Beach Reads
By Cindy Bilbao
The Old Cape House
By Barbara Eppich Struna
Book one of the Old Cape Series, The Old Cape House, begins with the very young Maria Hallett falling in love with a mysterious stranger named Sam Bellamy in the early 1700s. When Nancy Caldwell unearths an old root cellar containing bones and coins in her Cape Cod backyard in the present day, she is determined to figure out where it came from. Her search leads her to the local tale of the wreck of the pirate ship Whydah, which ran ashore in the waters of Cape Cod, and the missing treasure it was rumored to be carrying. She hopes the discovery in her backyard could be linked to the pirate ship’s treasure. When a local newsperson gets wind of the discovery, the story draws the attention of people around the world, including some locals with nefarious intentions.
Alternating between two time periods, this story blends the events that happened in Maria’s time with the modern-day story of Nancy Caldwell. The drama builds as the reader learns what happened in the 18th century and how those events connect with the 21st century tale. Weaving romance and suspense, this engaging book gives insights to what life was like in Cape Cod during the 1700s and how events from long ago affect a family hundreds of years later.
The Old Cape Teapot
By Barbara Eppich Struna
Nancy Caldwell becomes immersed in a new adventure in The Old Cape Teapot, the second book of the Old Cape Series. One of the items that Nancy uncovered in her backyard while digging in the root cellar was a beautiful necklace that Nancy now regularly wears. In this sequel, Nancy has the necklace when she travels to Antigua to visit her son, and the jewelry catches the interest of Nick, her son’s roommate on the island. Nick wants to help her find out more about its origins.
While in Antigua, Nancy meets John Julian, the seven-times great-grandson of the pirate John Julian who was on the ill-fated pirate ship Whydah carrying the never-recovered treasure. Nancy learns that Julian’s wife has earrings handed down through generations that match her own necklace. More discoveries pointing to the location of the buried treasure set Nancy on the path to solve the mystery of the missing pirate treasure. As she tries to piece together clues about where more treasure may be hidden on Cape Cod, she ends up deeper in danger.
This is a fun adventure that history buffs, Cape Cod fans, and mystery readers will enjoy. You don’t necessarily have to read book one to enjoy this second book, although it will help you know the backstory which is intriguing.
This article appeared in Beachcombing Magazine Volume 43 July/August 2024.
For more books for reference, inspiration, and reading, visit Cindy’s list of the Best Beachcombing Books, Best New Beachcombing Books, and her list of favorite Children’s Beach Books.
Read more beach book recommendations from Cindy Bilbao.
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