Fiction/Thriller
The King of Pearl
Larry R. Carter
iUniverse, Inc.
2008
ISBN: 978-0-595-51262-1
Soft cover
199 pages
Love and mysticism combine to reveal a haunting spirit in Larry R. Carter's latest novel, The King of Pearl. Beginning in Pearl, Michigan and finding its footing at an estate in Rouen, France, Carter constructs a slow moving tale of young love that gives way to mature entanglement while blending strands from the lives of multiple characters in the face of a creature that causes heart stopping fear.
Sirius Boa is called from his home in Michigan (the home that he continued to pay the taxes on during his stint in prison for manslaughter) to France where his childhood love, Celia, has fallen ill. When Sirius arrives at the Briand Estate, the home of Madame Suzette de la Plume, he finds Celia gravely ill. It is Celia's mother, Irene, who calls Sirius. But she hinders his ability to use his love to heal her daughter by demanding that Sirius stay in the guest house which is outside of the main estate structure.
Celia dies just a few days after Sirius' arrival, leaving Sirius and his host, Suzette, perplexed about the cause. Irene quickly leaves the estate and Sirius remains. Having quit his job and violated parole to come to Celia's side, Sirius lingers at the Briand and quickly gets to know Suzette. It does not take long for them to fall in love. But in the midst of the cementing of this new relationship, Sirius becomes aware of an evil spirit haunting the estate. As he investigates the source of this spirit, Sirius befriends Giselda, an old gypsy who occupy's the woods near the Briand. Giselda informs Sirius of a nearby town that was destroyed by American soldiers during World War I. The war in which Sirius' father fought and died.
Carter has developed several interesting characters, namely Sirius, who is something of an enigma: a convicted murder with an abiding love for a girl he fell for during his adolescence who has great musical talents and a habit of going off on philosophical tangents. Sirius also has an overwhelming appreciation of women that make him even more intriguing. As the history of what turns out to be a legion of spirits haunting the Briand surfaces, the reader learns that Sirius possesses supernatural gifts of sight that allow him to see the spirits and experience the past as though it were the present.
The King of Pearl is a dark story with elements of romance and adventure as well as heavy doses of intellectual banter. Those who like their thrillers infused with history, philosophy, and intimacy will enjoy this book.
Melissa Levine
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