The Night Birds

Golden (The House of Last Resort) showcases his gift for eerie scene setting in this outstanding horror novel with an unusual location: the Christabel, a partially sunken freighter off the Texas coast that’s overrun with vegetation. The mangrove trees that make up this “floating forest” have created a unique ecosystem, which is being studied by Charlie Book, of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and three colleagues. Despite an imminent storm headed for Galveston, Charlie still intends to sleep on the Christabel, which he’s made his home for the duration of the study. That plan’s disrupted by a surprise encounter with his ex-girlfriend, Ruby Cahill, who seeks refuge aboard the vessel. Ruby’s on the run from the people who’d murdered her sister, Bella, and desperate for a haven for herself, Bella’s girlfriend, Mae, and Bella’s infant son, Aiden. Despite Ruby’s reluctance to provide details, Charlie agrees to take them in—only to find himself also under threat from something possibly supernatural that pursues them and which has caused birds in the area to act strangely and aggressively. Golden spins this setup into a tense, atmospheric thriller. John Connolly fans will be riveted. (May)