Gothic, in the sense of Southern Gothic, these eleven stories emphasize the grotesque and take place in various Florida environments. Some involve crime and violence, most involve sex; and animals are often central to the plot. Stormy, Mon Amour is about a woman who has given birth to a mermaid and seeks to reunite with her dolphin lover. ReBecca is the story of conjoined twins and their first sexual experience. Boozanne, Lemme Be, from the viewpoint of a petty thief, focuses on his secret life in a couple’s home when they are at work. Must Bite! is a grizzly tale of greed, murder, and ape behavior. Eight other stories contain similarly original plots and off-kilter characters. Megan Abbott provides the Introduction and Michael Connelly the Afterword.