‘Coffin Moon’ by Keith Rosson has one of the coolest titles ever, and its cover begs you to pick it up.
Man, I’m glad I did.
The story follows Duane Minor, a man who recently returned from Vietnam and is working at his in-laws’ bar. His life consists of his wonderful wife, Heidi, and their troubled niece. Alcoholism and nightmares haunt him, but he has his life together. That is, until a motorcycle gang begins dealing heroin out of the bar, right under his nose. Compelled to deal with this blight, Minor sets off a chain of events that tear across the page.
The characters feel fully realised, and you truly feel as if you are inside their minds. The only other author who does this for me is Stephen King, so that is high praise indeed. Early in the book, before the carnage begins, Duane tries to connect to his niece. He thinks of taking her shooting, but realises that a shooting is why he’s now her guardian. Cursing himself, he takes her for pancakes instead. Pushing her luck, she asks to try coffee, and he lets her. It’s a small scene, but it warmed my heart and terrified me for the horror to come. It shows how Duane often fails, but always tries to do the right thing. Rosson makes you care about these people, which makes their traumas difficult to read.
The violence makes you feel that Duane and co are seconds from death at any moment. But the gore never detracts from the story, as it sometimes does in other horror stories. And the vampiric villain is as interesting as he is brutal. It was fascinating to see who he was before he became a vampire and who turned him. Understanding his want for a father figure added such complexity to the character.
The story takes many twists and turns, several of which I did not expect. There are moments when characters make decisions that make your eyes widen. Unexpected, but never out of character. Several times I closed the book and whispered, ‘Oh my God.’
If I had one small wish, it’d be to get some chapters from Johan, the lover/thrall of the vampire. He matched the vampire’s brutality even as a human, and I wanted more. If you like horror, vampires, or stories that tug at the heartstrings, give it a go. Even if those aren’t your cup of tea, I still think you should try it. It’s that good.
Best book I’ve read all year.
★★★★★
