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The Glass Eel by J. J. Viertel
Published by Mysterious Press on September 9, 2025
Genres: Amateur Sleuths, Organized Crime Thrillers, Women Sleuths
Pages: 364
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In this gripping debut thriller, struggling divorcée Jeanette King becomes embroiled in a criminal ring when she discovers her ex-husband’s cache of baby eels.
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.
The Glass Eel by J.J. Viertel drops you straight into the shadows of Maine’s coast, where the postcard beauty hides a dangerous hustle. Jeanette King, a divorced woman just trying to stay afloat, stumbles onto her ex-husband’s stash of baby eels worth thousands and suddenly finds herself in the middle of a crime ring.
From poachers and shady politicians to locals just trying to survive, the story shows how far people will go when money and desperation collide. Jeanette’s toughness and the unlikely allies she teams up with keep the pages turning, while Caterpillar Island feels so vivid it becomes a character on its own.
The Glass Eel is suspenseful, atmospheric, and layered with social truth. A strong debut that grips you from start to finish.
Reviewed by: Orsayor
