Keith Rosson is simultaneously one of the most underrated and fastest-growing voices in horror literature. Though his first novel, The Mercy of the Tide, was published in 2017, his work truly started to make noise in 2023 and 2024, when Stephen King publicly praised the punk-rock artist-turned-horror writer’s fast-paced, demonic zombie books, Fever House and The Devil by Name.
About the duology, King wrote, “Fever House and The Devil by Name are exciting, suspenseful, horrifying, and written at a flurry-of-punches pace. Read them now and you can thank me later.”
Much like King and his son, Joe Hill, Rosson injects his love for high-octane, throat-punching rock music into his writing. He somehow creates masterfully developed characters while keeping a pace that feels like enjoying a gourmet meal at the speed of a drive-thru. On September 9th, Rosson released his newest standalone novel, Coffin Moon, which may be his best book yet.
Coffin Moon follows the trio of Duane, his wife Heidi, and their displaced niece, Julia, after a tragedy in her family lands her in their care. After a stint in the Vietnam War, Duane helps Heidi’s parents run a local bar while trying to make the family life work.
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When a local motorcycle gang, led by a man named Varley, sets up a drug trafficking operation through the bar, Duane takes matters into his own hands to remove the problem and remedy the situation.
It turns out, Varley is an extremely old and powerful vampire, and he takes exception to this defiance, making his revenge swift and brutal, and leaving Duane and Julia as the only surviving members of their family. Using their trauma in different ways, Julia and Duane decide to travel on a revenge tour to hunt down Varley with nothing to lose but one another.
The decision to set Coffin Moon in the ‘70s was a brilliant one, as it gives the story a touch of classic road thrillers from the era, like Race with the Devil or Road Games. The gritty story fits better in a decade void of new-age technology, when finding someone wasn’t just a Google search away. It allows space for more conversation and closer camaraderie between characters. It allows for special moments where you can really feel for Duane and Julia.
Rosson’s dive into the processing of grief and trauma from different angles is great. Julia uses it for her anger and revenge; Duane transitions his into depression and sadness, and even Varley has his own way of dealing with his hardships.
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The depth of all three of these main characters is fantastic, and while I would regularly want more from a supporting cast, these three were more than enough to carry such a linear revenge story.
Like Fever House and The Devil by Name, Coffin Moon travels at breakneck speed and ties cliffhanger chapters together with shockingly brutal moments to keep the story moving and the reader engaged.
Horror purists will be pleased to the core, too, as Rosson expertly weaves in a blood-soaked vampire tale, filled with decapitations and entrails, but also lined with classic lore and a modern-esque spin. It truly made the reader question whether such violence is the best response, but it couldn’t give us a suitable alternative. We felt devastated by what happened to the characters, and blood, fire, and vengeance were in our eyes, too. Coffin Moon is simply one of those books I didn’t want to put down, and when I finally did, I was sad it was over.
At this point, I recommend anything written by Keith Rosson, but Fever House and The Devil by Name are five-star reads. Coffin Moon easily joins those ranks, and I totally recommend giving it a read. Coffin Moon is now available from Penguin Random House at all major book retailers.
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