The Man in the Moon

Tom Tancin
Destifire Books (2007)   
ISBN 9780979763502      
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (7/07)

 

A serial killer dubbed “the man in the moon,” is murdering college couples.  The residents of this town are up in arms and feel that the police are not doing enough to catch him.  Detective Lindsey Scott, “the solver of the unsolvable,” is called in to help.  Leaving behind a mountain of personal issues with her children, she comes to town.  With help from an astronomy professor, she learns about the killings being connected to the full moon.  Time is ticking away; she must find the killer before he can strike again during the next full moon.

The identity of the serial killer is not revealed immediately.  When Tancin gives you the history on why the killer became the way he did, at first you feel a little sorry for him, but not sorry enough to excuse him for his actions.  In some ways, it seems like he wants to be caught.  The clues he leaves are very intriguing.

“The Man in the Moon” is a great, suspenseful mystery.  The author Tom Tancin did an excellent job researching the story behind the man in the moon and both the English and Native American names of the full moons.  He connects these names to clues about the whereabouts and the style of the next murders.  This was really ingenious on Tancin’s part.  It really added to the suspense and intrigue of the mystery.

This is a great novel for both young adults and adults.  I think that the mysterious elements incorporated in this book will appeal to all ages.  I look forward to reading other mysteries with Detective Lindsey Scott in them.  I think that “The Man in the Moon” would make a great gift for someone going away to college for two reasons.  Number one, they would enjoy the mystery set among their peers and number two; it should make them be more careful about their safety while they are away from home.

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