"BLOOD ON THE MOON is the third novel of James Ellroy and has been published in 1984.
First book of the Lloyd Hopkins trilogy that established Ellroy as a first class writer, BLOOD ON THE MOON is the story of the encounter between Hopkins and a serial killer who has murdered dozens of young women in the Los Angeles area during a 20 years period.
Lloyd Hopkins is so good at analyzing the motivations of the killers researched by the L.A.P.D. that he has been given a great liberty in his work. He has a personal office and can count on Dutch Pelz, a friend and one of the big bosses of the L.A. police.
Lloyd soon forgets his wife and his three little girls and spends his whole time trying to figure out the next moves of the "Poet". BLOOD ON THE MOON is fascinating and was one of the first thrillers presenting a psychotic serial killer.
A must."
Daniel Staebler, Resident Scholar
"In 1964, a high school senior is beaten and raped by two of his bully classmates, and a 23-year-old National Guard private is called out to quell the Watts riots and ends up shooting a rogue cop. Eighteen years later, in 1982, their lives intersect: one has become a serial killer of young women and the other a career detective with the LAPD. This is the first of three Lloyd Hopkins novels from early in Ellroy's career: Hopkins is a womanizing cop with a fabulous intuition and the record-breaking arrest record that goes with it, but his wife and three daughters move out as he becomes obsessed with finding the "Poet" who has killed and mutilated nearly two dozen women over two decades. The plot is a little pat, the villain's motivations strain credulity, and he AND the hero are too perfect, but most of the characterizations and interactions -- particularly between Hopkins and the various women in his life -- are strong, and as always, Ellroy concocts an irresistable plot."
David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of Blood on the Moon
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
How difficult to spot villain?
- Story partially from villain's perspective
Time/era of story:
- 1980's-1999
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 70%
Special suspect?
- chronically deranged person
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- character killed during/after sexing
Kind of investigator
- police procedural, American
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- feelings towards family/friends
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 20's-30's
- 40's-50's
Eccentric/Mental:
Yes
Eccentric:
- obsessed
- emotionally unstable
How much violence does he/she use?
- just the right amount
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- bulging muscles
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- killer
- small businessman
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an average amount
Motive of antagonist
- revenge
- insanity
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- California
City?
Yes
City:
- Los Angeles
- Dirty, dangerous (like New York)
- dangerous
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- very gorey references to deaths/dead bodies and torture
How many deaths?
- 8 or more
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- descript of kissing
- touching of anatomy
- orgies
- lesbians!
- actual description of sex
- descript. of breasts
- descript. of other female areas
- descript. of male nudity
- homosexuals doing their thing
- rape (yeech!)
Unusual forms of death
- asphyxiation
- poisoning
- dropped from large heights
- diced
- decapitated
- perforation--bullets
- perforation--swords/knives
- blunt clubbing (like seals)
Unusual form of death?
Yes
Amount of dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
