Hawk Moon [Hardcover]

Edward Gorman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1996

Criminal psychologist Robert Payne is called in to help in the investigation into the brutal mutilation murders of two beautiful Native American women and finds himself drawn to the prime suspect's estranged wife and plunged into a dark secret from the past.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The second appearance of psychological profile investigator Robert Payne, introduced in Blood Moon, is a two-dimensional, convoluted tale about similar savage killings in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, separated by 90 years. Payne finds himself assisting Cindy Rhodes, a Native American cop whose estranged husband is suspected in the brutal slayings of two Indian women, both of whom are found with their noses cut off. Payne, a widower who is attracted to Cindy, starts to believe David Rhodes may in fact be the murderer, although the involvement of two of Cedar Rapids' finest citizens in the case begins to puzzle him. Interspersed throughout are flashbacks following a young policewoman's investigation of similar homicides in 1903. Gorman's depiction of the white and Indian interactions seems accurate, if somewhat heavy-handed, while the plot, which moves forward at a steady pace, occasionally turns on contrivances. And while the characters are more than stereotypes, their motivations are sometimes murky as the story advances to a conclusion in which more deaths occur and the pairs of murders from both ends of this century are connected.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

This second in the series that began with Blood Moon (1994) delivers a sometimes hard-to-follow but mostly entertaining murder mystery. Former FBI psychological profiler Robert Payne is in Cedar Rapids when two Native American women are found murdered. After volunteering to help the local authorities investigate the case, Payne finds that the leading suspect is the womanizing husband of a Native American police detective to whom Payne himself is powerfully attracted. Soon the trail leads to a local prostitution ring run by some of Cedar Rapids' most prominent businessmen. Despite some flaws--mainly a parallel story about a long-ago murder case that seems interjected mostly to show off Gorman's historical knowledge--this solidly written crime novel offers low-key suspense and some perceptive if largely conventional comments on the problems of modern Native Americans. Emily Melton

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 245 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; First Edition ~1st Printing edition (May 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312139802
• ISBN-13: 978-0312139803
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,619,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ed Gorman is an award winning American author best known for his crime and mystery fiction. He wrote The Poker Club which is now a film of the same name directed by Tim McCann.

He has written under many pseudonyms including "E. J. Gorman" and "Daniel Ransom." He won a Spur Award for Best Short Fiction for his short story "The Face" in 1992. His fiction collection Cages was nominated for the 1995 Bram Stoker Award for Best Fiction Collection. His collection The Dark Fantastic was nominated for the same award in 2001.

He has contributed to many magazines and other publications including Xero, Black Lizard, Cemetery Dance, the anthology Tales of Zorro, and many more.

Visit his blog at newimprovedgorman.blogspot.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Two Great Stories for the Price of One., June 5, 1998

By 

Chris Cosci ([e-mail]) (Babylon, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hawk Moon (Mass Market Paperback)

In Hawk Moon, Ed Gorman not only gives us a fascinating murder mystery with the retired investigator Robert Payne, but he also treats us to a flashback case involving an almost identical murder that was investigated by one woman using then unheard of criminology techniques. Although the main story is sometimes confusing to read, there are plenty of surprises to keep the reader's interest. And the flashback story is pretty good, too, occasionally being more fascinating than the main story.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN, October 17, 2001

By 

Michael Butts (Berkeley Springs, WV USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hawk Moon (Mass Market Paperback)

I have to hand it to Ed Gorman. This second entry in his Robert Payne "Moon" series clearly demonstrates just how nice a guy this Payne really is. Although sometimes you might think he comes across as being too good, or too nice, you can't help but like and yes, admire, this man. He has a strong sense of friendship and love; his reminiscences of his deceased wife are some of the most touching in modern crime fiction. You know Payne really loved this woman. And his relationships with different characters in both books further proves that Payne is probably the nicest "detective" out there.
As for the plot of this one, it's a little complex and sometimes incoherent, but it moves well, and once again, his parallel story telling ties the two segments together nicely. Particularly unique is his handling of Anna Tolan, a police investigator back in 1903, who in addition to trying to solve a similar case to Payne's in the nineties, is having doubts about her relationship with Trace Wydmore, a nice young man who is trying to score a "home run" with the virginal young girl. Considering the times, one can understand both Anna and Trace's different problems. Their dialogue rings so true, it's refreshing.
The murders that Payne has to solve lead him to a belligerent Native American named David Rhodes, whose estranged wife, just happens to be policewoman Cindy Rhodes. I'll say one thing for Iowa---they certainly advanced women's lib in their use of women as police officers.
The supporting characters are appropriately shady and/or nice, and Payne's adventures with the two elderly Native Americans who want to fly in his biplane is extraordinary.
A great novel in spite of its minor flaws.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good mystery, but....., June 2, 2004

By 

Michael G. "mikefromrochester" (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Hawk Moon (Hardcover)

Hawk Moon is a well constructed murder mystery set in a rural Iowa community. Two Native American women, Sandra Moore and her sister Karen, have been killed in a very grisly fashion. Robert Payne is a private eye and former FBI profiler who is asked to consult on the case by Cindy Rhodes, a local policewoman. As it happens, Cindy's husband, David, is the main suspect.
A similar crime had occurred in the same locale nearly a hundred years before and the author, Ed Gorman, cleverly juxtaposes the current investigation with the one that took place way back then. A remarkable juggling act to be sure.
Some interesting twists are revealed as the plot unfolds and Payne ultimately brings the guilty party to justice in a dramatic showdown at the book's conclusion.
That's the good part. Now for the bad.
Quite frankly, I find Gorman's writing style, at times, irritating. Despite the grisliness of the subject matter, he tends to frequently lapse into a type of maudlin prose that has a smarmy earnestness about it. Most of this out of place sentimentality gains expression through the musings of the lead character, Robert Payne. This causes Payne's personality to come through in an unflattering manner, as that of an idealistic Pollyanna.
Hawk Moon is an engaging, interesting tale, marred by stylistic choices that detract from its effectiveness.