Gallows Bay

I had my whole life planned out—until, that is, my husband of 28 years dropped a bombshell on me. At a mall food court, no less. Now that I’m going through a decidedly unplanned divorce, the one place I want to be is my family’s theme park in Gallows Bay. Don't get the wrong idea, it's not the happiest place on Earth (TM). But it does have something special that sets it apart: magic. Real. Magic.

Since moving back to my family’s theme park in Gallows Bay, my life has been a teensy bit weird. But that’s okay because I’m finally settling in. I’ve reconnected with my family. Impressed my childhood crush with what he thinks are mad plumbing skills. And even gone on something kinda like a date. But then my daughter shows up unexpectedly. Am I happy that she’s married? Yes! The problem is, she’s married to the absolute worst person for her, and now she’s on the verge of ruining her life. That’s when the fairies show up.

It’s Halloween at the Enchanted Forest. Unfortunately, this year, it looks like it’s all trick and no treat. Thanks to my screwup, an evil pirate walks again. That’s bad enough. Then my ex-husband drops his mother off on my doorstep. And she’s not the only uninvited guest I’m stuck with. A melodramatic mermaid arrives at the park, insisting that someone is out to kill her and that our house is the only place she feels safe. The only way for us to get rid of her is for me to locate a magic key that doesn’t exist until you find it. Talk about a needle in a haystack.

Things I want to do: Get my family's theme park ready for the holidays, enjoy my daughter’s improved cooking, and chill with my favorite ghost on the astral plane. Things I have to do instead: Spend my time trying to stay one step ahead of a vengeful pirate. And that means tracking down three hundred-year-old clues before he does. But that’s not all I have to deal with. I’ve got family drama to work through. And the arrival of a mysterious man who wants a job as the Pied Piper of the Enchanted Forest might end up costing me one of my best friends.

Our magic’s gone wonky—and I’ve got a giant Venus fly trap and an extra-dead great-aunt to prove it. With everything going haywire, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out Durus and the Venom Stone are behind it.