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.

This mystery is set on the North Carolina coast; a place I have never been. It sparked my interest in going there. I found all the information about shells to be interesting and informative. It was nice to see further development in the characters and place. I was bothered by how easy it was to tell what was happening with the mystery end of the story fairly early on.

I love that cozy mysteries continue to have puny titles as I think it just adds to the story. I also loved that we get a coastal North Carolina setting as well as ghost pirate as a sidekick.

This is the second book in the series. The characters are better developed, love the beach setting and looking forward to more in this series.

What a fun read!! I thoroughly enjoyed Maureen's adventure on sleuthing.
I loved this book too because of the setting of this story. It's one of my favorite places to read about.
I simply couldn't put this wonderful book down. I kept turning the pages into the early morning hours. So good.
Shells are a wonderful thing to collect! Especially the conch shell. My dream shell.
But will never find unless I buy it. Smh
Lots of wonderful characters with a great plot! That's why I kept turning the pages.
5 stars for a job well done! I highly recommend. I'm looking forward to the next one.
My thanks for a copy of this book..I was NOT required to write a positive review.
All opinions expressed are mine.

I received an advanced reader's edition from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinions.

There are just certain times of the year where I want to read nothing but cozy mysteries- and it's a perfect match when it's that time of the year and a favorite author! I've been a Molly MacRae fan since I discovered the haunted yarn shop series- this one is just as good- This one has a Pirate ghost helping solve crime! Count me in everytime.

This one picks up a month or so after the first book, and the murder in this one had more intricacies that made it a fun read for a cozy mystery. It also set up further mysteries even outside of someone being murdered. There are some highly coveted shells in the attic, what are they/ where did they come from and how many other people know about them? The former owner of the shell shop since to have been a shady character, and it seems anyone who was an associate of his follows the same.

I'm looking forward to the next one- and have already shared this series with patrons at the library!

fig recipes, Ocracoke, island-life, widowed, small-business, small-town, relocating, grief, grieving, ghosts, inheritance, outer-banks, middle-aged, investigations, malacologist, local-law-enforcement, local-gossip, local-legends, amateur-sleuth, shell-collector, cat, wordplay, patois, banter, situational-humor*****
Maureen is a very recently widowed former librarian and malacologist from Tennessee who now is the operator of a historic shop on Ocracoke with a history of old ghosts, desirable mollusk shells, gossip central, and customers who refer to themselves as 'murder tourists'. The story is punny, full of giggles, colorful, and a fantastic alternative to the 'real world'. The body was found in a marshy area by the crows who notified the ghost who forged a note to the sheriff and the investigation was incredibly convoluted. Loved it!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Kensington Books | Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Pub Date Jun 24 2025
#TherellBeShelltoPay by @mollymacraewriter #HauntedShellShopMysteriesBk2 @kensingtonbooks
#NetGalley #cozymystery @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble ***** Review #booksamillion #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk #kobo #Waterstones #molluskshells #outerbanks #malacologist #figrecipes #wordplay

#TherellBeShelltoPay #NetGalley is the second book in this unique series, which really I really like.
Maureen is still adjusting to life on Ocracoke Island as well as learning the ropes of the local gift shop she's inherited.
Selling shells and living with a ghost were not the things she expected to be doing after the death of her husband.
There's definitely secrets revolving around the shop and the previous owner, and Maureen finds herself wrapped up in another murder investigation that really kept me guessing.
I'm enjoying this new series and the cast of colorful personalities the author has created.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.