What could be a better theme than an amateur sleuth and her pirate ghost to help. This is book 2 in the Haunted Shell Shop Mystery series. Maureen and her Welsh pirate, Emrys, have the Moon Shell. Set on Ocracoke Island, She and the Fig Ladies find a woman's body and try to solve her murder. The first thing they have to do is find out who she is. Lots of suspects.

I love Molly McRae's cozy mysteries and love this series. This is another excellent instalment and it kept me reading and guessing.
Was glad to catch up with the characters and liked the solution
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The second haunted shell shop mystery finds Maureen investigating after a woman's body is found in the water. Her ghost friend Emrys tells her it is someone named Lenrose, yet the next day a man and his wife walk into the store and the wife claims to be Lenrose. Things are complicated even more when Maureen's friend Kathleen and her online fig friends are in town. They too think this is not the real Lenrose. They set out to figure out what happened to her.

I liked the first one in this series a lot and was looking forward to this one! I thought it was ok, but didn't have the same fun as the first one. It just felt slow a lot and that the whodunnit was inevitably going to be two people. Maybe if there hadn't been a husband and it was more of this actually Lenrose or an imposter? I'm not sure - it just wasn't really much of a mystery in terms of whodunnit, more just confirming what they thought. I will definitely give the third in this series a try when it comes out, and hopefully it will be back to the vibes of the first book.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Maureen is back on Ocracoke Island with a few of her things. When she gets back to the shop, her ghost is missing. She's worried about Emrys and wonders where he may be. At the same time, she finds out that an old friend is visiting Ocracoke. Kathleen has a group of online friends who have formed a fig appreciation society. The "Fig Ladies" discovered the body of a women near their B&B. The Fig Ladies show Maureen where they found and body. Surprise, there is Emrys. He claims that the murder victim is Lenrose another of the Fig Ladies. Since this is an online group, none of the women had ever met before. So they didn't recognize her. The police don't know who she it. Things get weirder when Lenrose's husband turns up with Lenrose! He is also a friend of the previous owner of Maureen's shell shop. Maureen, Glady and Burt along with the Fig Ladies try to figure out what happened.

This is a relaxing little cozy. It takes place on a small barrier island. The setting is interesting and the characters are quirky. The ghost is fun and helps to logic out the suspect.

Maureen Nash has had more than a few changes in her life – her husband died suddenly, she inherited a shell shop that comes with a pirate ghost, adjusting to life on Ocracoke including her neighbors across the street. She is just settling down when she is pulled into a murder mystery – but just what is the identity of the victim?

“There'll Be Shell to Pay” is the fun second book in Molly MacRae’s Haunted Shell Shop Cozy Mystery series. I love the main character Maureen, ghost Emrys, new friends Glady and Burt, and in this book old friend Kathleen. Together they make a great mystery solving team. There is a wonderful sense of humor in this book with the jokes flying fast and furious – it’s worth rereading just to catch the jokes I missed the first time around. This isn’t a whodunit but a watch the amateur sleuths put the case together and try to convince the police type of mystery but there was one event that I wasn’t expecting and took me off guard. There are a couple of smaller mysteries that still haven’t been solved and I look forward to reading about them in future books in the series.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

I was thrilled to receive this second in series for review. Thank you to the publishers, Net Galley and the author. My review is my own opinion.
Oracoke is a beautiful atmospheric setting for this wonderful series. Our protagonist Maureen has returned to the island and right away is involved in a murder as a possible suspect. Her friend group The Fig Ladies ( all love fig cooking and sleuthing) are steadfast friends all invested in clearing her name and finding clues to the rightful suspect.
This is easily read as a stand alone although I highly recommend the enjoyment of the first in series. The author creates extraordinary characters and a intriguing sleuth that kept this reader guessing. Humorous antics and repartee make this series a new favorite of this avid cozy reader. Well done to the author.

After the tumultuous sequence of events that opened the Haunted Shell Shop mystery series, malacologist and newly minted shop proprietor Maureen Nash is settling into her role as owner of the Moon Shell. The Ocracoke Island mainstay specializes in shells from both near and afar, and is named for the intricately carved cameo shell that is prominently displayed in the shop itself. The shell is, however, very much not for sale. This is due partly to its value – both monetary and sentimental – and for the fact that it’s almost inextricably linked to Emrys Lloyd, the reluctant 18th century pirate who haunts it and, by extension, the store.

