Crimson at Cape May is the second book in A Haunted Shores Mystery series and features Derrell Henshaw, who has recently been let go from his high school teaching position, coaching at a football camp in Camp May. The reasons for him being let go featured in the first book, but the consequences carried into the second book, issues with which I had no problems understanding or sympathizing. I actually thought the author did a credible job merging the two stories without taking the focus of the story being developed in this book. While I did enjoy the overall story and characters, I did find it a bit slow in some parts, it was easy to figure out the actual villain, and there were some inconsistencies, especially for those of us who grew up in the nineties, that I just had to ignore.

For the most part, the characters were rather interesting and distinct. Things weren't going so well for Darrell at the beginning of this book as he had lost his job and his girlfriend and was in Cape May working at a football camp to earn some money. The stress was creating anxiety and affecting his OCD, so when he again starts seeing ghosts, he doesn't react very well to those sightings and it takes a lot of persuasion for him to help them. Considering the ghosts got him into a lot of trouble in the previous book, I understood his reluctance as I think it was consistent with his life at the moment. When things started to go better for him in his life, he was more receptive to the ghosts, and that made a lot of sense. I really enjoyed Cassie as a character and liked how realistically she was portrayed. Some of her life was definitely downplayed to keep the book clean, but you got enough to read between the lines and understand how difficult it is for kids on the street when their home lives are terrible.

The pacing was a bit slow at times, but the story essentially had three mysteries woven into it: first, there was the problem with Derrell and why he lost his job, events from the previous book; two, the ghost that kept appearing to Derrell, the mysterious bride, presented the next mystery; and three, the issue with one of Derrell's students whose older sister had gone missing which led into a sex trafficking scenario. I really appreciated the fact the author dove into more serious issues in this book as it's very relevant today. Sex trafficking is definitely not new and I liked how the author was pointing out that everyone who turns their head when noticing something is wrong is part of the problem, and allowing influential people to get away with criminal behaviour is problematic. It was done subtly, and in such a way that we should always be on the lookout for odd behaviours and talk to our children about being wary; you know if a thing sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and you should run as fast as you can. I find comments about sex trafficking in the nineties quite interesting, especially from those who say they had no idea because as a uni student in the late 80' and early 90's we knew to avoid those jobs where you went to a 'warehouse' for an interview as they were probably for porno and these types of things. So yes, it was definitely around. And those 'job advertisements' were everywhere.

Verdict
Crimson at Cape May was an enjoyable read, and if you love the paranormal as well as interesting characters, then this is for you. Personally, I prefer something a bit more gritty, but the themes running through this book were quite serious; they were also presented in a way that were not overly graphic or biased, but are definitely something that are relevant in today's world. I did find that Derrell's character development was a bit inconsistent, and I had a problem with the whole cellphone thing in this book, not his purchase of it, but his use as he would definitely not have been able to make a call in the backwoods in 1999 as cell reception during that time was terrible. I was also not impressed with who the villain was in this book as I tend to need legitimate motivations and reasons and that was lacking in my estimation. However, if you are looking for a book that is a mix of paranormal and mystery, and like deeper themes that aren't too explicit, then this book is definitely for you. ( )

In book two in The Haunted Shores Mysteries series, former high school football coach Darrell Henshaw wants to clean up his good name after the scandal in which he lost his job. His special gift, however—he can see ghosts—is drawing him into a murder mystery he wants no part of. Unfortunately for him, the Haunted Bride won’t take no for answer.
I don’t normally read mysteries, but this story grabbed my attention from chapter one. Darrell is an awesome character with a serious case of OCD. He’s kind, smart, and capable, and he feels as though he needs to help the ghosts in spite of the dangers to himself. Those dangers also affect the ones he’s close to—including Erin and Cassie, his girlfriend and a runaway teenager respectively.
I enjoyed Mr. Overbeck writing style, and I could easily visualize the scenes through his detailed descriptions. His characters are complex and three-dimensional. There are a few twists and turns, which I wasn’t expecting but thoroughly loved.
Crimson at Cape May takes place right after the events in book one, but it can be read as a standalone. (Enough back-story was given to bring me up to speed.) For anyone wanting to read a good mystery with a tad of romance and paranormal thrown in, I definitely recommend this book. I would love to read more from Mr. Overbeck.
5 Stars
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I thoroughly enjoyed CRIMSON AT CAPE MAY by Randy Overbeck. This is the first book I read from this author as ghosts and paranormal type books are not on the top of my reading list. However, this one grabbed me from the very beginning and didn't let up until the end. It is also the second book in a series.

I thought this book was fine as a stand-alone even though portions of the first book are discussed. Darrell Henshaw lost his job and girlfriend at the end of the first book. Darrell has a keen ability to see ghosts who leave hints to help him solve mysteries.

Taking on a part-time job in Cape May to help run a summer football camp, Darrell witnesses a ghost wearing a white wedding gown with red blood along the side. She asks for his help and tells him that by helping her, he will also help others who are alive and suffering. One of the kids at the camp recently had a teen sister who went missing; she may hold the answer to part of the mystery.

At a local restaurant, Darrell meets Cassie, who also has the ability to see ghosts. When he wins back his former girlfriend, the three join up in an attempt to solve the mystery. However, those getting involved are at great risk of getting themselves killed - some escaped death, others did not.

The story is full of surprises and had me analyzing every clue as it became known. Who was this haunting bride? Why was she so persistent? What did she want? Who are the others? There were some slow parts in the middle of the story, but the last 25% took off with a roar and didn't stop until the end.

CRIMSON AT CAPE MAY is not a ghost story...it's more of an adventure to solve a mystery with the help of a ghost. Highly recommended. ( )