My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Some of the most fun I've ever had while being completely freaked out!
Blame It On The Moon by Lou Pugliese is an entertaining contemporary ghost story, modern-day mystery, and cold-case murder investigation, combined with a delightful romance, puns, witty banter, and dad jokes. With a great cast of characters trying to reveal the secrets of an old, haunted house, I was completely absorbed by the story and entertained from start to finish.
The main character is Richard Eugene Craft. In his 60s and the last of the Craft family line, he owns the family home, a pre-Civil War farmhouse in Arlington, Virginia, with a reputation for strange goings on. Since the death of this wife and only child, Richard has struggled to begin writing a planned novel and dealing with the odd occurrences of possibly paranormal phenomena at the house. He meets Audrey when he signs up for her paranormal research class at the local community college. I loved Richard's awkward charm and quick wit, complete with puns and dad jokes at the ready. Audrey, though, is a kindred spirit, and their banter is lively and clever. The author's ability to insert pop cultural references into their quips at just the right time had me laughing out loud. The dialogue sparkled.The plot follows Richard's and Audrey's efforts to discover what is causing the weird happenings in the house: lights turning on and off, the sound of a basketball pinging off the rim or backboard of a hoop, disappearing food, and the apparition of Tom, a former freed slave who lived at the house at the time of the Civil War. However, while they successfully reach âthe other side,' they uncover more mysteries than answers. The history of the house and the original builder of the home, Dr. Richard Eugene Craft, is mesmerizing, and the experts the current Richard consults are interesting and well-developed secondary characters that really complement the cold case and historical investigatory aspects of the story. I was completely freaked out by Audrey's late-night encounter on her first night in the house, and it still gives me the willies when I remember that part of the story. Who exactly was the visitor? However, I was well satisfied with the findings and resolution of the rest of the book's mysteries.
I recommend BLAME IT ON THE MOON to mystery and thriller readers, especially those who enjoy paranormal themes and ghost stories.I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.
