Customer Reviews

Savage Moon

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

 

 

...this time featuring Saddleworth Moor which has it's own dark secrets even before the gruesome murder of Rose Sutton.

The case is intriguing, yet seemingly simple. It looks like a panther or similar large cat is out there and has developed a taste for something more than mutton. But then another mutilated corpse is found and to cover all possibilities, DI Jon Spicer is thrown into investigating the sordid world of dogging and sad perverts.

As I've mentioned in a previous book review, I like the character Jon Spicer and could almost read this series of books just to find out what's happening to him. In this novel he's got plenty more to worry about than just the case he's on. Simms successfully creates a believable character who the reader really cares about.

The story as a whole is an interesting premise, although I have to admit that the reality of the case seemed a little far fetched and I've deducted a star for that reason. It's certainly thrilling though, and a night walk on the moor was particularly scary...I was almost holding my breath.

This book immediately brought back to me, memories of a movie I saw in about the fifties. I won't name it as that would give away the plot, but suffice to say that it scared the living daylights out of me and this book had much the same effect! The savagely mutilated body of a farmer's wife is found on the moors and shortly afterwards, the body of a man is found, mutilated in the same way, about 20 miles further away. The press and the public are soon caught up in a terror scare which threatens to undermine the case which DI Jon Spicer is methodically constructing, step by step. The very atmosphere of Saddleworth Moor in winter is scary enough to frighten anyone and soon the whole population of nearby Manchester is alarmed, causing gung ho hunters and riflemen to risk everyone's life by acting like cowboys and shooting anything moving, including family pets. It's extremely well written and makes me want to find more work by Chris Simms.