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Setting Friday Free: A Buzby Beach Novel
Garrison inherits his grandparents’ home only to discover the swimming pool is haunted by the ghost of a young woman who drowned there 30+ years before, whose death caused them to disinherit the young man's father. The ghost is trapped into returning to the pool every summer unless he can find a way to set her spirit free.
Setting Friday Free is a love story, a ghost story, and a contemporary coming-of-age tale involving two generations of a Buzby Beach family, father and son, and the mystery that brings them together.
Setting Friday Free is a love story, a ghost story, and a contemporary coming-of-age tale involving two generations of a Buzby Beach family, father and son, and the mystery that brings them together.
241 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 29, 2024
About the author
D.W. Davis
18 books30 followersMy writing reflects my memories of growing up along the North Carolina coast near Wrightsville and Carolina Beaches. I left that area when I graduated high school and traveled half-way around the world and back collecting memories and experiences which help shape my characters. Now back in eastern North Carolina, I enjoy bringing to life characters whose adventures take place in my favorite part of the world.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 1, 2024
Another fun coastal love story by DW Davis, but this one has a mystery to solve.
May 18, 2026
Setting Friday Free is one of those charming stories that blends heart, mystery, and a touch of the supernatural into something that feels both comforting and bittersweet.
At its core, this isn’t just a ghost story, it’s a story about inheritance in every sense of the word. Not just a house, but the weight of family history, unresolved grief, and the consequences of choices that echo across generations. Garrison stepping into his grandparents’ home feels like more than a fresh start. It feels like stepping into something unfinished.
The haunting itself is handled in a way that leans more emotional than terrifying, which works beautifully for the tone of the book. The ghost of Friday isn’t just a lingering presence, she’s a question that hasn’t been answered yet. Why is she still here? What went wrong? And what does it take to finally let go? That central mystery unfolds, pulling you along without ever feeling rushed.
What really stands out is how naturally the story weaves together genres. There’s a coming-of-age thread as Garrison navigates early adulthood, relationships, and independence. There’s a romance that feels soft and genuine rather than overwhelming. And then there’s the ghost story, quietly threading through it all, adding just enough intrigue and emotional weight to keep everything grounded.
The coastal setting adds another layer of warmth. Buzby Beach feels lived-in and nostalgic, the kind of place where past and present blur together, where memories linger as strongly as the ocean air. It gives the story that perfect atmosphere, whether you’re actually at the beach or just wishing you were.
If anything, the strength of the book is in its simplicity. It doesn’t try to be overly complex or heavy-handed. Instead, it focuses on connection, between past and present, between people, and between the living and the dead.
Light, heartfelt, and just a little haunting, Setting Friday Free is a story about love, closure, and what it really means to set something, or someone, free.
At its core, this isn’t just a ghost story, it’s a story about inheritance in every sense of the word. Not just a house, but the weight of family history, unresolved grief, and the consequences of choices that echo across generations. Garrison stepping into his grandparents’ home feels like more than a fresh start. It feels like stepping into something unfinished.
The haunting itself is handled in a way that leans more emotional than terrifying, which works beautifully for the tone of the book. The ghost of Friday isn’t just a lingering presence, she’s a question that hasn’t been answered yet. Why is she still here? What went wrong? And what does it take to finally let go? That central mystery unfolds, pulling you along without ever feeling rushed.
What really stands out is how naturally the story weaves together genres. There’s a coming-of-age thread as Garrison navigates early adulthood, relationships, and independence. There’s a romance that feels soft and genuine rather than overwhelming. And then there’s the ghost story, quietly threading through it all, adding just enough intrigue and emotional weight to keep everything grounded.
The coastal setting adds another layer of warmth. Buzby Beach feels lived-in and nostalgic, the kind of place where past and present blur together, where memories linger as strongly as the ocean air. It gives the story that perfect atmosphere, whether you’re actually at the beach or just wishing you were.
If anything, the strength of the book is in its simplicity. It doesn’t try to be overly complex or heavy-handed. Instead, it focuses on connection, between past and present, between people, and between the living and the dead.
Light, heartfelt, and just a little haunting, Setting Friday Free is a story about love, closure, and what it really means to set something, or someone, free.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews