vampiric, or unforgettable, this probably won’t be it. As a bloody, chaotic, cinematic romp, though? It absolutely works.
--------------
MY ORIGINAL PLACE HOLDER REVIEW:
I have a lot of feelings about Coffin Moon
(both good and not-so-good). For now I’ll just say: it’s chaotic, it’s gory, and it would probably make a killer movie. Full review later today. 🩸
This book really does feel like an adventure. It is chaotic, fast, and sometimes unhinged. We meet our antagonist quickly, and the setup is kind of like an old action movie trope: protagonist pisses off antagonist, they butt heads, and then suddenly it’s way bigger than the main character realizes. In this case, our antagonist, John Varley, decides to go absolutely feral (committing a whole bunch of murder over what basically amounts to a cock block... MEN 🙄) and from there the story just doesn’t let up.
The downside of that quick start is that it didn’t give me much space to connect with the characters. Things moved fast, sometimes too conveniently, and the emotional weight never fully settled for me personally. And when I say that things moved too quickly and conveniently, I'm saying that just a few chapters in, I couldn't make sense of some of the decisions that were being made. I found them to not be believable or true to what had been built of the characters so far... and because of that, they felt like convenient plot points.
AAAAND here’s where my bias shows: guys like Duane absolutely annoy the hell out of me. My guess is he’s not written to be especially likable, but I still struggled with him. I want to be clear here: I have PTSD and violent trauma myself, so it’s not that I don’t understand or that I think everyone should process the same way. It’s just that the way Duane is written often felt less like a layered human being and more like a stylized ’70s action star with a chip on his shoulder. He’s got that “don’t mess with me, I could be dangerous” vibe, almost Rambo-like… (except he never really lives up to that larger-than-life image). It was hard for me to care about him in the way I wanted to. His grit and grime, his way of thinking, annoyed me more than it made me feel sympathy for him (you're dark inside; we get it, bro).
Julia, Duane’s niece, is the other major character, and I think Rosson really wanted her arc to hit with emotional impact. I could see what he was going for, how this trauma and this world shaped her and guided her actions, but for me it didn’t quite land. It felt a little unfinished, like the emotional threads didn’t get tied off tightly enough.
But here’s the thing: even though I wasn’t emotionally attached, I did find myself having fun with the ride. There’s some vampire lore here that was genuinely new to me and that I thought was really cool (like vampires puking if they drink too much blood). These little details made the book stand out in ways I appreciated.
The stretch of the book I liked most was the third quarter. That’s where the pacing clicked and felt right: it was bloody, fast, and fun. I especially loved the chapters told from John Varley’s perspective—his story was a blast, and I found him to be more compelling than the other characters. The gore throughout the book, especially in Varley's chapters, is very slasher-film: quick, messy, a little disturbing, but also occasionally comical (though that might just be me).
Another thing that tripped me up was the writing style. Rosson bounces between very workmanlike, straightforward prose (“he walked into the room, he picked up the thing, he left”) and bursts of gory, purple-prose action-film energy (think: guts slushing, heavy breathing in the middle of a kill scene). Sometimes it worked and hit hard, but sometimes it just left me wishing for more consistency and more feeling; less telling me what someone did, more letting me feel it with them.
And I know the tone of this review probably makes it sound like I didn’t enjoy the book, but that’s not the case. I did. It’s a fun vampire novel, and I think it would actually make a really great film. But it wasn’t surprising to me. I saw most of the twists and even the ending coming. And for that, it isn’t one of those stories that I’ll hold close to my heart forever.
So here’s my final thought: if you love vampire books and action movies, this will be right up your alley. If you’re into vampire lore and like finding those little fresh details to tuck away, you’ll enjoy that too. But if you want something unpredictable, deeply emotional/more vampiric, or unforgettable, this probably won’t be it. As a bloody, chaotic, cinematic romp, though? It absolutely works.
