BURNING MOON : A Wil Hardesty Novel - Hardcover

Barre, Richard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1592660118 ISBN 13: 9781592660117

Publisher: Santa Barbara, CA, U.S.A.: Capra Press, 2003, 2003

Synopsis

As a Vietnamese man suffers the loss of his son at sea in a fierce storm, investigator Wil Hardesty, also dealing with the death of his own son, takes the case when the man expresses concern that his death was not an accident.

About this title

Review:

Richard Barre just won't let the past rest in peace. Like Ross Macdonald, one of his literary influences, he concocts modern detective tales in which the crimes are connected to, and disastrously complicated by, historical events.

Burning Moon finds Barre's Southern California surfer-turned-private eye, Wil Hardesty (introduced in the Shamus Award-winning The Innocents ), being hired by a Vietnamese refugee and fisherman, Vinh Tien. Vinh is sure that the disappearance at sea of his son, Jimmy, and Jimmy's pregnant girlfriend wasn't accidental, but can be blamed on their association with Vinh's younger brother, Luc, a "free-living, free-spending," and perpetually shadowy businessman. The case is convoluted enough on its surface, placing Hardesty in the middle of a family feud that may have contributed to Jimmy's death, and now threatens to propel Vinh's rebellious daughter into Luc's clutches, as well. Yet on top of all this are Luc's possible links with rivalrous Asian gangs; allegations that Jimmy cooperated with ATF agents against his uncle; and the revelation of Vinh's having once fought with the Viet Cong--a fact that, while troubling to Vietnam War vet Hardesty, positively enrages the local citizenry after Luc is murdered and Vinh becomes the prime suspect.

No less than the Tiens, Hardesty wears his history like a hair shirt. The surfing mishap that claimed his only son long ago, the dissolution of his 20-year marriage and a spiraling descent into the bottle--these things still weigh heavily on his mind, making him an easier target for clients in distress. "In a sense," the PI explains, "[saving people is] what I am. Depending on who you talk to, it may be all I am." Of course, not everybody wants to be saved, including Hardesty's accountant ex-wife and one of his oldest friends, who regular Barre's readers will recognize from an earlier series installment, The Ghosts of Morning. Burning Moon ignites slowly, as its underappreciated author outlines the cultural dynamics that are essential to this tale and reintroduces Hardesty (last seen in 1999's Blackheart Highway). However, Barre's vivid but economical prose and strong character development eventually make this Moon shine. --J. Kingston Pierce

About the Author:

Richard Barre was born in Los Angeles and raised in California. One of his books, The Innocents, is a winner of the Shamus Award for best first P.I. novel; another, Burning Moon, made the LA Times best-seller list. Prior to writing crime fiction and short stories, he was a copywriter and creative director at his own advertising agency and wrote and edited travel publications. Currently, he is also the associate publisher at the newly- revitalized Capra Press in Santa Barbara, where he lives with his wife, Susan.

About this edition

• Publisher: Santa Barbara, CA, U.S.A.: Capra Press, 2003
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1592660118
• ISBN 13: 9781592660117
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 348