In the Lake of the Moon [Hardcover]

David L. Lindsey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 12, 1988

The assault began innocuously enough.  Four envelopes delivered through the U.S. mail, four mysterious photos, and then a picture that would draw Houston detective Stuarty Haydon into a nightmare world of grisly death and dark obsession.  For the fifth photograph was of Hayden himself . . . with a carefully drawn bullet exploding through the back of his head.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Houston homicide detective Stuart Haydon receives photographs that he has never seen before: two portraits of his late father, two of a woman painting at an easel and standing on a Mexico City street, and one of Haydon himself, with a bullet entering his head drawn on the photo. His search to solve the riddle of these pictures leads to a Mexican professor of anthropology whose interest in pre-Columbian civilization has crossed from the scholarly into the psychotic. Following the intended killer's trail, Haydon travels to Mexico City, where he learns that his patrician father carried on a long affair with the mother of the killer, a fiery, beautiful Mexican artist, in whose studio an explosive denouement takes place. Unfortunately, Lindsey's narrative drags and fails to satisfy. The prose is woodenly repetitive ("Haydon had no answers, only questions, unsettling questions that he was compelled to pursue with a complex sensitivity that combined feelings of urgency and trepidation"). In addition, the characters are cliched: Haydon's father's lover, for example, has "majestic breasts and blazing green eyes." Most crucial, the many allusions to Aztec rites and beliefs don't have a strong connection with the central events of the book. Major ad/promo.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This truly remarkable and hauntingly atmospheric thriller may well overshadow Jonathan Kellerman's The Butcher's Theater ( LJ 3/1/88) in emotional intensity and suspense. Stuart Haydon, a well-known Houston homicide detective, receives a series of provocative photographs that invalidate the known background of his deceased father. This distrubing puzzle lures Haydon to Mexico City. Lush descriptions, historical insights, and moody, psychological twists accentuate Haydon's insistent excursions into his father's past. Memorable characters, stunning settings, and masterful composition. REK
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Scribner; First Edition edition (May 12, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689116268
• ISBN-13: 978-0689116261
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,453,429 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting, July 20, 2001

By 

shannon (Houston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In the Lake of the Moon (Paperback)

This is an exceptional novel. The writing is amazing, the story grips you from start to finish. Lindsey does an excellent job of capturing the feel of Mexico City. Its uniqueness transcends the novel. Mexico City is the star here, her allure remains long after her beauty has faded. Stuart Haydon is Lindsey's best protagonist and he is at the top of his game here. Be forewarned this book is not for the squeemish, but none of Lindsey's books are. If you are someone who enjoys great writing and riveting suspense you will not be disappointed.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lindsey a master of character development and of the complex, October 25, 1999

By 

Nancy Rupertus (Frederick, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In the Lake of the Moon (Paperback)

Previous reviewer lucas (uk) needs to read more often. This is an involving and satisfying read and as with all of Lindsey's works the reader gains a real feel for the characters and for the complexities of human situations...if you're willing to take the time to get involved with the lives you're being introduced to. Am really looking forward to his newest...The Color of Night.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yet another engaging psychological thriller from Lindsey., April 27, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: In the Lake of the Moon (Paperback)

"[T]he reality is that we can never really penetrate the truth of why some men do the strange things that they do. We can only view such men with pity and compassion, and remind ourselves that none of us are exempt from error, sometimes serious error, from playing the fool. When you look at these men try to temper your judgment with humility, with a modest nod to your own ignorance of the uncertain ways of the heart."

These words, advice long ago offered by Haydon's father, highlight, perhaps, the considered, insightful, and thoughtful prose consistenly delivered by Lindsey. In this intricate, delicately written novel, the author grants the reader a rare glimpse of Haydon's family history, as shocking and unexpected as it turns out to be.

Whether familiar with or new to Haydon, the reader will doubtless be engaged by Lindsey's tale