--------------
MY ORIGINAL PLACE HOLDER REVIEW:
I have a lot of feelings about Coffin Moon
(both good and not-so-good). For now I’ll just say: it’s chaotic, it’s gory, and it would probably make a killer movie. Full review later today. 🩸
March 26, 2026
✩✩
Geezus. Please stick me in a coffin and slide me under a blood moon because that would have been more engaging than actually reading this.
•─────⋅☾⊱♰⊰☽⋅─────•
This is very much a vibe-driven story—moody, fog-laced, and quietly unsettling in tone. There’s a strong sense that something is lurking beneath the surface, and the writing leans into that ambiguity. For readers who enjoy slow, introspective horror where atmosphere takes center stage, I can absolutely see the appeal.
•─────⋅☾⊱♰⊰☽⋅─────•
For me, though, the balance between atmosphere and narrative felt a bit off. I kept waiting for the story to fully take shape or deliver a moment of tension that would pull everything together. Instead, it felt more like listening to a campfire story that drifts in and out, just as it’s about to get to the really chilling part.
•─────⋅☾⊱♰⊰☽⋅─────•
The pacing contributed to that feeling as well. It moves in a quiet, meandering way that prioritizes tone over plot, which can be immersive for the right reader, but left me wanting a stronger sense of direction and payoff.
•─────⋅☾⊱♰⊰☽⋅─────•
That said, I don’t think this is a bad book— just one that didn’t align with my personal preferences. It’s clearly intentional in its style and approach, and I can respect what it’s trying to do, even if it didn’t fully engage me.
•─────⋅☾⊱♰⊰☽⋅─────•
In the end, I finished it more out of determination than enjoyment… though I’ll admit, I was still hoping it might win me over by the final pages. It didn’t quite get there for me, but I can appreciate the atmosphere it created along the way.
•─────⋅☾⊱♰⊰☽⋅─────•
🪦Now, please lower me gently into the ground now🪦
Geezus. Please stick me in a coffin and slide me under a blood moon because that would have been more engaging than actually reading this.
•─────⋅☾⊱♰⊰☽⋅─────•
This is very much a vibe-driven story—moody, fog-laced, and quietly unsettling in tone. There’s a strong sense that something is lurking beneath the surface, and the writing leans into that ambiguity. For readers who enjoy slow, introspective horror where atmosphere takes center stage, I can absolutely see the appeal.
•─────⋅☾⊱♰⊰☽⋅─────•
For me, though, the balance between atmosphere and narrative felt a bit off. I kept waiting for the story to fully take shape or deliver a moment of tension that would pull everything together. Instead, it felt more like listening to a campfire story that drifts in and out, just as it’s about to get to the really chilling part.
•─────⋅☾⊱♰⊰☽⋅─────•
The pacing contributed to that feeling as well. It moves in a quiet, meandering way that prioritizes tone over plot, which can be immersive for the right reader, but left me wanting a stronger sense of direction and payoff.
•─────⋅☾⊱♰⊰☽⋅─────•
That said, I don’t think this is a bad book— just one that didn’t align with my personal preferences. It’s clearly intentional in its style and approach, and I can respect what it’s trying to do, even if it didn’t fully engage me.
•─────⋅☾⊱♰⊰☽⋅─────•
In the end, I finished it more out of determination than enjoyment… though I’ll admit, I was still hoping it might win me over by the final pages. It didn’t quite get there for me, but I can appreciate the atmosphere it created along the way.
•─────⋅☾⊱♰⊰☽⋅─────•
🪦Now, please lower me gently into the ground now🪦
April 23, 2026
I walked into this one, knowing only that it was a vampire novel and everyone absolutely loved it.
I had this one sitting in my virtual cart for months. I’m hesitant to pick up anything in the vampire subgenre because it just isn’t something that usually interests me, but somehow every time I pick one up , I enjoy them so… this was no exception. It didn’t have that fantastical element to it. It felt super realistic which was perfect for a reader like me. The characters were fabulous, and there were more elements to the vampires that I was not familiar with from other novels. So I learned some new things! I’m storing away all sorts of vampire knowledge so that I’ll be an expert next time around. 😉
My favorite parts were learning about Varney’s backstory, and I would have loved more of that. This could’ve stood to be actually a little longer in pages, but as with any cat and mouse story, you go too long, and it becomes repetitious.
