Dark of the Island, The

by Philip Gerard

Nick Wolf is a public research specialist for NorthAm Oil Company, but he likes to think of himself as the company storyteller. Nick, who believes in the old-fashioned integrity of the people who run NorthAm, is sent to scout potential oil exploration/drilling sites to assess the political climate. His latest assignment sends him to Hatteras Island, on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Growing up, Nick’s grandmother used to whisper the name of the island “like a hissing curse that shouldn’t be spoken out loud.” Nick’s grandfather was said to have died on Hatteras during World War II, though he was mysteriously claimed as a fallen soldier by both the American and German armies. As soon as he arrives on the island, Nick is the victim of several suspicious accidents and begins receiving cryptic notes that lead him to surprising revelations about his grandfather. In the course of his research for NorthAm, Nick discovers that four families run everything and everyone is somehow connected. Even Julia Royal, the fascinating and frustrating woman who runs the boarding house where Nick is staying, is the granddaughter of perhaps the most powerful patriarch of the four families―Liam Royal, known as The Founder. This mystery/thriller follows two intriguing storylines. Contemporary politics of the Outer Banks, including the always-controversial question of offshore drilling, interweave with the history of German saboteurs during World War II. The book’s title―The Dark of the Island―is what the old-timers on Hatteras called a moonless night with no stars. It was on these nights that the “mooncussers and wreckers” would raise a false light on the beach luring an unwary ship’s captain to run aground so the locals could row out to the wreck and loot the cargo. In this novel, it’s Nick Wolf’s destiny to discover what is behind the true “dark of the island.” Philip Gerard is the author of five novels and eight books of nonfiction, including Down the Wild Cape A River Journey Through the Heart of North Carolina and The Patron Saint of Dreams , winner of the 2012 North American Gold Medal in Essay/Creative Nonfiction from The Independent Publisher . "Greed, regret, deceit, and betrayals drive the mystery, but Gerard’s addition of a realistic love story and his literary, often emotionally charged, writing make this a worthwhile read." ―Foreword Reviews

240 pages, Paperback

Published March 8, 2016

About the author

Philip Gerard is the author of 13 books, including The Last Battleground: The Civil War Comes to North Carolina. Gerard was the author of Our State's Civil War series. He currently teaches in the department of creative writing at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Reviews

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed Philip Gerard's articles in Our State magazine, so I knew I'd like this book as well. It's great reading about NC, especially since I live here, and know about the places he mentioned. Plus, I'm a "fan" of the USS North Carolina, and it was a wonderful insight reading about the ship as if I were actually out to sea. Great little mystery!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I became a fan of Philip Gerard as a writer for Our State magazine. He makes historical fiction come alive while making you appreciate the natural setting, making it a character in itself. While reading this novel, I realized that he also has a gift with characters as well. I would give it 5 stars, but I wasn't crazy about the ending.

[MaryAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started out slow, and I wasn't sure I would stick with it, but then the pace picked up and I read through to the end. Good story with NC coastal setting.

[Lana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
NC Author Book Club Selection
I like his writing but the plot not so much.

[Debbie Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my type 1/2 finished.

[Leila Punger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book because of the mysteries surrounding several characters, the language, and the setting-the Outer Banks of NC.

[Kenneth Flusche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminds me of another author. A book within a book. A past and a present. Actually a 4.5 well maybe a 4.4 as I rounded down. Defenetly worth reading.

[Chris Knezevich · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This book is shrouded in mystery and is on that you can’t put down. Leaves you guessing through the end with some very powerful suspense. Worth the read!

[Renny Barcelos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I have to wonder if reading is ruined to me because I read too much. It makes me way too critical and makes me know all different kinds of possible plots and twists; everything starts to seem like a cliche. I don't want to be unfair to books because of this.

First the positives: the author writes beautifully. I like his style and it was a pleasure to read, even when the story itself wasn't to my taste anymore. He knows how to build a sentence and tell a story. Also, the idea of someone officially dying for both sides in a war and starting with Lindbergh's speech was excellent.

****Some minor spoilers ahead**** However...at some point the romance started and it felt way too cliche to me. The past secret was, in my opinion, too contrived and unreal--not because it couldn't have happened but because it was really a silly thing to become such a secret. I don't think that people back then, with the mindset they had after the war would have reacted like that. And the overall reactions did not convince me in the least. The villains were too stereotypical and the good guys all too good.
Also, a pet peeve of mine; everyone telling secrets to the new person just because the story is told from their POV and we need to know things. That does not happen in real life and it annoys the hell out of me.

So, all in all, a good book from an author with certainly a lot of potential. All the things that bothered me are very personal, so I would still recommend his novel.

I'd like to thank Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with an ARC for this review. This fact did not affect my opinion in any way.

[M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story. I liked the Outer Banks setting. I won this in a contest and it was a good read. Thank you!