The only other book I've read by Moore is Practical Demonkeeping which I had enjoyed but it had taken me some time to get used to his writing style. This time I knew what to expect and once I started the book I couldn't put it down. The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove is a delightfully demented retelling of Pete's Dragon with a style of humor that rivals Terry Pratchett. Moore's books are especially funny to me because there is a Pine Cove, California and while it's not where Moore has located it, he's captured the town's many small town quirks perfectly. Then he throws a supernatural event into the mix and sits back to watch the story unfold.

What a weird plot. Ten years since Pine Cove experienced its first monster, a new menace settled upon the sleepy community in the form of a Sea Beast that ate occasional passersby and gave out pheromones that made everyone bump uglies all the time. Hence the "lust lizard" monicker. The plot is weird and strange, but Moore's writing is comical gold. My favourite characters are definitely The Spider (who I envision as The Simpsons' Comic Book Guy) and Mavis (one part cranky old lady and one part Terminator).

I wish there were more Pine Cove books to read! I have read all three now, and something about the silliness combined with a small town vibe just gets me every time. This is about misuse of medication by a doctor trying to cope with a loss, a supernatural lizard, and it wouldn't be complete without a warrior babe. Moore is always good for a laugh and someone I look for if I want a fun, short read.

Laugh out loud funny and utterly ridiculous the whole way through. I enjoyed this immensely and it fit exactly into the Moore style. This is 4 stars, but a very high end of that. I think I'll read more of his silliness this year.