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THERE’LL BE SHELL TO PAY is the second book in the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries by Mollie MacRae. Protagonist Maureen Nash, a new resident on Ocracoke Island, is a professional storyteller. She has a charming way with words which make the story flow on the pages, yet offers humor with wit and puns. I also enjoyed Maureen’s sweet reminiscing about her long-time connection to the island when her sons were very young. She’s also a former malacologist—someone who studies mollusks—which comes in quite handy when she inherits the Moon Shell, the island’s shell shop. I was happy to see bits and pieces of interesting facts about shells and fossils included. The author expertly wove the facts in without slowing down the pacing. Maureen is one of many colorful characters that keeps the book entertaining. I especially enjoy her across the street friends—a brother and sister duo, one a former librarian and the other former mystery writer who has taken Maureen under their wing—and their fun repartee. They’re also a great addition as sidekick amateur sleuths. But it’s the ghost of an eighteenth-century Welsh pirate that makes this book so enjoyable. He adds a dimension to the story and has become a good sounding board for Maureen.
With the island being a tourist destination, there are plenty of visitors to provide fodder for suspicious happenings. Ms. MacRae writes a clever twisty mystery in this newest release. How can Maureen explain to the police that the unidentified body found in an inlet is known by the ghost, when the victim’s identity has been stolen by another? And a group of women who might have been able to collaborate have never met the victim in person. They only knew her from their online Fig Ladies’ group. It takes great skill to pull the all the threads of such a puzzling mystery together into one cohesive story, especially since a ghost can’t provide evidence. The plot and subplots are well-paced and kept me turning pages to find out what happens next. And with the reveal, it all came together with a highly satisfying conclusion.
With the Fig Ladies front and center in the story, it doesn’t come as a surprise that there are a few fig-based recipes at the back of the book… and they all sound delicious! I couldn’t wait to try the recipe for Fig, Ginger, Cardamom Truffles. A food processor makes quick work of creating the filling and the chocolate melts quickly, so it doesn’t take long to bite into these delectable truffles. A tempting combination of figs with spices, and all enrobed in dark chocolate, makes these scrumptious morsels a perfect bite to end dinner with, or to give to special friends to celebrate a birthday or milestone.
Amazon Synopsis
Maureen is still getting used to life on Ocracoke Island, learning how to play the “shell game” of her business—and ghost whispering with the spirit of Emrys Lloyd, the eighteenth-century Welsh pirate who haunts her shop, The Moon Shell. The spectral buccaneer has unburied a treasure hidden in the shop’s attic that turns out to be antique shell art stolen from Maureen’s late husband’s family years ago.
Victor “Shelly” Sullivan and his wife Lenrose visit the shop and specifically inquire about these rare items. Not only is it suspicious that this shell collector should arrive around the time Maureen found the art, but Emrys insists that Sullivan’s wife is an imposter because Lenrose is dead. A woman’s corpse the police have been unable to identify was discovered by the Fig Ladies, a group who formed an online fig appreciation society. They’re meeting on Ocracoke for the first time in person and count Lenrose among their number, so the woman can’t possibly be dead.
But Lenrose’s behavior doesn’t quite match the person the Fig Ladies interacted with online. Now, Maureen and Emrys—with assistance from the Fig Ladies—must prove the real Lenrose is dead and unmask her mysterious pretender before a desperate murderer strikes again . . .
A special thanks to Kensington Publishing for offering a print arc of THERE’LL BE SHELL TO PAY to one lucky winner! Contest ends June 29, 2025 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)
From Roberta McLaughlin
Makes 16 truffles
- 8 ounces dried figs
- 1/4 cup crystallized ginger
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2-1/2 ounces dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa solids, but 70-72% is even better), chopped
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Remove the fig stems. Put the figs, ginger, honey, and cardamom in a food processor and process for about 45 seconds until the ingredients are finely chopped and begin to stick together.
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Roll heaping teaspoons of the fig mixture into balls and set them on a plate or baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.
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In a small bowl, melt the chocolate in a microwave or over a saucepan of gently simmering water.
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Roll the fig balls in the melted chocolate until they're covered--one or two at a time. Return the coated balls to the parchment or wax paper.
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Chill the truffles in the refrigerator until set, about 15 minutes. Serve at room temperature.
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I melted some white chocolate to dip the truffles in for a nice contrast to the dark chocolate. While it tasted delicious, hands down we all preferred the dark chocolate dipped truffles.
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Unfortunately my not so old dark chocolate had "bloomed" - the white coating that sometimes happens to chocolate. I didn't have time to replace the chocolate, so used it (it's safe!). While it tasted just as delicious as if it hadn't bloomed, it still left some streaks in the truffles as they hardened.
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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
