Under a Raging Moon
Frank Zafiro
Wolfmont Publishing
Reviewed by Barb Radmore
Under a Raging Moon is the latest entry into the police force as a
family genre. It is a character driven book that follows the
activities, police and personal, of a city police squad. In this one
the men and women of River City are terrorized by a robber who is
striking small, convenience stores, becoming more and more violent with
each attack. The uniformed team of professionals is under pressure to
solve the crimes and catch the guy as he becomes more and more daring
and out of control.
Zafiro shares the identity of the robber with the reader early on so is
able to fully develop his history and motivation. This adds greatly to
the depth, understanding and reality of the story line. The characters
of all the players are being sketched into life in this introduction to
the cast. It is a group of people you hope you will continue to meet in
future adventures. They come across as real representatives of
law enforcement as they deal with gang members, family violence,
routine, and not so routine, calls.
The staccato pace of the novel is enhanced by its format of very
short paragraphs- 12 lines is one of the longest ones
contained in the book. It adds to the feel of action and contributes to
the feel of a chase as they close in on the bad guy. It also makes it a
reader friendly book, one that is easy to pick up but not as easy to
put down.
Under a Raging Moon is the first published book in a planned series in
The River City Novels. Heroes Often Fall, the second one, is planned
for publication in September 2007, but by a different publisher. There
are many more plots in the pipeline of Zafiro's imagination for
the folks of River City.