The hurricane has made landfall, and it brings something horrific. Like monster storms of the Caribbean, Gabino Iglesias knows how to spin something. Here, he spins yet another cat 5 tale, full of the things that earned him top honors from the Stoker and Jackson Awards.
He brings it home in his latest effort, “House of Bone and Rain,” literally. This story, which starts with the seemingly senseless slaying of a working mother, takes place on the island and Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. And like the reign of San Juan’s drug lord, it is drenched in blood and saturated in woe with just enough humanity to keep you reading while you wait out the storm. It is a new story, and I am certain it was ripped from his heart as he wrote it, but the themes are similar to much of his earlier work. It is every bit as violent as it is human, and it contains elements of religious beliefs, the supernatural, and magic—the magic of family and friendship, as well as retribution and vengeance. As for the family and friends, some of the magic is real and some perception. Either way, when this storm passes and you turn that last page, you will find yourself picking up the debris of what is left and, like all great storms, it will stay with you long after the sun breaks through the clouds.
