So much speculative fiction sounds like a ridiculous patchwork of over-the-top scenarios, to the point where you can’t recruit readers new to the scene by telling them what happens in a book. The real test is what it’s about underneath and, arguably more important, the style and tine in which the story is told. Coffin Moon is no different. To those who read the genres, I can tell you this story involves a Vietnam veteran seeks revenge on the vampire that killed his wife.

To those who think this sounds cheesy (and so what if it is?): Rosson captures daily life and grief beautifully, with introspection that isn’t pure navel-gazing, and does it with prose so gritty and poetic, somewhere between hardboiled and Western, in a work that is unequivocally Americana.

Warning: never underestimate a teenage girl.

This book is really something special.

I don't want to say too much about the plot because I think it's best to skip the blurb and go in blind. All I would say is it is a bleak and brutal but also beautiful story about revenge and grief with vampires.

Rossen has a way of writing characters that are deeply flawed but you still understand them even if you don't agree with their decisions, and sometimes even truly evil characters that you hate but you still want to see what they'll do next. At the end it's the relationships between all the characters is what makes it really special. Even the characters we meet for a chapter or less made the world feel so vivid and made me want to know more (one of my favorites was an interaction with a cowboy vampire that I couldn't not picture as Sam Elliot).

Thank you to Netgalley and Black Crows Books for the ARC

I could not put this book down once I began, I was hooked from the beginning. The story begins by pulling you into a family dynamic that you immediately invest in, and then their (and by default, your world), is turned upside down. The story takes you on a journey that you don't expect, and the horror and suspense are at once gripping, terrifying and absorbing.

This was a brutal story, many points where I could not stop reading because I needed to see what happened next. Julia does the unthinkable and Duane takes steps he’d had never resulted to without her decisions. A fresh take on a vampire story with unique lore and relatable characters driving the story!

The characters have depth that give you a reason to care. I love the way the story builds up the characters with a bit of mystery that unravels as the story gets deeper. The quest of vengeance includes some of the most brutal acts as the story reaches its end.

I really like Keith’s writing so there is probably a bit of bias here but the only complaint I have is that it would’ve been nice to see more of what Julia and Duane went through went Julia first made the leap and perhaps more of their chase. The resolution is satisfying but I crave more. Feels like there could be more story here, but would be a good ending if there isn’t another book cooking.

Having pre ordered a copy and audiobook, I can’t wait to relive this story again when it releases!

Thanks to Netgalley and Black Crow books for the ARC

Simply incredible, Rosson has a grasp on making complex characters and knows when to lock them in the pressure cooker. My elevator pitch for this would be "No Country For Old Men" meets "Let The Right One In" and can stand toe to toe with both books.
The world and mythos were well crafted and did a great job of making the book so hard to put down. To me the hallmark of a truly special book is if I am not able to stop thinking about it when I'm not reading and this book definitely delivers

This was the first time I read a book by this author, so I cannot compare this book to his previous ones.
What I can say is that even though this is a 'classic' vampire horror story, the author brings something different to the lore.
It starts out very dramatic and slow, but it is necessary for character's development. And the 3 main characters are very well written, realistic and even relatable.
There is drama, romance, grief, revenge, action, gore and a conclusion that can feel bittersweet for most readers. I personally loved it.
If you like vampire stories and appreciate characters' development, you should consider picking this book up.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Random House, for providing me with a free eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

absolutely different from any horror story i've ever read!

the initial tone and premise of coffin moon sound like a very fun slasher horror movie, but what the reader actually gets is a dark, raw and honestly pretty emotional story of family and trauma, and what darkness lurks in our world both in a supernatural and non way. the writing is direct and very descriptive, and kept me really engaged, even if the story itself lends itself to a fast, breakneck read just to see what is lurking behind the corner; i had to take breaks just for my emotional sake cause i was getting all misty eyed. for a horror!! the first big death - and scary scene - got me like a punch to the gut even though i knew it was coming cause it's in the blurb.

overall a very enjoyable read that plays on tropes but subverts all at the same time, and shows us how scary the world is beyond the classic horror. i wasn't a huge fan of some story beats, so it's not a full five star, but definitely worth the read!

thank you to netgalley and random house publishing for the arc!

I have enjoyed all of Keith Rosson’s previous novels and had been anxious to sink my teeth into this one, so I was delighted when presented with the opportunity to get my mitts on an advance copy. It’s always fun trying to adequately describe to someone what any given Rosson book is about (Unicorns! Reincarnated Joan of Arc! An evil severed hand!), but COFFIN MOON is essentially straightforward: a Vietnam War vet and his niece are on a mission of vengeance against a powerful vampire in 1970’s America.

