Source: Publisher
Description: When widowed folklorist Maureen Nash visits a legendary North Carolina barrier island shell shop, she discovers its resident ghost pirate and the mystery of a local’s untimely death . . .
As a professional storyteller, Maureen Nash can’t help but see the narrative cues woven through her life. Like the series of letters addressed to her late husband from a stranger—the proprietor of The Moon Shell, a shop on Ocracoke Island, off the coast of North Carolina. The store is famous with shell collectors, but it’s the cryptic letters from Allen Withrow, the shop’s owner, that convince Maureen to travel to the small coastal town in the middle of hurricane season. At the very least, she expects she’ll get a good story out of the experience, never anticipating it could end up a murder mystery . . .
In Maureen’s first hours on the storm-lashed island, she averts several life-threatening accidents, stumbles over the body of a controversial Ocracoke local, and meets the ghost of an eighteenth-century Welsh pirate, Emrys Lloyd. To the untrained eye, all these unusual occurrences would seem to be random misfortunes, but Maureen senses there may be something connecting these stories. With Emrys’s supernatural assistance, and the support of a few new friends, Maureen sets out unravel the truth, find a killer, and hopefully give this tale a satisfying ending . . . while also rewriting her own.
Genre: Mystery - Cozy
Why I Picked This Book: This is an author I've been wanting to read for awhile and I love the idea of a professional storyteller as the main character - especially when there's a ghost involved!
My Impression: Unfortunately, this didn't really work of me. I really liked the island setting with the hurricaine afternamth and of course I loved the Welsh pirate ghost. I love the idea of Maureen's job and how her scope of knowledge is so wide and varied. The dead body shows up virtually from page one meaning that the mystery hits the ground running.
Why I Picked This Book: This is an author I've been wanting to read for awhile and I love the idea of a professional storyteller as the main character - especially when there's a ghost involved!
My Impression: Unfortunately, this didn't really work of me. I really liked the island setting with the hurricaine afternamth and of course I loved the Welsh pirate ghost. I love the idea of Maureen's job and how her scope of knowledge is so wide and varied. The dead body shows up virtually from page one meaning that the mystery hits the ground running.
All of that said, I found this a bit confusing and chaotic. It was a bit like walking into a movie a third of the way through the action. There were a number of characters all talking a mile a minute and running around. As well, it felt like Maureen switched topics on a whim and with no apparent reason which made it a bit difficult to keep track of what was happening.
I've seen some postive reviews of this book calling it quirky and whimsical so this could be just a case of wrong book at the wrong time for me. I didn't hate it - I just felt like I never connected with the story. The author has another series that has been on my TBR and I definitely want to pick the first book up and see if that's a bit of a better fit.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? I would. I really want to read another series by this author and if I see good reveiws for the next book I'll definitely give this series another try.
Would I Recommend this Book? Probably not. It was just a bit too chaotic for me to really recommend it.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
Would I Recommend this Book? Probably not. It was just a bit too chaotic for me to really recommend it.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
I do like the play on words in the book title.
ReplyDeleteSorry this one wasn't better. With that island setting and a pirate ghost, too, I was hoping this one would end up being really fun. Oh, well.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw your rating I said "oh dear!" Yes all that would be confusing and maybe another series by her is the way to go to see if she does fit for you, if you have the time!!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry this didn't work for you. It sounded like such a fun premise.
ReplyDeleteBummer. I loved the sound of it and see why you picked it.
ReplyDeleteI had high hopes for this one and am sad to see it turned out to be a disappointment for you. I probably won't rush to read this one now.
ReplyDeleteInteresting review. I started reading this yesterday and had to stop. I had a few of the same reactions you did like feeling like I came in the middle of a movie. For now, I just put it to the side and will try again at a later date. I have other books by her that I'm going to try, too.
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