Return to Breakneck Island

Disclaimer: Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for the complimentary trade paperback which was gifted to me in exchange for my honest review.

This follow-up to Ryan's previous The Treasure Hunters Club brings readers back to the fictional small Nova Scotia town of Maple Bay and reunites them with the trio of main characters from the first book.

The story is told in dual timelines - current day and the 1930's where readers are introduced to the MacLeary family who man the lighthouse on the isolated Breakneck Island off the shores of Maple Bay. The mystery of the family's sudden disappearance has been debated among townsfolk for generations and Peter, Dandy and Cass each find themselves drawn to solve the mystery which leads to murder, mayhem and a sense of foreboding. 

With the trio each trying to solve the mystery, at times it felt like there was a bit too much going on with many new characters to meet and minor plots to keep track of. I enjoyed seeing the growth in our trio of main characters and the inclusion of budding familial relationships and connections but couldn't shake the feeling that this felt more like a contemporary fiction read with a side of mystery where the main characters don't have a big mystery to solve and much of the revelations occur by coincidence. 

I enjoyed the first book a bit more than this follow-up, but I continue to love the cozy Canadian vibe and how the author weaves bits of the fictional small Nova Scotia town's history into his stories. 

Note: With its frequent references to the first book, I would strongly recommend reading this new series in order.

My Rating: 3.25 stars

Author: Tom Ryan

Genre: Cozy mystery, Canadian

Series: The Treasure Hunters Club 2

Source and Type: ebook & trade paperback from publisher

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada

First Published: Oct 6, 2026

Read: Sept 27-30, 2026

Book Description from GoodReads: Breakneck nestled precariously off the coast of Maple Bay, the lighthouse atop this rocky outcrop is all that stands between safe passage and nautical disaster.

For generations, the MacLeary family lived on Breakneck Island in an isolated and physically-demanding existence. One night in 1932, after a ruthless storm battered all of Maple Bay, the MacLearys disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only whispers of a missing fortune.

Nearly a century later, three people are drawn to Breakneck Island and its perplexing Peter Barnett, a recent Maple Bay transplant who’s piecing his life back together and possibly catching feelings for a charming professor; Dandy Feltzen, a wistful teenage girl searching for new beginnings while juggling the arrival of an unexpected visitor; and Cass Jones, a successful author given a cryptic tip for a haunting new story.

As Peter, Dandy, and Cass are drawn into the orbit of one of Maple Bay’s darkest mysteries, dangers past and present collide on the rocky shores of Breakneck Island, and the real story of the MacLearys finally comes into focus. But if the island is to reveal its oldest secrets, it may demand fresh bodies in return.