Dr.
Mark Albright, a handsome bachelor veterinarian catering to the
pets of Hollywood's elite, is the hero in Billie Letts's latest
novel. His comfortable world crashes around him when he discovers
that he is adopted and that his real mother was murdered. A
toddler, he had vanished from her home before the body was
discovered. The tiny town of DeClare, Oklahoma, had not had as much
excitement in years as when he turns up seeking answers.

O Boy Daniels is the sheriff on record as the chief investigator of
the long-ago crime scene. He's not cooperative when Mark presumes
to be a lawyer attempting to find the heir to land in Arkansas that
Gaylene Harjo has left to her son. Daniels sticks to the story that
Joe Dawson, a local drunk, had killed her and had later taken his
own life.

Letts works her setting to her advantage in laying out the story.
The backwater small town reeks of "good-old-boy" chatter that stays
on record as gospel truth. The local law enforcement character is
bossy, crude and gives no quarter when his mind is set on a
conviction. A natty professional from out of the state gets little
satisfaction in his quest for the truth until he dips deep into
town history.

Teeve's Place is the town's gossip center. A group of geezers plays
dominoes there daily. "Shoot the Moon" is the term used to go for
broke in a domino game. Albright, with the help of Ivy, Charlene
Teeve's pregnant daughter, looks deeper into the mystery of his
mother's murder. He uses Gaylene's diary to their advantage when he
sifts through the lies surrounding her death. Small-town cover-ups
compare to those universally found when lust, murder, accident and
embarrassment seek to retain the status quo.

Letts's story is fast-moving, well-told and displays the wit she
has honed in previous Oklahoma novels. A conclusion satisfies the
reader's curiosity and brings understanding and growth to her
characters. Earlier novels have touched the heart, but SHOOT THE
MOON expands the author's prowess into the mystery genre. I highly
recommend SHOOT THE MOON to Letts's fans and to those who are sure
to jump on her bandwagon.