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Blood on the Moon (novel)
Encyclopedia
Blood on the Moon is a crime novel
by James Ellroy
. It is the first installment of the Lloyd Hopkins Trilogy
. It was followed by Because the Night
(1984) and Suicide Hill
(1985). Although the novels are written in multiple perspectives and narrated omnisciently, the main character in all three is Lloyd Hopkins.
in Los Angeles
, California
. 23-year-old Lloyd Hopkins is still with the National Guard
and is deployed to help handle the situation. It is during this riot that Hopkins kills his first man, a deranged armory sergeant who was hunting down and killing African Americans.
Eighteen years later Hopkins is now a sergeant with the LAPD
and has the highest number of arrests of any officer in the department's history. He is considered a genius by many of his associates for his uncanny ability to make intuitive leaps of logic when tracking down criminals. Soon his abilities are put to the test when he investigates the brutal murder of a woman who was disemboweled in her apartment. Hopkins quickly deduces that the person responsible for this murder has in fact been killing women since the late 1960s, but has never been caught because he always changes his modus operandi.
A subplot of the novel involves Hopkins' relationship with his family. He adores his three daughters and deeply loves his wife, though he is terminally unfaithful to her. His wife loves Lloyd, but begins to realize that his habits are not healthy for their children, particularly his propensity for telling them about the cases that he has worked on.
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
by James Ellroy
James Ellroy
Lee Earle "James" Ellroy is an American crime fiction writer and essayist. Ellroy has become known for a so-called "telegraphic" prose style in his most recent work, wherein he frequently omits connecting words and uses only short, staccato sentences, and in particular for the novels The Black...
. It is the first installment of the Lloyd Hopkins Trilogy
Lloyd Hopkins Trilogy
The Lloyd Hopkins Trilogy is the phrase used to refer collectively to three crime fiction novels written by James Ellroy. The three novels are:*1984 Blood on the Moon*1984 Because the Night*1985 Suicide Hill-Characters:...
. It was followed by Because the Night
Because the Night (novel)
Because the Night is a crime fiction novel written by James Ellroy.Released in 1984, it is the second installment of a three book trilogy often titled Lloyd Hopkins Trilogy, after its main character or "L.A Noir," after the hard-book copy that was released containing all three books in the...
(1984) and Suicide Hill
Suicide Hill (novel)
Suicide Hill is a crime fiction novel written by James Ellroy.Released in 1985, it is the third and final installment of the Lloyd Hopkins Trilogy.-Plot summary:...
(1985). Although the novels are written in multiple perspectives and narrated omnisciently, the main character in all three is Lloyd Hopkins.
Plot summary
The story begins in 1965 during the Watts RiotsWatts Riots
The Watts Riots or the Watts Rebellion was a civil disturbance in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California from August 11 to August 15, 1965. The 5-day riot resulted in 34 deaths, 1,032 injuries, and 3,438 arrests...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. 23-year-old Lloyd Hopkins is still with the National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
and is deployed to help handle the situation. It is during this riot that Hopkins kills his first man, a deranged armory sergeant who was hunting down and killing African Americans.
Eighteen years later Hopkins is now a sergeant with the LAPD
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
and has the highest number of arrests of any officer in the department's history. He is considered a genius by many of his associates for his uncanny ability to make intuitive leaps of logic when tracking down criminals. Soon his abilities are put to the test when he investigates the brutal murder of a woman who was disemboweled in her apartment. Hopkins quickly deduces that the person responsible for this murder has in fact been killing women since the late 1960s, but has never been caught because he always changes his modus operandi.
A subplot of the novel involves Hopkins' relationship with his family. He adores his three daughters and deeply loves his wife, though he is terminally unfaithful to her. His wife loves Lloyd, but begins to realize that his habits are not healthy for their children, particularly his propensity for telling them about the cases that he has worked on.
Film adaptation
- Blood on the Moon, the first Ellroy novel to be adapted to film, is the basis for the 1988 movie Cop, starring James WoodsJames WoodsJames Howard Woods is an American film, stage and television actor. Woods is known for starring in critically acclaimed films such as Once Upon a Time in America, Salvador, Nixon, Ghosts of Mississippi, Casino, and in the television legal drama Shark. He has won three Emmy Awards, and has gained...
.