Cold Moon over Babylon

Valancourt 20th Century Classics

By: Michael McDowell

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Welcome to Babylon, a typical sleepy Alabama small town, where years earlier the Larkin family suffered a terrible tragedy. Now they are about to endure another: 14-year-old Margaret Larkin will be robbed of her innocence and her life by a killer who is beyond the reach of the law.

But something strange is happening in Babylon: traffic lights flash an eerie blue, a ghostly hand slithers from the drain of a kitchen sink, graves erupt from the local cemetery in an implacable march of terror. And beneath the murky surface of the river, a shifting, almost human shape slowly takes form. Night after night it will pursue the murderer. And when the full moon rises over Babylon, it will seek a terrible vengeance.

Cold Moon Over Babylon, the second novel by Michael McDowell (1950-1999), author of Blackwater and The Elementals and screenwriter of Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas, is a chilling Southern Gothic tale of revenge from beyond the grave that ranks among his most terrifying books.

©2015 Valancourt Books (P)2016 Griff Furst

Best audible listen to date...

There are only two other audio books that I would rate as high as this and both of those were fully dramatized so I don't know if they could even be compared. And if you knew anything about me you would know how extremely picky I am when it comes to choosing my next credit. I wouldn't have even seen this title had I not spent the better part of an hour surfing through the sea of suggested reads. I am soooo glad I did.

Scott Brick couldn't have been a more perfect fit as narrator. I won't claim to love every thing he's read so believe me when I say what a great job he did with this. He has a knack for smoothly separating dialogue from story. I never had to guess who was speaking which kept me deeply immersed in the story.

As far as the story itself, it swallowed me like quicksand. I haven't been so involved in what happens since Stephen King's "Cell". The storylines are nothing alike, but the prose was so aptly done it kept me glued to my seat. I felt myself truly caring about these people because it was almost as if I knew them, like I was right there in the midst of the drama.

I dont want to give away anything by going into details of what happens. Half of the fun is going in blind... but I highly recommend buying this book, you will not be sorry.

Eerie but always feels like home!

McDowell always puts me at a kitchen table surrounded by wonderful, kind, and gracious Southerners. I love the communities he creates and I always enjoy losing myself in them in the books I’ve read by him thus far. His stories are so engaging. Especially this one! Not the biggest Scott Brick fan and it almost prevented me from jumping on this book but I’m glad I did. I was locked-in for sure! Blew right thru this. Really good story. Suspenseful, freaky, and even funny at times, this is a credit you’ll be happy you used.

At last! Michael McDowell on Audio Book!

If you could sum up Cold Moon over Babylon in three words, what would they be?

Excellent Southern Horror!

Who was your favorite character and why?

All of the characters made the story. I had no one favorite.

Which scene was your favorite?

Any scene where Nathen got what was coming to him.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Horror on the Styx!

Any additional comments?

At last, some of Michael McDowell's books are on Audio! I fell in love with the Black Water series by the same author and hope they are destined for Audio as well. I also read the paperback version of The Elementals but ordered it on Audio anyway. Downloading it now!

Bravo!!!!

Anytime I find a book narrated by the lovely Scott Brick, I know I'm in for a real treat and this book did not disappoint! Check out the author's 30 hour listen called Blackwater. This is a fun little universe akin to Stephen King's universe.

Disappointed

I've enjoyed it be books by McDowell. However, I found this one disappointing. It did not have the satisfying plot.