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Undertaker's Moon
A graveyard feast beneath the summer moon …
The rural town of Old Hickory. Tennessee was a quiet, picturesque community … until the O'Sheas came to town.
Becoming the new proprietors of the town's only funeral parlor, with the help of their charming patriarch, Square McManus, the Irish family was wholeheartedly accepted by the local townfolk. The thing began to happen. Strange things … horrible, unspeakable things … in the dead of night.
The sighting of wolfish beasts congregating around an open grave in the town cemetery. Frightening changes in several of Old Hickory's less desirable residents. And the brutal murder and devourment of a varsity football player in the wooded wilderness outside of town. Soon, what was once concealed in shadow and secrecy was now starkly revealed, in all its ravenous fury, by the silvery light of the full moon.
As the residents of Old Hickory, as well as the local police, begin to fall victim to an unknown evil, four individuals—the town nerd, a high school jock, a widowed gunsith, and a mysterious transient from a distant shore—find themselves facing what could possibly be a hellish lycanthrope from ancient Ireland … the legendary Arget Bethir … the Silver Beast.
The rural town of Old Hickory. Tennessee was a quiet, picturesque community … until the O'Sheas came to town.
Becoming the new proprietors of the town's only funeral parlor, with the help of their charming patriarch, Square McManus, the Irish family was wholeheartedly accepted by the local townfolk. The thing began to happen. Strange things … horrible, unspeakable things … in the dead of night.
The sighting of wolfish beasts congregating around an open grave in the town cemetery. Frightening changes in several of Old Hickory's less desirable residents. And the brutal murder and devourment of a varsity football player in the wooded wilderness outside of town. Soon, what was once concealed in shadow and secrecy was now starkly revealed, in all its ravenous fury, by the silvery light of the full moon.
As the residents of Old Hickory, as well as the local police, begin to fall victim to an unknown evil, four individuals—the town nerd, a high school jock, a widowed gunsith, and a mysterious transient from a distant shore—find themselves facing what could possibly be a hellish lycanthrope from ancient Ireland … the legendary Arget Bethir … the Silver Beast.
448 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 16, 2014
About the author
Ronald Kelly
96 books381 followersRonald Kelly was born and raised in the hills and hollows of Middle Tennessee. He became interested in horror as a child, watching the local "Creature Feature" on Saturday nights and "The Big Show"---a Nashville-based TV show that presented every old monster movie ever made ---in the afternoons after school. In high school, his interest turned to horror literature and he read such writers as Poe, Lovecraft, Matheson, and King. He originally had dreams of becoming a comic book artist and created many of his own superheroes. But during his junior year, the writing bug bit him and he focused his attention on penning short stories and full-length novels. To date, he has had thirteen novels and twelve short fiction collections published. In 2021, his extreme horror collection, THE ESSENTIAL SICK STUFF, won a Splatterpunk Award for Best Collection.
He currently lives in Brush Creek, Tennessee with his wife, young'uns, and an ultra-hyper Jack Russel named Toby.
He currently lives in Brush Creek, Tennessee with his wife, young'uns, and an ultra-hyper Jack Russel named Toby.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
November 10, 2022
Second Time Around Was Even Better!
A small backstory without giving away spoilers:
Old Hickory, Tennessee becomes the backdrop for this story as it is an old mill town. Things seem peaceful until the O'Shea family move into town along with Squire McManus and they take over the funeral home.
As they become involved in the town, deaths start happening to the point of bodies being ripped apart. No one wants to believe one of the local boys that saw his friend being attacked by some type of beast.
No one seems to think anything about the mystery of how the beast seemed to appear after the family arrived. Soon though it becomes apparent that they are somehow involved and when the family feel threatened they will not go down without a fight as when their secret is revealed is when the crap hits the fan!
Thoughts:
Southern gothic horror along with a touch of the Irish is what author, Ronald Kelly stirs up in this book and the atmosphere of the story just grabs a hold of you from the first page taking you on a "snarling" ride all the way to the end of the book! Lots of fur and fangs along with a small town homey feel makes this book a very fun read! Giving this one five "Howling & Ripping" stars!
Highly Recommend!
A small backstory without giving away spoilers:
Old Hickory, Tennessee becomes the backdrop for this story as it is an old mill town. Things seem peaceful until the O'Shea family move into town along with Squire McManus and they take over the funeral home.
As they become involved in the town, deaths start happening to the point of bodies being ripped apart. No one wants to believe one of the local boys that saw his friend being attacked by some type of beast.
No one seems to think anything about the mystery of how the beast seemed to appear after the family arrived. Soon though it becomes apparent that they are somehow involved and when the family feel threatened they will not go down without a fight as when their secret is revealed is when the crap hits the fan!
Thoughts:
Southern gothic horror along with a touch of the Irish is what author, Ronald Kelly stirs up in this book and the atmosphere of the story just grabs a hold of you from the first page taking you on a "snarling" ride all the way to the end of the book! Lots of fur and fangs along with a small town homey feel makes this book a very fun read! Giving this one five "Howling & Ripping" stars!
Highly Recommend!
November 21, 2022
“Undertaker's Moon” by Ronald Kelly is just one of those novels that will have a lasting impression on you. For those of you that love the legendary ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King, this novel is very similar to it where instead of dealing with vampires, you get a solid story about werewolves.
This novel starts out super creepy and hooks you in immediately. It’s very well written, has good pacing, and even though it introduces a lot of characters along the way, it’s brilliantly done where every character matters. You will not get confused or anything as Kelly did a fantastic job with some deep character development with every single person you encounter. Besides that, I also genuinely enjoyed and laughed out loud a bit at all the subtle wolf references. LoL they were all very clever and not cheesy or overbearing.
