Ronald Schmidt

The Lorelei Ronald Schmidt

In The Lorelei, an aging and decrepit riverboat refuses to release its bizarre hold on an entire community. Author Ron Schmidt spins a suspenseful and chilling tale of the supernatural. The Lorelei, a once-elegant river hotel and gambling boat, has fallen on hard times and is turned into a freight hauler. In August of 1933, the Lorelei is on her final run. But before heading to the salvage yard, a mysterious fire is detected deep in her cargo hold. The crew tries to extinguish the blaze, but the area is inaccessible. Rather than allow the Lorelei to sink and become a navigational hazard, the captain chooses a remote section of shoreline to run the Lorelei aground, permanently beaching her for years to come. This once-pristine example of European craftsmanship slowly decays, sinking deeper and deeper into the sand and mud as a result of the river's swift currents, constant sun, and harsh weather. Over time, the community surrounding the boat becomes anxious for her removal to make way for residential and industrial development. Soon after hiring a firm to remove the ship, the town's citizens discover that the Lorelei has disturbing qualities. Those hired to destroy her quickly realize that their very lives are in jeopardy. For one such worker, the discovery of a past life enjoyed decades before aboard the ship holds the key to the mystery behind the Lorelei. An absorbing novel, The Lorelei demonstrates a world in which things are not as they seem and powers of destruction are wielded by terrible and unseen forces.