Cold Moon Over Babylon (Valancourt 20th Century Classics)

"The finest writer of paperback originals in America." - Stephen King

"Readers of weak constitution should beware." - Publishers Weekly

"McDowell has a flair for the gruesome." - Washington Post

Welcome to Babylon, a typical sleepy Alabama small town, where years earlier the Larkin family suffered a terrible tragedy. Now they are about to endure another: fourteen-year-old Margaret Larkin will be robbed of her innocence and her life by a killer who is beyond the reach of the law.

But something strange is happening in Babylon: traffic lights flash an eerie blue, a ghostly hand slithers from the drain of a kitchen sink, graves erupt from the local cemetery in an implacable march of terror . . . And beneath the murky surface of the river, a shifting, almost human shape slowly takes form. Night after night it will pursue the murderer. And when the full moon rises over Babylon, it will seek a terrible vengeance . . .

Cold Moon Over Babylon (1980), the second novel by Michael McDowell (1950-1999), author of Blackwater and The Elementals and screenwriter of Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas, is a chilling Southern Gothic tale of revenge from beyond the grave that ranks among his most terrifying books. This first-ever reprint features deliciously creepy new cover art by Mike Mignola.

BUY THE BOOK

253 pages

Average rating: 8.42

24 RATINGS

|

These clubs recently read this book...

Community Reviews

Hartfullofbooks
May 07, 2023
9/10 stars
Michael McDowell has a way of writing slow-burn horror that is always worth it in the end if you can just hang in there. This is the second novel I’ve read by McDowell and just like the Elementals, the reader spends a majority of the book learning the characters and the dynamics before the true horror sets in. This is not for everyone, if you’re looking for a fast paced horror I would not recommend McDowell, but if you’re looking for a gothic slow burn horror that had some truly terrifying scenes then I definitely would suggest you at least check him out. Cold Moon Over Babylon takes place in a small Florida town where a young local girl is viciously murdered for no apparent reason one stormy night. From there the girl begins to reach from beyond the grace to seek vengeances. The synopsis is simple, because this novel is simple in its premise and yet so haunting, making it a great ghost story. While this was slow paced most of the time, when the horror did appear it was riveting! I would suggest this to anyone that doesn’t mind older horror (this was written in the 70s so has some issues) and is looking for good ghost story.

See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.