Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy. I really enjoyed this book. Although I felt the plot was a bit predictable, I found the writing to be compelling enough to make up for that. Story-wise, there wasn't a lot of new ground covered, and at times it reminded me of some parts of "The Passage." But I liked the characters, and thought they were nicely fleshed out. I could even see some of the characters returning, given the slightly ambiguous ending, and would look forward to another book, if another is in the works. I definitely recommend this book.

This book right here was incredible! I've grown bored with vampires over the years. This book sunk it's teeth in me from the start. 70s grittiness mixed loads of gore. Biker gangs, drug cartels, old western outlaw gangs. Blood thirsty vampires. Tons of them. Give it a chance.

Keith Rosson has a gift for writing violent, gritty horror that hits all the sweet spots. Coffin Moon is an excellent ride just as his previous books Fever House and A Devil by Name are. The story focuses primarily on the journey of Duane Minor and his niece Julia and the lengths they go to avenge the horrific losses they experience. I especially enjoy his fast paced storytelling style and personal take on the vampire genre. At this point he is an instant read author for me and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Duane Minor—newly retired Vietnam vet, newly sober, with rage ready to bubble over and nightmares that come almost every night—is back in Oregon helping his mother-in-law run the bar that was handed down to her. But an encounter with a ma—a dangerous man—named John Varley, upends Duane’s life forever.

The novel gives readers flawed but lovable main characters as they try to fight their way to a better life, a better being, regardless of the absolute shit of a past they have endured. Duane and Julia forever! And of course you can’t have good horror without a villain and our villain here, John Varley, is the one you love to hate; the one that commits the most vile, careless acts that you cannot look away from.

Coffin Moon is a terrifying, gritty, fun little blood bath, as any good vampire book should be. Revenge-fueled, intense, and really hard to put down. Thank you Random House for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Available Sep 09 2025

4.5 rounded up!
This was so dark and intense and impossible to put down. I had meant to savor this one and whoops, I read 70% in one sitting. Duane and Julia were such a team and I enjoyed their push/pull dynamic. A lot of the time I was struggling to empathize with Duane, especially when he was throwing his pity party and hitting the bottle. However, Julia's drive to get revenge had me frothing at the mouth.
I love an ambiguous ending so this one fit the bill perfectly for me. The way this story wrapped up was so perfect. I loved this journey and all of the stops in different timelines that we took. This story is definitely in one of my top vampire horror reads! Thank you, Random House for the ARC!

After delivering an apocalyptic and chaotic journey with Fever House and The Devil By Name, Keith Rosson returns with Coffin Moon—a bloody, violent vampire revenge tale that pushes boundaries and is everything you'd expect from his twisted mind.

It’s the winter of 1975, and Duane Minor, back home in Portland, Oregon, after a tour in Vietnam, is struggling to quell his anger and keep his drinking in check, keep his young marriage intact, and keep the nightmares away. Things get even more complicated when his thirteen-year-old niece, Julia, is sent across the country to live with Duane and his wife, Heidi, after a tragedy. But slowly, carefully, guided by Heidi’s love and patience, the three of them are building a family.

Then Minor crosses the wrong man: John Varley, a criminal with a bloody history and a trail of bodies behind him. Varley, who sleeps during the day beneath loose drifts of earth and grows teeth in the light of the moon. In an act of brutal retaliation, Varley kills Heidi, leaving Minor broken with guilt and Julia filled with rage. The two of them are left united by only one thing: the desire for vengeance.

As their quest brings them into the dark orbit of immortal, undead children, silver bullet casters, and the bevy of broken men drawn to Varley’s ferocity, Minor and Julia follow his path of destruction from the gritty alleyways of 1970s Portland to the desolate highways of the Northwest and the snow-lashed plains of North Dakota—only to have Varley turn his vicious power back on them. Who will prevail, who will survive, and what remains of our humanity when our thirst for revenge trumps everything else?

Keith Rosson delivers yet another dark, intense, and horrific novel with Coffin Moon, but this is far more than just a vampiric tale. Rosson also explores trauma and grief, giving us a story that is both haunting and profound. In a book that truly feels like a Rosson novel, Coffin Moon combines grit with a sweeping story, resulting in an unforgettable experience.

As this brutal story unfolds, we meet a unique cast of characters, including Duane Minor, his niece Julia, and antagonist John Varley. Each character is fully developed, with great backstories that seamlessly integrate without messing with the story's pacing. Rosson pulls you into their lives and doesn't allow you to let go.

Coffin Moon is intense and horrific journey from start to finish with really never a dull moment. The novel blends a raw, gritty story with moments of deep emotion, while exploring revenge and family. Rosson balances these elements, pulling us in with the emotional weight before plunging us into scenes of blood and violence. Each page turns into a extraordinary experience, keeping me hooked until the very end.