Oddly, Emrys is nowhere to be found when Maureen returns from the mainland, after packing up her old house in order to permanently move to the apartment above the Moon Shell. Her concern at his absence is swiftly pushed aside by the constant stream of visitors to her shop, including Victor and Lenrose Sullivan, who had apparently been business contacts of the previous owner, Allen Withrow. Victor is interested in seeing whether he might buy back any of the pieces he’d once brokered to Allen. His condescending attitude towards Maureen, however, ensures that she’s far less interested in doing business than he is.

Emrys reappears with an odd conviction: the woman who accompanied Victor to the store is not the real Lenrose. He insists, as a matter of fact, that the still unidentified corpse of a woman recently discovered on Ocracoke belongs to the actual Lenrose herself. His assertions are backed up by a visiting trio who call themselves The Fig Ladies. They’d planned to come to the island in order to surprise Lenrose, whom they’d befriended online. She hadn’t recognized them though, which Victor claims is due to the onset of dementia. The Fig Ladies believe that that’s just an awfully convenient excuse for an impostor potentially caught in a lie.

As Maureen gets pulled into solving yet another murder mystery – with the help of her elderly and eccentric neighbors, Glady and Burt Weaver – she’ll have to dig deeper into Allen’s secrets, even as others seem determined to snoop into her own. Will she be able to figure out whodunnit before anyone else gets hurt, and any other ghosts join Emrys in haunting Ocracoke?

There is a lot going on in this lively cozy mystery, as the larger-than-life personalities of Maureen’s friends butt heads in their pursuit of the truth. Yanira and Coquina Ochoa provide a relative and welcome breath of normalcy in all the mayhem surrounding the murder. I also appreciated how little time is wasted on Maureen’s loved ones doubting that she can communicate with an actual ghost. In fact, some people seem too willing to believe that she can, which makes for a refreshing change from the norm for this reader, even if it’s a wholly aggravating situation for our heroine.

There were three recipes included in the back, all for fig related items, as Ocracoke is well known for the fruit. I decided to try out this one:

QUOTE
Fig, Honey, and Lemon Galette from Kathleen Thomas

Serves 8

1 ready-made, rolled, refrigerated pie crust
10 ounces small fresh figs, sliced thin
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon coarse sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Line a baking sheet with a square of parchment paper an inch or two larger than your pie crust, and unroll the crust on it.

Starting in the center of the crust, make overlapping concentric circles of the sliced figs. Leave a 1 ½-inch margin of bare crusts around the outside of your fig rings. Fold the crust inward so that it just touches the outer fig ring.

Heat the honey and lemon juice for a few seconds in a microwave. Mix well. Brush the mixture over the crust and figs and then sprinkle with the sugar.

Bake 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven. Cool on a baking sheet for 10 minutes and then transfer the galette to a wire rack.

Delicious warm, at room temperature, or cold. Serve with vanilla ice cream or slices of your favorite cheese.
END QUOTE

I’m glad this book came out in the summer, when figs are in season! I did have to plan a tour of my local grocery stores to ensure that I could find a carton of fresh assorted figs, but I was determined to make this galette, especially because at least one of my friend groups is obsessed with fig jam.

Which is definitely what the filling of this galette evokes! It’s a simple recipe – honestly, the most difficult part of it was slicing and arranging the figs – but the effect is show-stopping. My middle child even waxed poetic on all the different flavors the figs evoked as he ate his slice of galette with a scoop of vanilla ice cream: sweet, floral, bitter and grassy, among others. The nice thing about this recipe is that it doesn’t hide the natural flavors of the fruit, or attempt to make them uniform. It accents instead the freshness of the produce by giving them a simple yet delicious setting in which to shine.

Next week, we’re going to whip up an unusual vegetarian alternative to a tasty snack while investigating the murder of a reality show judge. Do join me!

Maureen returns to Ocracoke in time to witness a note with her signature on it regarding an unidentified dead body found before her return.
An old friend, Kathleen, and two other ladies found the body. The three ladies call themselves the Fig Ladies due to their intense interest in figs. It’s their sleuthing group name; they want to find out who the dead woman is and who killed her.
This steps on Glady and Burt’s toes as they feel that they are the sleuths on the island with Maureen to round out their trio. The two groups get together and small amounts of mayhem ensue.
Emrys, Pirate ghost, is there too helping to create interesting circumstances.
There is talk of Burt’s baking, a fan club for a stuffed seagull and Emrys writing his story.
This was an okay read for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Cozies for the opportunity to read this book.

