The Killing Moon: A Novel [Paperback]

Chuck Hogan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2008

Donald Maddox has returned to his sleepy Massachusetts hometown after fifteen years away. Although he has no law enforcement background, he finds a job as an auxiliary patrolman -- on a local police force known to inspire more fear than trust. When the brutal murder of a local resident shatters the isolation of this forgotten place, triggering the arrival of state police homicide detectives and a townwide manhunt, both the local cops and Maddox appear to have something to hide. As the tightly wound mystery that is Maddox's past begins to unravel, he becomes ensnared in a deadly conspiracy that ultimately threatens his life, as well as the lives of those around him.

A brilliantly plotted page-turner told with soul-deep characterization, crisp pacing, and unflinching realism, The Killing Moon proves Chuck Hogan as the unrivaled master of gritty suspense.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hogan's fourth novel (after the Hammett Award–winning Prince of Thieves) convincingly and movingly brings alive the dying Massachusetts community of Black Falls, which is plagued by a brain drain and by a corrupt, if small, police force. Don Maddox, the town's first (and only) college scholarship recipient, reneged on his obligation to return and work in the community, but 15 years later the prodigal son shows up for his mother's funeral. Oddly, Maddox becomes a part-time auxiliary policeman, clashing often with his superiors. The author soon reveals Maddox's hidden agenda, which is related to a lucrative drug ring and to a series of murders believed to have been committed by a registered sex offender. Strong characters and a memorable setting more than offset a windup with some predictable cliffhangers. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Hogan, winner of the 2005 Hammett Prize, turns in another disturbing thriller, this one revealing the dark underside of small-town life. At the behest of one of the city fathers, Donny Maddox has returned to Black Falls, where he's installed as a part-time cop. Bucky Pail, who runs the force more like a gang than a law-enforcement agency, is incensed by the maneuver, especially since he's unable to intimidate Maddox. Black Falls is full of terrible secrets, and laconic, angry Donny fits right in, though his motives seem less overtly corrupt and self-serving than most of the people he encounters. Hogan feeds out Maddox's history at a frustratingly slow rate, and his use of different narrators makes for a sometimes bumpy telling. But there's no denying the attraction of the righteous-angry-man-against-the-corrupt-system theme, and Hogan delivers plenty of excitement, much of which comes in the form of several riveting (and notably vicious) confrontations. At his best, Hogan will remind readers of Lee Child and Stephen Hunter. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Scribner (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 074328965X
• ISBN-13: 978-0743289658
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #674,398 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Chuck Hogan is the New York Times bestselling author of several acclaimed novels, including THE TOWN (aka PRINCE OF THIEVES), DEVILS IN EXILE, and THE KILLING MOON. THE TOWN was awarded the Hammett Prize for excellence in crime writing, and has been made into a movie starring Ben Affleck, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, and Blake Lively. DEVILS IN EXILE is also being developed into a feature film. He is the co-author, with Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro, of THE STRAIN and THE FALL, parts one and two of the internationally bestselling STRAIN series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Thriller!!, January 24, 2007

By 

Christine Shaw "cms246" (Scranton, PA. USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Killing Moon: A Novel (Hardcover)

The story takes place in the small town of Black Falls, Mass. Population 1,758. Since the closing of the paper mill, the town's economy is slowly dying. No supermarket, no ATM, no traffic lights and no cable or cell phone service. The police force has been cut from twenty men to two full-time and a few part-time officers. The Sergeant and highest ranking member of the force is Bucky Pail. Bucky has held this position since the death of his father three years before. Since Bucky came into power, the Department is corrupt. He and his employees terrorize the townspeople to the point that they are afraid to report any problems or complaints.

Only one member of the Police Department, Don Maddox, a part-time officer who works the graveyard shift three night a week, is ligit. With the help of the town's elder statesman, Stavros Pintopolumanos, otherwise known as Pinty, Maddox is embedded into the police force of Black Falls to bust this corrupt organization. Maddox is an undercover state policeman.

When a brutal murder stuns the town and a registered sex-offender goes missing, the state police homicide detectives arrive in town and take over the police station which of course does not sit well with Bucky. Bucky has enough problems, especially with his new employee, Maddox. Tension is high between the two men because Maddox will not play Bucky's game.

Maddox upholds his undercover status and at times appears suspicious to Trooper Leo Hess, the state police detective in charge. As the mystery unravels, Hess is convinced that the sex-offender, Dillon Sinclair, is the murderer. Maddox is not convinced since Sinclair is his informant.

This is my first Chuck Hogan thriller and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story is very well-written, pacing is good and the climax is explosive. The murder scenes are a bit gory but do not take away from a most satisfying read.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Page-Turner, January 26, 2007

By 

Peter S. Bright - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Killing Moon: A Novel (Hardcover)

I realy enjoyed this book, it is a must read for the crime fiction reader. The book is suspensful and informative at the same time. The mystery is gripping and makes it a real page turner. I would recommend this book to anyone connected with law enforcement

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Seamy small town thriller, March 13, 2007

By 

Cory D. Slipman (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Killing Moon: A Novel (Hardcover)

Chuck Hogan's "The Killing Moon", a convoluted thriller based on the strange circumstances occuring in the small dying rural Massachusetts town of Black Falls, reads like a written version of TV's "Twin Peaks". Homeboy Donny Maddox recipient of a town sponsored college scholarship returns to Black Falls after a 15 year hiatus. The town is in a state of decline since the closing of the mill some years ago, which providede the main source of employment. At the urgting of now retired police chief emeritus Pinty, a close personal friend, he joins the local police force on a part time basis.

Maddox soon discovers that corruption runs rampant within the local fuzz headed by the Pail brothers, Bucky and Eddie. Maddox is soon immersed in investigating a series of crimes involving violence and drugs. Clues point to a local man and sexual offender Dill Sinclair as being the driving force, however his whereabouts are unknown. When local new age internet salesman Randall Frond is discovered brutally murdered, the cesspool of town depravity boils over. The state police lead by macho man trooper Leo Hess are called in.

As the investigation continues, we discover that Maddox might have ulterior motives for his presence in town. As the state police and Maddox dig deeper, the full extent of the town's secrets become revealed.

Hogan jumping from one character to the other gives us bits and pieces of information to aid us in unravelling the mysteries behind this bizarre town.