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Israel Hands grows up amidst the tumult of the Salem Witch Trials. At the age of twelve he slays a local innkeeper who has accused his father of being in league with the devil. To evade capture Israel absconds to the sea, where he becomes a preeminent sailor and ruthless killer. Feared and betrayed by his friend Edward Teach, Israel is crippled for life and driven from the only world he’s ever known.
Three hundred years later, retired naval officer Tom Stone buys an old tavern in the seaside town of Marblehead, Massachusetts, with the plan to open a B&B. He quickly realizes that he’s not alone. An unwelcome guest, a murderous sailor of old, is searching for something hidden within the house: a ring called The Devil’s Kiss. With the help of a Marblehead cop, a local witch, and an old navy buddy, Tom combats the forces that threaten both his livelihood and his life.
The historical narrative is a well-paced adventure, featuring detailed and compelling portraits of both Edward Teach (aka Blackbeard) and Israel. Comparisons with Stephen King’s style are inevitable, but the incorporation of the Robert Louis Stevenson-esque pirate tale works surprisingly well. The novel as a whole has a brisk, upbeat tone, and even though the violence is sometimes brutal-particularly among the buccaneers-there’s always a sense of playfulness. The ghost story sails perilously close to cliche at times, but this only adds to the charm. Geerer also demonstrates a real knack for cliffhangers. A gripping chiller with an entertaining pirate yarn thrown in.
