Clues in the Sand: A Seaside Cove Bed and Breakfast Mystery

Welcome!  Plain Confession by Emma Miller along with The Bengal Identity by Eileen Watkins and A Mother's Gift by Charlotte Hubbard will be out on March 27.  I am featuring Terry Ambrose today.  Readers can follow him on Amazon, Facebook, and Bookbub.

Clues in the Sand by Terry Ambrose is the second A Seaside Cove Bed and Breakfast Mystery.  Rick Atwood owns the Seaside Cove Bed and Breakfast which he runs with the assistance of his ten-year-old daughter, Alex and Marquetta Weiss, who cooks delectable delights for the guests.  A body has been found on the beach clutching a pottery shard.  Could the piece of pottery belong to the sunken treasure ship that treasure hunters are trying to locate?  Flynn O’Connor is an archaeologist who has been looking for the San Manuel, and she is at the top of the police’s suspect list.  The San Manuel is a Manila galleon that sunk off the coast in the sixteenth century and has brought a flood of tourists to Seaside Cove.  Flynn, though, is not the only person trying to locate the lost ship.  Deputy Adam Cunningham could use Rick’s assistance on the case, but Mayor Carter is adamant that the deputy not use Rick’s services.  Rick believes there is something fishy going on, but he is trying to not get involved.  Alex enjoyed solving the last case with her father and wants him to get investigate the murder to prove Flynn’s innocence (and so she can get involved too). Rick just wants to keep his daughter safe, but the fates are working against him.  The mayor goes one step too far and Rick dives into murder investigation.  Who killed the woman on the beach?  Does the murder have anything to do with the sunken ship?  Join in the fun with Rick and Alex in Clues in the Sand.

I was drawn into Clues in the Sand right away.  Terry Ambrose has a lovely writing style.  It has an ease to it.  The story has good pacing as well.  There are some great characters in this book.  Alex is adorable.  I love her inquisitive nature, intelligence and her adventures spirit.  Marquetta Weiss provides a counterbalance to the story.  She is the calming influence as well as romantic interest for Rick and mother figure for Alex.  I appreciate that the author is not rushing the romance between Rick and Marquetta.  There are some great cozy moments in the book.  I especially enjoy Alex’s interactions with Marquetta.  The mystery is intriguing (who doesn’t love a sunken ship with the possibility of treasure).  There are some good clues to aid readers in identifying the guilty party and just the right number of suspects.  While Clues in the Sand is the second book in the series, it can be read without having picked up A Treasure to Die For.  My rating for Clues in the Sand is 4 out of 5 stars.  A Seaside Cove Bed and Breakfast Mystery series reminds me of the cozy mystery series I get (and love) from Annie’s Attic Fiction and Guideposts.  Clues in the Sand has the right combination of characters, setting, writing and plot that make for a charming cozy mystery.  Clues in the Sand is available through Kindle Unlimited.

Thank you for stopping by today.  I will be sharing my review of Dead Calm by Annelise Ryan tomorrow.  May you have a drama free day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris
The Avid Reader