When her friend Alicia hires Turner Construction to renovate a historic lighthouse in the San Francisco Bay, Mel Turner can't wait to get her hands dirty. Alicia plans to transform the island property into a welcoming inn, and while Mel has never attempted a project so ambitious-or so tall-before, she's definitely up for the challenge.
But trouble soon arises when Alicia's abusive ex-husband shows up to threaten both her and Mel, and later turns up dead at the base of the lighthouse stairs. With no other suspects in sight, things start looking choppy for Alicia. Now, if Mel wants to clear her friend's name, she'll need the help of the lighthouse's resident ghosts to shine a light on the real culprit...
It just so happened that we received both of these titles at the same time - one about a lighthouse set on the banks of Lake Michigan and one about a lighthouse on a tiny island in the San Francisco Bay. They have several similar aspects such as mystery, treasure and romance but each book has a richly woven plot all its own. I actually own a print of a lighthouse that hangs in my bedroom and I absolutely love it. I've always been fascinated by lighthouses, but after reading these stories I'm pretty sure I never want to actually live in one!
I recall that a most generous and thoughtful benefactress gave you that lighthouse picture...
Yes, it was indeed a gift from you. Thank you for that. And no, you can't have it back.
Well, in that case, since you're being so stingy I'll just say that I too am fascinated with lighthouses, especially their history. Both of the novels we're talking about today imparted seriously intriguing facts about all aspects of lighthouses and their keepers. I also do not want to "keep" or live in one, especially after watching the 2016 movie The Light Between Oceans which was so sad, I bawled. Let's go ahead and talk about The Lighthouse Keeper. Bubby?
I am obsessed with buried/sunken treasure. I keep hoping I'll find some somewhere someday...
"Some" vocabulary you have there, Bubby!
Thank you for that useful comment. As I was saying, treasure conjures up thoughts of pirates (woohoo Johnny Depp!) moonlit deserted coves, and bottles of rum (not really). The fact that Dawn's parents are treasure hunters is really cool, but the more interesting thing to me is the mystery surrounding the lost or hidden or stolen coins from great grandpa's wrecked ship. Who took them? Where are they? Can I have some?
Sissy:
Yes, if you split the treasure with me! And I agree with you Bubby - what made The Lighthouse Keeper stand out and keep me engaged was the unraveling of the mystery behind the long ago shipwreck and Dawn's efforts to clear her great grandfather's name. Dawn buys a lighthouse on Lake Michigan, and ends up a pariah to local town muckity mucks in Starlight Cove, including possible love interest Kip Whittaker. I wanted to smack him upside the head for his waffling.
It's so frustrating when characters are so stupid! If only we could just lock them in a room together until they figured it all out!
Right? But if we did that, all books would be short novellas featuring people locked in rooms together. Maybe we could become book character therapists! The Lighthouse Keeper adds mystery, history, and ghosties to a small town romance, which is a winning combination. As I read I got vivid images in my head of the lighthouse and the wrecked ship still visible under Lake Michigan's waters. Hunt down this treasure of a book because it is well worth the read!
Interestingly enough, there is a treasure hunting connection to our next lighthouse book, A Ghostly Light. It seems that the light keeper's wife (now a ghost) used to hide "treasures" around the island for her little boy. The maps she drew for him are still fluttering about, offering an important clue to one of the mysteries. She's also what our protagonist Mel refers to as a house keeping ghost - she constantly tidies things up and keeps her environment clean, even though no one lives there anymore. Hmm. I wonder if I killed Sissy in my kitchen if her ghost would start cleaning for me?
I can't believe you just came up with such a ghastly scenario. No cleaning ghosts for you. Only horrid poltergeists.
Don't say that! I already have dreadful fears when alone at night!
Then I don't know how you got through this book, because A Ghostly Light is sprinkled with paranormal occurrences, which are only scary if your name is Bubby. We have appearances by the aforementioned lighthouse keeper's wife (aptly named Mrs. Vigilant) and her little son George, plus the murder victim and more! Our heroine Mel Turner is a ghost magnet anyway, so you never know what she'll "scare up" wherever she goes. The best part of the story is the discovery of an unexpected "treasure," and you will never guess what it is! A Ghostly Light , with its assortment of interesting side characters and great plot, turned out to be absolutely fascinating and entertaining.
Click to buy The Lighthouse Keeper by Cynthia Ellingsen
Click to buy A Ghostly Light by Juliet Blackwell
