Welcome to Hell.

Yes, Breton, Virginia is Hell on Earth where all the criminals and murderers are placed to face their demise at the hands of Vampyres: the judges of morally right and wrong.

I have to say after having just finished this novel, I found myself speeding through the rest of the pages to read the Epilogue - and I need to know what happens next.

This was a delightful take on the Vampire genre. And as a good fan of Vampires, I have to say, [a:Ronald Andrés Moore|7112784|Ronald Andrés Moore|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1370047389p2/7112784.jpg]'s Vampyres are a fresh take on, what I feel, Vampires have always been at their core: Creations for a purpose beyond themselves. Whether it be to take blood for the sake of surviving, or, in this case, existing to dish out justice to those deserving of it (and sometimes not).

Which leads me to the colorful cast of characters. Here we have a vast (and I mean vast) collection of characters that fill this claustrophobia-inducing novel with their differences. Even the town itself is a character, a low hanging cloud of amnesia hovering just above its mostly derelict buildings.

I don't want to give too much away, so I won't, but our heroes vary greatly from an amnesiac Vampyre named Michael, to a cast of (IMO) fiery orphans who have known nothing but their existence in the stifling town, to a renowned Vampyre Hunter with numerous tricks up his sleeve, an assassin, and two English Gentlemen, not to mention the various women that take up the fight to the soul suckers.

At its core NOCTURN is a tale. Simply put. A riveting tale of that morally gray area we humans always seem to dwell within. It asks the question, "What would happen if we got rid of our criminals and placed them within a town away from the good?" And it answers that question with a roaring romp through darkness, blood, and gore. Those that created this town are the wrong ones, but we can hardly spare a feeling for them because we're so swept up in the varying characters's dilemmas as they come to terms (slowly) with the fact this town that always exists in one year, is not all it appears to be. (But we feel rightly justified when everyone wakes up and takes the fight to those in charge.)

The baddies in NOCTURN are a slew of Vampyres, many of which, I'll be honest, I can't name right now, but I do remember Isaac, Rurk, and of course, Ruthven, a brilliantly crafted Vampyre that has lived far too long - so long he's let his power corrupt him to the point he's oblivious to any notion of humility - it's not for him, you see.

There's so much I can say about this novel, from it's origin of the Vampyres (they're Nephilim), to the different fantastic creatures that all descend from mothers of ancient (dark) lore, to the awesome characters, and the world that existed in this one town.

Mr. Moore has created a riveting tale that I believe any fan of Vampires (they're vicious, just like I like 'em), historical fiction, claustrophobic horror, suave Van-Helsing-type Vampyre Hunters, and the little orphan inside us all will enjoy greatly.

I greatly await the next installment in this series. Mr. Moore has crafted the Vampire story I didn't know I wanted to read. But I do now, and that's all that matters.

Keep your bite, Mr. Moore.
You're a blessing to the Vampire genre. ( )

Thanks to Harper Muse and NetGalley for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This absorbing historical mystery takes place in Australia with a dual timeline of 1880 and 1911. Both timelines feature adventurous and brave young women: eighteen-year-old Evie Ludgrove lives on a ranch in The Hunter Valley region of Australia in 1880. Thirty years later young Lettie Rawlings travels from her home in Sydney to the same ranch where her Aunt Olivia lives, driving her late brother’s Model-T. Evie is also Lettie’s aunt, and has been missing for 30 years. After arriving, Lettie gets caught up in the family mystery of Evie’s disappearance. She hopes searching through old papers and articles in her late grandfather’s study will uncover clues as to why Evie disappeared and possibly settle an ongoing family feud.

I liked the independent and strong women characters – Evie, Lettie, and Aunt Olivia. Evie is the cartographer of the book’s title; Lettie confidently drives and repairs her car (in 1911!); while Olivia is running the family’s horse ranch entirely on her own. All are affected by loss and grief, especially Lettie and Olivia who “carried the same pain. A pain that would never go away, should never go away. Because love and loss hurt.”

The first portion of the novel moves between Evie’s narrative and Lettie’s, and the story becomes more detailed as the mystery grows. While the book includes a printed representation of Evie’s map, the author does an excellent job of describing it so that I could picture it in my mind.

I liked the way the author provided clues to the mystery of Evie’s disappearance as Lettie uncovers them, including the map, artifacts, memories, and even a slight supernatural element.

I didn’t want to put this one down. I recommend this Australian historical mystery with a bit of romance and a satisfying ending. ( )

Story of two cousins 30 years apart living at Yellow Rock farm. One of the cousins disapeers without a trace and the other cousins tries to find out why. ( )

A fascinating historical mystery set in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales in Australia. This is a family saga with mystery, secrets, and romance interwoven with historical exploration in a narrative presented in dual timelines of 1880 and 1911.

1880 – Evie Ludgrove is the youngest daughter and eagerly used her artistic skill to create a map of her home and stories her father has shared. Called to her father’s office she is given the assignment to complete while he is in Sydney arranging his older daughter Miriam’s wedding. At first jealous of her sister, Evie is excited by her father’s confidence that she can organize his field notes, journals, and letters. When Evie’s father returns they will create a comprehensive book together of the full and true story of explorer Ludwig Leichhardt.

1911 - Letitia Rawlings is the daughter of Miriam and is traveling to the estate at Yellow Rock. Letitia will tell of the loss of her brother Thorne to Great Aunt Olivia Maynard. But spending time in Yellow Rock begins to reveal more about Letitia’s family than she could have ever possibly imagined.

When I am reading Tea Cooper’s writing I am immersed in her atmospheric and lyrical writing. I referred to Evie’s Map multiple times while reading the novel and each time I was led through the description to focus on a particular area of the map there was a new detail that I would have otherwise missed and enhanced my overall reading experience. As the story unfolds the reader takes a journey with the characters. On the journey, the reader simultaneously wants to turn pages quickly to reveal the mystery and secrets and yet in some ways never wants the story to end.

I encourage all readers to take the time to read the Historical Note at the end of the novel that unfolds its secrets of the historical facts that became the inception for weaving the facts with her creativity. It’s a beautiful tribute to early cartographers. It was quite a surprise to learn that most were women but men received credit as husbands signed the maps in family businesses.

Book Club readers will appreciate the author's provision of Discussion Questions at the end of the novel. ( )

Moving between the 1880 and 1911, this is the story of a family who ranched in Austria. Evie, the youngest daughter of a man obsessed with an explorer who disappeared in Australia, is determined to find out what happened to the explorer. She disappears and is never found. Now in 1911, her niece, with a Tin Lizzie and spunk, comes to visit her Great Aunt Olivia. Her mother wants Letitia to inherit the family ranch and commands her to visit and ingratiate herself with her aunt. Letty becomes engrossed with her missing aunt and is determined to find out what happened to her. Of course, she falls in love with the ranch and falls in love with a local cowboy. Readers will know what the conclusion is long before the story ends, but its still a satisfying story as the family rift is finally ended. ( )