Forget everything you thought you knew about Boothbay Harbor, and discover a story of intrigue, romance, music and murder.

Seldom does a story speak to the people of the Boothbay region like the new novel “Blue Lobster.”

Written and published by Boothbay Harbor native Dylan Boyd, “Blue Lobster” is a multi-generational crime novel set during a murder trial in northern Maine in the 1990s. The story of an artist colony on coastal Maine’s Monhegan Island converges with that of the trial, all amidst the backdrop of Boothbay Harbor.

“Blue Lobster” is the story of a young Johnny Rames, who wakes up in a field after a music festival covered in someone else's blood. He remembers nothing. Rames must rely on his attorney Len Gibson to piece together the past, where secrets of love, loss and betrayal set the stage for a thrilling tour de force.

“I had a couple ideas, you know, floating around,” said Boyd, son of Bob and Kitty Boyd of Boothbay Harbor. “One was a homicide at a music festival, the other was kind of based on sort of an artist in the ’50s on Monhegan. So I started working on those ideas, and decided they were part of the same story, eventually.”

“Blue Lobster's” non-linear plot tells the story of dejected artist Jack Foster traveling to Monhegan in the 1950s to pursue his realist paintings amongst the hardened fishing culture.

The author weaves several poignant narratives through several generations of Maine history, using vivid imagery to capture the characters troubled lives and their unsettling circumstances.

The plot continues in the present, as Johnny Rames awaits his verdict in the high profile murder trial, rife with suspicious evidence and one man's shattered memory.

But Boyd methodically turns back time to reveal events that will ultimately shape the future, doling out just the right amount of detail to keep readers longing for the next paragraph.

“Blue Lobster” is an exploration of the American pathos. It blends the tragedies of war, heartbreak and loss with the Maine experience that becomes accessible on many levels.

Replete with local character, humor and colloquialisms, “Blue Lobster” is an eloquent snapshot of Maine life from the mid to latter half of the 20th century.

While the book contains an occasional contrived plot device, the author makes up for it with an intimate understanding of Maine culture, history and a talent for story telling.

Boyd currently works as an attorney in Portland, and lives with his wife in Cape Elizabeth. He said he plans to continue writing, and is working on a new crime novel.

For anyone looking to curl up with a thrilling good read over the holidays, I would recommend “Blue Lobster.” The book is available at Amazon.com as an e-book and paperback, and is also available locally at Sherman's Book Store and Boothbay Region Greenhouses. Longfellow Books and Letterpress Book stores in Portland also carries “Blue Lobster.”