In Beyond the Graves Waits Mist and Sea, a marine biologist’s search for an undiscovered species of octopus leads her to an isolated island where long-buried memories rise like specters from the deep, intent on dragging her darkest truths to the surface.
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In This Spotlight On Beyond the Graves Waits Mist and Sea
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About Beyond the Graves Waits Mist and Sea
Twenty nautical miles off the coast of Boston lies Bell Island, shrouded in fog, mystery, and legend. Historically a refuge for women fleeing the hysteria of the Salem Witch Trials in the 1600s and a way station on the Underground Railroad for runaway slaves in the 1800s, the island is isolated and rumored to be haunted by spirits and . . . other things.
It is to Bell Island that microbial biologist Harper Hafdóttir ventures in search of evidence of a new species of octopus, Thalassa, possibly lurking below the swirling water’s surface. Along with her equipment, and her luggage, Harper carries with her the burden of past trauma and vivid, recurring dreams.
Swept up in unexplained phenomena ranging from increased seismic activity and a boat-capsizing rogue wave to encounters with island creatures that defy explanation, Harper looks to the island’s venerated if mysterious mayor for answers. Lady Loreana Bell comes from a single matriarchal line that has ruled the island for 400 years—and seems to have been expecting Harper’s arrival.
It is within the walls of Bell Manor—its gothic grandeur matched only by the intensity of Harper’s deja vu—that she discovers the 1690 journal of a young woman in the grips of a religious cult. As a tsunami threatens the island, Harper finds herself on the verge of a revelation that will ultimately unlock the mystery of her haunted dreams and disclose her true purpose on Bell Island.
Beyond the Graves Waits Mist and Sea explores how women in history were ostracized or abused for their unique qualities and as the characters embrace their personal power they rise above the limitations placed by society.
Animal lovers will enjoy that Bell Island is populated by Norwegian Forest Cats (a real cat breed!), who in the story have an uncanny intelligence and link to the supernatural goings-on of the island.
Several of the magical/supernatural elements in Beyond the Graves Waits Mist and Sea are inspired by folklore and Norse mythology – the Huldufólk, the ‘hidden people’ or elves are referenced, as well as different beliefs about supernatural cats, and the daughter of a sea god called Blódughadda
Beyond the Graves Waits Mist and Sea was inspired by the author’s own research trip when Kathleen spent a month on a tiny Icelandic Island called Vestmannaeyjar, volunteering with Earthwatch for the Icelandic Orca Project. That remote island and its landscape and rich folklore is the inspiration for Bell Island
Praise for Beyond the Graves Waits Mist and Sea
“On Kathleen Kaufman’s misty, rock-bound Bell Island, you can smell the salty air, sense the shadows cast by the stone houses as you walk its streets, feel the cats edging around your legs as you explore the halls of Bell Manor. Even the technical clutter of scientific research is believable, in this delightful tale where every non-human “monster” encountered, large and small, is fantastic, logical, and weirdly beautiful.” —Pam Troy, author of The Newcomers: The Chronicles of Touperdu on Beyond the Graves Waits Mist and Sea
“An atmospheric, Gothic read that, like the tide, slowly creeps up on the unsuspecting only to drag them out to sea.”—Maria Tureaud, author of This House Will Feed on Beyond the Graves Waits Mist and Sea
On Kathleen Kaufman’s previous novel, The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey
“Everything you want in a Gothic tale, doubled: two timelines, a pair of tragic souls linked through blood, and a cabal of occultists and mesmerists, all entangled in the dark unknown. A supremely satisfying novel of women coming into their own power.”—Alma Katsu, author of The Fervor
“Are you ready for a haunting, unputdownable ride through the thrilling world of séances and secrets? Nairna Liath’s rise from a con artist’s daughter to a celebrated medium reveals a chilling family legacy—and a mesmerizing destiny.”—Danielle Trussoni, New York Times bestselling author of The Puzzle Box
“A mesmerizing journey through Victorian mysticism, where two determined women—separated by time but united in spirit—fight to break free from society’s attempts to subjugate them. Uplifting and richly atmospheric, this novel beautifully captures the tension between destiny and self-determination.”—Amanda Skenandore, author of The Medicine Woman of Galveston
“In a séance of shame and suffering spanning generations, Kathleen Kaufman’s Nora Grey is an irresistible alchemy of historical fiction, medical misadventure, and the occult, and a moving force for feminism and female intuition. Mesmerizing.”—Lee Murray, author of Grotesque: Monster Stories on The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey
“Evocative, with brilliantly-wrought historical detail, The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey is rich in myth, mystery, and an exploration of fate and the soul.”—Kaaron Warren, award-winning author of The Underhistory
“Wields the gripping tensions between power and subordination, faith and fraud, hope and rage, talent and exploitation. By braiding two timelines featuring two, gifted young women who share an undeniable connection, Kaufman creates an enduring tale about women’s fight for self-determination in a world pitted against them. This haunting story summons the best of historical fiction and magical realism.”—Rachel Rueckert, author of If the Tide Turns on The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey
About Kathleen Kaufman, Author of Beyond the Graves Waits Mist and Sea
Kathleen Kaufman is the bestselling author of magical realism and feminist gothic horror novels, including The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey, Beyond the Graves Waits Mist and Sea, Hag, and the Diabhal Trilogy. Her novel The Lairdbalor has been optioned by Screen Australia for a feature-film adaptation helmed by award-winning director Nicholas Verso. A Colorado native and graduate of the University of Southern California, she currently works as an English instructor and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, kitten, and hound.
You can connect with Kathleen Kaufman on her website at Kensington Books, and on LinkedIn.
Source: Publisher
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
ISBN Trade Paperback 9781496753946
Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
LitStack Spots by Kathleen Kaufman
Here are some LitStack Spots by Kathleen Kaufman that you’ll definitely want to add to your TBR stack, including The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Gray by Kathleen Kaufman, Diabhal by Kathleen Kaufman, and The Lairdbalor by Kathleen Kaufman.
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