After returning from Vietnam, Duane Minor is doing his best to leave the past behind and build a new life with his wife, Heidi, and their adopted thirteen-year-old niece, Julia. But one night, while working at the bar, his world is destroyed when he crosses paths with John Varley–a powerful man who sleeps during the day and thrives on blood at night. In the aftermath of a devastating loss, Duane and Julia embark on a quest for vengeance. But as they close in on John Varley, do they have what it takes to bring down a monster or will they become his next victims?

This book was dark, gritty, and impossible to put down! Set in 1970’s Portland, it had a chilling and uneasy atmosphere and it’s a great book to read on a dark and stormy night. Duane and Julia, though deeply flawed, were incredibly compelling characters. Haunted by their pasts and driven by a shared need for revenge, I loved how their relationship was central to the story– these characters will stay with me for a long time, even the sinister John Varley.

If you’re into vampire novels, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this one! It’s bloody and gruesome at times, but what’s a vampire story without a little gore? This was also such an emotional and heartbreaking story and the author touched on some really heavy and thought-provoking topics- grief, guilt, trauma, addiction, and the all consuming nature of vengeance, no matter the cost.

If you’re looking for a modern day vampire novel filled with supernatural elements, revenge, justice, and family loyalty, definitely consider reading this one!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this book!

This book was very well written, but it wasn't for me. The pacing was great, and the characters were well-written. While I did read this in one day, the story commands attention, but I did not care for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

A compelling, gritty vampire tale steeped in blood, grief, and vengeance. Coffin Moon doesn’t hold your hand or spare your feelings. It rips you open and dares you to look.

Set against a vividly rendered 1970s backdrop, the story feels as authentic as a primary source. If you’d told me it was published in 1975, I wouldn’t have questioned it. The coarse, grungy, masculine energy works superbly well here.

We follow Duane Minor, a Vietnam vet plagued by nightmares and drowning in alcohol. A traumatic event makes him and his wife the guardians of his niece, Julia. For a brief moment, they find peace. Then, a brutal act of violence shatters everything. What follows is a slow-burning bloodbath, as Duane and Julia chase a monster… well, a man. Or maybe both.

The story leaves you asking:
🩸 What makes a monster?
🩸 Is revenge ever righteous?
🩸 Can trauma be inherited like a curse?

Rosson doesn’t tread lightly. He doesn’t flinch. This book explores addiction, grief, PTSD, vengeance, and love in their rawest forms. Every character is complex, deeply flawed, and morally unmoored. Duane and Varley mirror each other. Both men are out for revenge, both broken in ways that echo across the page. Even Julia avoids the “tragic child” trope; her pain is real, rough-edged, and fully realized.

The supernatural elements are just barely that. The vampirism feels possible; less fantasy, more folklore lurking under the skin of everyday life. It’s grim, gritty, and oddly grounded. You finish the book wondering if maybe, just maybe, they are real.

The ending isn’t happy. But it’s earned. And honestly? Anything else would have felt like a lie.

⸻

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. I will be sprinting to get a physical copy of this one. BRB—diving headfirst into Fever House.

If you've had your fill of vampire novels, pick this one up because... no, you haven't. Rosson has a talent for putting new energy into or reviving genres that have been oversaturated for ages (I'm talking about you, Fever House) and Coffin Moon is his latest revival.

Seriously, check it out.

If you love complex characters that push things into over drive and stay there, making their way across the states a vengeance-filled road trip in order to kill one nasty vamp, this one is definitely for you.

This book was everything I was hoping it would be for a Keith Rosson vampire novel! Repeat Rosson readers can expect the same immersive world building feeling as the Fever House series that immediately draws you in and keeps you invested and beautifully written, multi-layered characters.

Duane Minor is a Vietnam veteran who came back from the war changed but is trying his best to stay sober and level headed for his wife Heidi, in-laws that he’s working for, and newly added to his care niece who’s already been through some shit, everything is working out just fine until a biker gang rolls through the family bar looking to sell drugs. When Duane gets involved in trying to put an end to it his life takes an unexpected turn and now his biggest problem is the man who took everything from him- only the man isn’t just a man but a vampire, which he finds out via Polaroid while trying to prove his innocence to the cops.

Duane and his niece, Julia, are then (against police order) on the hunt for the vampire no others seem to want to mess with, John Varley. The year and a half long, cross country search brings character changes and takes them to lows Duane never could’ve imagined, all while trying to do “the right thing” by his wife and family’s memory.

