new-series, first-in-series, Outer Banks, hurricane, recipes, ghosts, storyteller, murder, electricity, concussion, paramnesia, amateur-sleuth, local-law-enforcement, suspense, malacologist, shell-collector, South Carolina, small-business, small-town, situational-humor, septuagenarian, siblings, investigations, island-life****

Within very few pages retired malacologist and professional storyteller (recently widowed) Maureen Nash is terrified when crossing the waters in the wake of a hurricane to the Barrier Island, Oracoke, slips in household water that has developed an electrical charge, met a 274 y/o ghost of a pirate, and gotten a concussion to complicate the electrical scrambling. Then things really get going!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Kensington Books | Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you!
#HauntedShellShopMysteriesBk1

Come Shell or High Water by Molly MacRae is the entertaining story of a woman who appears in the middle of a hurricane on an island, Oracoke, on the Outer Banks, responding to letters written to her late husband. The man owned a seashell shop, but he wasn’t there. She checked into the place she’d rented: basically a hobbit house, but it was cute. When she went out for a walk on the beach, she kind of lost the pathway back through the woods, until a man waved her over. Once on the path, she tripped over a body. Not knowing what to do, she panicked and eventually called the local policeman, who was less than a disappointment. She also met, Burt and Gladys, a geriatric sister and brother, whom, she hoped, were helping here. The most surprising person she met was the ghost who inhabited the seashell shop. His name was Emrys and came from the 1700’s. He turned out to be quite a good companion.

Of course, her sons were worried. A murder and a ghost? She met a lot of people on the island. All odd. Entertaining, though. It was quite a journey to discover the murderer, and not without a second murder occurring. This is an auspicious beginning for a new series. Very interesting setting and a good character in both, Maureen Nash, the lead, and in the Weavers, next door. The star, however, will be Emrys who plays an integral part in solving the murder and in Maureen’s return to the island. It was fun and I look forward to more. Thanks, Molly MacRae, for this new series.

I was invited to read Come Shell or High Water by Kensington Books. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #KensingtonBooks #MollyMacRae #ComeShellOrHighWater

Come Shell or High Water by Molly MacRae sounded like a fun, paranormal cozy mystery. I started reading and I felt like I was plopped into the middle of the story. It made for a frustrating reading experience. The ending was better than the beginning. I enjoyed visiting Ocracoke Island. The shell shop was intriguing, and I enjoyed learning about different shells. I thought it was a convoluted tale (so much going on). The quirky characters overtake the story. My favorite character is the pirate ghost, Emrys. His comments had me chuckling. There is humor throughout the lighthearted story. The mystery clues are rehashed too many times (I got to know them by heart). There was minimal suspense, and the story could have used some tension in a couple of places. We are required to suspend our disbelief several times. I wish the author had not included an inept police officer (I’m sorry, but it is so cliché). I like that Maureen is a mature protagonist. I liked parts of Come Shell or High Water, but I had trouble with the writing style. It is different from the author’s previous works. The story felt forced (like she was trying too hard) and it was a little too cute. I am not sure that I will continue with A Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries.

This is the perfect cozy debut to the new "Shell Shop Mystery Series." The author has all the cozy elements we readers adore. The setting is beautiful Ocracoke Island. Our protaganist is a recent widow who has returned to the local shell shop for answers . Her husband had been receiving letters for some unknown reason from the shop owner. Her family had many happy visits to the island and Maureen is hoping to find answers to the letters and relive some memories.
Maureen arrives after a hurricane to find much damage and debri on the island. Maureen finds herself stumbling through debri onto a dead body and is electrocuted. She wakes up to find herself in the shell shop with no memory of how she got there. Two helpful locals Brother and sister are with her to help her. They are quite funny charachters that add a dose of humor thoughout. She recalls the dead body and they all realize it was the owner of the shop. Together with her rescuers she is determined to find out what happend to the shell shop owner. Add in a ghost and quirky residents of the island with a dose of humor and this is the perfect summer cozy read. I enjoy the likable protagnist who is a smart savvy investigator. I look forward to the next in series. This was a charming debut that cozy readers will adore.

Thank you to Net Galley, to the publisher and to the author for the availability of this fun cozy debut for review. My review opinions are my own

Unfortunately, this didn't really work of me. I really liked the island setting with the hurricaine afternamth and of course I loved the Welsh pirate ghost. I love the idea of Maureen's job and how her scope of knowledge is so wide and varied. The dead body shows up virtually from page one meaning that the mystery hits the ground running.

All of that said, I found this a bit confusing and chaotic. It was a bit like walking into a movie a third of the way through the action. There were a number of characters all talking a mile a minute and running around. As well, it felt like Maureen switched topics on a whim and with no apparent reason which made it a bit difficult to keep track of what was happening.

I've seen some postive reviews of this book calling it quirky and whimsical so this could be just a case of wrong book at the wrong time for me. I didn't hate it - I just felt like I never connected with the story. The author has another series that has been on my TBR and I definitely want to pick the first book up and see if that's a bit of a better fit.

Come Shell or High Water by Molly MacRae has our sleuth questioning her sanity.

What does Allen Withrow have anything to do with her husband?

Maureen Nash
Maureen Nash is a young widow with two young adult sons who have decided to come to Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, because of some letters. I have to admit that I didn't know if I would like Maureen, but as I got further into the book, I liked her. Maureen loves to tell stories. She was a malacologist until she retired but can now talk to a ghost pirate named Emrys Lloyd. I like how Maureen is focused on trying to figure out what happened to her before she had her concussion and why Allen Withrow sent her husband those letters.

The Victim
Allen Withrow was a very conflicted character when he was alive. He was born on the island but traveled a lot because of his father. His mom brought the two of them back to Ocracoke, and then he stayed put—well until Allen decided to leave. He wasn't a great person, and Maureen started to understand that while she was investigating his death. I don't think that he deserved to die, especially the way that he did, even if he didn't do a lot of good deeds, but he did make up for that after he died.

Five Stars
My rating for Come Shell or High Water by Molly MacRae is five stars. I also recommend it, as it's a great book. The two biggest things that brought me to this book were the cover and the plot summary. Ms. MacRae crafted an amazing read, and I can't wait to see what Maureen, Emrys, and the others on the island get up to in the next book. This author has made me a fan of her writing after this book.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Come Shell or High Water by Molly MacRae.

Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

Come Shell or High Water is book #1 in the Haunted Shell Shop Mystery series by Molly MacRae.

This is a great start to a new series. I enjoy reading books that are set in locations I’ve visited. I like Maureen and the fact that she encounters the ghost of a pirate. The mystery kept me engaged. The characters weren’t as well-developed as I would like, but it is the first book in the series. I definitely plan to read the next book.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I had a hard time getting into this one at first because the MC was addled and the neighbors prattled. I don't know why you would start off a new series with the MC being mixed up because of an electrical shock. I had a hard time getting a hang of the personality of Maureen in the beginning. As things settled down I began to enjoy it more.

There is a bit of the paranormal with a ghost haunting a shell that resides in the shop that sell shells that Maureen has come to visit. Her husband who recently died had received some mysterious letters from the owner. Of course, that is the body that Maureen stumbled over on her way to the shop. While the ghost provides some intrigue and light-hearted moments the mystery is firmly grounded in the mundane world. Maureen has help navigating this coastal island and its inhabitants from two older sibling neighbors who can talk a lot but also provide a lot of humor.

Overall a good mystery and a decent story that I would enjoy reading about again minus the confusing beginning.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

There's a lot to love about this cozy mystery. It has an amazing setting, an intriguing premise, and a great cast of characters. I did struggle to get through the first few chapters. feeling like I'd missed important information. It's the first book in the series, but protagonist Maureen Nash is suffering from electrocution and a concussion. She's confused and she's also not telling her new neighbors exactly why she came to Ocracoke Island just before a hurricane hit. Once I'd verified that I hadn't missed previous books and realized that things weren't supposed to be clear, I started enjoying the read a lot more and I can't wait to spend more time on the island with Maureen and her friends and family.

