They lied.

Duma Key is the story of Edgar Freemantle, a construction tycoon who suffered a significant head injury while on the job. This accident also caused some significant physical damage, too. Head injuries sometimes change personalities and Edgar is no exception. He's so angry he tries to strangle his wife and she wants him out of her life. On the advice of his psychiatrist, Edgar takes an extended vacation to Florida, Duma Key to be exact. He starts to sketch the ocean, and to rehabilitate his body.

On his daily walks, he meets some neighbors down at the far end of the row of houses on Duma Key. The owner of the house, named Heron's Roost, is elderly Elizabeth Eastlake and her care taker is a charming, but emotionally damaged man named Jerome Wireman. The three of them become friends and Edgar continues his drawing and painting and visiting his friends down the beach.

There are subtle hints that things are not as they seem, but the book rolls along focusing on art and the backstory of Heron's Roost, and Elizabeth Eastlake's family history. The first part of the book is a pleasant excursion into the world of art and Florida's art scene, along with Edgar's transformation from an angry man to a man struggling to get rid of his demons and come to peace with himself. His drawing and painting plays a big part in that.

When things go to hell, they go to hell fast. So fast you don't see it coming. And no matter how terrified I was by the events, I was compelled to keep reading until the end.

And I don't like scary books, but this one was excellent. The ending is bittersweet, but triumphant in spite of it all. I'd recommend this book to every teenager and adult.