The Misremembered Lighthouse (Hayley Hunter Mystery, Book 2) by p.m. terrell | Book Review & Author Guest Post

“History leaves echoes, and at this lighthouse, those echoes speak.”

🌟Greetings

Welcome to my stop on the Goddess Fish Promotions Review Tour for The Misremembered Lighthouse (Hayley Hunter Mystery, Book 2) by p.m. terrell. This atmospheric mystery blends historical intrigue, ghostly suspense, and emotional depth into a story that lingers long after the last page.

When historian and author Hayley Hunter rents a secluded lighthouse on the North Carolina coast to research her next book, she expects quiet days and seaside inspiration—not a haunting. But the ghost of a Revolutionary War lightkeeper still walks the tower, and his unfinished business soon draws Hayley into a chilling web of espionage, obsession, and love that defies time itself.

Whether you enjoy haunted mysteries, historical fiction, or intelligent paranormal suspense, The Misremembered Lighthouse shines with the kind of eerie beauty that only p.m. terrell can deliver.

🔻 Keep scrolling to enter the giveaway! 🔻

📝 All About the Book

The Misremembered Lighthouse
By P.M. Terrell
Series: A Hayley Hunter Mystery Book #2
Published by Drake Valley Press on September 2025
Genres: Mystery
Formats: eBook, Hardcover, Paperback
Pages: 305

While researching her next book, historian and author Hayley Hunter rents a lighthouse in Southeastern North Carolina. The modern lighthouse and vacation home replaced an original wood structure that only functioned during the Revolutionary War. The old lighthouse may be long gone, but the lightkeeper’s ghost remains. Hayley becomes increasingly obsessed with finding why the spirit of Jonathan Corbyn lingers between realms. Her search will take her into a world of spies, double agents, and espionage at the dawn of American democracy.

📜 Excerpt from The Misremembered Lighthouse

Before diving into my full review, here’s a haunting scene that perfectly sets the tone for The Misremembered Lighthouse. In this moment, Hayley’s quiet research retreat takes a chilling turn when she encounters something — or someone — in the lighthouse tower that shouldn’t be there.

I bolted upright and tapped on the latest alert. I found myself staring at the lantern room. The security camera encompassed nearly the entire circular room, save for the wall behind it. My eyes skimmed the walls, alighting briefly on each window. The moon was high and full, and for a moment, I thought the camera might have picked up the glow or perhaps even something flying against the window. But as I continued to stare into my phone, I spotted something moving along the top steps as if ascending.

I quietly tossed the covers off me and glided into my slippers as I grabbed my robe. I cautiously strode to the spiral stairs to peer upward into the stairwell. It was not as dark as I had expected, but a muted light from the moon struggled to illuminate it. I glanced downward to discover it was darker beneath me. Turning my attention again to the stairs leading upward, I remembered the curvature in the design prevented me from seeing to the top. How, then, my mind argued, could the moonlight find its way down?

I stepped onto the staircase. My right hand clenched the phone, while my eyes continually moved from the image on my screen to the steps above me. My naked eyes could see nothing out of the ordinary. The steps appeared just as they had a few hours earlier. But my phone displayed a shadow moving upward.

As I reached the uppermost stairs, I realized the image picked up by the security camera was not a human, but rather a human form. It was opaque, but I detected the outline of a man’s broad shoulders, his torso, arms, and legs. His legs were misshapen, as though he were wearing breeches that ballooned slightly from him. There was something else that extended beyond his body, like a waistcoat. I could see the outline of his head, but it was shadowy, with facial details absorbed into the darkness.

I froze on the step. I could see the image clearly on my phone’s security app. But when I used my naked eyes without the benefit of the phone, I could see nothing at all in the spot where it should have appeared. Shakily, I climbed to the next step and then the next.

The figure moved just beyond me as if to entice me to follow him. As my head topped the floor, it turned to me, as if he was looking straight at me, though I could see nothing but darkness where his face should have been.

📚 Where to Find The Misremembered Lighthouse

Available on Amazon

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Also available at:
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✨ My Thoughts on The Misremembered Lighthouse✨

There’s something instantly captivating about a story set at a lighthouse — that mix of isolation, beauty, and mystery. In The Misremembered Lighthouse, p.m. terrell takes that familiar setting and infuses it with ghostly suspense and historical intrigue that feels both chilling and deeply human.

Hayley Hunter is a historian and author searching for truth in the shadows of the past, and her journey is as emotional as it is mysterious. What begins as research for a book quickly turns into an obsession with a Revolutionary War lightkeeper whose spirit still lingers. The scenes inside the lighthouse are vivid and cinematic — you can almost hear the echo of waves, the creak of the stairs, and the whisper of the ghostly presence watching her.

