Lighthouse Keeper's Secret

A skeleton in a lighthouse. A locket with her grandmother's photo. And a sixty-six-year-old secret that someone will kill to keep buried. Emma Hartley came to Willow Creek for a fresh start—a quiet life running the Moonlight Café in a charming coastal town. She never expected to be drawn into another murder investigation, especially one connected to her own family's past. When construction workers discover skeletal remains in the historic Willow Creek lighthouse, Emma recognizes something shocking: the victim was wearing a locket containing her grandmother's photograph. Margaret Hartley, who died when Emma was fifteen, never mentioned living in Willow Creek. But the evidence is undeniable—Margaret worked at the lighthouse in 1962, the same year the keeper, Thomas Brennan, disappeared without a trace. As Emma digs deeper, she uncovers her grandmother's hidden journals detailing a forbidden love affair, a murder witnessed in terror, and a desperate flight from someone whose initials were simply "e;R.W."e; With four men in 1962 Willow Creek sharing those initials, Emma must untangle decades of lies to discover which one killed Thomas Brennan—and why her grandmother spent forty years living in fear. But the truth comes with a price. The deeper Emma investigates, the more dangerous her questions become. Threatening messages. Break-ins. A prominent family desperate to protect their reputation. And a conspiracy that reaches into the highest levels of Willow Creek society. With the help of Detective Jake Morrison—whose growing feelings for Emma complicate an already tangled case—Emma races to expose a killer before they strike again. Because sixty-six years ago, someone got away with murder. And they'll do anything to keep it that way. Perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke, Diane Mott Davidson, and Laura Childs, The Lighthouse Keeper's Secret combines small-town charm with dark family secrets, a touch of romance, and a murder mystery that spans generations. The Moonlight Café Cozy Mysteries can be read in order or as standalones.