Armstrong House sits on Fogland Point, overlooking Narragansett Bay. It’s the spooky old place that David Hazard remembers as the scariest spot to hang around on Halloween. The mansion has fallen into disrepair now, but David still thinks of it as super creepy. He grew up in Little Compton, a small town where nothing happens. We can’t always choose where we live in our childhood years, but we sure can when we’re old enough. So David chose to leave as soon as he could. Not all of his memories from that time are good ones.

Now, reluctantly, he’s come back after receiving a frantic call from his grandmother. Truthfully, sometimes he ignores those calls, because Grandma Maggie is descending into dementia and makes up some whoppers nowadays. If he does answer, usually he can talk her down. But this time, he heads out in a panic late at night and arrives to find her dithering around her house. Exasperated, he finally coaxes something close to the real story out of her, discovering that the problem did not lie with his grandmother but with her neighbor. Poor Emma. She will be missed.

"FOGLAND POINT, Doug Burgess’ impressive debut novel, has a giant heart, made more wonderful with the feeling of small-town charm. But it’s the characters who will pull you in."

At the funeral, David and his aunts, who still live in Little Compton, notice an unfamiliar couple attending the service. It’s easy to spot individuals who don’t belong, being a small town and all. Rumor has it that this pair has purchased the Armstrong House and Fogland Point. Really? Are they planning to settle in here? People in places the size of Little Compton like to know what’s going on around them, and new folks buying a historic property gets the gossip going. Also, when one of their own dies at the same time these newcomers arrive, suspicions naturally rise. No connection has been made, but there hasn’t been an in-depth investigation yet.

David’s old school friend, Billy Dyer, now Chief of Police, warily welcomes David back. Their friendship went through some rough times, and David’s return might test its resilience. For now, though, the police chief teams up with his old friend to do a little snooping. They discover that the strange new couple is harboring more than one secret. In fact, “Marcus” and “Alicia” probably aren’t even their real names. They appear to be married but don’t seem to like each other. They also seem to be rich, having sailed into Little Compton on a fancy yacht, but then again who knows? Something is definitely off about them. David and Billy --- and probably the aunts, too --- will do a lot more digging into their background and keep an eye on them. It wouldn’t do to let their guards down.

Then, on a busy evening, in the local gathering spot, one of the aunts blurts out the old story of long-lost sunken treasure and, well, the town goes crazy. Everyone wants to be rich, and there’s gold right here in their bay? Meanwhile, the yacht has disappeared. And so has “Marcus.” Alicia, though, unhappily remains. What is going on? Did that man pilfer their treasure and skip? Whether it’s a hunt for the gold or something more sinister, death follows. An uproar ensues. Chief Dyer has never had to handle crimes of this magnitude. Murder? Multiple murders? There’s even mention of some mafia guys. What has happened to their sleepy town? Where once David complained that nothing goes on in Little Compton, he now wishes for the return of those days.

FOGLAND POINT, Doug Burgess’ impressive debut novel, has a giant heart, made more wonderful with the feeling of small-town charm. But it’s the characters who will pull you in. David Hazard is like no other in literature. He has been through a lot and has no easy life ahead of him. His attitude, though, is ever optimistic. You need to hear his story. Readers can learn a lot from him. Don’t miss this one.