From the first page of UNDER A KILLER MOON B.J. Daniels lets you know there’s bound to be some rather scary stuff going on in the small town of Buckhorn Montana. Two ways to take that title. Killer as being exceptional or homicidal. I’m guessing at the latter. Small towns are rather infamous for their size and the comradery of their population. Everyone knows everyone and everything about them. A friendly close community. Well, that is an oxymoron for sure. And we know from the get-go that there are some cringe-worthy secrets in this little town.
It’s the town’s 125-year birthday and Vi, one of the town’s key folks, is spearheading a huge event to celebrate. If it sounds too good, then it probably is. The town Marshall, Leroy Baggins sure seems to think this is a bad idea. And you know from anything by BJ Daniels he is going to be correct.
Vi is a central antagonist in this story. Lots of stuff, both bad and good - but mostly nasty - circling this lady who spearheads the birthday event and loves the attention and accolades. Someone should have warned Vi about being careful about what you wish for.
There is another almost silent danger in attending this event. The killer. We know instantly who is stalking partygoers and some Buckhorn folks. No surprise or guessing there. But the big question is just how successful this killer will be. There seems to be a method for their madness. And there are a lot of people who could possibly wind up in their sights. Marshall Baggins and TJ, the security team Vi hired for the event, are going to be very busy. Add the personal feelings of some folks that have an important reason for keeping their own history hidden.
All and all B.J. Daniels will have you relentlessly flipping through the pages of UNDER A KILLER MOON. The assortment of characters is as tantalizing as the plot. UNDER A KILLER MOON is a fabulous who-done-it and we are invited to watch the crime scenes as they emerge. Past and present. Note that it is at times difficult to distinguish the bad guys from the good guys. The lines are indeed blurred, as only B.J. Daniels can do with intellect, sassy dialog, and scenes. Once again, the character development is spot on.
Greed, pride, and blind ambition take center stage in UNDER A KILLER MOON. TJ and Leroy are inundated with folk easily dismissing any hints of danger. Which is unfortunately linking them. That is why it is referred to as blind ambition. Never truer than in this story.
That danger could be coming from any number of directions - a missing escaped mental patient with a vendetta against the governor, and a rapist intent on clearing his path to glory. The possibility that a townsperson might have met a deadly end. All are surrounded by a grand carnival event that has taken on a life of its own.
B.J. Daniels pulled out all her creative stops in this one. The threat of danger is behind every scene. There are only just so many law officials in this small town. And their work is certainly cut out for them. Another ingenious plot from a grand author who deftly takes us along for the ride.
A celebration becomes a crime scene with a killer hiding in plain sight…With the 125th anniversary of Buckhorn, Montana, on the horizon, it’s the job of straitlaced marshal Leroy Baggins to keep the peace during the four-day celebration. But his focus is distracted when private security owner TJ Walker arrives to help with the event. She's clearly someone who doesn’t play by the rules, a loose cannon who pushes him outside his comfort zone.Unlike the marshal, not much flusters a woman like TJ. Having once been a victim of violence, she’s worked hard to become specialized in her field and in protecting her heart. But this assignment is anything but ordinary. She didn’t expect this sudden attraction to Leroy—and she never could have predicted she’d come face-to-face with her attacker from years ago.As thousands of revelers descend on the small town, what TJ and Leroy don’t know is that a killer is among them and that they’re in the crosshairs. Forced to team up together, they’ll have to figure out how to stay alive when anything that can go wrong…does.Bonus novella!When the past comes knocking, Gertrude Durham will have no choice but to open the door—and her heart—in Before Memories Fade by B.J. Daniels.
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