Narrated by Kristin Atherton
Thomas & Mercer
Published April 28, 2026
Reviewed by Sharon Mensing
I jumped into the Shell House Detectives series with this, book seven, and had very little difficulty with not starting at the beginning. This book could easily be read as a standalone, although I will be on the lookout for future books in the series and may go back and read the prior books. I listened to the book, and found that the narrator gave an almost transparent performance. By that I mean that she did not get in the way of the story or characters in any way, but allowed the book to speak fairly directly to the reader. The only exception to that was her voicing of the two police department characters, which I found a bit abrasive.
Ally and Jayden, the Shell House Detectives, are likeable as they deal with both their personal lives and a suspicious death. It was not difficult to jump right into both personal and investigative details, and both characters are likeable and fairly nuanced. The setting of this book is the eponymous Lone Island, a wildlife sanctuary, as well as the mainland manor and grounds of the people connected with the island. The descriptions are transportative, and I had a clear image in my mind as the events of the book played out. The plot is fairly complex, with the reader discovering details as the detectives do so. In addition to the mystery surrounding a death in the waters between the island and the mainland, the book deals with issues of mental illness and greed. The plot and characters are distinct enough for the book to not seem derivative, although it is a cozy novel that avoids gruesome and gory details.
I enjoyed this quite a bit and am happy to have found a new series to follow.