Carolina Moonset by Matt Goldman

 Book Excerpt:

"Both suspenseful and deeply moving, Carolina Moonset is an engrossing novel about family, memories both golden and terrible, and secrets too dangerous to stay hidden forever, from New York Times bestselling and Emmy Award-winning author Matt Goldman.

With its palmettos and shrimp boats, Joey Green has returned to Beaufort, South Carolina, to look after his ailing father, who is succumbing to dementia. At the same time, his overstressed mother takes a break. Marshall Green's short-term memory has all but evaporated, but, as if in compensation, his oldest memories are more vivid than ever. As a result, his mind keeps slipping backward in time, retreating into long-ago yesterdays of growing up in Beaufort as a boy.

At first, this seems like a blessing of sorts, with the past providing a refuge from a shrinking future. Still, Joey grows increasingly anxious as his father's hallucinatory arguments with figures from his youth begin to hint at deadly secrets, scandals, and suspicions long buried and forgotten. Resurfacing from decades past are mysteries that still have the power to shatter lives—and change everything Joey thought he knew.

Especially when a new murderer brings the police to his door..."

Title: Carolina Moonnset
Author: Matt Goldman
Publisher: Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Forge Books
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"Carolina Moonset" by Matt Goldman

My Assessments:

A well-written story of what happens when Joey Green comes back home to Beaufort, SC, to help his mom and take care of his father, who is suffering from Lewy body dementia. We find Marshall-Green, who is suffering from dementia, has no short-term memory, but surprisingly he can remember things from years ago...a murder that took place over fifty years ago in this small town. The author did an excellent job describing the ups and downs of dementia. To Joey's surprise, his father started telling him stories that he hadn't heard of, his hallucinations and changing moods, often talking with people from his childhood. While this is going on, Joey also meets the daughter, Leela, of the neighbor next door when there is a murder that takes place a few blocks from where they live. Now, who had killed this Thomas Hammond, a prominent member of society whom his father Marshall had hated for so long. So why did the police now focus on Marshall-Green? There will be some interesting characters in this read that add an exciting flow.

I enjoyed how Joey's mom and the neighbors played matchmakers in getting Joey and Leela together. However, the teaming-up process showed that things were not as they seemed, as Joey had to prove his father's innocence and uncover his secrets. So how will this all turn out? To get the answers to these questions and more, you will have to pick up "Carolina Moonset' and see how it all comes out to the reader.

Be ready for many twists and turns before all this mystery, suspense, and the love story is worked out. The author does an excellent job at giving the reader a beautiful South Carolina setting with 'sways with palms and waves, boats, and beauty, the integument of love between races, unrequited love, a new love, and an old love' that comes together giving the reader quite a beautiful, and heartbreaking good read till the end. The 'Carolina Moonset' picture was also so beautiful; it explained how it was given to Marshall-Green and who had painted it.

Thank you, NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, and Matt Goldman, for the ARC.