The Keeper’s Compass: A witchy lighthouse cozy where sea-salt magic, small-town secrets (Starling Cove Mysteries Book 2)

When the sea won’t point north, follow the truth.

After the “Fourth Tide” sting, lighthouse keeper Ivy Hart should be stacking lantern oil and minding the seam. Instead, a taunting postcard and a northless compass sigil drag her into a fresh tangle of small-town politics, poisoned “tonics,” and an old smuggling myth the locals call the Northless Choir. With her sardonic ghost-aunt Maeve haunting Larkspur House, a temperamental lamp to calm the shore, and a Keeper’s Compass token that answers only to honest asks, Ivy has to outthink a slick PR star, a harbor master with secrets, and a board that loves the word legacy a little too much.

As festival lights fade and king tide rises, Ivy and her not-exactly-boyfriend Detective Declan Shore trace missing donor ledgers, rig quiet wards on the beach, and learn why you never let a stranger’s words into your lungs. The farther they map the money, the clearer it gets: someone’s weaponizing naming magic—and counting on Starling Cove to sing along.

A witchy lighthouse cozy full of sea-salt magic, found family, and slow-burn chemistry, The Keeper’s Compass blends mystery and magical realism with the mood of foggy docks, clinking rope, and a house that finally fights back.

What you’ll find inside

• A haunted lighthouse that hums like an old song and a house spirit who learns to shove back

• Ask-only wards, “no-name” throat magic, and a Keeper’s Compass you can’t sweet-talk

• A tight-knit seaside community with small-town secrets and sharp-tongued aunties

• The Northless Choir legend (smugglers, sigils, and a horn timed to the tide)

• A suspense plot with clean, cozy stakes: mystery first; no gore, no graphic content

• Slow-burn, closed-door romance; banter for days; partners who actually communicate

• Found family: Poppy, Sera, Owen, Nolan, Isla, Beck—and the town’s prickliest rule-keeper

• A satisfying case with a clear resolution and a final postcard that points to Book Three

Perfect for readers who love

witchy cozy mysteries, magical realism, haunted house fiction, lighthouse settings, small-town conspiracy, amateur sleuth + detective partnership, ghost sidekicks, sea-soaked atmosphere, clean romance, and series like Practical Magic, The Witch City Mysteries, Witchcraft Mysteries, and Ellery Adams’ small-town whodunits.

Series Note

Starling Cove Mysteries

1. The Lighthouse Hex (Book One)

2. The Keeper’s Compass (Book Two)

Each book delivers a complete mystery with ongoing character arcs. New to the series? You can start here, but Book One enriches the relationships, rules of magic, and running threads.

Keywords (to help you find this book)

witchy cozy mystery, haunted lighthouse, small-town mystery, seaside cozy, ghost aunt, magical realism mystery, women sleuths, found family, slow burn romance, northless compass, naming magic, coastal conspiracy, festival of lanterns, keeper magic, starling cove, lighthouse keeper, New England cozy vibes

If you like your cozies clever, coastal, and a little bit witchy—with heart, humor, and a house that chooses sides—grab The Keeper’s Compass today and return to Starling Cove. The lamp is lit. The tide is turning.