Title: Crying Moon
Author: Liam McMillan
Publisher: Outskirt Press, Inc.
ISBN-13: 978-1478738251
Page Count: 199
Genre: Fiction/General/Adventure/Romance
Reviewed by: Laura Hinds, Pacific Book Review
Book Review
Geoff Boxer is a professional tracker, who lives with his dog, Gator in Punta Gorda, Florida. The two are a devoted team, and work to help find missing people, escaped prisoners, and others wanted by the law. They live a low-key life, and are happy that way.Things can turn on a dime in this world, and Geoff’s world is rocked by both a sudden romance, with Wildlife Biologist, Maria Sanchez, and by the discovery that not only are wildlife populations dwindling unexpectedly and bizarrely, but there are human beings disappearing without a trace as well. Geoff and Gator will work hard on this case and together with Maria, they find themselves in a deeper, darker situation than they could have ever imagined.
This is the debut novel of author Liam McMillan, and he has done a commendable job of setting the scene for danger and adventure, along with a burgeoning romance between the main characters. The characters are developed smoothly, and I grew to like Geoff more with each chapter. Maria’s independence and somewhat unconventional job make her interesting, as well. The story is well-plotted and fast enough paced to hold the reader’s interest. There are a multitude of other characters in the book, and the primary two interact well with them all, making the story easy to read and also believable.
As well as providing an interesting story, the author is sharing an ecological lesson with his readers. The theme behind what is happening in Florida revolves around the explosion of the population of Burmese Pythons, who were either released into the wild when they grew too large for their owners to care for, or escaped, while both breeding and adapting to the environment. When they decimate their own food supply, they turn to humans as a food source. As a human being myself, I found this concept deeply chilling. Author McMillian made his point quite clear, and it should serve as a warning about how man’s careless actions can come back to haunt him.
While I enjoyed the book, and the lessons within, I did find some parts a tad too graphic for my particular tastes, but I am a very sensitive person. Fortunately, those scenes were kept short and did not disrupt the flow of the story for me. That said, I would recommend this book for adults only, and I think it would appeal more to readers who have an avid interest in wildlife and the environment, and who also enjoy a good thriller featuring a political element and a touch of romance and adult sexual encounters.
