“Are you telling me we have a dead Santa on our hands?”
It’s a Cowabunga Christmas in Corsario Cove for newlyweds, Kim and Brien. Surf’s up at the exclusive resort they’ve chosen as their honeymoon destination. The Sanctuary Resort and Spa at Corsario Cove has everything: a spectacular location with scenic views of the Pacific Ocean, luxurious accommodations, 5-star cuisine, spa services, and a … and a staff that aims to anticipate and meet your every need.
A romantic midnight swim in the Club Level terrace pool changes everything when an unexpected guest drops in wearing a Santa Suit with a couple bullet holes in it! Who killed Santa? Kim and Brien are soon swept up in murder and mayhem trying to unravel the mystery.
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Surf’s up, dude! This California girl, who is now living in the midwest and misses the beach, LOVED this book!
Cowabunga Christmas is the first book in the Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery series and I can’t wait to read more! Kim and Brien are newlyweds spending their honeymoon at a posh resort which was a wedding gift from their boss Jessica Huntington. Brien is a typical surfer dude and can’t wait to ride the waves. It’s the holiday season and the resort is filled with Santas to the delight of the guests. When a Santa is found dead in the pool, and it turns out to be murder, Kim and Brien do a little investigating on their own. I loved the setting, the author describes it in a way that allows you to close your eyes and envision it. Descriptive characters and a great mystery made this a book I didn’t want to put down. I happily recommend it!
Cowabunga Christmas is a highly enjoyable cozy mystery. It reminded me of an old-fashioned screwball comedy/mystery movie.. That is a good thing because I love those movies. There were references to Brien and Kim being Moondoggie and Gidget. That certainly fits! Brien isn’t the brightest bulb in the package but he has a good heart and means well. I love how he tried to use big, impressive words and always chose the wrong one. Kim is definitely brighter than Brien. The way she patiently explained to him, or someone else, what he meant was cute. She did it in a loving way and never put him down. Kim and Brien are enjoyable, likable characters. While it was obvious they were “hot” for each other, there is no sex in this story. A big plus in my book.
Kim and Brien wanted to have a Cowabunga Christmas(super memorable) and they definitely got their wish. I can’t wait to read Gnarly New Year-the next book in the series. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a huge dose of humor, you definitely need to read this book.
Cowabunga Christmas is the first book in Anna Celeste Burke’s Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery series and is a fun read. This is a well thought out and interesting mystery, with a good story line and excellent character development. The writing style flows smoothly, the book is a quick, easy read, and it is a clean cozy mystery with humor and no gratuitous sex, violence, or foul language. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted cozy mystery.
It’s Christmas time and Kim Reed (an intelligent street-smart girl and legal assistant) and Brien Williams (a pool boy turned security guard) are young newlyweds who, thanks to their friend, Jessica Huntington, are honeymooning in a luxury suite at the Sanctuary Resort and Spa in Corsario Cove in Southern California. Kim’s had a rough life, but thanks to Jessica and Brien, is getting a second chance. Kim and Brien are so different that the old adage “opposites attract” proves to be true. Early Christmas Eve morning, Kim is woke up by pounding on their door (Brien sleeps right through all the noise) and then their phone starts ringing. When Brien finally wakes up and they open the door, in walks Detective Mitchum and hotel security. With no explanation given, a couple of guys wearing disposable gloves enter their bedroom and start taking pictures and collecting evidence. Detective Mitchum finally tells them that a dead body was found floating in the resort’s pool and a Champaign bottle (same as the one in their room) and a single flute (like the only one in their room) were found at the scene. Kim and Brien admit they snuck into the pool area after hours, thought they were going to be caught when they heard footsteps coming their way, and rushed to their room. The victim, Owen Taylor, who was wearing a Santa suit had been beaten and shot twice and was probably dead before his body ended up in the pool. Brien loves to surf and Kim is a beginner, so they went to check out the waves in the cove early Christmas morning, where they meet Mick, Willow, and several other surfers. Kim and Brien belong to a group of snoops, known as the Cat Pack, so they are not strangers to murder and mayhem and can’t resist doing a little snooping and investigating of their own.
This was a silly and immature cozy mystery. The mystery was okay, but having to wade through the insipid conversations took away from any positive aspects to the story.
Sorry, couldn’t get into the story because I couldn’t get into the characters. Guess the style in which the story is written in just is not for me. I couldn’t get past the 4th chapter, and forced myself to do that.