Review - Hunter's Moon

I read a fair number of books, weighted more toward non-fiction these days, particularly politics and history (with some sports books tossed in). What fiction I read tends toward escapism, primarily thrillers or mysteries. I keep my expectations relatively low in this category; I tend to think well of a compelling plot, and yield a bit (more than a bit) on characterization or mood.

For example, I enjoy the books of Lee Child or Robert Ludlum, even though Child tends to have one compelling character (Jack Reacher) in his books, and Ludlum is hard-pressed to get to one. But plot is a legitimate component of a writer's craft, and the ability to craft an ingenious, hard-driving, compelling plot is not to be derogated (despite the many literature-trained reviewers who gleefully do so).

Nevertheless, I can, despite my pedestrian tastes, enjoy it when an author stretches and gives a little more. James Ellroy is a prime example of a writer who creates absolutely riveting work, both in style and content. It took me quite a few pages to adapt to the style of White Jazz, but I enjoyed the workout.

So it's a pleasure to come across another such craftsman, Chuck Logan. His first book, Hunter's Moon (1996), is full of telling details about his characters and the locale (the North Woods of Minnesota). I won't bother with a lengthy plot synopsis, you can get that from Amazon, but the story involves a man with a troubled past becoming ensnared in the death of his best friend's stepson, and in the small dying town with secrets and horrors. This is not the tale of a dispassionate detective seeking something close to truth, but of a man whose demons and bad choices twist together with the people of Stanley, complicating his quest for answers.

But the joys of this book are not easily captured by the plotting or pace (which is solid, if a bit uneven). It's the use of language to describe the space that Harry Griffin inhabits - the physical space of the woods and the lodge, and his inner space of pain and mistakes. There is reality here, not self-conscious "grittiness."

One quibble: every character speaks quite vividly, so I found myself appreciating the dialogue even as I doubted the ability of even the most minor player to spin the words. It's clever, but, at the same time, unlikely.

Nevertheless, Hunter's Moon is recommended highly.