Frannie McCabe, police chief of Crane's View, New York discovers a dead three-legged dog in the middle of the street. When he decides to bury it, strange things begin to happen. The dog inexplicably reappears, first in his office and then alive, kicking off a series of bizarre events that make McCabe question both his sanity and reality.
As Frannie navigates these odd occurrences, he encounters a mysterious stranger who seems to know a lot about him and the strange events taking place all around him. This figure leads him on a journey through time, revealing that Frannie is caught in a loop, and that the choices he makes have far-reaching implications not just for his own life, but for the entire town and beyond.
McCabe finds himself grappling with questions about free will, the nature of reality, and the possibility of alternate universes. His journey becomes one of self-discovery, as he uncovers hidden truths about his past, his family, and his future.
In the end, The Wooden Sea leaves readers pondering the mysteries of existence, the choices we make, and the unseen forces that shape our lives.
Praise for The Wooden Sea:
"[T]hings get weird, and not just Carl Hiaasen weird; [the protagonist] finds himself teamed up with his seventeen-year-old self in a time-travel fantasy-thriller, set almost entirely in his home town but involving aliens, cold fusion, and a sinister twenty-first-century Dutch entrepreneur. The result is a quirky piece of intelligent pop that is also surprisingly moving." - The New Yorker
"The Wooden Sea is a treat, and I'm heading out to look for more Jonathan Carroll titles. Frannie, the worldly war-stung small town cop, hits classic status for me. His luminously hard-boiled American voice is smart, funny, and devastatingly decent. Kind of guy you're glad to follow anywhere--even into the strange zones of The Wooden Sea." - Katherine Dunn
