A sunken Spanish galleon brings eight treasure hunters—and murder—to quaint Seaside Cove.Bandit gold and sunken pirate ships. What could be better for the reputation of a quaint coastal California town like Seaside Cove?Local eyebrows go up when eight friends come searching for a 16th Century Spanish galleon. After all, everybody knows there’s no such thing as Spanish gold off this part of the … this part of the California coast.
The group’s visit turns ugly when a killer strikes and leaves Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast owner Rick Atwood with a trunkful of questions. Who murdered one of his guests? Will his precocious ten-year-old daughter stop interfering in his investigation? And can he squelch the latest town gossip? Which is, of course, can Rick and his daughter do what the cops can’t and solve the crime?
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Let us go on a treasure hunt!!! We are going to
Seaside Cove. This is a quaint town on the
California coast. This is where Rick Atwood is
owner of the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast.
He lives there with his ten year old daughter.
The B&B is full with a peculiar group looking
for lost treasure. None of the group seems to
get along with each other. They each received
any invitation with a piece of a treasure map.
Now they are focused on finding a sunken
16th Century Spanish galleon which in all
probability was never near this part of the
California coast.
Then one of the group is found dead on the
edge of the cliff!!!!! Who is it ??
Which one of the guest is the murderer or is
there a unknown killer loose on the Cove?
Rick is determined to help find the culprit.
The characters along with the small town of
Seaside Cove are very well described, realistic
and artfully created. The town has a quirkiness
that draws you right into the setting. You will
enjoy meeting the town folks.
The story is narrated from several different views.
There is suspense, mystery, secrets, intrigue,
humor, spying, family issues and a hint of a budding
romance.
There is overall good development throughout the
story with smooth, fluent writing sharing plenty of
little details to keep the reader’s attention.
This is the first book in a new cozy series. Looking
forward to the next one.
A highly recommended read!!!
I discovered this book quite by accident, and I’m so glad I did. “A Treasure To Die For” is the first in the charming Seaside Cove Bed and Breakfast series, and the main characters are Rick, a man who’s inherited an oceanfront B and B, and his ten-year-old daughter, Alex. Rick is separated from his wife and attempting to raise his precocious daughter on his own. The current B and B guests are a group of treasure hunters looking for a ship that supposedly went down in the nearby waters. In no time at all, it’s clear that everyone involved in the hunt hates the leader, so when leader is found dead, there’s no shortage of suspects. What I absolutely loved about this book was the fact that it’s told with two voices — Rick’s and Alex’s. Alex confides everything to her journal, and she has quite an active imagination as she decides to “help” her father solve the murder. It’s a very quick read, and bound to bring some smiles from readers — especially from parents — at Alex’s antics. Best of all, there are three other books in the series, and I plan to check out every single one!
Rick Atwood has relocated to Seaside Cove with his ten-year-old daughter, Alex, to run the bed and breakfast he’s inherited from his grandfather. He’s still trying to get completely comfortable running the business when a group of treasure hunters book the place. They think they have a lead on a ship that sunk years before, but Rick notices the group always seems to be fighting. When one of them is found dead on the rocks near the B&B, Rick is asked to use his reporter skills to help the local police. But with everyone in the groups constantly lying, will Rick ever discover the truth?
The book took me a little while to get into. Alex plays a big part in the story, and some of the chapters are even from her point of view. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that or her character at the beginning, but she grew on me. I also had trouble keeping the suspects straight early on since sometimes they were mentioned by first name and other times last name. That, too, became less of an issue as the book progressed. I did like the series regulars, and there are hints at some secrets from the past that I’m curious to learn more about. The main mystery was strong with lots of lies for Rick to look past to find the truth. Being a bed and breakfast, we get a couple of delicious sounding breakfast bread recipes at the end. Hopefully, I can book a return visit to this bed and breakfast soon.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I have to start by commenting on that cover! So beautiful. I would love to escape to that room and place immediately and I may never come back.
Rick Atwood has inherited a Bed & Breakfast in Seaside Cove from his grandfather, Captain Jack. He and his 10-year-old daughter Alex have moved in. They also seem to inherit Marquetta, a young attractive chef, who knows everything about running the B&B. The place is at full capacity as a group of treasure seekers has come to town to search a vessel that is said to have sunk just off the coast. Unfortunately, one of the group is found dead – murdered and now Rick has a house full of suspects and his daughter wants to help solve the case.
This is a unique cozy mystery. Alex is not your typical 10-year-old. That girl is inquisitive and takes nosy to a whole new level. Her father does his best to reel her in and keep her safe but she really knows no bounds. Rick a former investigative reporter steps in to help the young officer in charge of the investigation. He has never had to handle a murder before and the mayor has tied his hands as far as asking for support for another department. He usually spends his time checking water meters and keep the tourists out of trouble. He really needs Rick’s help to find the killer.
The author has taken a unique approach. Marquetta had given a journal to Alex as soon as she arrived. The chapters go back and forth from Rick’s and Alex’s point of views. Alex’s pages usually start with or are just a journal entry. I loved her perspective of what was going on around her. Some of her ideas are pure fantasy and some are right on the nose. Rick has and is going to have his hands full with his daughter now and for many years to come.
The mystery itself had a lot of moving parts, it was fun to follow along with Alex and Rick to get a bird’s eye view of their investigation. It was also interesting to learn the history of these sunken treasures found under the sea and the business thinking behind the groups of treasure hunters.
I was very taken with the characters Mr. Ambrose had introduced. They were believable and so real they jumped right off the pages. The pint-size Nancy Drew, Alex, absolutely stole my heart.
I loved this story! I am excited about this series! A perfect escape, summer read or virtual vacation!