Swimming In The Volcano

I read this Caribbean sort-of-thriller while I was vacationing in Sicily. Although it goes on far too long I had to keep reading. Bob Shacochis presents a scary snapshot of life on the fictional Caribbean island of St. Catherine. There are some very funny passages at the beginning of the novel that drew me in: the terrifying ride down the mountain in a derelict Comet named Miss Defy had me laughing out loud as did the ensuing scene at the airport. Unfortunately this downhill race is a metaphor for what happens to the novel. It's as if Shacochis can't decide what type of book he's writing. Is it a humourous take on life in the Caribbean? Is it about a doomed romance? Is it a political treatise? It's all of these. Mitchell Wilson, an American agricultural expert works at The Ministry Of Agriculture on the island. He has a ragtag group of friends, native and ex-pat. The girl who broke his heart long ago arrives on the island, fleeing some sort of bad and dangerous situation in Hawaii. Mitchell has ambivalent feelings toward her; he's attracted but angry. The story of their relationship unfolds against the backdrop of a very unstable political situation. The ruling coalition government is fragile and is being undermined by forces within and without. Murder and violence ensue and Mitchell is drawn into the vortex. The tendency to veer off in all directions throws the pacing off but the good writing hooked me and I'd recommend the book.