A death at sea. A hidden wreck. A centuries-old fortune—and a killer on the loose.

When a diver dies off the coast of St Ives, the verdict is accidental death. For the Shell House Detectives, however, something doesn't add up.

Still uneasy, Ally and Jayden take on what initially looks like an entirely unrelated case: a young woman convinced her fiancé is hiding something. But they have no idea what they're walking into. Because the secret isn't infidelity. It's a centuries-old shipwreck, a priceless cargo, and the kind of attention that gets people killed.

As autumn storms batter the Cornish coast, and a second death rocks the investigation, Ally and Jayden find themselves in treacherous waters. With a killer growing desperate and dangerous forces closing in, the Shell House Detectives must untangle a web of greed and heartbreaking secrets — before someone else pays the ultimate price.

© 2026 by Emylia Hall, all rights reserved.

Emylia Hall lives in Bristol with her husband and son, where she writes from a hut in the garden and dreams of the sea. She is the author of the Shell House Detectives Mysteries, a series inspired by her love of Cornwall's wild landscape. The first, The Shell House Detectives, was a Kindle Top 10 Bestseller, with the rights being optioned for TV. The Death of a Wrecker is her eighth crime novel. Emylia has published four previous novels, including Richard and Judy Book Club pick The Book of Summers and The Thousand Lights Hotel. Her work has been translated into ten languages, and broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music. She is the founder of Mothership Writers and is a writing coach at The Novelry.

Instagram: @emyliahall_author