Veronica Ferguson is called back to the bleak coastal town of Miller Point after her ex-boyfriend Leonard goes missing with Magnolia, the woman he always chose instead. Jealousy complicates her professional duty as she begins investigating their disappearance, uncovering an insidious connection to the eerie bells that have echoed over the lake for decades. As the investigation draws her into the undertow of the town’s forgotten past and toward her own unresolved emotions, Veronica realizes that grief and bitterness have kept her heart closed for too long. Determined to heal and find the capacity to love again, she must separate the shadows from the darkness and settle the lore before she becomes part of it.
I enjoyed this continuing story from Shipwreck, though Phantom Bells can be a stand-alone story on its own. The characters have such depth in both stories, and I was excited to see a different perspective of the elusive Magnolia. I especially loved the added haunting mystery that the author wrote with convincing realism, adding a creepy element.