Maine author C.W. Wells, aka Charlie Britton of Southport, announces the release of “Half-Shelled,” a fast-paced, darkly funny new novel available in Maine bookstores and on Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and Kindle Unlimited. 

Following the success of his novel “Lobster Trap” — which has reached more than 20,000 readers since its release last March—Wells returns with a story that leans even further into his signature blend of offbeat humor, flawed characters, and high-stakes coastal drama.

At the heart of “Half-Shelled” is Ellie Beal, a Spring Harbor oyster farmer who has survived cheating men, crushing debt, and more hangovers than she cares to admit. But when the State of Maine abruptly shuts down her operation, accusing her of selling oysters “off the grid,” Ellie finds herself in a fight she can’t afford to lose.

What follows is a story laced with sharp, irreverent humor where the absurdity of bureaucracy, small-town politics, corruption, and human weakness collides with deadly stakes. Wells writes with a knowing wit that finds comedy in desperation and resilience, even as the tension escalates.

With its vivid Maine setting, eccentric cast, and a comic sensibility that runs beneath every twist, "Half-Shelled" delivers a story that is both entertaining and edged with something sharper—where humor doesn’t soften the blows so much as make them land harder.

About the Author

C.W. Wells' fiction blends humor, suspense, and coastal intrigue. His work is known for its sharp observational wit, memorable characters, and stories rooted in the rhythms and tensions of New England’s working waterfront. "Half-Shelled" is his fifth novel.