Duma Key by Stephen King (A review)

I was very impressed with this book!  I love Stephen King's writing but a lot of his books tend to wander into the really gruesome and disgusting category!  This one however was an excellent read because it managed to be absolutely terrifying with minimal gore and gross.  (There is still some but it is necessary for the story line!) In my mind as I read it I divided it into three sections.

 The first section of the book is about Edgar Freemantle.  He is a victim of a horrible work accident and is recovering from a serious head injury, loss of an arm, and several broken bones throughout his body.  His wife has left him taking his children even though she still loves him because his pain from the accident has caused him to go into unpredictible rages.  Edgar moves away to Florida to the peaceful "big pink" house on Duma Key.  Once there he rediscovers a love/talent for art and finds to his surprise he is very good at it.  In this first part of the book we also meet his neighbors Wireman and Elizabeth, as well as his helper Jack.  The reader is also introduced to his therapist, his ex wife and his daughters. There is great character developement and you come to really like the characters he builds throughout the first part of the novel.  I enjoyed them, they became friends of a sort as I ventured forth, drawn further into their tale. 

In the second part of the book the character developement continues.  Edgar's art is has drawn interest from a local gallery and he begins to enjoy a wild success.  The reader is excited and happy for Edgar but also watchful and uneasy.  The reader begins to see some mystery in these odd paintings Edgar is having success with as he paints more and more frantically and odd things begin happening.  One painting he does seemingly causes someone's death and another seemingly heals someone.  Does he really have these powers?  A mystery begins building which somehow ties in with his neighbor Elizabeth.  Elizabeth it turns out was a child prodigy at painting and gained her successes immediately after a head injury as well.  The mystery builds as we find Elizabeths 2 sisters drowned and she somehow feels there is a supernatural entity behind it all, sending out magic (or poison once you are drawn under its power) in the paintings.  The mystery grows and it is very engaging. 

 In the final part of the book there is a chilling climax.  I do not want to ruin the end for you.  The climax of the book is ultimately chilling, and terrifying but it concludes in a very satisfactory and well written manner.  I was very pleased with this book.  The copy I read was from the library but I liked it so much I am going to go out and buy it.

 As a side note, a lot of the books I have read lately have been very anti-climatic.  They are good books, but they are just stories with beginning, middle, and end but nothing really climatic or exciting about them.  THIS BOOK WAS GREAT.  It built to an absolutely terrifying climax and then followed with an excellent conclusion.  I was thrilled to read a book that had a very good climax in it.  IT kept me enthralled.  The book is around 610+ pages or so and I liked it so much I was able to read it in three days.  If you are a fan of horror, or even suspenseful mysteries, or anything supernatural I would highly recommend this book and even though I have enjoyed Stephen King books in the past he has once again shown why he has earned the title of being a master storyteller!

This is my opinion!  IF you like these kind of stories, truly, give it a chance!