As previously mentioned, Coffin Moon is far more than just a dark vampire tale, I mean don't be mistaken—vampires are at its core. In the past, I steered clear of vampire stories, but not anymore. Recently, I've found myself drawn to books like Liz Kerin's Night's Edge (and First Light), Rachael Harrison's So Thirsty, and C.J. Tudor's The Gathering. Now, Coffin Moon joins alongside these incredible novels, breathing new life into the genre. These novels go beyond what might be expected in a vampire story, elevating characters, atmospheres, and settings a whole new level.

Keith Rosson delivers an unexpected, brutal, emotional vampiric tale that you can really sink my teeth into with Coffin Moon. The author, that should be a household name for horror fans by now, had me hooked from start to finish in a genre that is growing on me each and every new book I read. Coffin Moon is yet another must read from one of the best authors in horror.

1970’s, biker gangs, drugs, vampires, murder, revenge, regret, and gore….a recipe for your perfect horror novel.

Duane runs his in-laws bar after he and his wife Heidi take in their niece Julia who witnessed her mom kill her abusive step-dad. When Duane tangles with the wrong crew while protecting his families business, he unknowingly triggers a chain of events that leads Duane and Julia on a trip for revenge against a violent and evil vampire with absolutely no care for whose life he destroys.

A must read novel. The writing style took me a bit to adjust to, but it adds to the effect of the story. Keith Rosson’s words are raw and they really help the reader feel like they are actually in the head of the characters. 4.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC copy of this book! I LOVED it!

Set in the winter of 1975, Coffin Moon drops us off with Duane Minor, a Vietnam vet, as he navigates running a bar, raising his niece, and just holding it all together. After Minor crosses paths with John Varley, things get incredibly bloody incredibly quickly. There's a trail of bodies and tragedy, and Minor and his niece, Julia, set off to deal out their own justice.

As per usual, I am enthralled by Rosson's writing and characters. I devoured chapter upon chapter of this book in a sitting, and had to stop myself from reading it all in one go just so that I could enjoy it a little bit longer. Rosson set out to write a 1970s vampire novel, and he fully succeeded with this one. For the characters, Minor is a complex, traumatized man with ghosts haunting his every step, Julia is a child who has been so wronged by the world and yet won't let that stop her, and Varley is possibly the most brutal (and somehow most perfect) monster I've come across. I enjoyed my time with each of them.

The pacing of the story is where my only gripe comes in. At times, scenes were interrupted by information about a character's background or some past event; while this information did feel important, I sometimes wished it had been shared in another way. Overall, though, the story is punchy and gory and everything I have come to expect out of a Rosson novel. There are scenes here that I know will rattle around in my head for many moons to come.

Coffin Moon is bloody and gruesome, and I had a great time with it. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an Arc of this one!

Constantly on the lookout for good vampire books and this did not disappoint!

This is my first Keith Rosson book and I’m happy to say won’t be my last!

This is a plot forward book with great character work. Each character in this book pulls you right in. I thought the author explored grief as well as trauma from post Vietnam war very well.

There is lots of blood and gore as any great vampire book should be! Highly recommend if you looking for a summer vampire book that will keep you turning the pages!

This is good. Really good. Well written. Rosson should become a household name.
This quality isn't found all the time.
Dark and intense.

Thanks to Random House and net galley for this arc and a early chance to read this wonderful bloody tragic book

Rosson spins a great yarn. That’s easy to tell early on in any of his book this one though. Pick up this book!

A gripping tale about revenge and grief.

Minor is quite honestly a mess. A man who’s barely keeping it together. Almost knit together by a loving wife and a child that isn’t his but is his responsibility, only to lose almost everything.

Julia is a child. Full of anger and rage and bad decisions. She drives the plot forward and has agency that is so gratifying to read. There is something so exciting about reading a book with a minor female main character who’s not sexualized and gets to be both a child and a driving force that is so wonderful to read. I wish I could have read this as a young horror fan.

Varley is a monster equal parts horrific and pathetic. Selfish to a fault and still somehow Rosson makes him tragic.

Coffin Moon is a fresh take on familiar monsters and a treat for people who love plot forward and character forward books.

I cannot wait to buy a copy of this book.

When I read the synopsis for this, I knew I had to bump it to the top of my list. As a lifelong vampire fan (especially The Lost Boys) I was ridiculously excited to see how Mr. Rosson would put his own unique spin on the vampire genre. There was another vampire-based novel released last Fall that I was very excited about, but upon reading it, well, to say I was underwhelmed would be a gross understatement. Naturally I was worried about this happening yet again going into this novel, but boy was I wrong. I absolutely LOVED this story. I should mention that one thing I especially admire about this author isn't always what he writes so much as the way he writes. There's just something compelling about it I've never really come across with another writer, whether it be Stephen King or anyone else. It never gets dull, or boring. It's gritty, brutal. Real. It's constantly evolving and changing. Always fresh. I think that's one of my favorite things about Keith's talent, his ability to just immerse you in the world he's building. Vampires? Check! What's next? A Haunted House? New spin on witches? Personally I love cosmic horror and would kill to see what he would do with something Lovecraftian in the vein of At the Mountain's of Madness and The Thing (my personal favorite). Whatever it is, I'll read it.

