Customer Reviews
Handeland Has Mastered the Werewolf Tale - By: K. Montgomery, 01 Jun 2006 
The fourthin Handeland's Moon series (with this installment it's changed to the Nightcreature sereis) is a spectacularly engrossing read. Hooked from the first page till the very last, it was difficult to put the book down till I'd finished it. Handeland's talent just keeps rising & rising & "Crescent Moon" surely will land herin the paranormal romance hall of fame.
Diana is a cryptozoologist hired to find a wolf rumored to be terrorizing the swamps surrounding New Orleans, a place where no wolves are supposed to be. Thrilled to have a chance at proving the impossible to the world, she accepts & is soon immersedin The Crescent City's world of danger, intrigue & murder. Something is definitely killing the locals & though no one wants to tell, Diana is determined to discover this deep dark secret. She'sin need of a guide for the swamps & when her first is inconviently disposed ofin walks local Adam Ruelle to take up the slack. Rumor has it his family is cursed, deranged....mad. What Diana finds is a sexy & mysterious man that burns up her nights & he vows to protect her from anything she might find. But is he for real? Or is hiding something of his own? Strange beginnings on her trip to the Crescent City just keep getting stranger & Diana soon knows without a doubt that she is headed for danger.
This installment is without a doubt the most solid of the series to date. Emotionally engaging, witty & unique characters, from the hero & heroine to the spunky voodoo priestess Cassandra, ensure readers will love this book for that aspect alone. Diana's character was strong, level-headed & reading her dialogue was so much fun. Adam's mysterious allure was the perfect ignitor for the puzzling circunstances surrounding the wolf (and his obvious sex appeal didn't hurt either). The plot was enthralling, with so many twists & turns & it kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting to know, no, needing to know what happened next. This installment could almost stand alone, but some characters from the previous title, "Dark Moon", do make a guest appearance & their inclusion enriches the story nicely. The previous titles are good reads as well, but "Crescent Moon" lands the entire series on my keeper shelf. The great news too is there will be more books after this one & all I cannot wait to read them all! Five very enthusiastic stars!
NEW SERIES FOR HANDELAND - By: , 01 Mar 2006 
Diana Malone, four years widowed & a discredited cryptozoologist (ie, seeker of new species), is hired to investigate stories of wolvesin the Louisiana bayou, where they are supposedly extinct. She sets up campin the derelict Rouelle Mansion, & is soon involvedin a passionate affair with Adam Rouelle. Life is complicated, however, by the number of bodies piling upin the swamp- including her guide, & a local woman who tells her about the curse on the Rouelle family. It gets even more complicated when she meets the recently dead walking around and, er, snarling.
Confused by the contradictory evidence regarding wolf attacks, haunted by premonitions & strange dreams, she seeks the advice of a Vodoun priestess, Cassandra. There is some fascinating lore on Vodoo, & Diana also discusses the ambivalent relationship between her & Adam. One minute he is a tender, sexy lover, the next, he wants her to leave the swamp. It is soon clear that Adam is protecting the secrets of the swamp. The next question is, is he protecting her? Or lining her up as the next victim?
Whilst this is supposed to be a new series, it inhabited the same world as the previous 'Moon' books. Unlike many recent paranormals where werewolves are superhuman shapeshifters & often very sexy, Handeland's werewolves are soulless killers you do not want to meet on a dark night. Whilst the story generally flows well, I did have some criticisms. I was a little irritated that Diana took so long to solve the 'secret' of the swamp when it was obvious to me much earlierin the story. Also, I found Adam's 'accent' an annoying distraction, & less than convincing. Frankly, I think this could have been a better book if it had been a bit more vigorously edited, but that aside, I did enjoy reading it, hence the four stars, especially the bits involving Cassandra- I hope she featuresin future books as she was such a strong character.
