Full Moon, Bloody Moon: A Chase Dagger Mystery

Author Lee Driver returns with the second in her series starring mysterious private investigstor Chase Dagger and his Native American shapeshifter associate Sara Morningsky and scarlet macaw Einstein--Full Moon Bloody Moon. This entry finds them with a more gruesome case as the bodies keep piling up, but no logical suspect can be found. Lisa was a really good cop, a quick and accurate shooter. So, it was a real surprise when she was found dead along her regular jogging path with her gun still holstered and with the safety still on. The other surprise was that she was found twenty feet up, stuck in the V of a tree branch. Of great import to this case is the rarity of the combined occurrence of a full moon on a Friday the 13th. The story takes place during the five days leading up to Friday, October 13, 2000, when it is believed that the killer will attain his greatest level of power during the upcoming full moon. Meanwhile, Chase and Skizzy are also working on a case involving weapons thefts from a local police station. Skizzy's invention of the "Mick," a mechanical spider-shaped surveillance camera, provides much of the intrigue in this subplot, which otherwise feels much like another day on the job. Things really take a turn in Full Moon Bloody Moon when it is discovered that the killer can communicate with Sara through the telepathy that, until then, the reader had thought that only she and Chase could share. Is the killer a shapeshifter, too? Chase's ability to overhear their conversations causes his pragmatic worldview to begin to crumble. Able to accept Sara as a shapeshifter, because that was how he discovered her, the idea that there are more is almost too much for him. And the closer he comes to a solution, the more it seems that the killer is something that Chase is not entirely prepared to deal with. The sexual tension between Sara and Chase continues building, with their friends invariably making comments to Chase about questionable situations. These are still some of the most intriguing characters in fiction, and any male reader is undoubtedly going to want to be Chase and want to be with Sara. Their relationship is an engaging combination of sibling and romance that succeeds because of not engendering any untoward feelings whatsoever. I'm becoming as comfortable with these people in just two books as I did Ed McBain's 87th Precinct crowd. I can only hope that Lee Driver exhibits McBain's longevity. Add to that her skill at writing epilogues that make me want to begin the next book immediately (in this case, The Unseen), and what we have is a terrific fantasy mystery series that deserves bestseller status.

FULL MOON BLOODY MOON is the second Chase Dagger mystery; the first was THE GOOD DIE TWICE. Chase Dagger is back, but this time he will need more than luck to catch a killer that has been around for more than 200 years.... Knowing that Oct. 13th a Friday was not even here yet, the worse was yet to happen. FULL MOON BLOODY MOON has the same unconventional and fetching characters as THE GOOD DIE TWICE. Einstein the bright red macaw that has a big mouth, Chase's right hand woman, Sara, Simon the mailman who knows everybody's business. Padre and Skizzy are also back as well as some new characters. FULL MOON BLOODY MOON is a ferocious horror-filled ride that will stick with you well after you have finished reading the book. Mixed with sex, violence and plenty of fast paced action. I hung onto every word. Lee Driver (aka S.D. Tooley ) you have done it again, keep up the good work.

S. D. Tooley affectionately refers to her alter ego, Lee Driver, as her dark side. Dark side certainly describes the evil that walks the streets of Cedar Points, and the imagination of the author who creates such horror. With a knack for the unusual, Driver again creates a masterpiece of the macabre and the fantastic in FULL MOON_BLOODY MOON. Her secondary characters are fully realized creations of originality reflecting the fantastic elements of the story. This skillful author continues to fulfill my exceptions for the unexpected, and I look forward to the next. As an aside, while I keep hoping Chase and Sara get together, the delightful dodging of the issue certainly helps to add tension to the novel. Very highly recommended!

Chase Dagger is back in this second outing from S.D Tooley - and he is even better this time. I am thankful that I started reading this book on my lunch hour. Had I started it at night I am sure that I would have had to try to sleep with my eyes open. The descriptions of the victims last moments still give me the shivers. Read this book on a night when the moon is full, then draw your curtains and try to sleep.

On the eastern edge of Cedar Point, Indiana live two unique humans (Chase Dagger and Sara) and a brilliant parrot appropriately named Einstein. The trio lives in a mausoleum in the middle of 300 acres of reservation land. The eighteen-year-old Sara is a Native American with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or a hawk while Chase is a more mundane but discrete private detective. Only Chase has lived to see her change into a wolf because any other observer is killed in order to protect Sara.Chase's current case centers on stolen armaments taken from a police evidence room. With the help of a mad inventor, they have constructed a spider looking machine that transmits pictures to whomever is on the receiving end of the transmission. However, a second more personal investigation drops into their laps as a rash of brutal murders occur that leans towards an evil shapeshifter on a rampage with knowledge of Sara's existence. Chase will do everything to keep Sara safe from a deadly killing machine seeking to absorb her power through her death.This fantastic mystery series contains elements of fantasy and horror that are fully interwoven into the who-done-it story line. This leads to a cross appeal audience who will fully enjoy FULL MOON, BLOODY MOON. The enthralling tale includes dynamic appealing charcaters, fast-paced action, and the humorous antics and energy of Einstein. Lee Driver cleverly uses the lighthearted antics of the parrot to ease some of the dark tension that almost overwhelms the reader with gloom. Fans will anxiously await more novels in what appears to be a winning series.Harriet Klausner