The Missing Moon

Carl Wilcox #3

by Harold Adams

"The Missing Moon" by Harold Adams is the third book in the Carl Wilcox series. Wilcox is out to prove that his old friend, retired janitor and bootlegger Boswell is innocent of murder. The victim is Kate Bonnie, daughter of a deceased banker, shrouded in mystery. Soon, Wilcox discovers that Kate's cousin, who looks like a Santa, is not what he appears to be. The revelations are hardly shocking, but it is an enjoyable period mystery, with references to the Great Depression

Genres: Mystery

287 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

BORN 1923

Reviews

[Ronald Wilcox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third in a series of mysteries starring Carl Wilcox, an alcoholic ex-criminal living in South Dakota, helping his parents with their motel. This time a friend who is a moonshiner is arrested for the murder of a woman he sells moonshine to after he passes out at her house and wakes up when cops bust in to find her dead body and arrest him. Wilcox is growing on me as a protagonist and I am looking forward to the future reads in the series.

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

PROTAGONIST: Carl Wilcox, ex-con and unofficial PI
SETTING: 1930s South Dakota
SERIES: #3 of 16
RATING: 3.5
WHY: When Kate Bonnie is murdered, the prime suspect is retired janitor and bootlegger Boswell. He43'sw an old friend of Carl Wilcox, who finds the charge ludicrous and who sets out to find the real killer. I enjoy Carl's witty retorts and Adams' colorful and unique metaphors. The historical details (set in 1930s Depression) are interesting. Enjoyable read even though the plot is kind of all over the place.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

With it's sparse prose and that small town suppressed anger , Mr. Adams has given depression era Corden, S.D. a hard-boiled spot on the map. This is a dang fun series.