Keith Rosson has done it again. This is such a fresh take on vampires. It’s a brilliant period piece. It’s violent, scary, funny, sad. This is a roller coaster of a book that really never lets up once it gets started. The characters in this book seep into your consciousness and it has a gritty, grindhouse feel to it while not feel exploitative or dishonest at all. This is a great one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Black Crow Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Duane Minor has finally found some peace after the horrors of the Vietnam War. He, his wife, and her parents are working hard to bring that same peace to Julia, his wife’s niece. But a late-night encounter with a hellbent trio upends everything, leaving Duane and Julia searching for vengeful salvation.

“Coffin Moon” is a brutal and bloody return to the violent vampire. But this book is more than just sanguinary violence. It’s an exploration of trauma and grief. It’s a tapestry woven from Rosson’s particular brand of imagery. It is sweeping, gritty, and wonderful.

Each character in this book is fully developed and engaging. They pull you into their storylines and don’t let you go. The backstories are so skillfully woven that they never disrupt the story's pace. Rosson has an incredible ability to weave history, which allows the story to breathe rather than simply having a character tell you their backstory.

This is a great read from start to finish. You won’t regret stepping into this world

What an interesting, bleak, and beautiful book. Taking place in gritty, grimy 70s Portland and on the road towards North Dakota, Coffin Moon rips your heart out no matter the setting. Fever House and its sequel were F-U-N--this book? Not so much. But, it's an engaging read, and I'm so glad I got a review copy. I devoured it in a couple of days. I actually came away wishing it was a bit longer at first..but then again, maybe it's the perfect length. Not an epic, end-of-the-world tale spread out over two books, but a shorter, sadder story full of violent revenge and fateful choices.

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC! And to Keith Rosson for quickly becoming my favorite, local author.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

OK. So. Jesus. This book….

I just discovered this author last year with the FEVER HOUSE duology and quickly fell in love. (Those books are amazing, seriously, he’s got a fan for life from those alone.) So of course I had to pounce on the chance to read this ARC from NetGalley.

Whereas I found the FEVER HOUSE books “fun” (in my own twisted way) - they were frenetic, rock-and-roll, apocalyptic, chaotic - this was just… quietly beautiful, I don’t know. For a while anyway… it’s absolutely peppered with glorious bursts of violence and gore you’d expect from a Rosson vampire story.

In 1970s Portland, Duane has custody of his niece, runs a bar, is a generally good-but-troubled guy. The kind of guy you root for. One of the most sympathetic characters of all time… If this means anything to anyone, I haven’t felt for characters this much and this quickly since MURDER ROAD, which was the last time I was just fucking instantly rooting for characters.

So anyway, it’s a book about vampires, sure, but about family and revenge and grief and… ugh. It was perfection. I generally don’t compare authors, but if you use that to gauge if you’d like something, this is like the best of Paul Tremblay, S. A. Cosby, Stephen Graham Jones, and the afore-mentioned Simone St. James. They all had this glorious baby.

As a bonus (?), I absolutely tortured myself by reading this during the week, when I had to work… and kept having to stop at the most inopportune parts. I’d be wallowing or sitting on a cliffhanger for hours. It gave me such delayed gratification, and I truly can’t decide if that was a great move, or the worst thing to ever happen to me.

This book was just emotion-wrecking perfection. Can’t wait for more to come.

Sometimes an author just isn’t a good fit for your taste. And that’s ok.

I like vampires. I like the 70’s. I like revenge-fueled violence and superfluous brutality. But there’s something about the way in which this tale was told that didn’t meet me where I’m standing.

Rosson is clearly a beast on the keyboard and will continue to make noise in the genre, deservedly so. This is the second book of his I read that just didn’t resonate with me.

I was really engulfed in the first quarter of the story. I loved the atmosphere, the setting with the bar below the apartment, and the relationships between the family. In fact, I loved it so much that that’s what I what I wanted the story to be. I wanted to see the family dynamic play out amidst conflict and disarray. I wanted to see more of Duane and Heidi’s relationship. I wanted Julia to emit chaotic teen energy, driving invisible wedges between family members, only to realize the depth of their love and re-ingratiated herself. I wanted mother and son-in-law drama to test marital strength. I wanted all of this set within a horror-tinged plot, with vampires and other blood thirsty creatures impinging upon those familial connections.

But, I got none of this. The story went a completely different direction, and one I didn’t particularly love or find compelling. The revenge lust lost its luster at some point about halfway through for me and I could never get beyond it.

I’m very appreciative for NetGalley and Random House’s willingness to give me an advance copy for an honest review. This one just didn’t reach me at the right time in my life.