Terrell does a remarkable job balancing the paranormal with realism. The espionage thread connected to early American history gives the story weight, while the ghost story keeps it eerily intimate. It’s not just about uncovering a haunting — it’s about how grief, guilt, and love can anchor a soul across centuries.

I also appreciated that this is Book 2 in the Hayley Hunter Mystery series, but it reads comfortably as a standalone. Returning readers will enjoy the continuity of Hayley’s character growth, while new ones can dive in without confusion. And of course, as an author herself, Hayley’s perspective on storytelling and truth adds another rich layer to the novel.

The Misremembered Lighthouse is both a haunting mystery and a meditation on the echoes we leave behind — an evocative, emotional read that lingers like the beam of light across dark water.

🔎 Review at a Glance

Genre: Mystery / Paranormal / Historical Fiction
Series: Hayley Hunter Mystery, Book 2
Publisher: Independent / p.m. terrell
Content Rating: PG-13 (ghostly imagery, suspenseful themes, and light romantic tension)
My Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Best For: Readers who love atmospheric mysteries, historical settings with a ghostly twist, and stories that explore how love and loss can echo through time.

Quick Take:
A beautifully written mystery where the past refuses to rest — and one woman’s search for answers awakens a ghostly truth hidden beneath centuries of silence.

I received a copy of the book as part of this tour. This review reflects my honest, unbiased opinion.

📚 More tales from p.m. terrell

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Full Booklist 

🖋️ Guest Post by p.m. terrell

One of my favorite parts of hosting these tours is hearing directly from the authors about the creative sparks behind their stories. Today, p.m. terrell shares a glimpse into her writing process — specifically, how a seemingly minor character can surprise even the author by stepping into the spotlight.

In The Misremembered Lighthouse, that character is Beckett, a gentle soul with developmental challenges who unexpectedly became a central thread in Hayley Hunter’s haunting mystery. Here’s p.m. terrell with her reflections on characters who refuse to stay in the background.

In The Misremembered Lighthouse, there is a character named Beckett whose father owns the general store. It is obvious that Beckett has developmental challenges, and he was meant to be a minor character. However, he stole each scene he was in. I knew that he would become an integral part of the story, even though I had never intended it. Sometimes, characters can seem as real as an actor on a stage.

However, I had begun planning a series with Hayley’s mother in the lead role, because she is so feisty and quirky. I introduced her in The Misremembered Lighthouse, but I needed Hayley to solve this mystery on her own. After a couple of chapters with her mother, I brought them to the retirement village where she was moving. This took her off stage during a critical time, but I was able to reunite them at the end of the book and set up Hayley’s mother for a possible murder mystery series set at the retirement village.

👩‍💻 Meet the Author: p.m. terrell

My full name is Patricia McClelland Terrell, and I have been writing under the pen name p.m.terrell ever since a publisher presented me with my first fiction book cover. The graphic designer had also entered my name in lower-case letters; my editor hated it, and I loved it. It’s been p.m.terrell ever since.

I began writing when I was nine years old, inspired by a schoolteacher and elementary school principal. Scott-Foresman published my first book, a computer instructional for universities, in 1984. Scott-Foresman, Dow-Jones (Richard D. Irwin branch), Palari Publishing, Paralee Press, and Drake Valley Press have published 26 books to date.

Before embarking on a full-time writing career, I founded McClelland Enterprises, Inc. in the Washington, D.C. area in 1984, specializing in computer instruction for employees in the workplace. I opened another business, Continental Software Development Corporation, in 1994, which focused on custom application development, programming, website design and development, and computer crime.

I was honored to be the first female President of the Chesterfield County/Colonial Heights Crime Solvers. I also served as the Treasurer for the Virginia Crime Stoppers Association. Since moving to North Carolina, I served on the Robeson County Friends of the Library and Robeson County Arts Council.

I launched The Book ‘Em Foundation with Waynesboro, Virginia Police Officer Mark Kearney, and assisted in Virginia, New Hampshire, and South Carolina events before establishing the Annual Book ‘Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair, chairing it for several years before turning it over to Robeson Community College in Lumberton, NC.

You can learn more about p.m. terrell and her work at:
Website | Facebook | Amazon | Goodreads

🌟 Closing Notes

The Misremembered Lighthouse is one of those rare mysteries that lingers long after the final page — part ghost story, part historical puzzle, and part emotional exploration of what ties us to the past. p.m. terrell masterfully balances eerie atmosphere with heartfelt character moments, creating a story that feels both timeless and deeply human.

If you love haunted coastal settings, intelligent historical mysteries, and touches of the paranormal, this book deserves a place on your reading list. Don’t forget to enter the Goddess Fish Promotions giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card — and be sure to visit the other tour stops for more reviews, excerpts, and author features.

🎁 Giveaway!

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