Hunter's Moon by Don Hoesel

With his grandfather dying, author C.J. Baxter heads back to a place he hasn't been in over 17 years - home. The power hungry Baxter family and their home have been sitting atop Franklin County’s highest point for over 200 years. Their goal to become as powerful as the renowned Irish-American Kennedy clan only succeeds as far as the town of Adelia. Even though he has become something of a hometown celebrity, C.J. isn't welcomed by his own family. However, once he is there, Adelia, N.Y. seems like a good place to escape from a failing marriage, bad book reviews, a probable lawsuit and possible arrest. After being attacked by his older brother, Graham, C.J. decides he can be as ruthless as his family and determines to reveal the deep, dark family secrets. Risking much, he begins to write an expose'. Graham Baxter is running for Senate and in his grab for power the last thing he wants is for C.J. to write about his transgressions. Graham, his father, and his campaign manager struggle to keep C.J. quiet in order to save the run for election.

Hunter's Moon is the second novel of Don Hoesel. I completely enjoyed reading this captivating mystery! The suspense in the novel kept me reading late into the night, and the outcome was completely unexpected. The Library Journal is quoted on the cover saying, "This intelligent drama will appeal to readers who enjoy stories about...the faith that guides one through life." With that, I disagree. There was very little faith mentioned in the book - C.J. is a new Christian struggling to forgive but you really don't see his character seeking God to direct his many decisions. However, the book is a great read and I look forward to reading more from Don Hoesel.
Thank you to Bethany House for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.