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3.0 out of 5 stars
More gruesome than great..., Nov 2 2000
I suppose I'm somewhat predisposed to enjoy Gorman's work since he lives here in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and sets a great deal of his suspense and detective tales in and around the area. It's very satisfying to lie back and watch the action unfold in the alleys and bars that can be seen from my windows. Of course, that alone would not keep a reader coming back more than a time or two. Although Gorman has done some "hack" work in his time, including a number of genre short stories that, although not entirely unenjoyable, smacked of a needed paycheck, most of the storytelling is fresh and inventive. "Blood Moon" is certainly the most gore-strewn novel that he's ever done, but it's a device seemingly used to shock the reader into ignoring the sometimes lengthy leaps required to get from point A to point B. In "Blood Moon", the first in a series of novels about psychological profiler (and ex-FBI man) Robert Payne, Iowa is again the setting for the crimes. New Hope, Iowa, to be exact, a fictional small town outside of Cedar Rapids. Here is where Gorman shines, painting his personal vision of Iowa's landscape and the people who call the small farming communities home. The likeable female sheriff, the white trash couple who's disputes are the stuff of legend, the friendly old curator of the airplane museum...and on and on. Almost every portrait that Gorman paints is believable (if slightly broad). Little girls who enter New Hope are not living long, as Payne finds out shortly after taking over for a fellow investigator (who, of course, was killed working on the very same case). In no time, even the mother who hired him to find her daughter turns up as another body. Payne is not the type of guy to sweat the little stuff, though, and forges ahead with an investigation that includes the local minister and his odd helpers and a bizarre connection with child porn. Giving away more would certainly ruin the read, and there is a lot to enjoy here. Payne gets a little preachy at times; one gets the feeling that there's a lot of Gorman in there. I get a little unnerved with the old-fashioned attitudes about homosexuality, race, etc...there are even some out-of-left-field negative portrayals of hippie college students and aging bikers. Less world views by the Andy Griffith-ish Payne wouldn't have hurt the story any. If you want an easy read that pays off with an extremely violent finish the likes of which you won't find this side of Stephen King, this one's for you. Of course, any Iowans that like to see the action close to home (and we don't get to very often) will probably enjoy some of the asides on a few more levels. Gorman is never bad, but this is still shy of great.
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