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Cold Moon Over Babylon
by
Terror grows in Babylon, a typical sleepy Southern town with its throbbing sun and fog-shrouded swamps.
Margaret Larkin has been robbed of her innocence -- and her life. Her killer is rich and powerful, beyond the grasp of earthly law.
Now, in the murky depths of the local river, a shifting, almost human shape slowly takes form. Night after night it will pursue the murderer. ...more
Margaret Larkin has been robbed of her innocence -- and her life. Her killer is rich and powerful, beyond the grasp of earthly law.
Now, in the murky depths of the local river, a shifting, almost human shape slowly takes form. Night after night it will pursue the murderer. ...more
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Paperback, 292 pages
Published
February 1st 1980
by Avon Books
(first published 1980)
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Start your review of Cold Moon Over Babylon
There's a killer on the loose in the small town of Babylon, Florida. He likes to use the Styx River to wash away his evidence.
But the Styx River is the source of a supernatural force.
And the more horrors committed by this killer, the stronger the supernatural becomes.
The innocent have been murdered ... the river wants atonement.
Michael McDowell has a story to tell ... lend him your ear. .
Cold Moon trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdLEC...
Looks like a B grade movie to me but a couple ...more
But the Styx River is the source of a supernatural force.
And the more horrors committed by this killer, the stronger the supernatural becomes.
The innocent have been murdered ... the river wants atonement.
Michael McDowell has a story to tell ... lend him your ear. .
Cold Moon trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdLEC...
Looks like a B grade movie to me but a couple ...more
Cold Moon Over Babylon by Michael McDowell is a 2015 by Valancourt Books publication. (Originally published in 1980
A Classic old-school ghost story!!
The Larkins, owners of a blueberry plantation, have been struggling to stay afloat for years. But their bad luck has turned to tragedy, when fourteen- year old Margaret disappears. Margaret’s grandmother is convinced that a rich, powerful local family has murdered her granddaughter. But the local sheriff is not convinced. Meanwhile, the Larkins ar ...more
A Classic old-school ghost story!!
The Larkins, owners of a blueberry plantation, have been struggling to stay afloat for years. But their bad luck has turned to tragedy, when fourteen- year old Margaret disappears. Margaret’s grandmother is convinced that a rich, powerful local family has murdered her granddaughter. But the local sheriff is not convinced. Meanwhile, the Larkins ar ...more
4.5 stars!
Last year, I was finally able to get my hands on some Michael McDowell books and I loved them. A good friend of mine,( Tressa, that would be you!), had been recommending them for years, but they were all out of print and difficult to find. I was very excited when I discovered that Valancourt Books was bringing some of these novels back. And, BONUS! My excitement was well founded because this book, (and the others) was a blast!
Evil in a small town is one of my favorite themes, and if it ...more
Last year, I was finally able to get my hands on some Michael McDowell books and I loved them. A good friend of mine,( Tressa, that would be you!), had been recommending them for years, but they were all out of print and difficult to find. I was very excited when I discovered that Valancourt Books was bringing some of these novels back. And, BONUS! My excitement was well founded because this book, (and the others) was a blast!
Evil in a small town is one of my favorite themes, and if it ...more
Nov 08, 2017
Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
own,
horror-etc
Well now I need to watch the creepy movie!!
...more
...more
4.5/5. Another excellent read from Michael McDowell - true throwback slow-burn horror. At this point, I'm going to say his writing is easily superior to King. Review will be up next week!
...more
What must be said about the late Michael McDowell is he had a pitch-perfect sense of pacing: his plotting is almost mechanical, built to achieve the greatest result. Cold Moon Over Babylon is a slow burn — my favorite kind of horror! — with hard, memorable scares thrown in.
What must also be said about McDowell is his sense of locale. Being from Alabama (and being quite familiar with the Florida-Alabama line, where this novel takes place), I can say the characters and the settings feel authentic; ...more
What must also be said about McDowell is his sense of locale. Being from Alabama (and being quite familiar with the Florida-Alabama line, where this novel takes place), I can say the characters and the settings feel authentic; ...more
4.5*
He imagined that he had been hypnotized by the moon, thrown into one of those trances that were common enough at night, on lonely stretches of road, to solitary drivers. “That’s it,” he whispered to himself, “I was led astray by the moon. But now the moon’s brought me home safe again . . .”
