Harvest Moon
James A. Moore
Cemetery Dance, $, pages, ISBN:
reviewed by Barry Hunter

For those of you who keep your atlas of fantasy places up to date, be sure to add Beldam Woods, New York. It’s near Utica and its history is explained to us in this horrific dark novel from James A. Moore, who has also added Collier, Georgia, Lake Overtree and Serenity Falls to the mystical landscape.

In the early days of a young country, Alvina Bathory is a witch and has used her powers to have three unusual children by some of the local residents. This, along with some missing children causes the townsfolk to rise up and rid the town of her influence and her children. She is drawn and quartered but has a master plan in force to exact her revenge.

It is now present day and Halloween is approaching. Douglas Habersham, a retired librarian, is retelling the annual story of the witch’s death and of her three children – Patches, who was made of skin from others sewn into a patchwork body; Old Bones, who took bones and placed them inside his body to give it shape and strength; and, Mister Sticks or Pumpkin Man, who looked like a scarecrow with sticks for his arms and legs and a pumpkin for his head. After the story is told, Habersham is found torn to pieces and a message stating that "This is not over."

Add in a group of teens sneaking to Witches Hollow and not coming home, vandalism, and other strange events lead up to the return of the sons and their plan to bring Alvina Bathory back to life on Halloween night, with the help of several of the unsuspecting townsfolk. Moore really shows his imagination in setting up the events that transpire in order to make this work out.

This is a marvelous Halloween story that makes the adventures in Haddonfield pale in comparison. Put it on the shelf next to SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES and ‘SALEMS LOT, but be sure to read it twice – you don’t want to miss anything. Cudos to Moore and Cemetery Dance for this years best Halloween read.