Private eye, Wil Hardesty, is pulled onto a seemingly simple case that is sealed shut. A Vietnamese couple drowned when a fishing boat sank off the coast of San Miguel Island on the California Coast. Vinh Tien, the drowned man’s father, doesn’t believe it’s an accident. Vinh insists that his own brother, Luk, may have had a hand in the death of the young couple. Vinh’s daughter, Mia, counters that it’s all her father’s fault. It’s a double whammy for Wil as he lost his own son to the sea and he has more than a few bad memories from his days in ‘Nam. Add to this already exotic composite the unexplainable assassinations of young Vietnamese gang members, rappers and Viet Cong veterans. Wil Hardesty finds he is pitted against a chilling hit man, a murderer with military precision who comes into focus with a stunning revelation. The kicker is, he only shows mercy to his victims if they have a pure heart. If they don’t, that’s another thing entirely. Wil tries desperately to figure the rhyme and reason of the hit man’s work. Wil’s private life turns out to be a factor when he must turn to his ex, Leese, for more than friendly support in this complicated and confounding case. The question is, will she ever turn to him? Wil Hardesty’s quest to solve the case and win back the woman he truly loves has a karmic connection. Richard Barre brings forth the nightmares and dreams of Wil Hardesty, a man who alternately conquers and embraces the ghosts of his past. A clever mix of personal angst with political and economical larceny, BURNING MOON is darkly compelling. |
