The Third Moon is Blue

by Lee Martin

The Third Moon is Blue, another
mystery novel by Lee Martin


In the fall of 1959, along a bank of
the Kanawha in a small West Virginia
coal mining town, twelve year old
Monty Callaghan rides his bike upon
a terrifying scenario…the murder of
a local barfly. Although through the
trees he can’t fully make out the
face of the murderer, Monty later
realizes the man’s physical likeness
is that of a prominent, well-respected
church deacon, Frank Kozick.

Certain that the murderer caught a glimpse of him as well, Monty experiences sporadic, fearful confrontations with Kozick that last throughout his adolescence.

As he grows older, Monty’s mother, Victoria, a loving yet often deceitful and conniving woman, interferes once too often into his love life, further fueling their love-hate relationship. As brilliant full moons seem to parallel and bring significance to Monty’s beautiful romantic moments, Victoria plays her Freudian hand with cunning skill to control and manipulate Monty and his amorous pursuits.

It is also the town folk of Morningside and their unforgettable stories that help forge Monty the boy into Monty the man. In his adult life, as a professional soldier and ultimately a photographer with an artistic eye, he finds that those personalities from his past have become indelibly etched in his soul.

As he experiences broken relationships, the tragedy of war and episodes of immense sadness and remorse, the young man of Appalachia struggles to balance a life of ego-gratification and family.

Nearly forty years after his first encounter with Kozick, Monty faces off with the evil psychopath, finally having the opportunity to bring him down…but this time it will be personal. This time it will hit home.

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