The Boat House

by Fern Michaels

Running their inherited marina in a quirky, picturesque New Jersey shore town, siblings Madison and Lincoln Wainright discover what could be a map to Captain Kidd’s lost treasure in this fresh, adventure-filled Twin Lights novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels.

An unexpected inheritance from their late uncle brought Madison (Taylor) Wainwright and her brother Lincoln to Smuggler’s Cove. But it’s the quirky, close-knit locals who’ve convinced them to stay for the summer. The little town may be worlds away from the privileged existence the siblings knew before their father was arrested for fraud, but here, they’ve found a sense of belonging.

After renovating the dilapidated boat house that once served as a local marina for crabbers and clammers, Madison and Lincoln are settling in for a true Jersey Shore summer, complete with the town’s famous Seafood Festival. Visitors love learning about the area’s history—the tales of pirates and privateers, cryptic maps and buried treasure. Those stories seem like harmless fantasy until a seemingly worthless map is stolen from their boathouse.

Could their uncle’s rudimentary map show the true location of Captain Kidd’s treasure? Or was there another, more sinister motive behind the theft? As Madison and Lincoln dig deeper, they learn that the legends underpinning Smuggler’s Cove’s history may also have the power to tear it apart, unless they can quickly separate fiction from fact, and guilty from innocent…

Genres: Fiction

Kindle Edition

Expected publication August 25, 2026

About the author

Fern Michaels isn’t a person. I’m not sure she’s an entity either since an entity is something with separate existence. Fern Michaels® is what I DO. Me, Mary Ruth Kuczkir. Growing up in Hastings, Pennsylvania, I was called Ruth. I became Mary when I entered the business world where first names were the order of the day. To this day, family and friends call me Dink, a name my father gave me when I was born because according to him I was ‘a dinky little thing’ weighing in at four and a half pounds. However, I answer to Fern since people are more comfortable with a name they can pronounce.

As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.

Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.

Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.

READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/

Reviews

[Barbara Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: The Boat House
Series: Twin Light Book #2
Author: Fern Michaels
Publisher: Kensington Books
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Audiobook Pub Date: August 25, 2026
My Rating: 3.6 Stars
Pages: 256

I read the “Smuggler’s Cove which was the first in this series. Although I did enjoy it, really isn’t necessary to have read it to move on to this one.
Here is a bit of a recap ~
Siblings Madison and Lincoln Taylor lived a privileged life until the family lost everything when their father was arrested for fraud. They were attending college at the time- Madison at The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and Lincoln was attending Pace University majoring in Business.
They changed colleges additionally changed their surname to Wainwright. Madison left FIT and went to ‘The Rhode Island School of Design’ and Lincoln transferred to Baruch as it was less expensive.
They ended up being successful in careers that loved. Madison got a job n a fashion house and then started her a fashion website. Lincoln got his PhD in Finance and became a professor at a small college.

When they inherited a marina from Kirby Taylor a long-lost uncle, they decided to check it out and decided to try something new.
The marina was located on the beautiful New Jersey shore along the Navesink River in an area called Smuggler’s Cove.
As they settle in, Madison finds what appears to be a map to Captain Kidd’s lost treasure.

In this story. Madison and Lincoln have just finished renovating the dilapidated boathouse that was part of their inheritance.
On Memorial Day the Boat House was ready and unveiling of a new sign with the nautical logo -designed by Madison and announced, ‘Kirby’s Marina”!

I read and enjoyed “Smuggler’s Cove” which was the first book in this series.
Although not a lot of mystery -my typical genre is Psychological or Mystery trillers, it is good to change it up.
It was enjoyable.

I want to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for granting me this eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 25, 2026.

[Shereadbookblog · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second in the Twin Lights series by best selling author Fern Michaels.

The privileged lives of Madison and Lincoln Taylor were shattered when they were college students; their father was arrested for fraud and the family lost everything. Now adults living in New York with successful careers, they inherited a derelict marina along the Navesink River in New Jersey from their estranged uncle.

They have renovated the boat house at the marina and settled into a nice comfortable life in a rented second home in Smuggler’s Cove. While celebrating the grand opening of the boat house, there is a break- in and a treasure map once owned by their uncle is stolen. This sets the stage for a web of intrigue that unfolds in the tranquil shore town. Amidst the unfolding mystery, Madison and a charming Coast Guard captain find themselves drawn to each other.

While this is not my usual genre, I read the first installment and was hooked. Part romance and part mystery, this heartwarming story is an ideal choice for an escapist or beach read.

While the ending may seem a bit rushed, with loose ends neatly tied up in a brief epilogue, I can’t help but wonder if it’s due to the fact that this book was written shortly before the author’s passing in 2025.

Thanks to @NetGalley and @KensingtonBooks for the DRC.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Boat House (audiobook)
Fern Michaels, Eliza Foss (narrator)

This is the perfect read for lazy summer days, on or off the beach. This is the second book of the Twin Light series. Reading the first book is not necessary as it is all summed up delightfully if the forward.

Eliza Foss is perfect as the narrator. She has the comforting voice of your best friend and sets the tone of this cozy mystery/romance from the very first words. Smuggler’s Cove is a small town you won’t want to leave.

The near middle-aged twins, Madison and Lincoln, have had interesting lives. Their Uncle Kirby has left them a marina on the North Jersey shore just a ferry ride from the city (NYC). Unfortunately, brutal weather events have left the place dilapidated. Now, of course, there is the dead body under the dock, a stolen map (x marks the spot), and a handsome Coast Guard Officer with an awesome dog.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for and advance audiobook opportunity. #theboathouse