Book Review: There’ll Be Shell to Pay by Molly MacRae.
Thank you to Kensington Cozies and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I had so much fun returning to Ocracoke Island in this second book of the Haunted Shell Shop Mystery series. There’ll Be Shell to Pay picks up shortly after the first book, and while I do recommend reading the series in order, MacRae does a great job of catching you up without bogging things down. It’s everything a cozy should be: charming, atmospheric, funny, twisty, and—because this series has its own unique spin—a little bit haunted. I love that Molly MacRae has found a way to make the cozy mystery genre feel fresh without losing the ingredients we come for: quirky characters, small-town drama, a good whodunnit, and a protagonist worth cheering for.

Maureen Nash is settling into her new life on the island, juggling her role as the owner of the Moon Shell shop, grieving the loss of her husband, and learning how to live with a resident ghost: Emrys Lloyd, a sharp-tongued but oddly endearing Welsh pirate from the 1700s. When Maureen returns after a brief time away, she finds Emrys missing and herself a suspect in a murder that occurred while she was gone. Things only get weirder when Emrys finally shows up again and insists that a woman recently seen on the island—Lenrose—is an imposter. But how can that be, when she’s mingling with the Fig Ladies, a group who claim to know her well from online? And then there’s the question of the hidden shell art, linked to Maureen’s late husband and possibly stolen, suddenly found in the attic of her shop.

MacRae masterfully layers these seemingly unrelated threads into a clever, cohesive mystery. Every clue matters, every strange encounter eventually makes sense, and the pacing is spot-on. What I love about this series is how it blends classic cozy mystery tropes with genuinely intriguing subplots. There’s an emotional core here too. Maureen is not a twenty-something sleuth chasing murder for thrills—she’s a mature, intelligent woman navigating grief, reinvention, and unexpected friendship. Her voice is warm and wry, and her relationship with Emrys continues to be a highlight. He’s not just comic relief—he’s plot-critical, morally complex, and honestly, one of the most creative cozy sidekicks I’ve read in years.

The island setting is another win. Ocracoke comes to life with salty breezes, nosy neighbors, and a delightful mix of real-world and slightly surreal charm. From fig jam recipes to antique conch shells to a mystery writer across the street, every detail adds depth and color. And yes, there’s a cat. His name is Hitch, and I adored him.

One quote that really stuck with me:
“She sells seashells… and solves slayings.”
It perfectly captures the playful-yet-deadly vibe this series nails so well.

As for the mystery itself, it kept me guessing. Between the fake identity, the Fig Ladies, the mysterious art, and Emrys’s cryptic warnings, I was happily surprised by the reveal. And even though the main case wraps up satisfyingly, MacRae leaves just enough unresolved (especially about the hidden treasures and Emrys’s ghostly past) to make me eager for the next book.

If you’re new to the series, you can start here, but it’s more fun if you begin with Argyles and Arsenic. Either way, this is a top-tier paranormal cozy that balances charm with real stakes. It doesn’t rely on the ghost gimmick—it elevates it.

This series is a gem, and book two delivers even more heart, mystery, and ghostly fun than the first.

There'll Be Shell to Pay by Molly MacRae is book two in the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries series.
Somehow I missed the first title which I’m really bummed about. So I’m waiting patiently for it to go on sale in the Kindle store.

So I decided to go ahead and jump into book two.
And I’m so excited for this new cozy mystery series.
I had so much fun reading this book.
The characters drew me in and the mystery kept me turning pages.
These characters are absolutely lovable and relatable making you want to dive headfirst into the book the second you can get your hands on it! The plot is intricately woven and leads you to the right conclusion although it does take you through a few twists and turns where you believe you are following a route to a different suspect.
This was a fast paced mystery with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing.
I can’t wait to see this series grow!

The Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries are filled with absolutely everything I adore about the cozy mystery genre -- a picturesque location, a protagonist who is involved in something I'd like to learn more about, entertaining characters, a pirate ghost... By the time I finished this book, I was ready to buy figs for my next grilled cheese sandwich and start researching antique carved conch shells. The book opens with Maureen's arrival back at Ocracoke Island and her inherirted shell shop, but things aren't as she expected to find them. Half of her customers are whispering about murder and showing more interest in the walls of the shop than the shells she has for sale. That's before a tourist is found dead on the island. It's the second book in the series and the author makes just enough references to previous events to remind readers what happened in the first book (or fill in readers who are jumping in with this one) without giving away any important spoilers.

She solves slayings by the seashore

Now that Maureen is finally back in Ocracoke Island for good, she’s ready to become a shopkeeper and part of the community. Only she returns to find her resident ghost, Emrys, missing, and that she is now a suspect and a murder that occurred while she was gone. So much for selling seashells, now Maureen solving slayings by the seashore. Will she be able to figure out who killed the woman or will she be joining her buddy Emrys in eternity.?

