I have a mixed experience with Sandra Brown — I really liked her last novel “Out of Nowhere,” but the one before it, “Overkill” wasn’t my cup of tea. I don’t recognize a particular style of hers (beyond interesting plots). Author Brown has been writing since 1981 and is credited with nearly 80 books. She’s been coy about whether co-authors are assisting. For “Blood Moon” I clearly had the vibe that it was written by a man. Either that or the author is *really* identifying with the psyche of a horny middle aged police detective (“she came and came and came….”) The serial killer mystery was enjoyable, but the immediate sexual attraction between the two main characters with a significant age disparity (detective John Bowie and TV producer Beth Collins) was never believable and, in audiobook form, sounded lascivious and awkward. Instead of moving the plot along, grumpy Bowie is distracted by the “half-moon shadows of her [Beth’s] breasts” rather than trying to prove Beth’s theory that there are other murders connected to one of Bowie’s old cases, which all occurred under consecutive blood moons. Like, just, ugh.

I had the opportunity to preview both the book and the audiobook read by Kyf Brewer. Brewer is a great narrator and put the emotion that was necessary into “Blood Moon.” Initially, it hard to tell who was talking when John and Beth were conversing (I’d really prefer a male and a female narrator in all audiobooks), but that was more the fault of the author who goes long stretches of closed quote paragraphs, where, even when reading it, you lose track of who is talking without an occasional “he said” or “she said.” Eventually, I came to prefer Brewer’s narration over the ebook. The plot was interesting enough to keep me engaged to the end. 3 stars for the book (get rid of Bowie’s sexual fantasies that were marginally requited by Beth), and 4 stars for the audio narration.

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Gray, brown and some impossible “smoky topaz” eyes, but no green ones.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO The local swamp gets adequately described with its cypresses, live oaks, and Spanish moss.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing, Hachette Audio and NetGalley for an advanced copies!

Standard Sandra Brown fare, which I like because I know it will be a dependable read. It is still always weird to me to have romance mixed with murder, but that's life, baby. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

There are authors that you depend on. The ones that you know when you pick up their books that you will read a good story. Ones with well rounded characters, plots that keeps you entertained and in the moment and leaves you at the end satisfied with the ending. And Sandra Brown is one of those authors. And Blood Moon is one of those books. It's dependable. It's well written. And some days those are the kind of books you need.

There’s a murder that has been solved but they don’t have the right person and this case has been bothering the detective for more than three years. New developments come to light with Beth from the TV shows talking about the girl’s murder. As they piece together what might have happened they involve more police departments around the south. This is a great book which will keep you guessing until the end.

As always Sandra Brown delivered.

I loved John and Mitch and how Beth
was a tough female character.

The Blood Moon was an interesting take on this murder
mystery. The story flowed and there was never a dull
moment.

You definitely want to read this story whether you are a Sandra Brown fan or not.
I have been a fan for over 30 years.

Sandra Brown does it again. She’s always dependable for a good time. Thanks for making this available today.

I have read several books by Sandra Brown, and she consistently delivers captivating narratives. Her novels are characterized by their rapid pacing and thrilling action. "Blood Mood" unfolds in the rural landscapes of Louisiana, where John Bowie, a disillusioned cop, grapples with the aftermath of a young girl's kidnapping and murder that was mishandled three years earlier. Meanwhile, Beth Collins, a young television producer from New York City, arrives in Louisiana to create a documentary about the tragic event. Initially, John is reluctant to engage in her project. However, as circumstances unfold, they join forces on a perilous journey to uncover the true killer. They face corrupt law enforcement and the dark secrets hidden within Louisiana’s swamps. I was eager to see how the story would resolve. Be sure to add this to your to-be-read list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC.
John Bowie was not happy with the investigation into the disappearance of a young woman. Beth Collin’s is the producer for a true crime series that produced an episode about that disappearance. Together they look for answers while putting their own lives in danger. Sandra Brown does excellent characterization in all of her books, this one included. The suspense and the romance keep the book moving at a nice pace.

Once I cracked open this book, I could not stop reading. I can see why this author is so highly regarded and rated. From the opening paragraph, I was riveted and powered through this one on a cold, dreary Saturday. What a perfect choice!

The characters jump off the pages with the vivid descriptions and action. The two main characters collide and the tension is both contentious and steamy. You know they are going to work perfectly together and they did. They are complex and determined. Simply Awesome.

This author has honed her craft masterfully and the reader is captivated with her intense situations and highly detailed plot that keeps pulling you in. The murder mystery is completely believable and reads like a true crime news story.

Blood Moon is definitely one you need to be anticipating! Addictive, intense, and sexy!

This was such a good book. I absolutely enjoyed it and look forward to reading other books by this author in the future. Great writing and wonderful storyline.

Blood Moon by Sandra Brown is a romantic thriller and suspense-filled in true Sandra Brown fashion. I enjoyed both the suspense and the romantic buildup. The characters were interesting and character development was great. The twists were well done and the story was wrapped up nicely. A good read overall.
Thank you, Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing, for giving me the ARC. All opinions expressed are mine.