Unfortunately, there were two things that took me out of the reading experience which dinged my final rating an entire star. I did find some annoying typos (wrote “black a sin” instead of “black as sin” as well as “quiet an operation” instead “quite an operation”) that in my book should never have such typos in a published novel for the world to see.
The second thing that I didn’t like at all that I felt could have been completely omitted was two scenes involving dog violence. Even though I am a dog owner and violence against dogs in books doesn’t bother me, I felt if any author is writing violence against dogs or animals in general, there should definitely be a warning right at the start. For those of you that get triggered by violence against animals, you will find some of that here against a dog.
Besides those two things, everything else was excellent! I loved all the gore, violence, blood, carnage, and everything else in between. I enjoyed the stories within the main story that did a great job at explaining the past to fill in the gaps as it added even more depth and content to all these characters. Even the Irish folklore aspect of everything was pretty awesome and interesting.
When it comes to the ending, I absolutely loved the buildup and climax leading to it. I could not put this down as I was anxious to see what would transpire and it was very satisfying. It ended everything nicely and I enjoyed how it was wrapped up.
I give “Undertaker's Moon” by Ronald Kelly a 4/5 as it was engaging, scary, creepy, violent, and everything you can ask for in a horror novel. I felt it was a better take on the usual stories you tend to read about werewolves that had a similar feel to ‘Salem’s Lot which I enjoyed. I loved the characters, story, plot twists, and everything else in between. If it weren’t for the typos and scenes of violence against a dog, this would have been a 5/5 in my book for sure.
This novel starts out super creepy and hooks you in immediately. It’s very well written, has good pacing, and even though it introduces a lot of characters along the way, it’s brilliantly done where every character matters. You will not get confused or anything as Kelly did a fantastic job with some deep character development with every single person you encounter. Besides that, I also genuinely enjoyed and laughed out loud a bit at all the subtle wolf references. LoL they were all very clever and not cheesy or overbearing.
Unfortunately, there were two things that took me out of the reading experience which dinged my final rating an entire star. I did find some annoying typos (wrote “black a sin” instead of “black as sin” as well as “quiet an operation” instead “quite an operation”) that in my book should never have such typos in a published novel for the world to see.
The second thing that I didn’t like at all that I felt could have been completely omitted was two scenes involving dog violence. Even though I am a dog owner and violence against dogs in books doesn’t bother me, I felt if any author is writing violence against dogs or animals in general, there should definitely be a warning right at the start. For those of you that get triggered by violence against animals, you will find some of that here against a dog.
Besides those two things, everything else was excellent! I loved all the gore, violence, blood, carnage, and everything else in between. I enjoyed the stories within the main story that did a great job at explaining the past to fill in the gaps as it added even more depth and content to all these characters. Even the Irish folklore aspect of everything was pretty awesome and interesting.
When it comes to the ending, I absolutely loved the buildup and climax leading to it. I could not put this down as I was anxious to see what would transpire and it was very satisfying. It ended everything nicely and I enjoyed how it was wrapped up.
I give “Undertaker's Moon” by Ronald Kelly a 4/5 as it was engaging, scary, creepy, violent, and everything you can ask for in a horror novel. I felt it was a better take on the usual stories you tend to read about werewolves that had a similar feel to ‘Salem’s Lot which I enjoyed. I loved the characters, story, plot twists, and everything else in between. If it weren’t for the typos and scenes of violence against a dog, this would have been a 5/5 in my book for sure.
November 20, 2022
Undertaker’s Moon was the first work I have read by indie horror writer icon, Ronald Kelly. It most certainly won’t be the last thing of his that I pick up.
Undertaker’s Moon was a great foray into regional horror, which I love. As the screens flew by on my kindle, I could feel the 1990s small town Tennessee. (Or at least the 1990s was how I took it. I think it was first written then, but I’m not 100% on that.) The prologue on this one, holy crapballs, that was good. Very visceral and savage; just what I would want in a werewolf story.
The images and the gore often associated with them were great and often very efficiently accomplished. For example, one character, . Loved that! A very cool story about a family of werewolves trying to “start over.” It had villains of varying types that I found I could totally get behind hating, without these villains becoming parodies. I loved the descriptions of the werewolves’ transformations.
Lots of good action without making the story all about the action. The action propelled the story instead of being the story. And having different characters with different backgrounds and ideas and prior experiences gave this a depth and richness I really enjoyed. I liked seeing the I also liked seeing how the This led the book to a very satisfying ending. The way that I also really enjoyed the companion story. I’m
There were a couple of things that bugged me, however. One, I was never really sure what Second,
All in all a very thoroughly enjoyable group read over at Caste Terror with some really great, kind, and supportive people (I adore you guys!) and some great input and backstory offered by one of my new literary heroes, Ronald Kelly, who kindly came in to contribute some comments. That was very nice of him and greatly appreciated.
Undertaker’s Moon was a great foray into regional horror, which I love. As the screens flew by on my kindle, I could feel the 1990s small town Tennessee. (Or at least the 1990s was how I took it. I think it was first written then, but I’m not 100% on that.) The prologue on this one, holy crapballs, that was good. Very visceral and savage; just what I would want in a werewolf story.
The images and the gore often associated with them were great and often very efficiently accomplished. For example, one character, . Loved that! A very cool story about a family of werewolves trying to “start over.” It had villains of varying types that I found I could totally get behind hating, without these villains becoming parodies. I loved the descriptions of the werewolves’ transformations.
