Blood Moon

Unambitious, easy-going Donny Cannon had pretty much all he needed in life until the day partner and best-friend Michael Morrissey's Cessna light airplane dropped out of the sky, and it all fell apart. It soon transpires that Morrissey's death was no accident. In fact, he was murdered by a gang of marijuana growers, and for some mysterious reasons the sheriff's department is evincing little enthusiasm for investigation. Urged on by the dead Morrissey's beautiful sister Meagan, Cannon reconstructs the crime. Set in lush Sacramento Valley, this thriller follows a well-worn California tradition in pitting the hero against an entrenched local power structure. Unfortunately, Conner's combination of overheated prose and slow narrative pacing provide a tiring read. (September 4)