Nantucket Atheneum Reveals the 2026 One Book, One Island Selection
“All That Smolders: A Mystery“ by James Sulzer. It comes with secrets, shadows, and a mystery you won’t want to solve alone.
A past he can’t escape. A secret that won’t stay buried. A murder that changes everything.
It’s 1980, and autumn descends on a tranquil island off the coast of New England. Locals prepare for winter in a place known more for its charm than its danger — until the body of a prominent lawyer is discovered, and the peace is shattered.
Enter Peter Christie, a once-promising journalist nursing the wounds of a failed marriage, a tarnished career, and a traumatic past. Hoping to start over, Peter joins the island’s small-town paper — only to find himself caught in the biggest story the island has ever seen.
As Peter investigates the murder, he becomes entangled in the lives of the islanders, including Haddie Danville, a passionate conservationist grieving the sudden loss of her grandfather. But when secrets and suspicion begin to swirl, Peter’s new life—and his relationship with Haddie — are put at risk.
To solve the case and find redemption, Peter must navigate a web of old grudges, hidden legacies, and dangerous lies. But the truth may come at a cost — and someone will stop at nothing to protect what smolders beneath the surface.
Set against the haunting beauty of a New England island, All That Smolders is a masterfully written mystery of love, loss, and the search for second chances.
One Book, One Island 2026 Events
Beginning March 2nd, free copies of All That Smolders will be available to the community at the Nantucket Atheneum, the Inquirer and Mirror, and the Whaling Museum.
The Atheneum will host a One Book, One Island Celebration on Sunday, March 29th (3 pm – 6 pm). The event will include a book discussion with the author James Sulzer, moderated by Josh Balling from the Inquirer and Mirror, an interactive trivia contest, and additional activities designed to bring readers together in celebration of the shared read.
About One Book, One Island
One Book, One Island is a free program made possible by the Nantucket Atheneum as part of its mission to foster lifelong learning, literacy, and community engagement. This program is designed to bring Nantucket residents together through literature, conversation, and shared experience — strengthening community connection through the power of a single book.
About the Author
James Sulzer lives in Nantucket, Massachusetts. A graduate of Yale University, where he was a Yale National Scholar, he is the author of six novels — three for adults and three for middle-grade readers (ages 8 to 12).
His novels for adults include a novel about Emily Dickinson, THE VOICE AT THE DOOR, a novel about the poet John Keats, WRIT IN WATER (Fuze Publishing), and the novel NANTUCKET DAYBREAK (Walker and Co.).
He has also written a trilogy of novels for children, THE CARD PEOPLE (Fuze Publishing). A former commercial scalloper, he taught elementary and middle school students for 30 years and has produced countless “sonic id’s” for Public Radio.
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