DARK OF THE MOON
John Sandford
Putnam
Thriller
ISBN: 9780399154775

DARK OF THE MOON may be John Sandford’s most riveting and suspenseful novel to date. In this labyrinthine, stand-alone story, the familiar Lucas Davenport makes only a few cameo appearances. The hero of this tale is “Virgil Flowers --- tall, lean, late thirties…hair way too long for a cop’s --- [who had] kicked around for a while before joining the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.” After working with him in INVISIBLE PREY, Davenport “made him an offer he couldn’t resist.” Flowers agreed to join this elite unit only if he was given “the hard stuff,” and for three years he has had extraordinary successes.

Flowers is given an assignment that takes him to “the old town of Bluestem,” a place with a different pace and personality when compared to the Twin Cities --- or so it would seem --- until millionaire Bill Judd, a selfish con man, is mercilessly killed. Judd was reviled and hated in the community because he was responsible for fleecing his friends and neighbors. He had brought his “investors” a “pie in the sky” get-rich-quick scheme that went bust, and almost everyone lost all of their savings. Judd was the only person to benefit from the failed enterprise. He was a miser who lived a lonely life isolated from the town. His location gave the killer (who called himself Moonie) a perfect opportunity to set fire to the house and burn Judd alive. The authorities and townspeople were overwhelmed by the brutality of the crime, and even though Judd was a nasty character, no one could possibly understand who among them could commit such a Machiavellian murder.

Then came the seemingly senseless killing of Anna and Dr. Russell Gleason. Both in their 80s, they were long retired --- he from his medical practice, she from her nursing career and her six terms on the county commission. They had been greatly respected and well liked in their community. Who could possibly want to kill and humiliate these people? After ending the lives of the Gleasons, the murderer dragged Russell from the house and propped him up against a tree to make him look like a discarded scarecrow. This defilement was even more chilling and macabre when authorities discovered that the doctor’s eyes had been shot out of his head. For a town with a history of little crime, this explosion of violence and the forms it took added a terrifying element never before felt by the townspeople. After all, in the space of a few weeks, three murders were committed. As fear rippled through the population, the body count was not yet at its end.

The crimes had occurred before BCA Agent Flowers arrived on the scene. Virgil is a charming and more-than-competent law enforcement officer who seems to hit it off with the sheriff, Jim Stryker. Both men are devoted to their jobs and to making sure that those who rely on them get the justice they deserve. The two colleagues are very cognizant of how small towns work: everyone knows everyone else and their secrets. Feuds and fights erupt only to die down when need or care brings the antagonists together; gossip and rumor keep everyone “busy.” The population is suspicious of newcomers and memories die hard. Nevertheless, thrice-divorced Flowers wins them over and becomes involved with Joan Carson, the sheriff’s sister.

As the investigation slowly moves along, the theory that emerges is that the nexus of the crimes lies with Bill Judd. They are convinced that his murder is connected with something that happened in the past that somehow touched a whole cadre of people. Following this line of thinking leads Virgil from one older or elderly resident at a time. When he gets to Michelle Garber and shares his theory with her, she says, “[W]hat could possibly have happened back then --- think of the worst possible thing --- that would have brought [anyone] back here to kill people. And…how could [he] even get around town without being seen?” If he lived in Bluestem at any time, he wouldn’t be instantly recognized or could he have been a “fringe” person no one paid too much attention to?

As each clue is uncovered, Virgil begins to see a pattern limned in old scandals. Irregularities emerge when some people seem to be rewriting history while others appear to be telling it straight. He realizes he must begin to look into the pasts of those kids who are now middle-aged and track down anyone who might remember what happened 30 years ago. Clearly, someone is out for revenge, but at first no one can think of any particular event that would foster such hatred.

As the body count has been rising, the only thing the corpses seem to have in common are the mistakes they made in their youth, coupled with the adults who were there to cover them up. In the ’60s, when societies broke open, these people were running around like most of their young counterparts --- indulging in free love, drugs, rebellion, orgies and speeding cars --- all of which led to something abominable happening in Bluestem. Now someone has exploded in a rage that had to be festering for years, and people are dying.

Then a break comes in an extraordinary conversation Flowers has with an elderly woman in a nursing home. When Virgil visits her, she tells him that she saw the “man in the moon.” Although this clue doesn’t seem immediately relevant or make sense, in the end the whole case turns on it.

In DARK OF THE MOON, John Sanford has introduced a strong character who emerges as the alter ego of Lucas Davenport. While the two are deep thinkers, they ruminate about different issues and have varying perspectives on the way to live life. What brings them together is their love of the puzzle --- the game itself and the moves necessary to outthink the “bad guy.” Flowers is more laid back, has a bit of an attitude and is more of a rolling stone than Lucas. His wardrobe is very simple, he wears t-shirts with logos of rock bands and sometimes, when he has to “dress up,” he dons a jacket over his t-shirt. The impression he leaves on readers is of competence, compassion, curiosity and total commitment to solving complicated crimes. Actually, he resembles the tall silent type of old cowboy movies.

DARK OF THE MOON has a taut plot with sharp angles against the atmosphere of shadows and light. Sandford has always produced a cast of well-limned characters, and in this novel he does a sterling job of it. His crisp style moves readers along at a fast pace, turning pages as quickly as they can. Whether an old fan or someone new to his work, feel confident that there will be no disappointments in DARK OF THE MOON.

   --- Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum

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