Customer Reviews

Moonfall

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I can't say enough good things about Tamara Thorne. The first book of hers that I read, "Haunted", remains one of my favorite books of all time. Moonfall delivers another great story, a compelling account of St. Gertrude's (better know as St. Gruesome's), a Catholic girls' school that isn't at all what it seems, complete with terrifying nuns, local legends, witches, gargoyles that come to life in the night, and nasty, evil secrets.

Thorne (a pseudonym) is one of the better modern horror writers out there, and deserves far more attention than she receives. Unfortunately, the horror genre is the least popular of all genres in the U.S., (a puzzle I still haven't figured out), so she's in a tough market. Why she hasn't won a Stoker award is beyond me, because she certainly deserves one. Her stories are original, well-written, and entertaining from word one. I recently bought the rest of her books (Eternity, Candle Bay, and Bad Things), as well, and can't wait to read them.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good, solid and highly entertaining horror story but shies away (as I do) from the too-intense, too-dark tales of King and Barker (though both King and Barker are undeniably fantastic authors). The entertainment factor is simply off the charts!

Strange accidents and the odd suicide are not that uncommon in the idyllic little Southern California mountain town of Moonfall. Every quarter century, they even come in pairs. Funny thing, though - no one's ever that clear on the particulars concerning them. It's almost as if their memories are partially blocked. And the official records don't always jibe with what people do remember. The deaths always seem to occur around St. Gertrude's School for Girls, that creepy place with the gargoyles on its ramparts. Oh, but surely a bunch of nuns couldn't have anything to do with murder - now, could they?

This is a nice, simple, straightforward little horror story, made all the livelier by Tamara Thorne's likeable and believable characters and her usual wicked sense of perverse humor. The plot is nothing you haven't seen before, it's just very well done. It has witches and warlocks, secrets and sacrifices, devils and demons, horrors and hypnosis, and perverse nuns in shocking undergarments.

What's not to love?

The only problem with this book is that its ending is a bit abrupt and anticlimactic for such a well-sustained buildup, but it's quite good in spite of that. Thorne always writes well. Even her villains are entertaining - those in Moonfall, especially. I recommend all of her books, without hesitation.

I am a horror novel fan and this one was very good. While it lacked the depth of a Koontz or King novel the story moved along very well, with no unnecessary sub plots. The story takes place in Southern California in an area know as "Apple Hill", where bakery and pie shops sell homebaked apple goodies. This was quite amusing to me as I go to Apple Hill in Northern California every fall. After reading the book I will never look at an apple orchard or a mincemeat pie in quite the same way. This is really a great book to sit down with and realx with. I will be on the lookout for more of Ms. Thorne's books.

An entertaining thriller. In the sleepy little town of Moonfall, the St. Gertrude's Home for Girls hides a centuries old evil. Two people who once narrowly escaped that evil are back seeking answers, Sara Hawthorne who was once a resident at the school and whose best friend committed suicide; and John Lawson, now the town sheriff, who is haunted by his own childhood memories of his younger brother's death. Sara has gone back to teach at St. Gertrude's to look for answers. Together their hunt for the truth takes them deep inside the secrets and exposes them to the hidden dangers of St. Gertrude's.

This is not great literature, or even a particularly haunting tale. There were elements of the plot that seem contrived and forced. This is particularly evident in the light treatment the writer gives the rape of one of the female protagonists. Throughout the book female sexuality is treated in a shallow and used only for sensationalistic effect. This distanced me from the characters and kept me from being drawn into the story. Still, the book does manage to entertain, much like a good B-movie. There are worse ways to kill a rainy day.

I loved "Haunted" and well Moonfall isn't the book that Haunted was, it is still enjoyable in its own right. The main problem with Moonfall is that it is rather tedious, and not really scary. This is because there is simply too much description of the gargoyles. Tamara Thorne creates this fascinating character of Dr. Dashwood, and a bunch of twisted nuns, and then focuses in on these goofy gargoyles??? You will guess who/what the gargoyles are early on. I really liked the characters of the book, Minerva-an old healer, Sara Hawthorne, John Lawson, and Mark his son are all interesting personalities. Unlike Haunted however, the book was kind of long and at times boring. Too often, the same issues were reiterated endlessly. I wish Tamara Thorne would write more books, in the vein of Haunted however. While this is not great, its still a lot better than a lot of horror floating around out there.

This was the first novel I ready by Tamara Thorne. It kept me hooked to the very last page and is an entertaining read with a smooth flow. She has a very smooth writing style and her writing is crisp and clear.

Be WARNED: Tamara is not some feminist horror writer who writes what is politically correct. She is a much better writer than Anne Rice, who OVER-WRITES! Tamara paints a bloody and sexy read that keeps you wanting to read to the very end.

Tamara is a very nice person who RESPONDS to fan mail. She is witty, funny, and very left wing. Her writing has gotten better with each novel and she continues to come up with new and original ideas; not overused cliched plots.

Two thumbs up for this story about Sara Hawthorne who returns home to teach at a girl's school. Strange things start to happen and a budding romance with the police chief make things erotically charged. The two collaborate on how to stop the EVIL taking place at the school and the ending is shocking!!

Keep 'em coming, Tamara!!!

This is another ggreat book from Tamara Thorne. In a small town there exists a monastery, run by nuns. A local sherrif, who lost his younger brother years back, suddenly finds himself drawn closer to he mystery of the nuns. At night, large, unknown, evil birds (or something else) fly over the region. Past comes back to reveal the truth with the help of an old woman, who has been fighting the nuns throughout centuries. Now the sherrif must face the evil worshipped by the nuns and save his son, his new-foundlove and himself. Great read from beginning to end.

It seems that many people are saying that this book wasn't as good as Haunted but I found it to be just a great. It was spellbinding and it kept you interested the whole time. It was really freaky to find out that the nuns were carrying on the way they were and how evil they could be. I love the way Tamara writes and I am waiting very calmly for her next book to come out. Hurry up Tamara, we're waiting !!

I love horror and mystery stories, but this one was tedious and predictable from start to finish. The descriptions were stock footage and the climax was evident far too soon. Too bad it wasn't nearly as interesting as the picture on the paperback cover.

The first book I read by Tamara Thorne was Haunted and I loved it! I was also impressed with her second book, Moonfall. Although Moonfall was not as scary as Haunted and the story is not original, it was still well put together and suspensful. Also, the dialogue between the kids in this book was so funny and realistic that often times I read the book with a grin on my face. The pace in this book is good. You get enough background on each character but not too much that it slows down the story. I have not been dissapointed by Tamara Thorne so far and I'm looking forward to reading her next book, Eternity.