Coffin Moon was unputdownable, exhilarating, and devastating. A complete work of art and new favorite. Easily the best vampire novel I’ve come across, I cannot wait to purchase it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Keith Rosson for the opportunity to read it early.

This was a fast paced, fantastic vampire book! It was graphic and the horror level was perfect. I loved it. The setting in the 70s had such a good vibe. The characters were so well written too. Thank you!

Coffin Moon by Keith Rosson is a noir-tinged novel that follows Vietnam veteran Duane Minor and his niece Julia as they embark on a vengeful journey after a brutal murder tears their family apart. As they pursue a mysterious and supernatural killer, they encounter strange horrors and must confront the emotional and moral cost of revenge.

This was definitely one of the more original books I’ve read lately. It reads like a dark fever dream, with a surreal, haunting atmosphere that lingers throughout. While this isn’t my usual type of read, I found the story interesting and intriguing.

3.5 stars only because it was not quite for me

The first thing that caught me in this book was the beautiful prose, Rosson has a very visual, metaphorical writing style which draws you into the story and the characters. The book brings the dark streets of 70s Portland alive. I was on the edge of my seat in the first half of this book, after which the pace picks up very quickly. The violence and gore ratchets up suddenly to 100, and those portions were just not for me, though a seasoned horror novel fan would probably enjoy it more.

There are lots of questions in this book about guilt, trauma, and what it means to get revenge, though it more hints at those questions than asks them; and is more interested in giving you a pulpy neo-noir vampire story that will leave you wanting to keep the lights on at night. From a genre perspective, this is a great book, Stephen King meets James M Cain.

Coffin Moon takes a minute to get going, but once it starts firing, it runs full throttle to a devastating, bloody, furious conclusion. There are vampires here, sure, and they are brutal and terrorizing. But this is really a tale of two road trips, following not only Duane and Julia, the so-called heroes, on their quest to seek vengeance, but also John Varley, the villain who ruined their lives. Woven into this revenge story is an absolutely wrenching account of a young girl whose life is punctuated by loss, and the family she desperately tries to hold onto despite the constant crush of violence that hangs over her.

The chase and the action is great; this story is unflinchingly gory and doesn't pull any punches. But the things that will stick with me are the surprising emotional elements. We never get the sense that Rosson is apologizing or justifying anyone's behaviour, but he illuminates everyone's decisions in such a clear way that even when you don't agree with what these people are doing, you understand why they're doing it. Coffin Moon is propulsive, captivating, and runs to its almost inevitable conclusion with the force of a freight train.

This book was insane! It was so intense. Is 2025 the year of the vampire? One can only hope, but Keith Rosson definitely has solidified his place in vampire fiction. This is not a story that you should miss! I highly recommend it.

This is my first book from this author and it was written really well, I would rate this a 4/5 it’s pretty grotesque the horror scenes and from a queasy person there was times I would skim those parts and just want to say, YUCK!
This is a true horror book and if you’re a fan of monster books or love horror and even vampires this is up your alley! I had no clue it was about vampires and was surprised, my favorite characters were Julia and Heidi, Duane was ehhhh I think the fact a 13 year old was braver than him was shocking.
I would recommend this book and this author and I’m so thankful for NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book.

First off thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for the arc.

I don't really get to plot heavy in my reviews because you can read the summary yourself and make a decision that way. I would only get into something if the description was misleading in some way.

While I haven't been a Keith Rosson fan a long time, I am all in and will most likely read whatever he publishes. Rosson's easy going style is apparent in Coffin Moon, as you are immediately in Minor's world, what he's all about, the struggles he carries, and how he beings to struggle with his ideas of right and wrong. In fact we spend a lot of time with Minor before there is even a hint of vampires. And well since I'm writing this during pride month, a gay vampire!

The story reads a little bit like you were watching a limited series on a streaming service. We have chapters from different character perspectives, then we get background histories of those characters. There are minor characters that pop in and out, but are very memorable, or your big name guest actors in a show. Any character could die at any moment, etc. This is my observation, neither bad nor good, just a feel. Also should this ever be picked up for series I would totally watch.

I also couldn't help but think of Salem's Lot by Stephen King, maybe because both take place in the 70s and in a smallish American town. There are a lot of differences too though. Some vampires are not absolute shits when they turn. Besides our big bad, a lot of the vampires we meet seem to have retained a lot of their humanity, which for me was something new and an interesting development.

