In Coffin Moon, set in the winter of 1975, Duane Minor returns home to Portland, Oregon, after serving in Vietnam. Struggling with anger, guilt, and the haunting memories of war, Duane is also grappling with the tension of keeping his young marriage intact and his drinking under control. His life becomes more complicated when his thirteen-year-old niece, Julia, is sent to live with him and his wife, Heidi. Despite the strain, Duane, Heidi, and Julia begin to form a fragile family, with Heidi’s love and patience guiding them through.

But Duane’s life takes a dark turn when he crosses paths with John Varley, a dangerous criminal with a bloody past and an unnatural power—he sleeps beneath the earth by day and grows deadly teeth by night. In a brutal act of vengeance, Varley kills Heidi, leaving Duane devastated and Julia consumed by rage. With only revenge to unite them, Duane and Julia embark on a perilous journey to track down Varley, moving from the gritty streets of Portland to the desolate highways of North Dakota, encountering undead children, silver bullet casters, and other men drawn to Varley’s terrifying power.

Keith Rosson’s gripping book is more than a supernatural thriller about vampires—it is an exploration of family, revenge, grief, and the devastating effects of vengeance. Duane is a character you cannot help but root for—one of the most sympathetic figures in recent memory. His emotional journey, paired with Julia’s transformation from a grieving niece to a relentless seeker of justice, makes Coffin Moon a powerful, heart-wrenching read.

Rosson’s storytelling is masterful, keeping readers on edge with suspense and delivering a truly satisfying payoff. Coffin Moon is a perfect mix of horror, drama, and emotional depth, leaving a lasting impact long after the final page is turned.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

I loved the premise of this, but unfortunately it was a DNF for me. The writing is excellent but it's just too gritty and raw for my mood right now (mostly due to the world being as it is!). I've no doubt it'll find its audience, as the setup seemed great - like a more vengeful 'Near Dark' - and I'll likely return to it in future. Will update a public review if I do and finish. Many thanks and apologies.

After a series of life changing events, Duane and Heidi seek their revenge in this vampire horror story.

The pace was good, and the story was well thought out.

Set in the 70s following(during?) the Vietnam war, a string of disappearances and murders might be more connected than originally thought.

How far would you go for vengeance?

SYNOPSIS:

Set (mostly) in 1970s Portland, Coffin Moon follows barkeep Duane Minor, a Vietnam vet struggling with PTSD nightmares.

Those nightmares bleed into his days when a gang of bikers force their way into his establishment, led by a hulking vampire named John Varley.

Worse, Duane has an adopted teenage niece to care for, and Varley’s more brutal than your average bloodsucker…

RELEASE DATE: September 9, 2025 (but you can pre-order now)

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

REVIEW:

This one will pull your heart from your chest, play your arteries like a harp, then tear out your throat too, just for the fun of it.

What I’m saying is: Coffin Moon is good. Really, really good. Amazing, in fact.

It’s Stephen King at his best good. It has Uncle Stevie’s sense of place, his emotional intelligence, and - most of all - his villainous brilliance at immersing his readers in simple, straightforward, abject terror.

Example: There’s a sequence in here, in a Children’s Museum, that feels like one of those ‘70s paperback covers come to life. You know the ones. The scary ones.

There’s another moment, where a very minor character, a one-scene character, is handed one of the best metaphors in the book, on a dirty bathroom floor. Utterly meaningless in the grand scheme of the plot, beautiful for no reason.

You will live with these characters, you will love them, you will scream at them to make different choices. You’ll experience a profound sense of sadness when you reach the back cover, and you’ll press your hand against it, because that’s what you do when you want to remember something.

I give Coffin Moon a universe of stars. [five, if you’re being pedantic]