Lots of good action without making the story all about the action. The action propelled the story instead of being the story. And having different characters with different backgrounds and ideas and prior experiences gave this a depth and richness I really enjoyed. I liked seeing the I also liked seeing how the This led the book to a very satisfying ending. The way that I also really enjoyed the companion story. I’m
There were a couple of things that bugged me, however. One, I was never really sure what Second,
All in all a very thoroughly enjoyable group read over at Caste Terror with some really great, kind, and supportive people (I adore you guys!) and some great input and backstory offered by one of my new literary heroes, Ronald Kelly, who kindly came in to contribute some comments. That was very nice of him and greatly appreciated.
April 5, 2021
I didn’t like some of the animal stuff naturally, but I really didn’t care for anyone in the book 🤨. I did think the werewolves and their story was really good for werewolves though 😉
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
April 30, 2019
Ronald Kelly does not disappoint! The story was good, Irish werewolves? ok! The characters were great. J. Rodney Turner narrates this one and omg! if you haven't heard of him, listen to a sample of this book. i love his voice.
November 8, 2022
Kitchen Caper Shocker! Werewolf Takedown Goes Awry! "Well, I was intending to just go in there and bag those two howlers with a hail of silver bullets, real quick and easy like, but I just killed the Boom Box instead. Then we got to chatting, and Ian let the cat out of the bag about our silver bullets, and the Booker brothers reckoned we were just bluffing and that we had no silver. Then they got to laughing at us, so I proved we really had silver bullets by expertly shooting the big one on the edge of his arm. Then they flipped the kitchen table and skedaddled right out of there while we drilled the furniture. Then Ian and I had to go and chase 'em in the dark 'cause we'd left out flashlights at home..." - Burt - The Junior Lycanthrope Hunter's Journal.
(Shakes head) and the story was running at 5 stars until the above happened.
I love how Kelly can introduce a small town full of characters - very Stephen Kingish. Suddenly you know who these people are and they are relatable and knowable. There's an awesome backstory playing out through the main characters and it really works well, keeping me up late at night and getting me all emotionally invested in what's going on ...
and then ...
There's the kitchen scene. Unfortunately - every time I think of this book, it will be this scene that I think of - why? why? why does this scene exist in the form it does?
Post - the kitchen scene from the Keystone Cops - the rest of the story plays well.
Hence a sturdy 4 stars.
Recommended. 4 'Real Howler,' stars
(Shakes head) and the story was running at 5 stars until the above happened.
I love how Kelly can introduce a small town full of characters - very Stephen Kingish. Suddenly you know who these people are and they are relatable and knowable. There's an awesome backstory playing out through the main characters and it really works well, keeping me up late at night and getting me all emotionally invested in what's going on ...
and then ...
There's the kitchen scene. Unfortunately - every time I think of this book, it will be this scene that I think of - why? why? why does this scene exist in the form it does?
Post - the kitchen scene from the Keystone Cops - the rest of the story plays well.
Hence a sturdy 4 stars.
Recommended. 4 'Real Howler,' stars
June 16, 2023
Perhaps not Kelly's best, but still a fine novel that illustrates his storytelling gift. Undertaker's Moon was first published by Zebra in 1991 as Moon of the Werewolf; this latest edition is identical except it includes a short, prequel story at the end. Werewolves have been done to death, but Kelly gives us a neat twist here that makes it fun, much like McCammon did with The Wolf's Hour.
The sleepy town of Old Hickory hold about 6 thousand souls and Kelly gives it the quintessential flavor of middle Tennessee. After a grizzly prologue in Ireland where a werewolf kills the family of an undertaker, turning them, the story starts when one day a hearse pulls into Old Hickory, towing a U-Haul. The undertaker and his family have aged about 16 years and they just bought the town's sole undertaker business and are moving in.
What makes Undertaker's Moon so much fun is we know who the werewolves are from the get go; seemingly normal folks, albeit a bit reclusive, trying to fit into small town life. All is not well within the werewolf household, however, as the oldest son of the family is, lets say, a bit of a maverick and not content to simply eat 'cold cuts' (e.g, dead, recently buried bodies) like the rest of the family. Devon wants fresh meat and the next full moon a strapping senior football star becomes dinner...
Kelly gives us a classic small town horror romp with some well developed leads, such as the town nerd who falls for the Undertaker's 16yo daughter with the fiery red hair, the high school jock star quarterback and his mom, some of the local business owners and so forth. The drama amongst the characters constitutes the bulk of the story, punctuated with some rather hairy scenes of mayhem. The pacing could have been a bit better but the humor was spot on, as was the Tennessee vibe; I have family around the area where Kelly situates his stories and he always gets that vibe right! 3.5 hairy stars, rounding up!
The sleepy town of Old Hickory hold about 6 thousand souls and Kelly gives it the quintessential flavor of middle Tennessee. After a grizzly prologue in Ireland where a werewolf kills the family of an undertaker, turning them, the story starts when one day a hearse pulls into Old Hickory, towing a U-Haul. The undertaker and his family have aged about 16 years and they just bought the town's sole undertaker business and are moving in.
What makes Undertaker's Moon so much fun is we know who the werewolves are from the get go; seemingly normal folks, albeit a bit reclusive, trying to fit into small town life. All is not well within the werewolf household, however, as the oldest son of the family is, lets say, a bit of a maverick and not content to simply eat 'cold cuts' (e.g, dead, recently buried bodies) like the rest of the family. Devon wants fresh meat and the next full moon a strapping senior football star becomes dinner...
