Murder Will Out
- Judith D Collins
- Jan 1
- 3 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Narrator: Gail Shalan
ISBN: 9781250436016
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Minatour Books
Publication Date: 02/17/2026
Format: Audio
My Rating: TBR
Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award winner Jennifer K. Breedlove brings coastal Maine to life in Murder Will Out, a lighter, modern gothic mystery that's as atmospheric as it is heart-warming.
Come for the memories. Stay for the murder...
Little North Island, off the coast of Maine, is so beautiful it could be a postcard. Organist Willow Stone cherishes her memories of childhood summers spent on the island with her godmother Sue... even though her visits ended abruptly, and she hasn't seen or heard from her godmother in over fifteen years. Until a letter from Sue—and word of Sue’s death—brings Willow back to the picturesque island.
The islanders rarely mention Sue without also bringing up Cameron House, and the controversy around Sue’s unexpected inheritance of the sprawling mansion. When Willow overhears someone threatening the next heir to the property, she starts to question whether Sue’s death was really an accident, and can’t help but wonder whether someone on this sleepy island is willing to stop at nothing—even murder—to claim Cameron House for their own.
Through Willow’s eyes, as well as those of others on the island, a mystery unfolds that keeps drawing Willow back to Cameron House and the very real ghosts that walk its corridors.
A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.
Praise
“Breedlove’s marvelously entertaining debut deftly borrows elements from traditional mysteries and merges them with a ghostly, gothic vibe creating something delightfully different. . . Fans of Katherine Hall Page’s superiorly crafted traditional mysteries, Nancy Atherton’s delightful Aunt Dimity books, or Carolyn Hart’s ghostly cozy Bailey Ruth Raeburn series will fall under the spell of Breedlove’s equally enchanting novel.”
–Library Journal (starred review)
"A complex mystery with a surprise ending bolstered by charming characters, some of them still alive."
–Kirkus Reviews
"Breedlove debuts with an impressive paranormal-tinted mystery... [She] supplies enough suspects, red herrings, and family secrets to keep readers guessing until the final page."
–Publishers Weekly
“[A] sparkling, energetic debut. . . a wonderfully tangled plot. . . oh-so-much fun.”
–FirstCLUE
"Attention, fans of Stephen King and Murder, She Wrote: you’ve just found your favorite new fictional murder set in Maine!”
–Kemper Donovan, USA Today Bestselling author of the Ghostwriter Mysteries and host of the All About Agatha podcast
“An unputdownable debut. Breedlove is an author to watch.”
–Anna Lee Huber, USA Today bestselling author
"A ghostly traditional mystery that is sure to keep readers guessing."
–Amanda Flower, USA Today bestselling author of Not They Who Soar
“Reading it feels like an episode of BBC's Ghosts meets Murder, She Wrote and every bit as much fun!”
–Jess Armstrong, USA Today bestselling author of The Curse of Penryth Hall
“A spellbinding debut mystery, rich with a gothic atmosphere, a mansion filled with secrets, and a heroine you’ll root for.”
–Gigi Pandian, USA Today bestselling author of the Secret Staircase Mysteries
"Atmospheric and witty. . . a love letter to small-town secrets and the power of coming home."
–Danielle Arceneaux, author of the Glory Broussard Mysteries
“With its atmospheric setting and multigenerational mystery, Murder Will Out is a winner!”
–Olivia Blacke, author of A New Lease on Death
About the Author
JENNIFER K. BREEDLOVE is a Chicago area composer, conductor, author, editor, and educator. A frequent visitor to Downeast Maine since childhood, she has an enduring affection for the wild beauty of the coastal islands and the warmth of the people who make their homes there. Her debut novel, Murder Will Out, won the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award, and was also a finalist for the Killer Nashville Claymore award. WEBSITE
