The Shell House Detectives

PRAISE FOR THE SHELL HOUSE DETECTIVES “Emylia was born to write detective fiction.” —Veronica Henry, author of The Impulse Purchase “An expertly plotted and hugely compelling murder mystery.…Crime fans are in for a treat.” —Lucy Clarke, author of One of the Girls “A big-hearted page-turner with twists you won’t see coming and the best pair of amateur sleuths I’ve read in a long time. I loved it!” —Lucy Diamond, author of Anything Could Happen “My favourite new crime series.” —Ginny Bell, author of The Dover Café series “Irresistible, beautifully written, and hugely compelling.…Kept me turning the pages for one more delicious chapter well into the night.” —Rosie Walsh, author of The Man Who Didn’t Call “Gorgeous writing and a plot crammed with suspense, this is your perfect new crime series for 2023.” —Kate Riordan, author of The Heatwave “Beautifully written, gripping, and so atmospheric.…One for fans of Richard Osman!” —Emily Koch, author of What July Knew “The mystery is perfectly paced and the characters vivid and true, inviting us to join in as fellow sleuths as we unravel the secrets of the past. I can’t wait to return to Cornwall with Emylia Hall for the next adventure.” —Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters “A treat of a book: immersive, suspenseful, full of twists and turns.…It’s as captivating as a Cornish summer. I loved it.” —Susan Fletcher, author of Eve Green ALSO BY EMYLIA HALL Women’s Fiction The Book of Summers A Heart Bent Out of Shape The Sea Between Us The Thousand Lights Hotel This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Text copyright © 2023 by Emylia Hall All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher. Published by Thomas & Mercer, Seattle www.apub.com Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Thomas & Mercer are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. ISBN-13: 9781662505126 eISBN: 9781662505133 Cover design by The Brewster Project Cover illustration by Handsome Frank Limited - Marianna Tomaselli For my mum and dad Contents Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 Author’s Note Acknowledgements Preview: The Harbour Lights Mystery Prologue Chapter 1 About the Author Follow the Author on Amazon Prologue Helena stands on the balcony, her hands gripping the cool metal railing. There’s nothing but dunes between her and the sea, and on a day like today the waves in the bay are white horses. She closes her eyes and hears their thundering gallop; it’s as if they’re getting closer and closer – and it’s only a matter of time before they run straight on over her. Sea Dream – that’s the name she’s given the house. When Roland said she could pick it, she felt like a child being indulged. But the truth is he doesn’t care about names – or not the poetry attached to them, anyway. Truth. A word that delivers a sharp and precise cut, every time she thinks of it – so mostly she tries not to. But ever since they moved to Cornwall her mind has been surging and pounding, just like those relentless waves. And what’s brought in on this angry tide? Lies. The lie she told five years ago. And the lie they’ve both lived ever since. She turns away from the water and peers through the glass back into their home. A vast painting on the wall brings the only colour to the all-white, minimalist interior. Why do you want a picture of the sea when you’ve got all this? he’d said, sweeping his arm at the view. You’re never happy, that’s your problem. But there was laughter in his voice, and she enjoyed her role of princess. She commissioned the painting of just the same aspect – on a still day, though, a millpond day – as if to share the joke. As a little girl she dreamt of living by the sea. For nearly a year she went to sleep with a seashell under her pillow, until one morning she woke to find it snapped clean in two. She thought it terrible luck – and a sign that her sea dream would never happen. Yet here she is. Standing on the balcony of a house – their house, and that was only possible because of Roland – that sticks out among the dunes like a beacon, all gleaming glass and chrome and brickwork. Sea Dream makes the few scattered wooden beach houses around it look like broken-down shacks. It’s a luxurious haven with a blue horizon, and at night the island lighthouse winks in her direction. Storybook stuff, and she’s the heroine. People would kill for your life, Helena, she tells herself. As if that’s any kind of a comfort. She turns, hearing Roland in the house behind her. He’s on the phone, his feet pacing the newly laid boards as he speaks to his brother. Oh God, not a visit. Her stomach clenches at the thought. She quickly turns back to face the ocean and fills her lungs with crystalline air. A pair of seagulls fly screaming overhead. She’s got everything she’s ever wanted. She can’t ruin it now. But the fear swirling inside Helena says something different – and ever since they moved to Sea Dream, it’s been building and building. At what point will she break? Maybe when that