Kelly gives us a classic small town horror romp with some well developed leads, such as the town nerd who falls for the Undertaker's 16yo daughter with the fiery red hair, the high school jock star quarterback and his mom, some of the local business owners and so forth. The drama amongst the characters constitutes the bulk of the story, punctuated with some rather hairy scenes of mayhem. The pacing could have been a bit better but the humor was spot on, as was the Tennessee vibe; I have family around the area where Kelly situates his stories and he always gets that vibe right! 3.5 hairy stars, rounding up!
November 16, 2022
Very fun werewolf romp, perfect for the post-halloween withdrawal symptoms I was suffering from this year once November arrived. This story was filled with fun characters, a good background story and lots of action from start to finish. I highly recommend for horror fans to check out. 4/5 stars for me on this one.
November 26, 2021
If you've read/followed along with my reviews, you'll undoubtedly have discovered that I love reading Lycanthrope horror. Werewolf, werewolves, all things sharp fangs, long claws, silver bullets and full moons. Inevitably though, I'll dive into four or five in a row and I'll need a break.
Last year, I read 'Fear' by Ronald Kelly, which is not only one of the best books you'll ever read, but a book that showcases why 'the old guard' often times does things better than the new kids. 'Fear' is a prime example of that. I'll explain in a minute.
Knowing that not only was I ready to dive into another wolf story, but also that I had this one from Kelly sitting on my Kindle, I dove in, excited to see what he'd created here.
What I liked: Kelly, even by his own admission, has had a resurgence and has stormed the dark fiction writing world once again. It has been fantastic to see. He had a writing career in the 70's and 80's during the horror boom then. When it went belly up, he took time off, returning full force once again roughly a decade ago. This is why I mention Kelly is from 'the old guard.' And what I mean by that is evident on every single page of 'Undertaker's Moon.'
You do not leap into the action of this story. Much like 'Fear,' Kelly takes his time setting things up. We get the family from Ireland who moves into the small town, they are now the new owner's of the funeral home. We get the suddenly widowed gun shop owner, we get the horror nerd, the jock who has it all, only to lose it all, and on every single page, we smell what the streets and shops smell like, hear the tinkle of bells as doors open and close, see the friendly baker come out to sweep off the front step. Over and over, Kelly demonstrates why he's a master storyteller and as the book progresses, this all works to the advantage of the reader.
When characters begin to be plucked off, you are devastated. When something chases someone, you can see where they are running, know why it's a bad idea, know that it's going to be ending in viscera and ripping and shredding.
The werewolf action within is top notch. With each incident that arrives, the pace is fantastic and the descriptions are second to none.
I really loved how Kelly laid this one out, the story crackles with small town energy and the reality that this group of unlikely survivors need to do whatever it takes to survive.
What I didn't like: Completely minor, and I think it comes with the time period this was originally written in, but I've never been a huge fan of the random hobo/hitch-hiker passing through a random town who just happens to have a connection/knowledge about the beasts/events happening. In this case, it was used well, but it's still something I'm just not a big fan of.
Why you should buy this: Kelly is a phenomenal writer and 'Undertaker's Moon' has to be acknowledged as one of the best pieces of Lycanthrope fiction out there. Brimming with emotion, depth and flawed but likeable characters, this has every thing that fans of dark fiction would want and more.
Outstanding.
Last year, I read 'Fear' by Ronald Kelly, which is not only one of the best books you'll ever read, but a book that showcases why 'the old guard' often times does things better than the new kids. 'Fear' is a prime example of that. I'll explain in a minute.
Knowing that not only was I ready to dive into another wolf story, but also that I had this one from Kelly sitting on my Kindle, I dove in, excited to see what he'd created here.
What I liked: Kelly, even by his own admission, has had a resurgence and has stormed the dark fiction writing world once again. It has been fantastic to see. He had a writing career in the 70's and 80's during the horror boom then. When it went belly up, he took time off, returning full force once again roughly a decade ago. This is why I mention Kelly is from 'the old guard.' And what I mean by that is evident on every single page of 'Undertaker's Moon.'
You do not leap into the action of this story. Much like 'Fear,' Kelly takes his time setting things up. We get the family from Ireland who moves into the small town, they are now the new owner's of the funeral home. We get the suddenly widowed gun shop owner, we get the horror nerd, the jock who has it all, only to lose it all, and on every single page, we smell what the streets and shops smell like, hear the tinkle of bells as doors open and close, see the friendly baker come out to sweep off the front step. Over and over, Kelly demonstrates why he's a master storyteller and as the book progresses, this all works to the advantage of the reader.
When characters begin to be plucked off, you are devastated. When something chases someone, you can see where they are running, know why it's a bad idea, know that it's going to be ending in viscera and ripping and shredding.
The werewolf action within is top notch. With each incident that arrives, the pace is fantastic and the descriptions are second to none.
I really loved how Kelly laid this one out, the story crackles with small town energy and the reality that this group of unlikely survivors need to do whatever it takes to survive.
What I didn't like: Completely minor, and I think it comes with the time period this was originally written in, but I've never been a huge fan of the random hobo/hitch-hiker passing through a random town who just happens to have a connection/knowledge about the beasts/events happening. In this case, it was used well, but it's still something I'm just not a big fan of.
Why you should buy this: Kelly is a phenomenal writer and 'Undertaker's Moon' has to be acknowledged as one of the best pieces of Lycanthrope fiction out there. Brimming with emotion, depth and flawed but likeable characters, this has every thing that fans of dark fiction would want and more.
Outstanding.
