Dear Reader,
This week I was excited to see the final version of the cover of Wrecker, my new novel for young readers. It’s due to be published in September, and it was fun to write. The story takes place in Key West, an island rich with legends and outrageous true-life characters. It’s been a smuggler’s paradise for more than a century, from the days of bootleg rum to the era of “square grouper,” a whimsical local term for bales of marijuana.
A more modern smuggling scheme is at the center of Wrecker. A teenager with deep family roots in the boat-salvage trade gets caught up with cold-blooded characters that definitely don’t belong on a laid-back island. Lots of the action takes place at high speed on the water—and also in Key West’s famous old cemetery, where I spent some interesting time doing research and counting the resident iguanas.
I can’t wait for the novel to come out, and I hope all of you will like it. In the meantime, have a safe and happy new year!
Carl Hiaasen
