As a precursor to '77 Shadow Street', this novella does everything right to wet the readers appetite for the full length novel. In this world, Crispin, a 12yr old boy who comes from a unique and shocking childhood lives on the street with his faithful dog Harley (Crispin's brothers namesake). It is through chance he meets a rather mysterious young women on the streets and quickly forms a bond. While 'The Moonlit Mind' is a mash up suspense-horror, it's primarily a character driven story with spooky elements thrown in.

Theron Hall is inhabited by cult-like occupants whose satanic rituals place Crispin and his kin in grave danger, surviving those horrific days led to his life on the streets hiding in plain sight of his evil mother and her dangerous partner. Broken into two distinct stories, the pre-street life at Theron Hall and the post with Harley and Amity, 'The Moonlit Mind' accomplishes quite a lot in a short word count. For a novella, this had the hallmarks of a tightly plotted full length.

I particularly enjoyed reading about the creepy servants of Theron Hall (especially Crispin's nanny) and the enthralling story behind the sudden disappearances of his brothers and sisters. Koontz did a great job at rounding out the story in an ending sure to capture the imagination of any reader by which Crispin's ghosts are confronted head-on with the result conforming to Koontz' usual high standard. 3 stars.