Whereas the premise is straightforward, in Rosson’s hands what we get is a luxurious modern literary horror. Textured and complex characters propel the story ever-forward. They are richly detailed, tortured souls whose thoughts and actions strike no false notes. You believe in these people. And detailed as they are, it is skillfully done without needless bloat; it is taut and sharp.

The world they inhabit is equally vivid. When I heard it was a vampire-hunting story that takes place in the mid-Seventies, it evoked a very specific aesthetic in my mind. The book did not disappoint. Rosson has created an immersive, grungy world that is grounded and real. The settings effectively paint a picture, and cranking up the sense of dread.

A book such as this with excellent characterizations, pacing and tone could still very easily not hit its mark if it were saddled with inauthentic dialogue. It is hard for me to pick just one facet of this book that I find the strongest, but the way Rosson writes dialogue is a pure pleasure. Great dialogue is deceptively difficult to get right. Having characters speak in a way that is genuine and real is a massive skill that Rosson deploys sublimely.

The result of all this is results into one hell of an exceedingly entertaining, locomotive tale. I raced through this book, compelled to keep finding out what happens next. I referred to the book earlier as “literary horror” and I feel that is apt because of Rosson’s beautiful writing. The word choices. The structure of his sentences. The style is like a sumptuous stew of pulp and high-art, and it is very satisfying. Oh, and it gets bloody, too. Violently so. You would naturally expect a vampire tale to be bloody, but there are some set pieces here that...well, you’ll see.

I highly recommend this book.I had already pre-ordered the hardcover version before I received this advance copy and I look forward to reading again when it is released this Fall.

Not your usual vampire book! The gore and scares are there, but there’s also an emotional story that will stick with you. Strong characters, great and suspenseful plot, as well as exceptional writing made this an easy five star for me and an incredible addition to the vampire subgenre. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read!

Dark, dangerous, and surprisingly moving and emotional, Keith Rosson's "Coffin Moon" delivers a solid, well-executed tale of supernatural revenge that follows a Vietnam War vet and his adopted daughter as they roam the U.S. in search of the vampire that killed their wife and mother.

The strained relationship between this father and daughter is central to the story, and its evolution through the novel is at times heartbreaking and triumphant, tender, and sinister.

The book also follows the antagonist, a vampire who, when introduced, is tearing through the criminal underworld for his own gains. Like any good villain, John Varley is layered and imperfect and fascinating to follow and learn the history behind his turning from human to vampire in the early 1900s.

The portrayal of vampires relies on many well-established tropes, but the idea that vampires are a lurking subspecies hidden just below the surface of humanity with a disjointed community is interesting, and Keith Rosson throws in enough new abilities and surprises to keep things mostly fresh.

This novel is very much recommended for vampire lovers, horror heads, and revenge enthusiasts. Solid characters and heavy emotions anchor a tragic and touching story of the things we do for the ones we love, even if those things ultimately cause greater suffering.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the advanced review copy!

This was an easy 5 stars.

Duane does his best to settle back into life after the Vietnam War with his wife, her parents and their niece who has come to live with them after experiencing her own traumas.

This story will pull at your heartstrings and hit you with shock and gore all at once. A vampire story so unlike any other vampire story I’ve ever read. This book gripped me from the start and I couldn’t put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC for review!

Coffin Moon is the story of a war vet trying to make a comfortable life for himself and his family when things get upturned by a vampire. It's a story of trauma and love and revenge.

You already know I love a Keith Rosson novel but he still managed to completely crush it with Coffin Moon in new and unexpected ways. I knew early on this was going to be a five-star read for me but decided to reserve full judgement until I got to the end of the novel and now I can tell you without reservation that this is a front to back five-star read. There were no parts of it that ever deviated from getting this rating.

Right off the bat, I loved the characters that Rosson created. No matter how small the role the character played in the story, it was obvious that he put a lot of thought and effort into creating three-dimensional and well-rounded characters. He made it easy to care about them, to hate them, to be scared for them.

A book with great characters can still be a highly rated book for me even if the plot wasn't the best, but that wasn't a problem with this novel, either. The story felt perfectly paced and well thought out. Sometimes when a story jumps back and forth in points of view or in time it can be disorienting or disappointing, especially when I want to keep following the character from the previous chapters. But each piece of this story was so compelling and so interesting that I was never disappointed when we jumped timelines or jumped points of view. From the first pages to the last I never wanted to put this book down.

And a final note on the subject of this book - Rosson is also just a damn good writer. There were a few turns of phrase in this book that had me pausing to reflect on just how good he is at stringing together a beautiful or powerful sentence. It almost made me mad how good it was.

All that to say, just read this book. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks to Keith Rosson for writing this, to Random House for publishing it, and as always to NetGalley for being the vehicle with which I received this ARC.

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!