Customer Reviews

The Heat of the Moon

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

At 23, veterinarian Rachel Goddard has mixed emotions about life--satisfied with her job and life in general, she harbors regrets about her relationship with her mother, Judith and younger sister, Michelle. Although they live together in Judith's well-appointed home, they're not as close as Rachel would like; she's always felt that her mother favored Michelle over her.

She had chalked her negative feelings up to petty jealousy until the opening scene of this debut novel when she becomes convinced that there's another explanation for her distress. Certain it has something to do with her father, who died when she was a toddler, Rachel begins asking uncomfortable questions of her mother; this further poisons her family relationship, as Judith refuses to answer, and Michelle, ever the dutiful daughter, chastises her sister for the impertinent queries. Driven by impulses she doesn't fully understand, Rachel persists, forcing revelations that are as shocking as they are painful.

For a first novel, this book is surprisingly polished and accomplished--Parshall knows her stuff, and it shows. Readers will thrill to Rachel's journey of discovery, which leads to the book's first "ending." But it's the part of the book that follows that crescendo that makes this novel stand out, as Rachel is forced to react to her discoveries. It's here that she, and Parshall, prove themselves worthy of readers' attention and admiration; the book's true climax is touching and memorable.

Veterinarian Rachel Goddard is comforting a young girl whose dog was injured by a car, when a vivid memory of comforting her own younger sister resurfaces. They were very young, alone and frightened in the rain. Where did this memory come from? Why had she never remembered it before?

Rachel's mother has always been unwilling to speak of Rachel's father who died when Rachel was about the age of her new memory. What is her mother afraid of? Why is there only one photo of him still in existence? Rachel wants to know what other memories she may have buried from that time yet she is afraid of what she might find. And she doesn't know who can be trusted to help her uncover the truth.

This is an exquisite psychological mystery. Parshall peels away the layers of the world as Rachel has always known it to uncover the truth she isn't certain she wants to know. The story drew me in and held me enthralled straight through to the end. It will haunt me for a long time.

I highly recommend it.

Armchair Interviews agrees.

The Heart of the Moon is a compelling debut by Sandra Parshall which hooks the reader from the first page. Rachel Goddard, a young veterinarian, has overwhelming yet confusing reaction after watching a toddler in her office, crying and screaming for her mommy. This scene seems like it is reminiscent of one she experienced in her childhood but it is nothing she can place in her concrete memory. Rachel remembers bits and pieces of such a scene, but a feeling tell her there is more. And the feeling will not go away. As Rachel keeps digging trying to remember her childhood more questions than answers arise.

Rachel wants answers from her mom about what happened but her mother doesn't want to discuss the past. As a psychologist, Rachel's mother has always been the controller, the perfect parent who expects nothing less of those around her. Rachel enlists the help of a friend of her mother's from the past but he doesn't want to betray Rachel's mother's trust or friendship. He also isn't sure he knows exactly what transpired himself. Her boss, fellow veterinarian Luke Campbell , encourages her to delve into the mystery of what might of occurred to cause her feelings. But Rachel is up against the desire of her mother and her beloved sister to leave the past alone. To make matters worse, the mutual attraction between Rachel and Luke is not appreciated by her mother who has taken an active dislike to him. Her sister, whom she has been close to all her life, is becoming distant and distinctly unsupportive of her quest for answers.

The Heart of The Moon is a page turning mystery as one tries to figure out what secrets Rachel's mother is hiding from her and her sister. In this psychological thriller Sandra Parshall has created characters that sizzle and steam, not women easily forgotten. Using the emotion between a mother and her grown daughter, the eternal struggle to grow up and separate from a parent as the launches this plot's suspense to a place we can all understand. It examines the bonds between mother and daughter, the ties that hold sisters together and the knots that can become hopelessly entangled. The ending, both explosive and heart wrenching, is as powerful as it is unexpected.