November 6, 2022
An small Irish clan of werewolves descend on the small town of Old Hickory, Tennessee, disguised as a nuclear family and a grandpa, complete with undertaker talents. Kelly does an excellent job in painting small town America, in an idyllic setting where muscle cars and football are the thrills of the town. Except . . . even with the new werewolves in town, there's a seedy underbelly that lies hidden just beneath the veneer of acceptability. Brian's mom loses herself in booze and men on the regular. Brian himself, overweight and geeky in his love of classic horror, finds himself the butt of the town bullies. The town drug dealing brothers have a cruel streak a mile long, evident in fighting dog from an early scene. Bart the one-armed underling lives in racist, rejected poverty.
This is Old Hickory without the werewolves. With a few werefolk in town, things get only messier.
Awesome book! Thanks to the good folks at Castle Terror for a great read.
This is Old Hickory without the werewolves. With a few werefolk in town, things get only messier.
Awesome book! Thanks to the good folks at Castle Terror for a great read.
January 26, 2014
Hungry like the...werewolf! Needless to say, this reviewer is a true sucker for a good lycanthrope story, and was delighted to finally read my first Ronald Kelly novel, since hearing good things about him for a while now. Kelly cut his teeth in the horror genre with several pb novels in the 80's and early 90's, and thankfully has re-emerged in recent years with new stuff and reissued backlist, in print and digital. Undertaker's Moon originally appeared as Moon of the Werewolf in 1991, and is one of those throwback novels that I fondly remember during my early days as a horror fiction reader in the mid to late 80's. Set in a small Tennessee town, denizens of Old Hickory are beset by strange deaths after the O'Shea family takes over the town funeral home, led by the enigmatic Crom McManus. But their secrets are dark and deadly, and two teens, a widower, and a mysterious Irish vagabond are all that stand between a pack of bloodthirsty beasts and certain death. While somewhat cliche in parts, the story flowed swiftly, and the bonus story at the end was excellent.
January 12, 2020
Ronald Kelly is so damn good.
Seriously.
A nasty little tale of werewolves run amok in a small town.
Violent, atmospheric, with plenty of character and a wee bloody.
Just as a good werewolf story should be.
Seriously.
Unleash the lycanthropes!
Seriously.
A nasty little tale of werewolves run amok in a small town.
Violent, atmospheric, with plenty of character and a wee bloody.
Just as a good werewolf story should be.
Seriously.
Unleash the lycanthropes!
September 24, 2021
A rip-your-throat-out creature feature that has kicked off my spooky season the right way. UNDERTAKER’S MOON by Ronald Kelly is an exciting ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 read that has you cringing for your favorite characters to wake up and see what is going on.
The town of Old Hickory, Tennessee just got some new residents. A funeral director and his family have moved into the funeral home and are hoping to make a new life in this quiet town. At least, that’s what they want the townsfolk to believe.
This starts off so violent and shocking, and with Ronald Kelly’s easy storytelling, you find yourself nestled into this quaint town like a fly on the wall. You know what is going on to some extent, as the people you know walk blindly into traps that you can do nothing about.
If you call yourself a werewolf fan and have not read this then you are doing yourself a disservice. Even if werewolves are not your thing, this is still great classic monster entertainment. Don’t wait for the next full moon to read this, or it might be too late for you. 🌕🐺
The town of Old Hickory, Tennessee just got some new residents. A funeral director and his family have moved into the funeral home and are hoping to make a new life in this quiet town. At least, that’s what they want the townsfolk to believe.
This starts off so violent and shocking, and with Ronald Kelly’s easy storytelling, you find yourself nestled into this quaint town like a fly on the wall. You know what is going on to some extent, as the people you know walk blindly into traps that you can do nothing about.
If you call yourself a werewolf fan and have not read this then you are doing yourself a disservice. Even if werewolves are not your thing, this is still great classic monster entertainment. Don’t wait for the next full moon to read this, or it might be too late for you. 🌕🐺
June 15, 2014
Old Hickory, Tennessee was your average run of the mill town. Things changed when Squire McManus and the O'Shea family arrived. There is an evil that lurks in Old Hickory. One night in the town cemetery, Stan Aubrey witness the O'Shea family and McManus dig up a grave of a recently departed and strip the body bare to the bone. Jake Preston saw his friend Mickey attacked by this 7 foot monster and dragged off in to the woods. Jake tried to explain to Sheriff what had happen but he did not believe him. They found Mickey's body a few days later stuff in a tree truck. He also was just a skeleton. Two high school students, a gunsmith and a hobo seek revenge against these creatures of the night. Will this band of four be able to stop this evil nightmare? This book was released in the 90's under the title of Moon Of The Werewolf. This is the first book that I have read by Ronald Kelly. I enjoyed this book and plan on checking out some of his other novels and short stories.
December 26, 2022
Read twice.
February 1, 2021
The small town of Old Hickory, Tennessee gets shaken to its core when a family of Irish Werewolves move in. The O'Sheas move into town and are the new owners of a funeral home. Locals start to unravel something more sinister. In a battle of good versus evil, how will these beasts be stopped?
Let me start by saying that this book was such a great read. Ronald Kelly knows how to write a good story. There is a mix of Coming of Age, Creature Feature, and even some Southern Gothic. I especially enjoyed the Irish folklore added in. As an extra bonus you get a prequel following this story. Without a doubt, I am giving this werewolf tale 5 out of 5 bloody shamrocks.
Let me start by saying that this book was such a great read. Ronald Kelly knows how to write a good story. There is a mix of Coming of Age, Creature Feature, and even some Southern Gothic. I especially enjoyed the Irish folklore added in. As an extra bonus you get a prequel following this story. Without a doubt, I am giving this werewolf tale 5 out of 5 bloody shamrocks.
