Widowed folklorist Maureen Nash is a woman on a mission. Having persuaded a ranger friend to transport her across choppy waters still affected by hurricane season, she’s landed on North Carolina’s Ocracoke Island in search of answers.

Alas that it’s mostly alarming questions that she finds instead, beginning with the identity of the dead body she ran away from in terror before being woken up in a strange place by even stranger people. The latter introduces themselves as Glady and Burt Weaver, the neighbors who live in the home next door to the shop Maureen had originally come to visit. Well, not the shop specifically, but its owner: Allen Withrow. Over the past few years, Allen had written several cryptic letters to Maureen’s late husband. A still-grieving Maureen has only just found the time and strength to come east from her home in Tennessee to ask him about them. But there are alarming gaps in her memory between landing on Ocracoke and waking in the Moon Shell store–gaps she’ll have to fill if she has any hope of uncovering the meaning of Allen’s strange missives.

She’s somewhat distracted in her quest by the contents of Allen’s shop, especially by the gorgeous carved shell that once had pride of place in it. Being a malacologist–a scientist specializing in mussels and their shells–in addition to a folklorist, Maureen greatly appreciates not only the rarity of the shell specimen but also the artistry of its carving. Even more uniquely, the shell is haunted by the ghost of a long-dead pirate whom only Maureen can see.

The phantom Emrys Lloyd is eager to help Maureen not only regain her memory but also solve the mystery of the letters. She’ll need all the help she can get since Allen has gone missing. But as more strange things begin to befall the island, Maureen will have to figure out who in Ocracoke’s small community is willing to resort to murder and why before she becomes the next victim herself.

The first book in Molly MacRae’s latest cozy mystery series is populated with charming, eccentric characters. The elderly Weaver siblings are a hoot, and I loved Maureen’s relationship with her adult children. The amnesia narrative is written in a manner as disorienting as the experience itself, but everything comes together satisfactorily in the end. Honestly, it’s so refreshing to read of older characters tackling tough and often dangerous problems. The inclusion of a friendly ghost also adds a delightful touch of the paranormal.

There were three muffin recipes included here and I decided to try out this one:

Banana Chocolate Chip Walnut Muffins

Yield: 12

Ingredients

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 ½ cups mashed ripe banana (two or three bananas, depending on their size)

⅔ cup brown sugar

⅔ cup unsalted butter

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Butter 12 muffin cups or line with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.

In a medium bowl, melt the butter, then whisk in the mashed banana, sugar, egg, and vanilla until well combined. Add to the large bowl and fold until combined but not over-mixed.

Divide batter evenly between muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with the chopped walnuts.

Bake until tops are golden brown or a toothpick or tester comes out clean, 15-20 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack before removing from pan.

I skipped the walnuts but otherwise baked this exactly as described. I did find that I wound up with enough batter for 18 muffins instead of 12, but that is definitely not a complaint at all. I love the buttery flavor of these muffins and am seriously thinking of using this recipe the next time I have a bunch of overripe bananas to use. I might change it up a little and see if I can adapt the yummy flavors of this recipe into loaf form for a banana chocolate chip bread though; I can’t imagine it would be any less delicious than these muffins!

Next week, we head north to whip up a very different kind of muffin while investigating the death of a controversial children’s author. Do join me!

See also: Cooking the Books: The Diva Goes Overboard by Krista Davis