Sandra Parshall won an Agatha for Best First Novel for The Heat of the Moon. Readers will easily see why she won this one the honor and agree that it is well deserved. She has now also written Disturbing the Dead, again featuring veterinarian Rachel Goddard. It will be interesting to watch if Parshall continues to develop the character of Rachel even more in the future.

Dr. Rachel Goddard is a likeable protagonist -- she's a young veterinarian who cares for cats and dogs as well as wild hawks and possums. She lives with her younger sister Michelle, a psychology student, and her mother Judith, a renowned psychologist, in a stately, large house in McLean, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C.

Life is good. Romance blossoms in Rachel's life. She loves her profession. Co-workers and friends like her. Then Rachel begins to experience disturbing memories. She lost her father at an early age and has difficulty remembering much about him. A desperate need soon arises in her to know more and she begins to investigate. Her mother Judith does her best to forestall Rachel's curiosity, but just why. . .?

This well-written, tightly-plotted debut novel moves at a jaunty clip. The mystery about Rachel's dark past unravels with satisfying twists and turns. Her work as a veterinarian adds considerable depth to the main character while the Washington, D.C. setting is vivid.

Warning: Twists and turns may cause breathlessness, cold sweats, dry mouth, heart palpitations and sleep disorder. Ask your cardiologist if this book is for you.

A stunning debut from first time Author Sandra Parshall. Tightly written, breathtaking suspense filled mystery that takes you on a roller coaster ride from beginning to end. Memorable characters pull you into the story with skeletons rattling in every closet. As the families deepest, darkest secrets begin to emerge, the suspense just keeps building until it explodes off the page in this delightful psychological thriller that will keep you up late into the night until you have finished every last page.

The Heat of the Moon is a great, fast, engaging read. Everything seems totally credible which is tough to pull off in this genre. High recommended.

Reviewer: A customer from Canada
Rachel Goddard, a young veterinarian, finds her ordered life starts coming apart when a child crying for her mother triggers what may be a memory of a past shrouded in mystery. Did something happen to Rachel and her younger sister Michelle when they were children? Questioning her sister and her mother yields no answers. To mother Judith, a brilliant psychologist, the past is closed, not to be questioned or discussed, while Michelle has no desire to dig into the past as that may upset her own plans. Rachel can't give up, however, and as more disturbing and frightening memories surface she's driven to discover the truth. The more she tries, however, the more resistance she finds from Judith, and Rachel realizes she and Michelle live an isolated life by design-Judith's manipulative design. Rachel finds aid with her quest and a budding romance with Luke, the owner of the clinic where she works, a romance Judith does her best to thwart. The discovery of shocking long buried secrets brings Rachel to fear that the truth will lead to heartbreak...or worse.

Sandra Parshall has crafted an engrossing novel of psychological suspense, filled with unforgettable characters, and page-turning must-find-out mystery. Beautifully-written!

I read the second book first by mistake, then this one, this being the first book. But didn't matter..they were both great! I just finished this one..couldn't put it down. I am ready to begin the third one and have pre-ordered the fourth one to be out in September of this year.

This is such a great writer..her descriptions and words just take you there..when the phone rings you will jump since you have been so engrossed in a different time and place where the characters in the book are so real that you are a part of the scenary and action.

I spoke with the author via email. She will have another out next year, 2012. I can hardly wait!

"The Heat of the Moon" by Sandra Parshall begins with a slow drive-by reflection, a mangled basset hound, and screaming child calling for her mommy. It then escalates into a gripping psychological mystery as Rachel Goddard, a veterinarian, questions her own identity and her idyllic life with her mother, a psychologist, and her younger sister, who is following in her mother's footsteps. As Rachel peels away the layers of her past in her search for the truth to who she really is, what she'll do with it when she finds it keeps you flipping pages to the very end. Though Rachel's new man irritated me, there is little doubt that this novel deserved the Agatha for Best First Mystery in 2007. But it's not just a mystery. It has pages lingering in the literary fiction aisle, because it's also about how we establish, create, and perceive one's identity. It is a five star read out of five stars.