September 7, 2016
Yes, Yes ... The cover drew me in. It's a cool cover. I love werewolves, of course. But that isn't enough to make this a great 5-star book. UNDERTAKER'S MOON is enjoyable. Period. It's a well-written, comfy read that pulled me in, and I wasn't ready for it to end. Kelly held me there, in his grasp, and that makes this reader happy. The guts of this book is why I give it 5 stars ... and ... I do love werewolves.
May 22, 2022
Fantastic read!
November 30, 2022
This was an amazing novel and I think anyone who loves werewolves would absolutely love this story.
An incredible story about a mysterious family that moves into Old Hickory to run the funeral home. This book had everything, and I enjoyed it so much!
There are so many great characters in this one, from the heroes to the villains. The story telling skills that Ronald Kelly possesses is amazing and this story was very thrilling.
This narration of Ronald Kelly’s story Undertaker’s Moon aka Moon of the Werewolf is amazing! I loved this book so much and I think you will too!
An incredible story about a mysterious family that moves into Old Hickory to run the funeral home. This book had everything, and I enjoyed it so much!
There are so many great characters in this one, from the heroes to the villains. The story telling skills that Ronald Kelly possesses is amazing and this story was very thrilling.
This narration of Ronald Kelly’s story Undertaker’s Moon aka Moon of the Werewolf is amazing! I loved this book so much and I think you will too!
July 2, 2019
5 stars audio, although I had to bump up the speed to 1.25. Love the narrators distinctive character voices!
3.5 stars story.
3.5 stars story.
March 5, 2017
I sure do enjoy Ronald Kelly's books. I've read several this year and I found them all moderately to highly enjoyable depending.
Undertaker's Moon is easily the strongest of his works that I have finished thus far. The pacing was brisk, the overall plot was unique and adventurous, the gore was top-notch, and the visual detail and minutiae of the setting were highly engaging. Kelly's strength, in fact, lies in that final point. No different here than any of his other works-the man writes rural Tennessee as a loving observer who has clearly spent much of his life there.
I have the same quibble with this book that I do with all of his others, and it remains this one weakness that prevents me from ever giving a 5-star review (though UM was quite close). Kelly's dialogue is a hard sell. It comes off as weak, unauthentic, stilted, and deeply contrived. I can rarely make it through more than a handful of pages without wincing and saying to myself "Damn it, man, no one actually TALKS that way...let alone teenage boys!" The uninspired dialogue is actually a real shame, given how much authenticity and life Kelly breathes into his exposition. I feel like if he'd been able to write conversations in a way that resonated with readers, he would have risen well beyond being a 'solid Midlist author' from the 1990's. Because he has some serious chops outside of that. But that one weakness is a harmful one, at least to this reviewer.
But half-assed dialogue aside, there really is some seriously fun material here. Kelly somehow manages to write a book that could readily be described as "Nazi Irish Werewolf Terrorizes Tennessee Hamlet" and still doesn't come off as campy at all. The subject matter is handled earnestly and with a lot of heart amidst the buckets of grue and piles of schlock.
Undertaker's Moon is easily the strongest of his works that I have finished thus far. The pacing was brisk, the overall plot was unique and adventurous, the gore was top-notch, and the visual detail and minutiae of the setting were highly engaging. Kelly's strength, in fact, lies in that final point. No different here than any of his other works-the man writes rural Tennessee as a loving observer who has clearly spent much of his life there.
I have the same quibble with this book that I do with all of his others, and it remains this one weakness that prevents me from ever giving a 5-star review (though UM was quite close). Kelly's dialogue is a hard sell. It comes off as weak, unauthentic, stilted, and deeply contrived. I can rarely make it through more than a handful of pages without wincing and saying to myself "Damn it, man, no one actually TALKS that way...let alone teenage boys!" The uninspired dialogue is actually a real shame, given how much authenticity and life Kelly breathes into his exposition. I feel like if he'd been able to write conversations in a way that resonated with readers, he would have risen well beyond being a 'solid Midlist author' from the 1990's. Because he has some serious chops outside of that. But that one weakness is a harmful one, at least to this reviewer.
But half-assed dialogue aside, there really is some seriously fun material here. Kelly somehow manages to write a book that could readily be described as "Nazi Irish Werewolf Terrorizes Tennessee Hamlet" and still doesn't come off as campy at all. The subject matter is handled earnestly and with a lot of heart amidst the buckets of grue and piles of schlock.
October 5, 2021
If you are a fan of werewolf books this one is a must-read.
January 10, 2024
A reprint of a 1991 novel, Undertaker's Moon is a classic werewolf/creature feature. No sexy wolves here, just vicious, brutal beasts rending people asunder. A family from Ireland takes up residency in a small Tennessee town, taking over the local mortuary. Soon, strange deaths, grave desecrations and other oddities occur. Thing really begin to turn when a teen football player disappears while camping and his friend who witnessed it claims he was the victim of a giant black wolf. While most write him off as crazy, there are a few who come to realize the truth. It's up to two teens, the local gunsmith and an elderly Irish hobo to stop the horrors that have come to town.
