July 15, 2024
In Bell’s winning second supernatural whodunit featuring Claire Hendricks (after Grave Expectations), the British medium and her ghost companion investigate shady happenings off the coast of Ireland. Claire’s paranormal gifts—triggered after her best friend, Sophie, died and returned to Claire as a specter—come in handy when she and her friends head to Spike Island for a vacation. Legend has it that a pirate ship loaded with treasure sank in the vicinity centuries ago, and the island has attracted gold-seekers ever since. After Claire arrives, the ghost of pirate Cole Tovey appears to her and shares his suspicions that one of the island’s living residents is conspiring with another ghost to steal Tovey’s fortune. Not long after Claire and Sophie start looking into Tovey’s claims, a vacationer is murdered. Then a storm hits, cutting off communication with the mainland. With the stakes suitably raised, and Sophie distracted by her pursuit of a handsome and potentially sinister pirate ghost, Bell puts a clever spin on a time-tested conceit. It’s a fast and funny romp. Agent: Stevie Finegan, Zeno Literary.