Sam Tate returns to face a vengeful killer, a shadowy nemesis, and a dead pirate.

When Arley Fitchett’s body washes up on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Lieutenant Sam Tate is charged with finding out who killed the popular guide and treasure hunter. Fitchett, she discovers, was obsessed with finding a rare carving stolen by Chesapeake Bay pirates in 1718 and hidden nearby. No one knows if the story is true, but several locals seem to share Fitchett’s interest in the wooden bird with the sapphire eye. Any one of them could be the next victim. One of them is definitely a murderer.

“Stern excels at creating a satisfyingly complex, emotional undercurrent that runs through the greater murder mystery.” ~ D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

“Shades of The Maltese Falcon; the stuff that dreams are made of for mystery buffs.” ~ Kirkus Reviews

“An intricately spun spider’s web. Awesome writing.” ~ Reedsy Discovery