Excellent story! I loved this book. John Bowie was a really interesting character who didn't want to let anyone in. He couldn't resist Beth though! I loved that this was a cop thriller along with a romance!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I thought this was a very good suspense! I do like Sandra Brown, I think her books are easy, exciting, quick reads. The characters had very good development and definitely made you like them or hate them. I recommend!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sandra Brown is always an author that I will purchase. I’ve been reading her books since I was a teenager. Blood Moon was a great read with a strong female main character. The tension between Beth and John was palpable. I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed but overall was a great read!

I am such a huge fan of this authors books and felt so lucky to receive an ARC from NetGalley. This story did not disappoint. The first chapter felt like a sling shot into the suspense that was ahead.

Beth is a producer for a true crime series, and she is determined to get an interview with the lead detective of a story that she is working on. John is the detective, and he is hanging by a thread. The story in question has haunted him because it is unsolved with no leads. John is resistant to engage with Beth, but he is soon learning that she is invested in the story, similar to his desire to solve the case. She has a theory that she wants to run by him and at first, it seems improbable, but the idea starts to connect some older cases together.

John is running into roadblocks, specifically with his supervisor. There is a secret that he wants to suppress, and John's getting close, and his supervisor will do anything to stop him. John and Beth are soon realizing they are on the right track as danger is following them and time is running out. The ending has a twist that in spite of the direction of the story, you did not see this coming.

The story is fast paced and difficult to put down. I love that!! The characters were flawed yet somehow fit. The Epilogue did not disappoint and left you wanting more.

Sandra Brown delivers a tense, fast-paced thriller that keeps readers on edge from start to finish. Blood Moon dives into the gritty depths of a small-town mystery with Detective John Bowie—a character who’s flawed, haunted, yet relentlessly determined. Paired with Beth Collins, an ambitious true crime producer, Bowie becomes entangled in a high-stakes race to uncover a truth hidden beneath layers of secrets and past mistakes.

Brown's ability to craft complex characters shines here. Both Bowie and Collins are authentic, layered, and dynamic, with an electric chemistry that adds another level of tension. The ticking clock, with only four days until the next blood moon, adds urgency to each chapter, making it almost impossible to put down. The eerie Louisiana setting and chilling clues make this a thriller that stays with you, even when you’re ready to turn off the lights. Fans of suspense will find themselves hooked from page one.

Beth Collins, a producer on a true crime show, gets more than she bargains for when she starts questioning the disappearances of women around the area whenever there’s a blood moon. Although it sounds ridiculous, the evidence proves otherwise. With the reluctant help from Detective Bowie, everything heats up and their lives are turned upside down. Full of twists and turns, police corruption, and sizzling tension, this book did not disappoint. Love Sandra Brown!

Great thriller. The characters are well developed and the setting plays a big part in the story. John is a great character but I never warmed up to Beth--she was pretty one-dimensional. The romance was not very believable. There's attraction and chemistry but it never seemed very emotional. Not everything is wrapped up in a pretty bow at the end but there's hope that the missing girls will have justice. I would definitely recommend this to fans of Brown and thriller/mystery readers. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

Detective John Bowie - like the knife and the street in Fort Worth, not like David Bowie - is about a frog hair away from being canned by the Auclair Louisiana Police Department. Beth Collins is a Dateline-style show producer who is also on the teetering edge of losing her job. So when these two collide down south over a case which had sent both their careers into dangerous territory before it’s of little surprise there is high tension, both in the bedroom and on the hunt for a killer.

That tension is something Sandra Brown specializes in and when I pick up one of her novels, as I’ve been doing for decades now, I know it’s likely to be a steamy and fast-paced conflict ride.

John Bowie is a typical Brown hero, in a good way. He’s pretty broken, a cowboy without a horse, in need of a good strong woman who will take none of his crap and also love him back to life. He also exudes that perfect mix of protective and possessive without crossing over into domineering jerk that other similar writers always seem to slightly miss the mark on.

Beth Collins is also a quintessential Brown-gal: smart and tough enough to hold her own, but also ready for a man like John to enter her world and take up the hard tasks too.

Often Romantic Suspense can veer into the territory of copaganda, where the badges are always the good guys. That is not the case here, as the dynamic between Bowie, his coworkers, and the corruption that is at the helm is always addressed plainly. The good guys win, as it should be, but not without exposing the dark underbelly that exists in law enforcement.

I ripped through Blood Moon in basically two sittings. The ride getting to the resolution, and the romance, was enjoyable enough it allowed me to hand wave around some aspects of the killer’s motivations I perhaps didn’t fully buy into.

The near ending held a bit of a surprise for me, but the true happily ever after ending was every bit as satisfying as I’ve come to expect from Sandra Brown’s fiction.

Fans of Nora Roberts’ recent romantic thrillers, along with Laura Griffin and Kat Martin will find similar vibes here.

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Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy. Expected Publication Date: March 4, 2025

A gripping thriller where an embittered detective and an ambitious TV show producer are in a race against the clock to prevent another young woman from disappearing before the next blood moon! Great read! I definitely enjoyed reading this one! It had great suspense, intriguing, action packed, murder, mystery, bad cops, good cops, fantastic characters, and a crazy who done it! The story was very interesting and had me glued to my kindle! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!