Murder Will Out

Breedlove debuts with an impressive paranormal-tinted mystery set on an island off the coast of Maine. Willow Stone, 28, is surprised to receive a letter from her godmother, Sue Davis, after hearing nothing from the older woman for 15 years. Sue’s letter asks Willow to return to Little North Island, where Willow spent summers as a child. When a quick internet search reveals that Sue died shortly after writing the missive, Willow feels compelled to head east for her funeral. After arriving on Little North, she’s ensnared in long-standing feuds about the ownership of Cameron House, a rambling mansion passed down through multiple generations of the island’s founding family until former owner Effie Cameron left it to Sue with the request that she operate it as a historical society. That bequeathal set many tongues wagging. Now, Sue’s death has dug up fresh questions about the mansion’s ownership, which intensify when someone in the mix to inherit the property turns up dead. Horrified, Willow works to get to the bottom of the case, receiving unexpected help from the ghosts who haunt the mansion. Breedlove supplies enough suspects, red herrings, and family secrets to keep readers guessing until the final page. It’s a promising first effort. (Feb.)