Bad Moon Rising

The Pine Deep Trilogy, Book 3

By: Jonathan Maberry

Narrated by: Tom Weiner

Length: 17 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

A new master of terror reigns supreme, and in his most horrifying novel yet, the clash between good and evil explodes in an apocalyptic showdown few will survive.

From a funfest to a bloodfest….

Each year, the residents of Pine Deep host the Halloween Festival, drawing tourists and celebrities from across the country to enjoy the deliciously creepy fun. Those who visit the small Pennsylvania town are out for a good time, but those who live there are desperately trying to survive.

For a monstrous evil lives among them, a savage presence whose malicious power has grown too powerful even for death to hold it back. Only a handful of brave souls stand against the King of the Dead and a red wave of destruction. Daylight is fading, and a bad moon is rising over Pine Deep. Keep watching the shadows.

Jonathan Maberry is the multiple Bram Stoker Award–winning author of Ghost Road Blues, the first of a trilogy of thrillers with a supernatural bite. A professional writer and writing teacher, he has sold more than one thousand articles, seventeen nonfiction books, six novels, and two plays.

Keep chilled: listen to more in the Pine Deep trilogy.

©2008 Jonathan Maberry (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“One of the best supernatural thrillers of recent years.” (John Connolly, New York Times best-selling author)

It all comes together in Book 3!

Well, having invested several weeks listening to Jonathan Mayberry drag the reader through a rough first volume in Ghost Road Blues, and begin to mature as both a writer and storyteller in Book 2, Dead Man's Song, he finally hit his stride in Book 3 of The Pine Deep Trilogy, Bad Mon Rising. Not only is the plotting much more fluid but the overall storytelling has greatly improved since Book 1, and Mr. Mayberry throws every gruesome thing he can come up with at the reader as he brings all the warewolves, vampires of various kinds (including the zombie-esque "dead heads") and some new characters that liven up the storyline into the mix to make for a much faster paced and much, much more entertaining end to his trilogy of novels. I've beat on Mr. Weiner, the reader, in the previous two volumes' reviews for his stilted way of interpreting the story and it's characters, so I feel obliged to give him props in this final book as he seemed to have gained a better idea of how to read horror fiction. Again, fair warning: when I used the word "gruesome", I meant it. Even for horror fiction, which I've been reading since my youth, I don't think I've read/listened to a more overall dark and bloody story than Bad Moon Rising, not even in all the zombie fiction I read. No readers, this one is downright, well, gruesome! I hope that one day Mr. Mayberry will revisit Pine Deep now that his writing abilities have found their stride in the horror & thriller genres represented in the Joe Ledger series. So if you have made it through Books 1 & 2 of The Pine Deep Trilogy, you will be rewarded with this final installment. Just don't listen while eating. Never while eating.

Maberry does it again..Excellent!!!

Would you listen to Bad Moon Rising again? Why?

Yes- characters are intriguing and story is compelling.

What other book might you compare Bad Moon Rising to and why?

You know that is really hard... I like the fantasy/sci-fi/horroresque novels and the way Jonathan writes and the characters he develops are very unique! I just like his style!

Which character – as performed by Tom Weiner – was your favorite?

Malcolm Crow of course!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Jonathan does such a good job with his character development that I found myself getting internally angry with Ruger and Vic Wingate!

Any additional comments?

Great book... I highly recommend the Joe Ledger series!!!

Awesome

Great series, crazy even - Jonathan at his best!!!! I wont be a spoiler, but WOW

love this series

This series delivers, from the excellent narration, to the amazingly interwoven story line through all three books. I could not stop listening and left me hoping for more down the line.

Best horror series

EVER!! I LOVED every moment, conversation, and thought in this story! If you love horror, some gore(not much, but some), a mixture of people some amazing, crazy, evil, funny, absolutely lovable characters... where their story takes place in a small farm town haunted by MANY things... then you’ll LOVE this book!! This is my #1 favorite series now.. who’d of thought I’d find it in audibles “free” section!! Book 1 was great but books 2 & 3 just got better and better. Just Use that credit and take a journey with Crow, Val, Bone Man, & Mike

Great finish!!

By the end of the 1st book I was appalled that it was written(not realizing it was the beginning of a trilogy), I was left hurt and upset that such a good book had the worst cliffhanger ever! But immediately saw and download the rest of the trilogy! And oh goodness this last book was hardcore! Great story and character development, narration was wonderful to listen too and the it was just a good listen! On to the short stories of Pine Deep!

Bad Moon Rising

The Pine Trilogy consists of three novels, Ghost Road Blues, Dead Man's Song, and Bad Moon Rising. This review addresses all three. In unabridged audiobook format, these stories are each between 15-18 hours of listening, all released in the summer/fall of 2011 by Blackstone Audio, and are narrated by Tom Weiner.

Plot. The Pine Trilogy takes place in modern-day Pine Deep, a rural town with a local claim to fame of being haunted with zombies, werewolves, and sundry ghouls of the night. Folks travel far and wide to visit the town, the souvenir shops of bloody fangs, dead rats, scary masks, or take a ride on a haunted trail in a haywagon. Halloween is a huge draw. No secrets to give away, but ... it is bereft of legends and the bad guys are real. The town fights back through a never-ending, bloody mess. If you're into the macabre, drooling, blood drizzling down walls or your shirt front, shooting with abandon even at ghoulish children, cockroaches and slugs falling out of eyes or ..... well, enjoy.

Liked. The storyline is good. We're dealing with creepy characters and good guys. To get the most from the series, start with the first book, Ghost Road Blues, as the characters and story traverse all three books. It's a horror story, hide behind the sofa, leave the lights on terror. Book three is the best, the story and writing improve. The narration is fine, no issues. Nice research into the mythology of werewolves, vampires, et al.

Not so hot. There is grizzly and brutal abuse throughout. Children become ghouls/zombies and get blown to smithereens as do hundreds of people. Women are sexually brutalized and beaten. A teenaged boy is particularly victimized. Some characters you begin to like are turned into heinous vampires, etc.

Recommend for lovers of horror stories and the stomachs to handle some extraordinarily gruesome scenes.

Most Unusual Take

I read/listen through The Pine Deep Trilogy every Fall. I start the end of September and finish by November 1st. If you’ve read them you know this is the fictional time span of the main story. It’s one of the ways I enjoy my favorite season. I have done this now for many years. It’s the most unusual story of its genre I’ve ever read. It centers mostly around a group of early to late middle aged adults, and a teenager. Being mostly about adults, that in it’s self is a most refreshing aspect. That and the clear distinction that The Monsters are MONSTERS!!!! I’m sick to death of the misunderstood anti-hero lazy writing. Without clearly Evil Villains, there’s no clear Heroes. Mr. Wiener is an EXCELLENT voice actor. Mr. Maberry was my favorite fictional author until he brought his real world politics into his Ledger series. They eventually became needlessly insulting of a great many of his readers. Myself being one. If you by slim chance read this Mr. Maberry, entertainment is an escape from the REAL World. Leave your personal slants out of it, please. Regardless of that, I’ll always enjoy this trilogy. I believe you would too.

Climax of the Trilogy! lights, camera, Blood.

Finally, the conclusion to the pine deep trilogy. The first two books left alot of open questions, here is where they are all answered. Great job Mr Maberry.

Great series

Great characters. Great story. Development of story was really fun. A journey you’ll be glad to take.