A solid second entry in this costal based cozy mystery series. With a mature protagonist, quirky neighbors, a cute cat, and as resident ghost, you’ll find yourself settling in, but it’s the mystery that will keep you on your toes!

Book 2 of A Haunted Shell Shop mystery series by Molly MacRae is a fun read. You will be kept guessing until the end. Love the ghost who adds depth to the myster.y. A fun paranormal mystery. I want more! Thanks#Netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

I absolutely enjoyed this cozy mystery! I highly recommend it and the series. I feel the second book is better than the first! The characters and setting are wonderful! I look forward to many more in the series! Both books but especially this one keep you guessing to the end about who did the crime. I love the open ended tidbits they make me want to delve in to the next story! A must read!

It's Emrys the ghost of an 18th century Welsh pirate that sets this cozy and its predecessor apart from the rest. Oh and the fact that Maureen, a specialist in mollusks, runs an inherited shell shop on Ocracoke island. Emrys found a special shell in the attic and now someone else wants it. Wants it enough to murder. This mystery has a few more elements than most in the genre but I like the characters and the atmospherics are good. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. While it's the second in a series, it will be fine as a standalone.

This is a well written paranormal mystery. Unlike a lot of mysteries that feature a ghost, Emrys isn’t tied to one location so he’s much more of a main character and more involved than the ghosts in most cozy mysteries. And I like how the author left several threads open at the end of the story for future books.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review.

This was a fun cozy mystery novel, and I enjoyed it a lot. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

THERE’LL BE SHELL TO PAY is the second book in the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries by Mollie MacRae. Protagonist Maureen Nash, a new resident on Ocracoke Island, is a professional storyteller. She has a charming way with words which make the story flow on the pages, yet offers humor with wit and puns. I also enjoyed Maureen’s sweet reminiscing about her long-time connection to the island when her sons were very young. She’s also a former malacologist—someone who studies mollusks—which comes in quite handy when she inherits the Moon Shell, the island’s shell shop. I was happy to see bits and pieces of interesting facts about shells and fossils included. The author expertly wove the facts in without slowing down the pacing. Maureen is one of many colorful characters that keeps the book entertaining. I especially enjoy her across the street friends—a brother and sister duo, one a former librarian and the other former mystery writer who has taken Maureen under their wing—and their fun repartee. They’re also a great addition as sidekick amateur sleuths. But it’s the ghost of an eighteenth-century Welsh pirate that makes this book so enjoyable. He adds a dimension to the story and has become a good sounding board for Maureen.

With the island being a tourist destination, there are plenty of visitors to provide fodder for suspicious happenings. Ms. MacRae writes a clever twisty mystery in this newest release. How can Maureen explain to the police that the unidentified body found in an inlet is known by the ghost, when the victim’s identity has been stolen by another? And a group of women who might have been able to collaborate have never met the victim in person. They only knew her from their online Fig Ladies’ group. It takes great skill to pull the all the threads of such a puzzling mystery together into one cohesive story, especially since a ghost can’t provide evidence. The plot and subplots are well-paced and kept me turning pages to find out what happens next. And with the reveal, it all came together with a highly satisfying conclusion.

There'll Be Shell to Pay the 2nd instalment in “A Haunted Shell Shop Mystery” series by Molly MacRae set on Ocracoke Island, off the coast of North Carolina. What a great follow up to book one!

I enjoyed visiting Ocracoke Island off the coast of North Carolina again and hanging out with Maureen, Emrys, Burt and Glory. MacRae's writing is engaging, and her characters are well-developed and relatable. The story is skillfully paced, with unexpected twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the very end. The author's vivid descriptions of the island setting and its quirky inhabitants add to the book's charm.

I eagerly await the next instalment. If you're a fan of cozy mysteries with a paranormal twist, this book is definitely worth checking out."

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Kensington Cozies and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"There'll Be Shell To Pay (A Haunted Shell Shop Mystery #2)" by Molly MacRae has Maureen Nash returning to the Ocracoke Island, North Carolina shell shop she inherited after she left to pack up her home. She was rushed into returning by an urgent letter from the shell shop's resident pirate ghost. When she gets back it turns out that another suspicious death has recently occurred on the island and there may be a connection to the previous owner of the shell shop.

During this investigation, Maureen and her neighbors/landlords team up with a past colleague of Maureen's and her friends. Together they figure out pretty much who but have a hard time proving the why and how until the end.