Hugh B. Cave was a prolific pulpster, selling over 800 stories during the 1920’s and 30’s in just about every genre imaginable. He was probably known best for his horror and weird menace stories, and this novel is a good example of that. This novel is told in three parts with the first and third taking place in Florida near the aforementioned lake while the third is a flashback to the island of Jamaica. Interestingly, the author, after a stint in WW2 as a war correspondent, moved to Jamaica and managed a coffee plantation while continuing his writing career. This has resulted in accurate and insightful descriptions of the island and its inhabitants in this novel.
I’ve never been a big fan of voodoo in novels and there is a lot of that here, as well as other occult practices that I am not familiar with (obeah and bocorism?). I guess it is not surprising considering the author’s time in Haiti resulted in his publishing "Haiti: Highroad to Adventure", a nonfiction work that some claim is the "best report on voodoo in English." The man knew his subject. Many of the main characters in this novel not only believe in the associated powers but seem to take it for granted that others do too. And they do! Nobody ever really questions the occult nature of the mysterious apparition, and easily buy into the premise. I found the horror elements to be somewhat subdued by today’s standards, but it does focus on the fear and apprehension aspects rather than any kind of gore and blood splatter.
I was surprised to find out the novel reads much more like a modern horror story than a pulp story. Like something from Dean Koontz or John Saul might write.