Holy moonlit blueberry bush! What a ride!
Cold Moon over Babylon is a horror story at its finest ... and at its most horrible. It is difficult to tell how much of what happens in the novel can be explained ...more
He imagined that he had been hypnotized by the moon, thrown into one of those trances that were common enough at night, on lonely stretches of road, to solitary drivers. “That’s it,” he whispered to himself, “I was led astray by the moon. But now the moon’s brought me home safe again . . .”
Holy moonlit blueberry bush! What a ride!
Cold Moon over Babylon is a horror story at its finest ... and at its most horrible. It is difficult to tell how much of what happens in the novel can be explained ...more
4.5 stars, rounded up.
Another incredible read from author Michael McDowell! A small town horror story that is truly horrific both in terms of what happens, and in the form that the vengeance takes...
The Larkin family has had a rough life from the day young Margaret and older brother, Jerry, lose their parents in a fishing "accident". They are then raised by their loving Grandmother, Evelyn, who struggles financially to make ends meet with their meager blueberry crop. Further tragedy strikes when ...more
Another incredible read from author Michael McDowell! A small town horror story that is truly horrific both in terms of what happens, and in the form that the vengeance takes...
The Larkin family has had a rough life from the day young Margaret and older brother, Jerry, lose their parents in a fishing "accident". They are then raised by their loving Grandmother, Evelyn, who struggles financially to make ends meet with their meager blueberry crop. Further tragedy strikes when ...more
Very good haunting read.
在黑暗中綻放最病態的美麗，在迷醉中浸淫最殘忍的傷害
to bloom the most morbid beauty in the dark, to immerse the cruelest mayhem with enchantment
my fav mcdowell's
what's the name of the booktype that you read it on puter screen?
the strongest feel this book gives me is like the one when i was reading wuthering heights, it's weird and indescribable and i like it that way, i implore it
well, as for the paperback is quite pricy and remote, the version i have has 30 several pages in all, each page per screen, means thousands of w ...more
to bloom the most morbid beauty in the dark, to immerse the cruelest mayhem with enchantment
my fav mcdowell's
what's the name of the booktype that you read it on puter screen?
the strongest feel this book gives me is like the one when i was reading wuthering heights, it's weird and indescribable and i like it that way, i implore it
well, as for the paperback is quite pricy and remote, the version i have has 30 several pages in all, each page per screen, means thousands of w ...more
Simply loved this book from start to finish. Definite contender for one of my favourites this year! And so early on in January!! Full review to come.
Mystery/ghost story that is nicely set in old, rural northwestern Florida's panhandle - a place I know personally and well. There really is a river named Styx, but it is farther west in Alabama. As for the fictional town named Babylon, my guess is that Bagdad, FL was the inspiration. I do not remember if there were any old wooden suspension bridges over the Blackwater River where Bagdad is located, but it would not surprise me. Babylon and Styx go together nicely, at any case.
The diction and lan ...more
The diction and lan ...more
Southern Gothic at it's absolute best. Excellent characterization and non-stop intrigue and suspense. I wish I'd heard of this author sooner, and I look forward to reading more of his work.
...more
Babylon, a small community in the Florida panhandle near the Styx River, is the setting of this superb example of Gothic horror. Evelyn Larkin lost her son and daughter-in-law several years ago to the Styx when the two ran their fishing boat into a nest of poisonous snakes leaving her alone to raise her two grandchildren, Jerry and Margaret. When Margaret goes missing, her body is later found stabbed and chained to her bicycle at the bottom of the Styx. Evelyn accuses a local banker, whom she ha
...more
Something stirs in the swirling waters of the River Styx...
This tale of human evil and supernatural vengence is a perfectly paced blend of mystery and horror, flavored with McDowell's signature Southern Gothic style....the literary equivalent of a fine bourbon....rich, dark and powerful.
Highly recommended.
...more
This tale of human evil and supernatural vengence is a perfectly paced blend of mystery and horror, flavored with McDowell's signature Southern Gothic style....the literary equivalent of a fine bourbon....rich, dark and powerful.
Highly recommended.
