Fear and Suspense in One Shot Matthew F. Jones' novel A Single Shot is a haunting story of one man's unfortunate mistake and the hellish consequences that ensue. John Moon, in need of money to support his ex-wife Moira and their newborn son Nolan, sets out early one morning to hunt down an impressive buck he recently spotted grazing near his mountain home. After weighing the value of the deer meat against the $1,000 fine and two months in prison he can expect to serve if caught shooting the animal out of season on state land, he decides it's worth the risk. This risk, however, turns out to be much greater than John anticipated. After wounding the deer, chasing it for several miles through thick undergrowth, injuring his shoulder, and accidentally shooting sixteen-year-old Ingrid Banes before finally killing the deer, John is forced to reevaluate his decision. After making the leap from small-time poacher to second-degree murderer with a single errant gunshot, John, with his life transformed into an illusory state of confusion and guilt, reacts reprehensibly, but similarly to how most decent individuals would probably respond if put in his terrible situation. Choosing to hide her body in a small cave in the quarry, "because burial has a definitive meaning that he cannot yet bear" (24), John runs to an abandoned shed where the girl and her boyfriend Waylon have been camping , looking for material to build a torch. There, stumbling upon a large metal container full of money that he can't resist, he realizes that his problems may have only just begun. Indeed, this is true, for in the few days that follow, he is tormented incessantly by both his own conscience and the men whose money he now owns. Jones is able to convey this torment, as well as evoke apprehension and suspense, through his expert use of elements such as setting, atmosphere, structure, narrative voice, and, above all, characterization and dramatic action . an early morning deer hunt. It is before dawn, it is still "three-quarters dark" (3), and "it is so quiet in the forest that, even on a soft bed of pine needles, John's footsteps ring in his ears" (4) . There is no wind and as the scene unfolds, the birds take flight and the crows begin to caw.