HORROR

House of Bone and Rain

Mulholland. Aug. 2024. 352p. ISBN 9780316427012. $29. HORROR
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As Hurricane Maria bears down, five lifelong friends in Puerto Rico vow to get justice after one of their mothers is murdered by men connected to the biggest drug dealer on the island. Their mission is complicated by the evil spirits who are believed to travel with any hurricane. The danger from the approaching storm increases in concert with the novel’s violence and the risks inherent in the group’s quest for revenge, as does the inevitable destruction to follow. The novel’s grittiness is balanced by language which contrasts the beauty of the island with its dangers, both seen and unseen. Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson Award winner Iglesias (The Devil Takes You Home) makes a compelling case why those from Puerto Rico always feel connected to that place, regardless of where they roam.
VERDICT In his most accessible work to date, Iglesias has crafted a coming-of-age story that blends friendship, vengeance, and mysticism in beautifully written prose that demonstrates the thinness of the boundary between the spiritual world and grim reality. Recommended for fans of S.A. Cosby and Stephen Graham Jones and those who enjoy Nordic noir, with its strong sense of place and of the power of weather.
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