"Dark moon...tell me why...you've lost your splendor." Song lyrics.

The story begins with a double cross. Two mobsters who work for Tony Celli meet with four Cambodians to collect a two million dollar ransom in return for return for a young Cambodian girl that they had kidnapped. The double cross backfires. The mobsters kill the Cambodians and are about to take the money when someone opens fire, killing them and taking the money. Now we are dealing with a triple cross with far-reaching consequences.

Charlie "Bird" Parker, a former NYPD officer who left the job when his wife and daughter were murdered, now has his PI license. He does a favor for Rita Purdue. He finds her former husband, Billy, and gets him to pay some of the support and alimony that was due to Rita and their child.

Unfortunately, some of the money Billy gave to Charlie was in new bills in the same denomination as was stolen a few days earlier.

This sets forces against Billy. Tony Celli's gang, two independent killers and someone else now enter the picture, to seek out Billy, retrieve the money. The killing and torture that accompanies the search for Billy doesn't bother the searchers.

Charlie is a moral man and had counted Billy as a friend, now wants to find Billy and warn him.

John Connolly seems influenced by the early work of Stephen King. His good characters are quite sympathetic and those who are evil are devilishly evil. We can imagine Charlie fighting against evil forces to save an innocent person.

There is suspense throughout the story culminating nicely at the conclusion. There are a few surprises along the way. An entertaining read.