Molly MacRae writes interesting and quirky characters and settings in her cozy mystery series. In this first in a new series, widowed Maureen Nash moves to Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, in search for answers. She finds more than she bargained for with a body, a storm and an 18th Century ghost. The premise is good and, hopefully, the series continues to develop effectively. The first few chapters are a bit disjointed but once you met the characters and the storyline evolves, it’s a good cozy.

This book started off in a confusing manner, and I felt like I never really understood Maureen’s reason for being on Ocracoke Island. The characters were rather quirky which didn’t help to clarify where the story was going.
I expected to like Come Shell or High Water more than I did. I enjoy paranormal cozies and I did like Emrys, the ghost.
There were shell pun and jokes. A great deal of confused and amateur sleuthing.
I grew to mostly like Maureen. My favorite characters were O’Connor, Emrys, and the Ocracoke ginger cat.
The way the book ended I was intrigued enough to potentially pick up the next book in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for the opportunity to read this book.

What a fun story! The storyline was fun and kept me on my toes. I kept wanting to read to find out what happened. A variety of characters (including a ghost!) and an unique location made this a delicious read.
My only hiccups were that I didn't quite connect with the main character (and her name was bothering me for unknown reason) and I had a difficult time imagining parts of the location.
But I loved Emrys. My favorite character.

A cute mystery that although not masterfully written is enjoyable enough to while away a few hours with.

Come Shell or High Water is the first book I have read by Molly MacRae that I have read. I really enjoy reading cozy mystery books and when I see a new author to me, I am eager to read it.
This one had a lot going on and the characters were hard for me to follow and get to know them. The ghost that was a pirate took some getting used to as I was reading.
I read this book but for me it was not my favorite.
Thank you NetGalley, Molly MacRae and Kensington Books for the ARC. This is my personal review.

A cozy with a ghost. A ghost pirate. This is an interesting start to a new series. It's got perhaps a bit too much going on but I liked that Maureen is a malacologist (not seen one of these in a cozy before) and the atmospheric Ocracoke setting. She's of course going to set out to find more information about the body she found as well as to how she ended up knocked out and deposited in a shell store. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Some good twists and interesting characters made this a good read.

In this new series we have pirates, ghosts and murder. Not a bad start to a new series, even if there were a few hiccups getting going It really has al to of promise for future entries!

Although a bit confusing during the first few chapters, once you get your bearings straight, this first book in a new cozy mystery series has a lot to offer. The novel includes an intriguing resident ghost, a charming Southern island setting, quirky characters, and an amusing storyline. Lots of beachcombing and muffins, there are even a few recipes at the end! A good choice for cozy fans who need a summer read or readers who prefer coastal cozies. I look forward to the next book in the series.

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This is a new series by an author I have read before. I thought I would give it a try. I found the beginning to be rather confusing. I had a hard time visualizing the setting and many people. Often character's motivations seemed strange and nonsensical. Perhaps the second book in the series would flow better.

When recently widowed Maureen Nash visits Ocracoke Island soon after a hurricane goes through, she doesn’t expect to stumble over a dead body. The murder victim is Allen Withrow—a shell shop owner who was planning on leaving the store and the rest of his belongings to Maureen’s husband. The only reason Maureen isn’t a suspect is because Allen was murdered sometime before she arrived on the island. Working with her new landlords and the ghost of former pirate, Emrys Lloyd, Maureen tracks down Allen’s killer.

COME SHELL OR HIGH WATER got off to a bit of a rough start. The first few chapters jump back and forth in time and it takes a while to figure out exactly why Maureen is visiting the island in the aftermath of a hurricane. Once that got sorted out, COME SHELL OR HIGH WATER moved along quickly to the conclusion. The pirate ghost was a fun addition and he was able to provide Maureen with information about the victim that she would not have been able to learn otherwise.

Pleasant cozy, but a bit confusing in the beginning. Normally I am a sucker for cozies with a whiff of the paranormal...ghosts or witches, but I only liked, not loved, this one. The lead character, Maureen Nash, has retired from her career as a maracologist, a marine biologist who studies mollusks. She came to Ocracoke Island immediately post-hurricane to hunt for shells tossed up on shore. Unfortunately, she thinks she saw a body, but she is now knocked out in a shell shop instead of the beach. And her so-called rescuers are a tad eccentic.