The Drowned Boy

A drowning ruled accidental. A town that moved on too quickly. A truth buried for decades.

In The Drowned Boy, the second novel in the Saltwake Island Mysteries series, architect-turned-investigator Maeve returns to a cold case the island tried to forget. When she uncovers her late aunt's thin, unsettling file on a teenage boy who drowned in 1997, Maeve begins asking questions no one wants answered. The official story never made sense. The evidence was destroyed. The witnesses stayed silent.

As Maeve digs deeper, she exposes a web of corruption tied to insurance money, illegal dumping, and powerful men who knew how to make deaths look like accidents. Each discovery puts her closer to the truth and in real danger. The island is watching again. Someone wants this case buried for good.

Moody, atmospheric, and emotionally grounded, The Drowned Boy blends small-town secrets, slow-burn suspense, and meticulous investigation. Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries with sharp edges, coastal noir, and female-led amateur sleuths, this installment proves that on Saltwake Island, the past never stays underwater.

Some secrets drown quietly. Others come back for air.