All Shell Breaks Loose - (A Haunted Shell Shop Mystery) by Molly MacRae (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

On North Carolina's Okracoke Island, Maureen Nash sells exquisite seashells to locals and tourists--with Bonny the shop cat and the ghost of a Welsh pirate for company. And when needed, she steps in to help the police solve a murder...

Dr. Irving Allred is boasting around town that he's about to get his hands on an authentic haunted sword. But minutes after Maureen hears the story, a woman walks into the Moon Shell, sword in hand. She found it while walking her bulldog on the beach--and its blade is stained with what looks like blood. Looks like it's time to call the sheriff's department.

Allred is furious that his prize is now in police custody--and even more agitated that an unknown buyer was trying to outbid him. He's convinced that the sword will lead him straight to the ghost he's hunting. He's not the only one on the Outer Banks who's been searching for spirits, though. An odd visitor also showed up at Maureen's shop claiming the ability sense them . . . though somehow she didn't seem to notice Maureen's spectral friend hanging about.

When a man who'd been camping nearby is found cut down along the shore, Maureen starts providing some unofficial assistance to Captain Rob Tate by digging into the island's maritime history. But it's not the only mystery she's facing--because the shop's resident ghost is seeing ghosts himself . . .

Review Quotes

Praise for The Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries

"History and shell lore combine in this beguiling tale." --Kirkus Reviews on There'll Be Shell to Pay

"This is the second book in the new series and I'm loving the characters, setting and puzzles Maureen must solve to catch a killer. I'm looking forward to book three and many more." --King's River Life on There'll Be Shell to Pay

"There is a lot going on in this lively cozy mystery, as the larger-than-life personalities of Maureen's friends butt heads in their pursuit of the truth. Yanira and Coquina Ochoa provide a relative and welcome breath of normalcy in all the mayhem surrounding the murder."--Criminal Element on There'll Be Shell to Pay

"A strong sense of place, a sympathetic heroine, and an opinionated ghost will appeal to fans of Carolyn Haines' Sarah Booth Delaney cozies." --Booklist on Come Shell or High Water

"The first book in Molly MacRae's latest cozy mystery series is populated with charming, eccentric characters. The elderly Weaver siblings are a hoot, and I loved Maureen's relationship with her adult children. The amnesia narrative is written in a manner as disorienting as the experience itself, but everything comes together satisfactorily in the end. Honestly, it's so refreshing to read of older characters tackling tough and often dangerous problems. The inclusion of a friendly ghost also adds a delightful touch of the paranormal." --Criminal Element on Come Shell or High Water

"Molly Macrae's delightful pirate ghost story and cozy mystery mashup is not to be missed. Cozy readers will be enthralled with this trip to North Carolina's Outer Banks." --Amanda Flower, USA Today bestselling author of Blueberry Blunder

"Molly MacRae delights in her new Haunted Shell Shop series debut. Come Shell or High Water is a fun and twisty tale set on a North Carolina island. Nobody does ghosts like MacRae, with gentle eighteenth-century pirate Emrys keeping widowed shell expert Maureen Nash company as she untangles the salty facts of more than one murder along with mysteries from the past." --Maddie Day, author of Deep Fried Death

"Molly MacRae's Carolina coastal island in Come Shell or High Water is a treasure chest of atmosphere and island history with a unique cast of characters, including a pun-cracking 18th century pirate-ghost and two quirky octogenarian siblings, who may be the best sidekicks since Fred and Ethel Mertz. Her malacologist protagonist (when I said unique characters, I meant it) is sympathetic and interesting, making this layered Haunted Shell Shop mystery one you'll be happily digging into."--Korina Moss, author of Fondue or Die

"Ahoy, matey! Explore North Carolina's Outer Banks without leaving home, go shelling without getting your feet wet, and savor a fun mystery filled with history and word play, as newly-widowed Maureen gets to know a fascinating place and its proudly quirky residents, all while discovering more about herself and her family." --Leslie Budewitz, three-time Agatha Award-winning author of the Spice Shop Mysteries

"With its likable protagonist and irresistible island setting, Come Shell or High Water will charm readers with an imaginative mashup of cozy mystery and ghost story." --Lucy Burdette, USA Today bestselling author of A Clue in the Crumbs

About the Author

Molly MacRae is the award-winning author of the Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries, the Highland Bookshop Mysteries, and the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries. Born and raised in Illinois, MacRae spent twenty years in the foothills of Tennessee's Blue Ridge Mountains, where she was the director of the history museum for Jonesborough, the state's oldest town. During that time, MacRae and her family started taking vacations to North Carolina's Outer Banks, where she fell in love with Ocracoke Island, the setting for her Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries. MacRae, a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, has won the Sherwood Anderson Award for short fiction, and several of her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. She currently lives in Champaign, IL with her family. For more information on Molly and her books, please visit MollyMacRae.com.