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46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another winner from Billie Letts!!, January 20, 2005
I could not put this book down. Every opportunity I got to pick it up I did. The story is about a man, Dr. Mark Albright, veterinarian to the stars, who travels to DeClare, OK to find out about his birth mother. Mark's father has recently passed away, and while going through his things, he discovers he was adopted, and was originally from OK.
Well, back in 1972 in Declare, a young woman (Gaylene Harjo) was stabbed to death, and her 10 month old baby, Nicky Jack went missing. After years searching, the town feared him dead, and no definitive answers were giving as to who killed Gaylene.
Well, Mark discovers he's Nicky Jack. The towns divided as to wether they think he's the real deal, or a con artist. But Mark is taken in by Teeve, his aunt, and Ivy his cousin. With their help, and the help of a bunch of other very colorful townsfolk, they are searching for answers as to why and who killed his mother, how did Mark/Nicky Jack end up in California with his adoptive family, and who's been trying for 27 years to cover up the facts.
There were twists and turns all over this book, and you'll NEVER guess who was responsible for the killing/kidnaping. I highly recommend this read. This was my second book by Ms. Letts, and I loved it, just as I did The Honk and Holler. Can't wait to read more from her, she's quickly turning into one of my favorite authors!
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
exciting, heartwarming and poignant thriller, June 30, 2004
In 1972 DeClare, Oklahoma, eighteen-year-old Gaylene Harjo was stabbed to death in her trailer and her month old son Nicky Jack disappeared. For weeks the town was looking for him but the only trace of him were the pajama bottoms near the creek. The sheriff O Boy Daniels arrested someone for the murder of Gaylene and her son but many people thought he went after the wrong man, who died in prison. Almost thirty years later wealthy Hollywood veterinarian Dr. Mark Albright checks into the motel in DeClare and hooks up with Teeve Harjo. He tells her he found out three weeks ago that he was adopted and his birth mother was Gaylene. He did not know that she was killed and he was presumed dead. He seeks information about his mother, his biological father and who transported him to California to be adopted. Instead he is shot at and jailed while a person is murdered, another commits suicide, and a third arrested, convicted and is sentenced to death row. SHOOT THE MOON is more than a murder mystery; it is the story of one man's need for answers surrounding the circumstances of his birth and adoption. Readers get to know Gaylene through the pages of her diary, the entries of which are sprinkled throughout Billie Lett's latest blockbuster novel. The murder of Nick Jack's mother affected the whole community in different ways and three decades later, many of them are still living with the consequences in this exciting, heartwarming and poignant thriller. Harriet Klausner
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17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
You won't be able to guess who did it!, September 17, 2004
I loved WHERE THE HEART IS. Who could resist a story about a pregnant, redneck girl who moved in to the Wal-Mart to have her baby?
SHOOT THE MOON, a term derived from dominoes which means to try to capture all of the tiles, isn't as good as WHERE THE HEART IS, but it has its moments.
It's about a man who, as he's going through his parents belongings after his mother's death, discovers that he's adopted and returns to DeClare, Oklahoma to find his real parents. He's in for another rude awakening, his real mother was murdered and her ten-month old son went missing at the same time.
SHOOT THE MOON stretches the imagination at times. For instance, Nicky Jack Harjo, the protagonist, is not aware of his American Indian heritage. He'd always thought he was Mediterranean. He also falls in love with his cousin and is grossed out by it until he conveniently discovers she's not his real cousin.
Letts does a good job keeping us in suspense as to who Nicky Jack's real father is and we don't find out who murdered his mother until almost the last moment. You will not be able to predict who did it, so don't even try. The minor characters are rather stereotypical, including a bully sheriff and a drug-addled friend of Nicky Jack's mother, but the ending saves the day. It has elements of a Greek tragedy.
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