The Glass Eel
The Glass Eel by J. J. Viertel, published by Penzler Publishers on September 9, 2025, is a mystery that unfolds on Caterpillar Island, a picturesque vacation spot off the central coast of Maine. While the island is known for its charming attractions like lobster bakes and kayaking, it also harbors a darker side, where cash, guns, and poachers thrive under the cover of night. The story follows Jeanette King, who transitions from a modest life of picking and packaging peekytoe crab meat to becoming embroiled in a perilous world of crime surrounding the lucrative black market for baby eels.
As Jeanette navigates this treacherous landscape, she partners with a local policeman and an Indigenous activist to confront the challenges posed by Oxy addicts, struggling retirees, and corrupt politicians. The narrative delves into the complexities of crime and community, revealing the intricate connections between the island’s residents and the dangerous business they are entangled in. With 364 pages of suspense, this edition invites readers to explore themes of risk and moral dilemmas while uncovering the hidden realities of a seemingly idyllic location.
Official synopsis Publisher
Caterpillar Island is off the central coast of Maine–beloved vacationland of lobster bakes and quaint fried clam shacks, kayaking and country houses. At night, though, by the light of a headlamp, the island is alive with cash, guns, and poachers. Oxy addicts, struggling retirees, and unemployable deadbeats dip their nets in the creeks to catch elvers–two-inch-long baby eels that fetch $2000 a pound on the international black market.
Into this dark and dangerous world falls Jeanette King, who has, up to this moment, been earning her meager living mainly by picking and packaging peekytoe crab meat for shipment to New York and Boston. As Jeanette gets drawn into a fast-moving story of risk and violent consequences, she enlists the aid of a local policeman and an Indigenous activist. Together they try to set things right for the people and the planet. But the deeper they dig, the more dangerous things get. An ensuing procession of colorful locals, corrupt state politicians, and treacherous outsiders weaves a tale that reveals the underbelly of a deadly business.
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