Treasure Most Deadly by Terry Ambrose has Rick Atwood trying to keep his precocious daughter, Alex busy instead of bothering their one of their guests who is extremely interested in the treasure of San Manuel. Alex manages to sneak out with their guest and catches a man stealing treasure. Unfortunately, the man manages to get away, but he is later found dead with Clive Crabbe bending over his body. Chief Adam Cunningham calls in Rick to consult on the case. There is strong evidence pointing towards Clive as the guilty party, but Rick does not believe he did the deed. Rick and Adam must follow the clues if they are to find the killer. Alex is determined to help even if it gets her grounded again. Can they catch the killer before he sets sail from Seaside Cove?
Treasure Most Deadly by Terry Ambrose is the 5th A Seaside Cove Bed and Breakfast Mystery. I have enjoyed following this series from the
beginning with A Treasure to Die For. If
you are new to the series, you can read Treasure Most Deadly as a standalone
(but why would you want to do that). I
thought this cute cozy mystery was well-written with friendly, developed
characters. Rick Atwood owns the Seaside
Cove Bed and Breakfast in the charming coastal town of Seaside Cove. He has a precocious eleven-year-old daughter,
Alex who is inquisitive and conniving.
Marquetta Weiss is a lovely woman who is Rick’s fiancé. She is warm and wise. Marquetta’s mother, Madeline is a hoot. She is an older version of Alex. Alex and Grandma Madeline are scheming to get
Rick and Marquetta wed as soon as possible.
Their pushiness, though, is not what Marquetta needs. I like newcomer Ms. Kama and I am glad that she
will be sticking around. The mystery is well-plotted. A mystery man is killed after Alex and a
guest spy him stealing treasure. The
treasure has the town inundated with tourists, treasure hunters, and
reporters. That makes it harder for Rick
and Chief Adam Cunningham to search for the killer. There are a couple of good suspects, a red
herring, and subtle clues. I like how it
all came together with a satisfying conclusion.
I liked that the chapters are told from Rick and Alex’s
point-of-view. Alex’s chapters are particularly
entertaining. I laugh often while
reading about her antics and her diary entries. The only negatives are that I
did find the pacing a little slow at times and there was repetition of case
details. I enjoyed the descriptions of
the town, the treasure, and the bed-and-breakfast. The author’s word depictions bring the story
alive for me. Treasure Most Deadly is a
sweet cozy mystery with purloined pirate treasure, roving reporters, a
sabotaged sailboat, nuptial nuisances, and one keen tween.
Kris
The Avid Reader
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Thank you so much for the lovely review, Kris!
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