This is the first book by this author, and I already have his newest lined up to read here soon. The writing is fantabulous, and I enjoy the uniqueness of the story.
I had this one sitting in my virtual cart for months. I’m hesitant to pick up anything in the vampire subgenre because it just isn’t something that usually interests me, but somehow every time I pick one up , I enjoy them so… this was no exception. It didn’t have that fantastical element to it. It felt super realistic which was perfect for a reader like me. The characters were fabulous, and there were more elements to the vampires that I was not familiar with from other novels. So I learned some new things! I’m storing away all sorts of vampire knowledge so that I’ll be an expert next time around. 😉
My favorite parts were learning about Varney’s backstory, and I would have loved more of that. This could’ve stood to be actually a little longer in pages, but as with any cat and mouse story, you go too long, and it becomes repetitious.
This is the first book by this author, and I already have his newest lined up to read here soon. The writing is fantabulous, and I enjoy the uniqueness of the story.
November 13, 2025
This one will put its “teeth” into you. There is no letting go either, so hang on for the whole ride. It's easily what I liked most, and also the fact that I could not guess at Rosson's choice of direction. Continually inventive. Bloody, yes for sure, but it goes with the territory. He turned old motifs on their head! 4.25
March 18, 2026
After seeing all the hype about this book, I fully expected to be absolutely blown away and I ended up feeling like it was just ok. Was it sad and bleak? Yes. Did it have moments that should have been super touching? Yes. Did they land with me? No. I don't know if I would have felt different about it if I hadn't had high expectations, but I strongly suspect that it would have just subtracted the disappointment aspect.
The writing style wasn't unpleasant and the imagery was sometimes really solid, it's not a bad book by any means but it also wasn't one that ever got me particularly invested.
The writing style wasn't unpleasant and the imagery was sometimes really solid, it's not a bad book by any means but it also wasn't one that ever got me particularly invested.
March 4, 2026
4🌟
Loooove a funn little vampire book! But this wasn't your typical vampire story. It definitely gave me 'The Last Of Us' vibes, that I absolutely loved! The dynamic between Minor and Julia is so wholesome! But you get your fair share of horror elements and lots of tension and mystery! And the '70 settings felt so refreshing. I reallyyyyyy enjoyed this one! I definitely will be reading more by Keith Rosson!
I listened to the audiobook, and really enjoyed the narrator! He did a great job 👏🏼 Time just flew by! This didn't feel like a 10+ hours audio.
Thank you Netgalley and TBD publishing for the ALC! 🫶🏻
Loooove a funn little vampire book! But this wasn't your typical vampire story. It definitely gave me 'The Last Of Us' vibes, that I absolutely loved! The dynamic between Minor and Julia is so wholesome! But you get your fair share of horror elements and lots of tension and mystery! And the '70 settings felt so refreshing. I reallyyyyyy enjoyed this one! I definitely will be reading more by Keith Rosson!
I listened to the audiobook, and really enjoyed the narrator! He did a great job 👏🏼 Time just flew by! This didn't feel like a 10+ hours audio.
Thank you Netgalley and TBD publishing for the ALC! 🫶🏻
October 11, 2025
TLDR: This book had so much potential but ultimately felt like a drag when none of it paid off.
I was really into the first 100-150 pages of this one: the setup was intriguing, the characters seemed promising, I enjoyed the level of detail in the writing style, and the vampy horror vibe was so perfectly atmospheric for October reading. Personally I love when a fantastical story starts out really grounded in reality before getting outright weird, as that usually brings the weirdness to vivid life, so everything at the beginning here was a go for me.
But unfortunately, I really struggled with the second half of this story, which felt like a drawn-out string of missed opportunities. To be fair, I did know going in that this was a revenge story, but I expected it to be more than violence. It wasn’t the gore that bothered me in the end as much as the lack of any deeper thematic exploration behind the violence. Some of these characters just really like hurting people for the sake of hurting people, which feels lazy and isn’t my type of read.
