August 19, 2024
Ryan’s ambitious and atmospheric latest (after I Hope You’re Listening) centers on a seaside town’s century-old legend of buried jewels. On the cusp of turning 40, call center worker Peter Barnett receives a letter from his estranged grandmother, Mirabel Bellwood, inviting him to the family mansion in Maple Bay, Nova Scotia. Peter arrives only for Mirabel to die in a mysterious accident shortly after they begin discussing her plans for the estate’s future. In the wake of Mirabel’s death, Peter meets 17-year-old Dandy Feltzen, who tells him about the Obelisk treasure, a collection of pirate jewels sought by her late grandfather, Mirabel, and a group of Maple Bay men who call themselves the Treasure Hunters Club—the members of which are starting to drop dead. Meanwhile, struggling novelist Cass Jones is offered a house-sitting gig in Maple Bay and meets a group of treasure-seeking sailors whom she plans to make the subjects of her next book. Ryan doesn’t always toggle between his three protagonists seamlessly, but he makes up for some herky-jerky pacing with an immersive setting and a truly surprising final twist. This Goonies-esque caper delivers the goods. Agent: Samantha Haywood, Transatlantic.