Tuesday, December 07, 2021

The Bone Cay by Eliza Nellums

 
First Line: From the edge of the shore, Magda paused to look left, where the roots might catch on hair or clothing.
 
Over the past decade, Smithsonian-trained caretaker Magda Trudell has lovingly restored Whimbrel House, the Key West estate of famous poet Isobel Reyes, who committed suicide there in 1918. The restoration has consumed Magda's life, so much so that she refuses to leave when a monster hurricane heads straight for Key West. 
 
The tremendous force of the hurricane causes a fire in Whimbrel House, a collapse of part of the building, and flooding. In her attempts to protect the house, Magda finds an old steamer trunk with the remains of a woman inside. Feeling that these remains have something to do with Isobel Reyes, she's keen to start searching for clues, but when a teenage girl and her father come seeking shelter, Magda is forced to put her search on the back burner to focus on them.
 
As the waters rise and the wind rages, more questions surface due to the odd behavior of the man and his daughter. Are they really who they say they are? And are any of them actually going to survive the storm, which shows no signs of letting up?
 
~
 
It's been over a week since I read The Bone Cay, but I can still hear the roaring of the wind and still feel an old house crumbling beneath me as the waters rise-- Eliza Nellum's claustrophobic setting is that good. The mystery as to what really happened to the poet Isobel Reyes is easy to deduce, but that is such a small part of what is going on in this book that it almost doesn't signify.

Magda Trudell is a fantastic character. Smithsonian-trained, her dedication and focus on Whimbrel House and Isobel Reyes is total. She has spent over a decade of her life determined to restore the house and grounds to their original state so that, if Isobel were to return, the poet would find it exactly as she left it. From the lemurs living on the estate, to the condition of the floors, to her tender nurturing of heritage Key lime trees, Magda's own life is subsumed by Whimbrel House, and when the two strangers appear needing shelter, she wishes she didn't have to bring them in because it means she has less time to save "her" house. Readers will soon discover that when Magda says to herself "at least she could try," this woman is more than willing to die trying. She will not give up, even as her suspicions about the teenage girl and her father become more profound.

Everything is so serious. Two strange people Magda needs to keep an eye on. The hurricane raging all around them. Most of their provisions lost in the floodwaters. Her beloved old house being eaten alive by hungry-looking murky water. An old trunk filled with old bones. The tension is even higher than the suspense, so it's good that there are occasional flashes of dark humor that allow readers (and Magda) to laugh and lighten up for a moment or two.

The Bone Cay is a tension-filled tale of survival that kept me wondering how Magda Trudell could come out on top when everything was stacked against her. I was in the mood for an elemental, atmospheric, nail-biting tale about a strong, memorable woman. I wish that I could meet her again in the future.

The Bone Cay by Eliza Nellums
eISBN: 9781643858456
Crooked Lane Books © 2021
eBook, 288 pages
 
Thriller, Standalone
Rating: A
Source: Net Galley

9 comments:

  1. Hurricanes really are scary, Cathy, so I'm glad that was captured so well here. And what a great backdrop for the story! I'm not into restoration myself, but I admire people who are, and I think I'd find that interesting. And the mystery itself sounds very well done, too. I'm going to put this on the wish list for the next time I want something moodier, more atmospheric, and maybe not so light.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This one sounds very atmospheric...and as Margot says up above, hurricanes are terrifying when you realize you are at the mercy of the story and absolutely no one is out there to help you until the worst is over. I can't even imagine riding one out in a place like Key West. Southeast Texas is bad enough.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Key West is a whole nuther kettle of fish, since some of those islands could completely disappear in a bad hurricane.

      Delete
  3. Everything about this one makes me want to read it! And yay...my library has a copy of it on order. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I like all the elements you mention in this one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I liked it even more than I thought I would, Jen.

      Delete
  5. I think you sold this book to me. Another genre: Hurricane crime fiction. Will check it out.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to make a comment. I really appreciate it!