I also felt pretty strongly that this should’ve been Julia’s story- she’s the one exerting her agency here, and with everything she’s been through and the choices she makes she should have such a rich main character interiority, but Rosson barely scratches the surface with her. She’s just there to keep things happening to Duane, who is way too checked out to be much of a guardian, much less a proper protagonist. His arc is so simple and straightforward and frankly: boring. Johan also could’ve saved this very basic plot a bit by having a single ounce of complexity, but he is yet another character who is just exactly how they first appear and nothing more. Everyone here is much too devoted to telling the truth and making a spot-on first impression to actually become interesting. Every scene plays out exactly how you’d expect it to, every character comfortable in their limited role, zero surprises. The relationships feel no deeper than shared proximity. Even the vampire aspect came across so much duller than it could’ve- Rosson uses the “mysteriously magical” approach, where the vampires just know things and no reasons or explanations are given. Even the origin story is just “there was another vampire before.”
This rating feels a bit harsh for a story that isn’t outright harmful or nonsensical; I can see other readers enjoying it more than I did and I’m cool with that. It just was very much not for me in the end.
I was really into the first 100-150 pages of this one: the setup was intriguing, the characters seemed promising, I enjoyed the level of detail in the writing style, and the vampy horror vibe was so perfectly atmospheric for October reading. Personally I love when a fantastical story starts out really grounded in reality before getting outright weird, as that usually brings the weirdness to vivid life, so everything at the beginning here was a go for me.
But unfortunately, I really struggled with the second half of this story, which felt like a drawn-out string of missed opportunities. To be fair, I did know going in that this was a revenge story, but I expected it to be more than violence. It wasn’t the gore that bothered me in the end as much as the lack of any deeper thematic exploration behind the violence. Some of these characters just really like hurting people for the sake of hurting people, which feels lazy and isn’t my type of read.
I also felt pretty strongly that this should’ve been Julia’s story- she’s the one exerting her agency here, and with everything she’s been through and the choices she makes she should have such a rich main character interiority, but Rosson barely scratches the surface with her. She’s just there to keep things happening to Duane, who is way too checked out to be much of a guardian, much less a proper protagonist. His arc is so simple and straightforward and frankly: boring. Johan also could’ve saved this very basic plot a bit by having a single ounce of complexity, but he is yet another character who is just exactly how they first appear and nothing more. Everyone here is much too devoted to telling the truth and making a spot-on first impression to actually become interesting. Every scene plays out exactly how you’d expect it to, every character comfortable in their limited role, zero surprises. The relationships feel no deeper than shared proximity. Even the vampire aspect came across so much duller than it could’ve- Rosson uses the “mysteriously magical” approach, where the vampires just know things and no reasons or explanations are given. Even the origin story is just “there was another vampire before.”
This rating feels a bit harsh for a story that isn’t outright harmful or nonsensical; I can see other readers enjoying it more than I did and I’m cool with that. It just was very much not for me in the end.
December 13, 2025
3.5 rounded up
September 6, 2025
5 ⭐️ Dark and terrifying Vampire tale! This is on par with Salem’s Lot it’s that good!
Set in the 1975, Duane Minor is a vet trying to deal with post war trauma, living with his wife Heidi and their niece Julia, above the bar owned by his in-laws.
Things seem to be going well til a strange man, John Varley and his biker cohorts show up at the bar making demands to sell drugs. Duane’s actions set into action a bloody massacre that changes his and Julia’s life forever!
Alternating chapters give the back stories of Duane, Julia, and John Varley. There is a lot of blood and gore in the telling of this story, but the prose is excellent.
Keith Rosson has written a frightening vampire story that I couldn’t put down. If you like horror, you don’t want to skip this one!
Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Random House publishers for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Set in the 1975, Duane Minor is a vet trying to deal with post war trauma, living with his wife Heidi and their niece Julia, above the bar owned by his in-laws.
Things seem to be going well til a strange man, John Varley and his biker cohorts show up at the bar making demands to sell drugs. Duane’s actions set into action a bloody massacre that changes his and Julia’s life forever!