This book represents Ronald Kelly at his finest. A compelling tale with the right amount of action and werewolf violence and an Irish legend centuries old. 4.5/5*
This book represents Ronald Kelly at his finest. A compelling tale with the right amount of action and werewolf violence and an Irish legend centuries old. 4.5/5*
August 6, 2024
This is the Hillbilly Elegy of werewolf novels because wtaf? The four star ratings are definitely coming from the right. I said what I said. I stuck with this book because I like werewolf thrillers but I need white authors (especially male) to leave Black people out of your books. It’s painfully obvious you’ve never met Black people and you really need a Black editor. The voice narrator was absolutely weird and creepy. He sounded fine with the Irish accent, but but the southern accent was awful. The ONE black character, Stan Aubrey, who is the caretaker is written so problematic that I feel like he’s trolling us. Like wtaf?? The tropes and the slurs and the poorly written dialogue is some absolute fuck shit. Idgaf if the character is black, you don’t get to use that word. You are not Black. The women are written very well either. The book takes place in the 80s I think. The dialogue is dated on purpose, but it’s also really terrible. Casual sexism, racism, and homophobia and antisemitism. The character Devon, being a full blown Nazi is a fucking choice and a terrible one. Of course they write it off as a “phase”. WTH kind of phase that? Devin is a racist Nazi psychopath. Just like the racism, sexism and homophobia, the anti-Semitism is on brand for these idiots. The book uses slurs for no reason other than assuming this is how people talk and feel. It’s a fucked up lazy assumption and says more about the author than the shitty character. Apparently, being gay isn’t “All American” whatever tf that means. The women just like the black male character are only there in service to the white male characters. That is some bullshit. Unless I missed it I can’t tell what time. This is in. It feels like some shit from 30 years ago, but it’s not exactly clear. From peoples ideals to the lack of cell phones and technology. also, no teenagers today are watching Metallica videos on MTV. Absolutely no one is doing that tbh. I’m lost as of what year it and the story. It’s just lazy and boring and offensive as a plot device. Do better. If I’m keeping it a buck this author has never met a black person and definitely hates us and any person that is not a straight cishet white male.
Oh and of course there was an attempted rape. 🗑️🗑️🗑️🗑️🗑️
Oh and of course there was an attempted rape. 🗑️🗑️🗑️🗑️🗑️
November 16, 2022
I don't think I'll ever be disappointed with a Ronald Kelly book. His writing is always spectacular and keeps me entertained from start to finish. I read this one as a buddy read with my friends over at Castle Terror and Ronald was even kind enough to join us. Always a blast reading with him! This book was based on a band of Irish werewolves. That should be enough to get someone to want to read it, it was for me, but it was set in Tennessee. This combination of lore and history from the Emerald Isle plus small town life in rural Tennessee was absolute perfection. Loved the characters, the villains were super villainy (which is always fun) and the settings of both the past and present were so vividly described I felt as if I were there. Even though with these werewolves I wouldn't want to be there!
100% recommend!
100% recommend!
April 2, 2021
The two Ronald Kelly books I read right before Undertaker’s Moon (Fear and Irish Gothic) took place in Tennessee and Ireland, respectively. This one forms a blessed union between the two locales, offering a prologue taking place in the old country, before moving the action to Old Hickory, TN—the kind of location where Kelly’s voice shines.
Undertaker’s Moon is a fantastic read for those who think they’re sick of werewolf books, and I’ll be happy to include myself in that number. If it wasn’t for the author’s name on the front cover, I might’ve given this one a pass. Don’t fall into that trap, however, because Kelly sets up a Salem’s Lot-esque narrative where an ancient evil moves into a small town and upheaves the natural order. Kelly clearly has fun dabbling in different elements of lycan tropes and lore, utilizing some and explaining away others.
Just like the town itself, the characters come to life, maybe none more than Brian, a sympathetic loser at the novel’s introduction who undergoes an extensive arc and gets the reader cheering for him by the end. Jake Preston is another well-developed character well-molded by the events that transpire around him. Kelly thrives on utilizing a sense of isolation to tell a self-contained coming-of-age story, within the narrative, surrounding this character.
Even the range of antagonists on display takes the reader on a journey. Following a clan of werewolves, we don’t get an army of mindless killing machines. Rather nuanced characters, some suffering under the constraints of a curse, others fully embracing the bloodlust that comes with being a werewolf. The truly evil members of the clan are shudder-inducing even when, maybe especially when, taking part in the story in their human forms.
Undertaker’s Moon is a phenomenal example of small-town horror done right. Coming in at just under 400 pages, the pacing is tight and I dare you to find the fluff. Sick of werewolves? Yeah, me too. Give this one a shot anyway. It’s not what you’re expecting.
Undertaker’s Moon is a fantastic read for those who think they’re sick of werewolf books, and I’ll be happy to include myself in that number. If it wasn’t for the author’s name on the front cover, I might’ve given this one a pass. Don’t fall into that trap, however, because Kelly sets up a Salem’s Lot-esque narrative where an ancient evil moves into a small town and upheaves the natural order. Kelly clearly has fun dabbling in different elements of lycan tropes and lore, utilizing some and explaining away others.
Just like the town itself, the characters come to life, maybe none more than Brian, a sympathetic loser at the novel’s introduction who undergoes an extensive arc and gets the reader cheering for him by the end. Jake Preston is another well-developed character well-molded by the events that transpire around him. Kelly thrives on utilizing a sense of isolation to tell a self-contained coming-of-age story, within the narrative, surrounding this character.
Even the range of antagonists on display takes the reader on a journey. Following a clan of werewolves, we don’t get an army of mindless killing machines. Rather nuanced characters, some suffering under the constraints of a curse, others fully embracing the bloodlust that comes with being a werewolf. The truly evil members of the clan are shudder-inducing even when, maybe especially when, taking part in the story in their human forms.
