Review of Dark Moon Over Brooklyn

[Sam Ibeh]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Dark Moon Over Brooklyn" by M. J. Van Buren.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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In Dark Moon Over Brooklyn by M. J. Van Buren, Katherine 'Kitty' Toulkes had her usual routine interrupted when her neighbor, Gretchen Morten, came to her with a disturbing concern about her civil partner, Annie Wellington, whom she lost contact with for over twenty-four hours. Gretchen believed that Annie was in danger since she left with an ex-boyfriend. To help with the search for Annie, Gretchen had also invited Joe Treacher, Annie's ex-husband. Their efforts turned up nothing to indicate where Annie had gone off to. However, Kitty's research on the mysterious ex-boyfriend and his alias, Daniel Oponuno, turned up scary details that left her in a bit of a dilemma. However, when the FBI got involved in the case, Kitty and the others suspected that there was more at stake than they knew. Would they allow the law to take its course, or would they use other means to find a solution?

The story commenced on a note of intrigue. At first, the book introduced two senior female citizens. One seemed to have been overreacting over a lover she couldn't contact. However, the story soon took a surprising turn, bringing suspense, excitement, and danger. The tone of the narration was neutral, and the language was simple. Even the plot was simple enough as it followed one plotline that didn't devolve into any complicated arcs but kept away enough details to keep readers curious and in anticipation.

The main characters were adorable. I mostly forgot that Joe, Kitty, Gretchen, and even Donald were all senior citizens whose vigor betrayed their age. Joe Treacher's character had an exciting aura and an ageless strength one would see in action actors like Bruce Willis. Joe was a likable character whose brave actions may endear him to readers. Kitty's character presented a bit of surprise with her quiet braveness. The best part of this book's characters was how the author presented these senior citizens normally instead of as a group of boring, close-to-death individuals. Van Buren allowed me to see these individuals as people with feelings, fears, and a life that still had meaning.

The story presented a race against time that screamed: "find the villain or have innocent people die." It came with excitement and suspense. In addition to the entertainment, some intrigue came with the story dabbling into the supernatural. The story was further flavored by some bit of romance. From an insightful angle, the debilitating effect of bipolar disorder and substance abuse was also brought to the fore.

The only thing about this book that was off was that it dragged a bit toward the middle of the book due to repetitive character conversation. It momentarily hampered my enjoyment. I couldn't wait to move on from that point.

Overall, the book made a good read. The story was exceptionally edited. Readers of crime stories and thrillers would enjoy this book. I'd rate Dark Moon Over Brooklyn four out of five stars. One star was deducted because of the drag in the middle of the narrative.

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Dark Moon Over Brooklyn
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[Hazel Mae Bagarinao]

This could be an exciting read since the characters portrayed are senior citizens. Could Annie's friend find out what happened to her? Your review is intriguing!

[NetMassimo]

Despite the drag in the middle, this seems like a thriller in which the tension coming from generally well-constructed plot and characters make it engaging. Thank you for your great review!