This is a fascinating story of the post-Civil War era set in Florida near Key West and also including the Dry Tortugas area. During a violent hurricane storm, the captain of a sailboat, Townsend, maneuvers the boat to the safety of a mangrove cove to ride out the storm. In the aftermath the next day, he discovers a much larger ship listing to one side, and what he finds inside is horrifying. This is a novel that draws the reader in, and compels the reader to keep reading ~