Product Description

Stacey Christian unexpectedly runs into her ex-boyfriend, Peter Mansfield, while touring Ireland. They join forces to help solve the puzzles surrounding Faoilenn Màrrach, or Gull Castle.

Stacy travels to County Mayo -- to Belderrig, a little fishing village on the coast. Peter joins her, and together they confront Peter's formidable great-aunt Katherine O'Flannery, a reclusive woman feared by the locals.

Finding herself implacably installed in Aunt Katherine's eerie fortress, Stacey becomes obsessed with the castle's disturbing legends. Peter is put to work in his capacity as banker, sorting out the financial records for his aunt. This leaves Stacey to follow her own leads to solving the mystery of the ghost that walks the halls of Gull Castle. Having to parry the attentions of the castle's handsome but disturbing horse handler, Liam Glenshaw, avoid the dark jealousy of Glenshaw's scorned girlfriend, Margaret, and side-step the frightening old gate-keeper, Jimmy, Stacy soon finds herself in over her head.

With help from locals, and especially a young boy named Danny, she uncovers a tangle of intrigue that goes deeper, and into much more dangerous territory, than she'd expected.

Faced with murder and betrayal, both Stacy and Peter suddenly find themselves in a predicament that neither could have imagined.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1952151 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-09
• Released on: 2004-09-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 114 pages

Review
"A thoroughly enjoyable gothic mystery, couldn't put it down." -- Anna Jacobs
author of Lancashire Lass, Our Polly and many more.

"Author Maureen McMahon creates an irresistible setting and tells an intriguing tale." -- Martha C. Lawrence
author of Pisces Rising, Aquarius Descending, Murder In Scorpio and many more.

"Mary Stewart mentored Ms. McMahon...and this book shows how apt a pupil the author has proven herself to be." -- Review for: CRESCENT BLUES: http://www.crescentblues.com
Rating: Four out of four crescents
Reviewer: Patricia Lucas White

About the Author
MAUREEN MCMAHON, born in Michigan, U.S.A, now lives in Australia. Likened in style to Mary Stewart and Barbara Michaels, her suspense novels, Shadows in the Mist and Return of the Gulls, include an intriguing mix of mystery, romance and paranormal. In addition to her novels, Maureen also writes short fiction, with a published anthology entitled A Nightingale in the Sycamore. Maureen has taught creative writing locally and at various professional online venues, including Writer's Digest's Writer's Online Workshops. She enjoys the sea, the sun and spending time with her husband, two children and a menagerie of pets.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Prologue Lady Mary "...to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages with open heart, to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never, in a word to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common, this is to be my symphony." —William Henry Channing The breeze drifted like a fresh mountain rill, gently gathering up the scent of full-blown roses and pressing it against her nostrils so she felt compelled to inhale deeply—as though by letting the fragrance fill her lungs, it would be preserved in memory forever.

Behind her, the stone walls of the castle loomed protectively, a silent faithful guardian of this delicate mistress. She felt it holding her, joining her with the lives of the many who had gone before, offering her strength in unity with them. And though her body was weak, she knew her physical self was only a temporary encumbrance for a soul that was magnificent and powerful, and longing to be free.

She looked out past the hedgerows and flowering herbs; past the ancient, crumbling perimeter wall to the cliff edge. The sky was golden in the evening dusk—cloudless and soft, aglow with a gentle warmth. Fuzzy catkins swayed against the tumble of moss-covered stones. The breeze danced past again, bringing with it this time the smell of the sea, sharp with salt and seaweed, cooler now as the sun drew in its bright rays in preparation for another day's end.

She closed her eyes and listened. The grasses shushed softly and a few relentless bees buzzed nearby. She heard the stronger winds moaning high above, past the tower parapet, slapping in low, gusting thuds against the upper walls. She heard an early cricket begin its evening symphony somewhere just behind the stone bench on which she sat.

She raised her head higher—still not opening her eyes, her hands relaxed and peaceful in her lap—and listened more carefully. She heard the brush of the rose blooms as the breeze teased their petals, and the ocean waves as they rushed in to break in a regular, rhythmic roar against the cliff base.

Then she smiled, her lips turning up at the corners with contentment as the sound she waited for—longed for—carried, softly at first, across the garden, teasing her, then surrounding her, filling her until she felt it would sweep her up and carry her away....

The sound of gulls, hundreds of gulls, screeching and fluttering in the twilight air.

Customer Reviews

wonderful novel
I was spellbound, could not put it down...can't wait for Ms. McMahon's next novel, excellent author!

A Favorite
I loved Return of the Gulls. Its is a very good mystery, it is a great Cliff hanger (lots of suspence). One reason i like Return of the Gulls (and Shadows in the Mist/Maureen Mcmahon's other Roamantic/suspence book) ; is because she keeps you wanting to read untill the very end. When you think its all over and you already know the answer to the mystery, something new pops out and the answer/your thoughts completly change. She has beautiful discrption, and i love how before every chapter she has a poem that kinda has to do with that chaoter! One night i just could'nt get myself to put the book down so i ended up staying up untill one in the moring finishing it. I started it over the next day.
So I highly recommend this book. I would rate it 10 stars(even though its only out of 5!)

RETURN OF THE GULLS is a Gripping Gothic!
RETURN OF THE GULLS by Maureen McMahon is a suspenseful gothic with new twists and turns on every page. Stacey Christian visits Ireland and finds herself in a castle the local inhabitants are certain is haunted. With the help of her sometimes-boyfriend Peter Mansfield, she tries to solve the mystery of the murder in the past and the intrigue and danger in the present. You'll stay up all night to finish this one!