Alternating chapters give the back stories of Duane, Julia, and John Varley. There is a lot of blood and gore in the telling of this story, but the prose is excellent.
Keith Rosson has written a frightening vampire story that I couldn’t put down. If you like horror, you don’t want to skip this one!
Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Random House publishers for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
January 14, 2026
started very "dudebro" but ended up loving the vampire scenes; I just didn't feel connected or invested in the characters despite all the grief and loss that occurred throughout the book. I enjoyed the short chapters & how the book was divided, however. I might reread it in the future and my rating could increase. I have high hopes for Rosson's other books that I own, knowing how good his writing can be, mixing horror with scenes of humans being human.
October 3, 2025
Wow! This was hands down the best vampire novel I've read in years!! 5-Stars, without a doubt!
Keith Rosson’s Coffin Moon is a dark, atmospheric revenge tale that feels like it could only belong in the 1970s. The setting is more than just a backdrop—it’s woven into the bones of the story. The bars, the back roads, the music, the grit and grime of the decade—it all gives the book a raw, lived-in quality that adds to the tension and brutality at its core.
At its heart, this is a story about vengeance, and Rosson doesn’t flinch from showing what that truly looks like. The action comes hard and fast, and there’s no shortage of blood and gore along the way. What impressed me most, though, is how balanced it felt. The violence never veers into excess for shock’s sake—it’s brutal, yes, but purposeful, and it underscores the desperation and intensity of the characters. How far would you go for revenge - and at what cost?
The novel has a grindhouse feel—unapologetically pulpy, stylishly violent, and packed with momentum—but there’s also a surprising amount of thoughtfulness behind it. The characters aren’t just archetypes; they’re flawed and human (or are they?!), making the revenge all the more impactful. I found myself caring about them, especially Julia, in between the blood-soaked set pieces, which gave the whole book a strong emotional current.
Coffin Moon is the kind of novel that feels cinematic—you can practically see the cigarette smoke curling in a neon-lit bar or hear the crunch of gravel under boots on a deserted highway. It’s action-heavy, bloody, and dark, but never too much to push me away. Instead, it’s exactly the kind of revenge-driven horror I love: stylish, gripping, and unflinching.
This is a story packed with many potential triggers, but if you can move past those elements, it's an incredibly rewarding read. For anyone drawn to tales of vengeance, grit, atmosphere, and just the right amount of blood, Coffin Moon is highly recommended.
Keith Rosson’s Coffin Moon is a dark, atmospheric revenge tale that feels like it could only belong in the 1970s. The setting is more than just a backdrop—it’s woven into the bones of the story. The bars, the back roads, the music, the grit and grime of the decade—it all gives the book a raw, lived-in quality that adds to the tension and brutality at its core.
At its heart, this is a story about vengeance, and Rosson doesn’t flinch from showing what that truly looks like. The action comes hard and fast, and there’s no shortage of blood and gore along the way. What impressed me most, though, is how balanced it felt. The violence never veers into excess for shock’s sake—it’s brutal, yes, but purposeful, and it underscores the desperation and intensity of the characters. How far would you go for revenge - and at what cost?
The novel has a grindhouse feel—unapologetically pulpy, stylishly violent, and packed with momentum—but there’s also a surprising amount of thoughtfulness behind it. The characters aren’t just archetypes; they’re flawed and human (or are they?!), making the revenge all the more impactful. I found myself caring about them, especially Julia, in between the blood-soaked set pieces, which gave the whole book a strong emotional current.
Coffin Moon is the kind of novel that feels cinematic—you can practically see the cigarette smoke curling in a neon-lit bar or hear the crunch of gravel under boots on a deserted highway. It’s action-heavy, bloody, and dark, but never too much to push me away. Instead, it’s exactly the kind of revenge-driven horror I love: stylish, gripping, and unflinching.
This is a story packed with many potential triggers, but if you can move past those elements, it's an incredibly rewarding read. For anyone drawn to tales of vengeance, grit, atmosphere, and just the right amount of blood, Coffin Moon is highly recommended.
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