Blue Moon by Wendy Corsi Staub

This is the first book I've read by Staub and it won't be the last. Be prepared to give a few days for reading as the book is long but very engaging. It would make a good beach or vacation novel. Just don't read it right before you go to bed.

The plot is a little complex. There had been three murders one hundred years ago in Mundy's Landing. The victims had remained unidentified and the killer never captured. This novel centers around a couple buying one of the houses where one of the murdered young women was found. What they don't know is that someone is going to replicate the murders.

This novel is a good combination of character revelation and suspense. It is written from a number of viewpoints. Annabelle is the wife and mother who now lives with her family in the murder house. Their son, Oliver, suffers from an anxiety disorder. Even though he's twelve, he is terrified of many things. Holmes is the name the would be killer has given himself. We follow him too, obsessed with the murders of 1916. He's got three young women chained in an old ice house, just waiting for the exact day. Another character's viewpoint is that of the elderly woman who is caretaker of the museum containing the murder history. We also read entries from the original murderer's journal. Sully, from the first novel in this series, is vacationing in Mundy's Landing and we experience some from her viewpoint too.

Along with multiple viewpoints, the narrative frequently changes from current events to those of the past. That might sound a bit confusing but actually it came off quite well. The different viewpoints are clearly identified and are written in the present tense. The historical parts are written in past tense and were easy to identify.

I recommend this novel to those who enjoy getting caught up in a rather complex plot with lots of character development and a good amount of suspense. I really got caught up in Annabelle's life as she came to grips with living in a “murder house” with a very busy husband and a son demanding much emotional attention. I really liked the way the secondary characters were presented too. All in all, an enjoyable read.

I'm taking part in a blog tour of this book. Click here to view the Blue Moon by Wendy Corsi Staub Tour Participants.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

Wendy Corsi Staub is an award-winning, USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of over seventy novels. She has twice been nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award. She lives in the New York City suburbs with her husband and their two children. You can find out more at http://www.wendycorsistaub.com/ or follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

BOOK DETAILS:

Genre: Thrillers, Suspense

Published by: William Morrow, mass market

Publication Date: July 26^th 2016

Number of Pages: 448

ISBN: 0062349759 (ISBN 13: 9780062349750)

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, GoodReads.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for the purpose of an independent and honest review.