About the Book
Synopsis on Goodreads:
A divorced sleuth in her thirties must bring peace back to her small town after a murder tears neighbors and family members apart in this series debut from Agatha Award-nominee Allison Brook, perfect for fans of Cynthia Riggs and Eva Gates.
Delia Dickens has come home to Dickens Island, a small island in the Long Island Sound, after a twelve year stint in Manhattan. She’s looking forward to helping her father revitalize the general store that the family owns as well as curating a small book nook. Most importantly, she wants to reunite with her 15 year old son. But Dickens Island isn’t the peaceful town Delia remembers–and she might be in more danger here than she ever was in the big city.
Delia’s Aunt Reenie and Uncle Brad, both prominent community leaders, are at odds over the sale of a farm and its future use. This has created friction, not only in their marriage, but amongst the citizens of the town. When a young woman, new to the town council and friendly with Brad, is found murdered, everything escalates and reaches a new boiling point.
With Reenie and Brad both suspects in the case and at each other’s throats, the townspeople start to take sides. When the ghost of her grandmother visits her, Delia learns how past events have impacted the present and it is up to her to expose the farm’s sordid secrets, in order to catch a murderer and restore peace to her beloved island.
My Review
Delia Dickens is trying to get her life back in order. After her divorce, she decides to leave Manhattan and move back to here hometown of Dickens Island. It’s a small island between Long Island and Connecticut. Her parents live there with her teenage son. She’s determined to rebuild her relationship with her son, while her parents have their own relationship difficulties to worry about.
Delia’s father gives her the difficult task of trying to reunite her Uncle Brad and Aunt Reenie. They are having marital troubles because of their differing opinions of how the town should prosper. Then, tragedy strikes when a friend of Brad’s is found dead. The search for a killer is on and Delia finds herself right in the middle of all the action.
This is a great start to a brand new series. I loved Delia and her family. There is a nice mix of mystery, romance and a touch of the paranormal to get things going. The mystery has several twists and turns along the way. I didn’t know which characters to trust.
I adored the addition of Delia’s grandmother in ghost form to the storyline. She is fun and gives us an insight into Dickens Island.
Allison Brook always has the amazing talent to hook me from page one and keep me going until the very end. This book did not disappoint. I love her Haunted Library series, although I’m still a couple of books behind but I will catch up!
This series has the potential to surpass her last one. I’m already in love with the characters and looking forward to finding out what mischief they wind up in next.
For reading challenges:
NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2025
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
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