...more
First things first, the opening sequence is killer. I mean, McDowell wastes no time scaring the crap out of you in gruesome fashion. After reading the opening I was very excited to read the rest of the book.
The story is part mystery and part haunting. McDowell is able to capture the violent scenes in brutal clarity and the haunting scenes in dreamlike detail. The moon itself becomes a character and I could just feel the terrifying claustrophobia of Nathan Redfield driving on those southern dark ...more
Oct 14, 2018
Horace Derwent
marked it as to-read
i guess it's become my heirloom now ...more
There's already a billion reviews for this worded much more eloquently then I could ever manage but you don't need to bunch of flowery language to express how cool this book is. Revenge is best served cold and Cold Moon Over Babylon does just that. There's a bunch of small-town family drama before the scary stuff starts but at no point was this book slow or dull. Reading Michael McDowell is like getting a nice Porterhouse steak at McDonalds. You look around as you start eating thinking, "Why am
...more
When I read The Elementals last year I thought that it was my first experience with Michael McDowell's work. It wasn't until recently that I learned that his was the pen behind such classic movies as Beetlejuice and Nightmare Before Christmas. He also wrote episodes for many anthology series such as Tales from the Darkside, Amazing Stories, Tales from the Crypt, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. In short, McDowell played a significant role in shaping my love of dark fiction. In the golden age of ho
...more
4.5 stars
This is a captivating and evocative Southern gothic novel about a young girl who has been murdered and the supernatural revenge that follows.
This. Was. Excellent! The story is part mystery, part family drama, part small town with secrets. The dynamics and relationships between the people of Babylon and the way the story played out made for a real page-turner. His writing and storytelling are very compelling and his descriptions made me really visualise everything that was going on. Ther ...more
This is a captivating and evocative Southern gothic novel about a young girl who has been murdered and the supernatural revenge that follows.
This. Was. Excellent! The story is part mystery, part family drama, part small town with secrets. The dynamics and relationships between the people of Babylon and the way the story played out made for a real page-turner. His writing and storytelling are very compelling and his descriptions made me really visualise everything that was going on. Ther ...more
Nov 27, 2018
Marianna Neal
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery-thriller-horror
Hmm... I don't know if Southern Gothic is my genre, so take this with a grain of salt. My experience with Cold Moon Over Babylon came down to really enjoying the atmosphere and writing style, but feeling pretty neutral on everything else. I liked the novel overall, but it wasn't anything that blew me away, though there were a few parts that really stood out.
I think fans of classic, slow-burn horror would really enjoy this one—the novel is something you would want to read on a gloomy day or rain ...more
I think fans of classic, slow-burn horror would really enjoy this one—the novel is something you would want to read on a gloomy day or rain ...more
This is the first book I've received in my Nocturnal Readers Box that was by and by a true horror read. I have been in dire need of a good horror book. I feel in love with this book in the first chapter and kept right on going. It is amazing how much "holy crap" moments I found while reading this story. At around the half way mark it went from murder mystery to ooey gooey ghostly awesomeness. It had the feel of Edgar Allen Poe and Allen Schwartz. It was simply a great horror read. 5 stars!!!
Cold ...more
Cold ...more
This book made my soul happy. This is one of my absolute favorite types of stories to read and I am smitten. It had everything I would hope for from a horror novel from the late 70s, early 80s. That time period was very special for horror novels for good reason. The themes are simple, but the stories are incredible.
This is my first read of Michael McDowell, and I'm so looking forward to reading more of his novels because this one wowed me so much.
If murder mysteries with supernatural elements ar ...more
This is my first read of Michael McDowell, and I'm so looking forward to reading more of his novels because this one wowed me so much.
If murder mysteries with supernatural elements ar ...more
What a disappointment from the author of Blackwater. This was just sad, long, and most of all dumb. So so dumb. Basically it’s a small town, the killer is friendly with the sheriff, and the sheriff is lazy and stupid. That’s the meat of the story.