I certainly think you should read this book! There are suspenseful/creepy moments, and some truly horrific/violent images. And frankly the novel leaves off with room for a sequel should Rosson decide Minor has more story to tell.

This is a dark and exciting revenge story set in the 1970s.

Duane Minor is a Vietnam vet home from his tour and trying to pick up he pieces. He is working in his mother-in-law’s bar, trying to repair his marriage to Heidi, and helping to raise Heidi’s niece Julia, who they now have custody of.

John Varney, a vampire with a lust for blood and mayhem strolls through town, entering the bar during the nights. There is something about him that Minor doesn’t like and learns very quick that he shouldn’t have messed with Varney. In retaliation for crossing him, Varney brutally murders Heidi, leaving Minor and Julia lost without her.

With their despair bringing them closer together, Julia and Duane set off on a revenge path that will alter their lives forever. Uncovering beings and other people they never knew existed, they find themselves part of a world unrecognizable to them previously.

This was full of suspense and bloody madness. This was part suspenseful thriller, part paranormal horror. And the two go so well together. I adored the unlikely duo of Minor and Julia and how they grow as family. This is dark and gory… and so much fun.

This is my first book from Rosson and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I plan to check out some of his previous works. I’ve only read a handful of books with vampires in and this one felt a bit different and that was refreshing.

Set in the time of the Vietnam War, which impacted the setting and the mental health of the characters. It created a setting that felt bleak and despairing. The characters had so much depth with flaws yet still maintained the importance of family. This book was emotional and unsettling at the same time. The chapters are short, which kept me reading “just one more” until I flew through a large portion in a short time.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read this book. I am writing this review based on my own opinion.

An absolute adrenaline rush!

Intense and horrible (in the best way), Rosson solidifies his place as a horror rock star with this one! Vampires are back in a big way and this is not one to miss!

A haunting masterpiece; a vampire story that feels deeply human. Coffin Moon covers morality, redemption, loss, and rage with a masterful subtlety. The writing is cinematic, heavy with atmosphere and evoking a sense of stillness and dread all the way through. This is a beautiful story of violence, love, restraint, loneliness, and survival. An absolutely unforgettable, devastating read.

Coffin Moon is a wonderfully crafted story that really digs into the meat of what family means, and the lengths that MC Duane will go to in order to keep his close. Deeply atmospheric, with echoes of both Interview with the Vampire and Let the Right One in, I was rapt and tense throughout, wondering how the tragic protagonists would ever reach a satisfactory resolution. Descriptions of carnage wrought by the Big Bad are visceral and stomach churning, a real delight to read!

If you're a fan of vampire stories layered with historical fiction and emotional depth, Coffin Moon is not to be missed. Keith Rosson delivers a haunting, beautifully written novel that manages to be both eerie and unexpectedly heartwarming.

The character work is outstanding. Our narrator is richly developed. He is deeply flawed, yet achingly human in his tenderness and vulnerability. His internal conflict adds a compelling emotional thread that elevates the horror beyond blood and shadows. And the villain? John is one of the most chilling antagonists I've read in a while. Complex, despicable, and disturbingly charismatic! He's the kind of character you’ll love to hate!

Rosson strikes a perfect balance between horror and humanity. This isn't just a story about vampires, it's a story about grief, memory, identity, and the messy intersections of love and pain. It’s terrifying in moments, but also strangely comforting, like being wrapped in a dark fairytale.

I couldn't put this book down, it’s just that good. If you’re looking for a vampire novel that’s as emotionally resonant as it is chilling, Coffin Moon delivers on every level.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Keith Rosson, and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

I won't say that Keith Rosson is the next Stephen King. Not because he isn't talented(he is very talented) is just that saying is becoming very tired and not really fair to anyone. But as for the future of horror I hope there will a lot more of Keith Rosson.
When I heard about his new book was 70's era vampire novel I jumped on Netgalley and found it and Netgalley was kind enough to give me an early copy. Keith Rosson took the vampire novel and didn't exactly do anything new to the genre but definitely made it his own. There is everything in this book. Mr. Rosson did more with 320 pages than some authors do 700 plus pages

This book was the perfect mix of gruesome and poetic. Duane is a Vietnam vet trying to get his life back together while being hunted by and hunting vampires. I loved every minute of it.