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COME SHELL OR HIGH WATER is the first book in the brand-new Haunted Shell Shop mysteries by Mollie MacRae. I just loved this book, with its quirky protagonist, Maureen Nash, and her humorous mannerisms, shell and sea puns that will make you either groan or giggle, and her outlook on life. First off, Maureen is a woman with grown sons, and is finding her way after losing her husband the year before. It gives her a different perspective on life than a twenty-something-year-old and is one more relatable to older readers. Not only is Maureen a former malacologist, but she’s also a professional storyteller… and tells a story she does! From the opening sentence, which is an attention grabber for sure, to meeting an eighteenth-century Welsh ghost pirate, to investigating with her new octogenarian neighbor, the tale kept me enthralled. You can’t help but admire the cast of characters—they’re entertaining and exhibit the fine qualities of a small island community, which are helpful busybodies to assist however they can.
The characters drew me in and the mystery kept me turning pages. The murder happens early on with hints of a mysterious secret Maureen seems to be keeping too. After all, she really wasn’t supposed to be on the island and she’s not telling anyone how she got there since the ferry service closed because of the hurricane. But, since she’s the one that stumbled across the body and can’t account for her actions, Maureen becomes the number one suspect of local law enforcement. With the help of her elderly neighbors (who are a hoot themselves!), and the ghost pirate, Maureen investigates the murder. With twists and turns galore, I didn’t want to put the book down. There were plenty of clues to follow, suspects and red herrings to trick me, but in the end, I just wanted to sit back and enjoy the rollicking tale. This book has one shell of an ending that makes me fervently wish the second book was already in hand!
Since this isn’t a culinary cozy mystery, I was delighted to find recipes at that back of the book. Maureen’s elderly neighbor, Burt Weaver, took up daily muffin baking during the pandemic. He’s continued the practice, calling it his morning muffin meditation, and with loads to share, he plies Maureen with muffins of all sorts. Burt provides three of his recipes in the book and I couldn’t wait to try the Fig Walnut Spice Muffins. Sweet and with jammy bits of figs studded in the tender and moist muffin, these make the perfect accompaniment for breakfast or an afternoon snack. I loved the warming spices used, which complemented the figs while the crunch of walnuts added extra texture. I’m glad I bought the Costco-size bag of figs because I’ll be making these again and again!
Amazon Synopsis
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.
A special thanks to Kensington Publishing for offering a print ARC copy of COME SHELL OR HIGH WATER to one lucky winner! Contest ends June 26, 2024 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!)
Yield: 18 (or 17)
Burt Weaver here. This is the first muffin recipe I've come up with on my own. It makes eighteen muffins. Sometimes seventeen if I'm heavy-handed in filling the muffin cups. When Glady asked if I was ever going to fix the recipe so that it makes a standard dozen, I asked who she was kidding. Seventeen or eighteen muffins is better than a dozen or a baker's dozen any day. This recipe makes a Burt's dozen.
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 cup dried figs, stems removed, chopped into raisin-size pieces (or a little bigger)
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1-1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).
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If you have two muffin pans (for a total of 24 muffins), butter 18 of the muffin cups or line them with muffin papers. Otherwise, bake 12 muffins and, after the pan cools, prepare 6 of the cups again to bake the final 6 muffins.
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In the large mixing bowl, stir together all the ingredients but for the figs and walnuts. Now stir in the figs and walnuts.
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In in the medium bowl, melt the butter, then whisk in the brown sugar, yogurt, vanilla, and the eggs. Pour into the large bowl and stir until just combined. Batter will be thick.
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Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full.
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Bake until toothpick or tester comes out clean, 15 - 20 minutes.
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Remove from the oven and turn muffins out of pan to cool on a wire rack.
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Bake the rest of the muffins if you're working with only one 12-muffin pan.
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I sprinkled some coarse sparkling sugar on top of the muffins right before baking.
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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book sound like such an interesting read! The cover is adorable! I am anxious to try the muffin recipe! I have heard and read, that figs are nature’s most perfect food. Has all the vitamins and minerals you need! And I love them!
Interesting recipe . Ty
Sounds like a great read.
The mystery sounds very entertaining and the muffins look delicious. Thanks so much for theee chance to win this book.