Stephen King is a writer for whom ideas continue to arrive thick and fast – ‘Duma Key’ comes hot on the heels of last year’s ‘Lisey’s Story’. This creative outpouring is mirrored in the protagonist of this new novel. Edgar Freemantle moves to the Florida outpost of the title to convalesce after a horrific accident which has left him with one arm. He soon discovers a love of painting and knocks out blockbusting artworks at a rate of knots.
Of course, this being a King book, it doesn’t take long for the fun to begin. It turns out Edgar’s paintings contain a supernatural force with the power to predict and influence people and events thousands of miles away. Edgar finds himself drawn to his neighbour, a mysterious old lady, who seems to hold the key to Duma Key’s terrible secrets. King has in recent years moved away from out and out horror writing, throwing a good dose of suspense into the mix. Unfortunately this melding of styles derails ‘Duma Key’. For the first 300 pages of this large tome, the tension is ratcheted up. But when, having set up an intricate mystery, King slips back into full-on horror mode in a preposterous final section replete with zombies, phantoms and ghost ships, it loses its way. Underwhelming.