The paranormal ghostly part is just as big a failure. Normally if someone comes back to take on their murderer it’s to ensure the safety of their friends and family. That’s not our dead girls strategy. She taunts the killer into a frenzied murder of he ...more
he and this book always suck me in, always send me wonders, i'm utterly possessed
在黑暗中綻放最病態的美麗，在迷醉中浸淫最殘忍的傷害
to bloom the most morbid beauty in the dark, to immerse the cruelest mayhem with enchantment
my fav mcdowell's
what's the name of the booktype that you read it on puter screen?
the strongest feel this book gives me is like the one when i was reading wuthering heights, it's weird and indescribable and i like it that way, i implore it
well, as for the paperback is quite pricy and remote, the vers ...more
在黑暗中綻放最病態的美麗，在迷醉中浸淫最殘忍的傷害
to bloom the most morbid beauty in the dark, to immerse the cruelest mayhem with enchantment
my fav mcdowell's
what's the name of the booktype that you read it on puter screen?
the strongest feel this book gives me is like the one when i was reading wuthering heights, it's weird and indescribable and i like it that way, i implore it
well, as for the paperback is quite pricy and remote, the vers ...more
With the background of the lush steamy south (always a favorite) and a dark deep river with a hungry past, this is the kind of classic ghost tale that makes up a good round-the-campfire repertoire. You're left to choose whether there is madness afoot or revenge from the grave, but either way, there is no way out from the genuine creepy pall that overcomes you with this read. Well written with a broad story, rife with possibilities, kept on track.
It's worth pointing out that this was originally ...more
It's worth pointing out that this was originally ...more
A nicely written little southern gothic that apparently enjoys a fond cult following (being a long-out-of-print paperback original of some quality will gain you that status I guess). I found this to be nothing extraordinary plot-wise, but McDowell (now deceased) had a flair for dialogue, clearly knew the milieu of the deep south and its denizens, and kept the suspense at a good level throughout. After a certain point though, the story needed a couple more curveballs thrown in to keep the conclus
...more
MY GOODNESS. What a ride!! McDowell is a complete savage.. and I don’t use that term lightly. If you’re looking for a suspenseful, terrifying, ghost story / murder mystery .. look no further! I am legitimately going to have nightmares after this book. McDowells writing style is blunt and to the point. His savagery is shown in a George RR Martin-y sort of way, where no one is safe and everyone can and will die. Just when you think you have things figured out he leaves a chapter on a cliff hanger
...more
Have I ever enjoyed reading any book as much as I enjoyed this? That's a close one, and good enough for 5 stars in my book. I was genuinely shocked at the human exploits, incredibly sympathetic to the characters, in awe of the dialogue and adept rendering of scenes, and the ghosts are amazing in spook factor and creativity. McDowell is so good, it's not really fair to rate him in comparison to others. In comparison to himself, the only thing I've read better is The Elementals, and I rate that hi
...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On the Southern L...: * Initial Impressions: Cold Moon Over Babylon: October 2017 | 26 | 44 | Oct 16, 2017 05:07PM | |
| Horror Aficionados : Cold Moon Over Babylon | 72 | 40 | Oct 13, 2016 08:37AM | |
| Horror Aficionados : Cold Moon Over Babylon | 64 | 53 | Feb 25, 2015 06:56AM | |
| Valancourt Books: Cold Moon Over Babylon (1980) by Michael McDowell | 5 | 16 | Feb 24, 2015 12:04PM |
Readers also enjoyed
Michael McDowell is a prolific horror writer who has distinguished himself with a varied body of work within the genre. He was born in Enterprise, Alabama, in 1950 and died of AIDS-related illness in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1999.
His first horror novel, The Amulet, relates the tragedies that befall various individuals who come in possession of a supernatural pendant in a small town.
In McDowell's ...more
His first horror novel, The Amulet, relates the tragedies that befall various individuals who come in possession of a supernatural pendant in a small town.
In McDowell's ...more
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“In the hour before a thunderstorm, the color of the forest deepens: the pine needles take on a dense vibrant greenness they possess at no other time, the slender trunks go black, and the leaden sky above sinks lower by the minute.”
—
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“I sort of wish that was what happened though, Ginny, because that would mean the girl is all right. Fourteen-year-old girls have run off before."
Ginny eyed the sheriff severely. "Not fourteen-year-old girls who had grandmas like Evelyn Larkin.”
—
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Ginny eyed the sheriff severely. "Not fourteen-year-old girls who had grandmas like Evelyn Larkin.”