Undertaker’s Moon is a phenomenal example of small-town horror done right. Coming in at just under 400 pages, the pacing is tight and I dare you to find the fluff. Sick of werewolves? Yeah, me too. Give this one a shot anyway. It’s not what you’re expecting.
July 13, 2014
I picked up Undertaker's Moon because I wanted something scary. I personally blame Bram Stroker for putting the love of a good scare in this person's psyche! I'm starting to believe that having grown up reading the best in horror, my standards are a little high. It seems that all I should expect from current horror is sex or gore... neither of which touch on the one emotion that makes me reach for a good scary novel. Fear.
Undertaker's Moon is a great read. Robert Kelly relied on a whole lot of stereo-type for his characters (from the fat nerd, high school jock, red neck hunter and every single Irishman in the novel). Even though the character's weren't entirely fleshed out, they were likable. The antagonist was Crom McManus. I should have been scared to death of Crom, but instead he came off arrogant and annoying. His true power came from the ability to keep people ignorant of his "other-worldness", once people were made aware... he seemed arrogant and annoying (sorry for the redundancy).
Undertaker’s Moon never reached the level of actually scaring me. There is violence in the novel... it is about werewolves though (I don't know why people expect non-violent werewolves and vampires. Am I the only one that thinks this odd?) It's fast paced and very easy to read. The ending is like something you'd see in direct to video horror movie... it flat lines for me.
Would I recommend this novel? Yes, if you are wanting a dark story about werewolves, because at least it is that. Kelly has done some research on the werewolf lore and he gives you these details in small baby-size spoonfuls. If you're Irish or from Tennessee, you will see yourself as a huge stereotype... but don't take it personally; it is fiction and is meant only to entertain you (which it does).
Undertaker's Moon is a great read. Robert Kelly relied on a whole lot of stereo-type for his characters (from the fat nerd, high school jock, red neck hunter and every single Irishman in the novel). Even though the character's weren't entirely fleshed out, they were likable. The antagonist was Crom McManus. I should have been scared to death of Crom, but instead he came off arrogant and annoying. His true power came from the ability to keep people ignorant of his "other-worldness", once people were made aware... he seemed arrogant and annoying (sorry for the redundancy).
Undertaker’s Moon never reached the level of actually scaring me. There is violence in the novel... it is about werewolves though (I don't know why people expect non-violent werewolves and vampires. Am I the only one that thinks this odd?) It's fast paced and very easy to read. The ending is like something you'd see in direct to video horror movie... it flat lines for me.
Would I recommend this novel? Yes, if you are wanting a dark story about werewolves, because at least it is that. Kelly has done some research on the werewolf lore and he gives you these details in small baby-size spoonfuls. If you're Irish or from Tennessee, you will see yourself as a huge stereotype... but don't take it personally; it is fiction and is meant only to entertain you (which it does).
May 30, 2018
What an absolute thrill ride!
Personally, I wouldn’t think it’s easy to write a really good werewolf novel. Too many times it seems the writer just kinda repeats the same old story. Using the same old tired devices. But Ronald Kelly has really outdone himself in this one.
He’s taken his werewolves out of, in this case, Ireland, and transplants them to backwoods, USA. Tennessee to be exact.
As expected though, the blood and grue fly fast and furiously. Pretty much from beginning to end.
The backstory of the werewolf ‘family’ is throughly fleshed out (no pun intended). The characters are so real and honest it’s easy to forget they aren’t actually for real. You feel for them. You most definitely want revenge for them. And when the final battle comes, you root for them. One character in particular, Brian, hit very close to home. So I was particularly fond of his character.
This is extremely well written. And as I understand it this title, The Undertaker’s Moon, is a reissue of his novel Moon of the Werewolf. Personally, I like the newer title and it’s gooey possibilities. And trust me they are gooey!!
I’d highly recommend this book.
Personally, I wouldn’t think it’s easy to write a really good werewolf novel. Too many times it seems the writer just kinda repeats the same old story. Using the same old tired devices. But Ronald Kelly has really outdone himself in this one.
He’s taken his werewolves out of, in this case, Ireland, and transplants them to backwoods, USA. Tennessee to be exact.
As expected though, the blood and grue fly fast and furiously. Pretty much from beginning to end.
The backstory of the werewolf ‘family’ is throughly fleshed out (no pun intended). The characters are so real and honest it’s easy to forget they aren’t actually for real. You feel for them. You most definitely want revenge for them. And when the final battle comes, you root for them. One character in particular, Brian, hit very close to home. So I was particularly fond of his character.
This is extremely well written. And as I understand it this title, The Undertaker’s Moon, is a reissue of his novel Moon of the Werewolf. Personally, I like the newer title and it’s gooey possibilities. And trust me they are gooey!!
I’d highly recommend this book.
September 4, 2019
I first read this novel many years ago in its initial paperback run, and it says something about the quality of Mr. Kelly's writing that his grisly story of werewolves in Tennessee has stayed with me so long. Kelly's werewolves are monsters, and their bloodthirsty rampages are described in ferocious detail, though the writer wisely pulls back from the edge in time to avoid falling over into splatterpunk territory. The atmosphere is terrific as well, and the author captures life in a small Southern town perfectly. Kelly populates his novel with some memorable characters, some good and some bad, but all of them quite believable. The careful plotting propels the narrative irresistibly towards a fantastic climax without ever losing sight of a certain degree of realism. All in all, a fine werewolf novel for horror fans who don't believe in sparkly vampires or tame werewolves.
September 7, 2023
I have found my favorite werewolf novel. Fast paced with a lot of action and plenty of gore. Kelly does an excellent job of creating believable characters and horrifying scenes. Highly recommended.
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