cover image The Maidenstone Lighthouse

The Maidenstone Lighthouse

Sally Smith O'Rourke, . . Kensington, $14 (296pp) ISBN 978-0-7582-2064-6

A lovely ghost helps a grieving young widow expose some shocking truths in O'Rourke's (The Man Who Loved Jane Austen ) quaint romantic suspense tale. Three months have passed since Susan Mark's husband, Bobby, vanished while piloting a flight over the Indian Ocean, and Damon St. Clair, her colorful (and funny) partner at St. Claire & Marks, the “official consultants and appraisers to Christie's,” urges her to take some time off to heal. Susan heads for her late great aunt's house in Freedman's Cove, R.I., that's haunted by the spirit of a distant relative, Aimee Marks. Making a love connection with local artist Dan Freedman frees Susan from her grief, and Dan also helps her learn about Aimee, who may have committed suicide by leaping off a lighthouse in 1910. The blossoming romance is interrupted by another plane crash, this time involving Damon, who miraculously survives, though his recovery delays the delivery of an important message that will change Susan's suddenly endangered life. Sweet, light and as comforting as a mug of peppermint tea, O'Rourke's latest will please her fans. (Sept.)