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The Man in the Moon

A Lindsey Scott Mystery by Tom Tancin

The Man in the Moon by Tom Tancin

Review: Tom Tancin introduces Detective Lindsey Scott in The Man in the Moon, a serial killer mystery. Although Scott works out of Washington D.C., she is called all over the country to solve crimes that seem to be unsolvable. She is a divorced woman with two children who live with their father in Northampton, Pennsylvania. The story takes place in and around Pocono.

Twelve students have already been killed. The first two were found at the bottom of the lake locked in their car; the coroner concluded they accidentally drowned. The next four (two couples) were found on the grounds of a local college campus in the apple orchard near the biology lab. They had eaten toxic berries, although investigators could find no berries on the grounds. The next three couples were found shot to death in the field where the yearly October Harvest had been. No gun or bullets were found anywhere in the field. These crimes have nothing in common yet reflect a serial killer at work. The "solver of the unsolvable", Lindsey Scott is brought in but before she cracks the case, eight more students are poisoned.

The identity of the serial killer in The Man in the Moon, dubbed the "man in the moon", is obvious from the earliest pages, so the appeal here is in the investigative process. The clues to the pattern of the murders are quite clever and Tancin's narrative keeps the story suspenseful. The most significant problem with the book is in the character of Lindsey Scott and the introduction of her dysfunctional family that detracts greatly from the story. Scott's dedication to her job may be admirable, but her lack of love or interest in her children is appalling.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Man in the Moon.

Acknowledgment: Tom Tancin provided a copy of The Man in the Moon for this review.

Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved

Location(s) referenced in The Man in the Moon: The Ponconos, Pennsylvania

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The Man in the Moon by Tom Tancin

The Man in the Moon by A Lindsey Scott Mystery

Publisher: Destifire Books
Format: Trade Paperback
ISBN-13: 978-0-9797635-0-2
Publication Date:
List Price: $12.99

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Page Author: Lance Wright
Site Publisher: Mysterious Reviews

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