A Fearsome Moonlight Black by David Putnam Book Review

About the Book

Dave Beckett is a wide-eyed young man when he joins the police department in a small town in Southern California. His naivete allows him to believe in his world, a vision where the cops are the good guys championing the rights of the wronged. He learns quickly that crime is not black and white, and the bad guys aren't always the ones committing the crimes. This is the story of a victim turned predator, a young man who grows up too fast and becomes an apt pupil in the pursuit of criminals on both sides of the fence.

You can watch the book trailer here.

My Review

This is the first I've read by Putnam and I like it. His writing style is engaging. I liked Dave right off. Even though one might consider him naïve, he is a rookie at his job and gets plunged into its gruesome aspect right away with several deaths. One can tell the author has had experience in law enforcement. The feeling is one of reality, not made up situations. I cringed at the attitude and dialog between the officers but I think at that time (1979) it was very much the routine.

When the novel jumps to 1988, another kind of reality sets in. Dave is no longer naïve. A near decade of police work has taken its toll on his character and his life relationships. As Putnam says in his note, this novel reflects not so much what happened on the the street but more what the street did to the kid.

This is a good start to Dave's story. I'll be watching to see what happens in his life.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author

During his law enforcement career, David Putnam worked primarily in California on teams for Patrol, Investigations, SWAT, Narcotics, Violent Crimes, Criminal Intelligence, Internal Affairs, Detective Bureau and as child protective services coordinator.

He rounded out his law enforcement career with a few years in the Hawaiian Islands as a Special Agent-part of a real-life "Hawaii-50″ team.

He's now retired from law enforcement and spends his time growing organic California avocados and writing, with his wife Mary and their dogs

 He is the recipient of many awards and commendations for heroism. A Fearsome Moonlight Black is the first book in a trilogy. Look for the second book, A Lonesome Blood-Red Sun coming out in 2023. 

Learn more a DavidPutnamBooks.com

Level Best Books, 330 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)