Sally
Smith O’Rourke’s enchanting debut, The Man Who Loved Jane Austen, established
her as a gifted storyteller with an inventive imagination. Now, in her
remarkable new novel, she brings to life a picturesque Rhode Island seaside town
and an unforgettable heroine compelled to uncover the secrets guarded by The
Maidenstone Lighthouse. Nestled in a coastal inlet a few miles north of Newport, Rhode Island, Freedman’s Cove is known for its superb seafood, its postcard-pretty waterfront, and its exquisite Victorian homes—a legacy of the town’s past as a summer resort for wealthy families. Manhattan antiques appraiser Susan Marks inherited one of these ornate mansions from her great aunt. After suffering a devastating loss, she retreats to Freedman’s Cove to nurse her grief.
Three months have passed since the corporate plane piloted by Susan’s lover, Bobby Hayward, disappeared at sea, but still Susan dreams nightly of his safe return. Her days are filled with memories of Bobby’s mischievous blue eyes, his sensual touch, and the sheer zest for living that he imparted to every moment of their time together.
Amid the bracing sea air and familiar surroundings of the town where she spent happy childhood summers, Susan starts to recover her peace of mind—until she awakens one night to see an ethereal figure standing at her window. More curious than afraid, Susan is immediately intrigued by the ghost of this sad and beautiful young girl who gazes out at the Maidenstone Lighthouse. Delving into the story of her ancestor’s tragic death brings Susan into contact with Dan Freedman, a local historian and famed artist who was once the town’s teenage rebel. But even as the hours spent with Dan awaken Susan’s hope that she could someday find love again, the startling truth behind a century-old mystery emerges to shed a beacon of light on dangerous shadows in Susan’s own past…and in her present.
At once moving and suspenseful, charming and evocative, The Maidenstone Lighthouse is a spellbinding story of mystery, secrets, and the power of love…