Moonlit Massacre

by James Cooper

In the summer of 1978, six employees of a Sirloin Stockade buffet restaurant found themselves forced into a walk-in freezer during a robbery, then executed, leaving no witnesses. The shocking events and resulting nine-month, nationwide manhunt left a deep scar in the psyche of Oklahoma City residents and served as inspiration for a new novel coming this October by English Professor and OKC City Councilor James Cooper.

Moonlit Massacre, Cooper's debut novel, draws inspiration from one of Oklahoma's most notorious crimes as well as other unsolved murders in the same time frame to knit together a story of a community gripped with fear. Rather than focus on the assailants, Cooper explores a young city rocked by tragedy.

208 pages, Paperback

Published October 17, 2024

Reviews

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading an advance copy of Moonlit Massacre, I’m excited to say I have a new historic fiction favorite. This is an important story by an important new author. It is a triumph!

[Spooky Little Book Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will definitely be buying a physical copy as soon as this book comes out! It’s not a typical historical fiction nor is it a typical slasher. While based on true murders from the late 70’s in Oklahoma, the focus is more on the characters and setting rather than on the assailants. It was a really unique setup that I appreciated.

There’s commentary on racism, religion, homophobia, and alcoholism. It also features a diverse cast of characters who you really get to know as the story unfolds.

The author did a great job setting the scene. It felt like I was there. Having grown up in Oklahoma, it was so cool reading about places I’ve actually been. I can confirm, this book fully portrays life in the south. I also loved seeing the movie and music references and I thought the literary references were clever.

The pacing took me on a roller coaster. There are slower parts as you get to know the characters, their lives, and their struggles. Then when it picks up, it REALLY picks up with very tense, heart-racing moments. During those times, I was fully immersed in the story to the point I forgot where I was. At one point my upstairs neighbors dropped something and I jumped.

I can’t say much about the ending except that it was genius and I loved it! What a chilling tale! Highly recommend!

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay look, i’m biased, this is my favorite former regular from my barista days *and* my favorite local politician-slash-movie-guy we’re dealing with here, 4+ stars was inevitable. i beg you believe me when i tell you that they are also 100% earned. i have never seen a modern author pull of omniscient pov this effectively, and the back third of this had me gripping the side of my couch i was so stressed — who knew the slasher scholar with a whole front dedication to wes craven could write such a damn good slasher?

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Moonlit Massacre and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. James Cooper has been consuming and studying horror media his entire life and has even made a career of it in academia. His passion for the genre (and film in general) is evident in this work through his vivid writing style. Set in Oklahoma in the 1970’s, this chilling tale explores themes of violence, identity, race, family, and adolescence all loomed over by the sinister presence of a mysterious slasher. As an Oklahoma native, Cooper showcases a side of rural America we aren’t used to seeing in popular media. Here, he places his ensemble cast of characters to fight for their lives against a terrifying monster. Inspired by true events, Moonlit Massacre is a fantastic read for spooky season this fall, or any time of year you need a reason to make your own skin crawl.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moonlit Massacre can be summed up with a line from one of the protagonists: “Can a place be forgiven?” But what is a place if not the people there? If a place needs forgiveness, how can we affect change in order to atone? Cooper’s book is a portrait of a moment in time as Oklahoma City found itself caught between its Wild West past and an uncertain future, with obscurity, notoriety, and redemption all on the table, the characters dizzied by those options while grappling with a bloody crime streak. Moonlit Massacre is a contemplative, immersive, poetic, and deeply researched work of fiction that will haunt you.

[chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was my pleasure to read an advance copy of James Cooper’s debut novel, which is without a doubt my favorite book of the year.

I watch and talk about horror movies with James. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the genre — its themes and forms, what makes stories work, and why we tell stories at all. You may or may not recognize all of the references to horror movies throughout this book, but you’ll still appreciate them, because James has an eye for what is compelling in those films and how they connect to our lives.

There’s a level of sensationalism one associates with the “true crime” genre — a characteristic lack of perspective, like what we should really worry about on the daily is being dismembered by a covert narcissist or trafficked into a satanic sex cult. That’s not the attitude in this book. We get to see the everyday horror of living in Oklahoma. If you know, you know. There’s this paradoxical mix of harshly punitive patriarchal traditionalism with a degree of hyper-individualism that leaves people isolated.

Unflinching and tightly paced, Moonlight Massacre cuts straight to the heart of our everyday horrors: the gaping maw of urban renewal, looming threats of police violence, church & state turned against our basic humanity. James Cooper draws on his love of the horror genre and OKC history to sharpen this story about a knife-wielding serial killer into a reflection on who Oklahomans really are and what gives a city its sense of community.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had joy of reading an advance copy of this book- I loved the way the story was told through music, Oklahoma architecture, history and characters adjacent to the serial murders at the time. Not quite true crime- but a love letter to Oklahoma. Highly recommend.

[Zoe Elrod · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book balanced a lovely marriage between historical fiction and horror, where each page I feel like I’m uncovering more of South Side Oklahoma City’s map