On the first day of December, I’m welcoming back author, Anna Celeste Burke
Life is an extravaganza! Figuring out how to hang tough and make the most of the wild ride is the challenge. On my way to Oahu, to join the rock musician and high school drop-out I had married in Tijuana, I was nabbed as a runaway. Eventually the police let me go, but the rock band broke up. Our next stop: Disney World, where we trained to be chefs. More education landed us in academia at The Ohio State University. For decades I researched, wrote, and spoke about a number of gloriously nerdy topics. Retired now, I’m still married to the same, sweet, guy and live with him near Palm Springs, California. I write mysteries set in sunny California! The Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery series set here in the Coachella Valley and the Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery Series set in California’s Central Coast. Coming Soon: The Misadventures of Betsy Stark, also set in and around Palm Springs.
Cowabunga Christmas
“Are you telling us we’ve got 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 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.
Here is an excerpt:
“I thought it might interest you to know that the guy we found in the pool was probably dead before he hit the water. He had been beaten to a pulp, and there were also a couple bullet holes in the Santa suit he had on. We won’t know cause of death for sure until the autopsy is complete, but the coroner’s almost certain the gunshots did it.”
“Are you telling us we’ve got a dead Santa on our hands?” I asked, in utter disbelief.
“Who would want to kill Santa?” Brien added, with an incredulous tone in his voice.
“Hold on, hold on. You have told him there’s not really a Santa, right?” I did not hide the rolling of my eyes this time.
“That’s not what he means, Detective. Who would want to kill this Santa—or any guy in a Santa suit for that matter? Have you and your crack team made the rounds, banging on doors to rooms above that pool? Besides ours, I mean—even though our room isn’t even directly over the pool. Whoever beat up Santa and shot him must have shoved him off one of them once Santa was dead, or nearly dead…whatever.”
“I agree with Kim, Detective. I bet that’s where you’ll find the crime scene you’ve been searching for—one of the rooms directly above the pool.” Brien was almost officious in addressing the detective, nodding his head up and down—a man in the know.
“Thanks for telling me how to do my job. We’re doing exactly that. We haven’t quite worked out the physics surrounding how far he fell given the shape his body was in, or which of the rooms would have provided the right launch trajectory. In the meantime, we’ve stopped maid service and we’re working our way through the rooms, floor by floor. By the way, I did catch that bit about ‘we’ve got a dead Santa on our hands,’ Ms. Reed-Williams. There’s no ‘we’ about this—I’ve got a dead Santa on my hands and I… ” he suddenly realized how ridiculous that sounded. I cut him off.
My ✰✰✰✰✰ Review
Surf’s Up!
All newlyweds, Kim and Brien Williams, want is a relaxing honeymoon at their glamorous 5-star hotel, and to get in some great surfing But life has other plans for the young couple. They soon find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation when circumstantial evidence links them to a man dressed as Santa, who is found dead in the hotel swimming pool.
Likable characters, fast-paced writing, and an interesting story make this book a delight to read. Well done Ms. Burke.
Join Anna Celeste Burke at…
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/aburke59
FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/annacelesteburke
WEBSITE: http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com/
BLOG PAGE: http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com/#!blog/c1dh1
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7553558.Anna_Celeste_Burke
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00H8J4IQS
Book Links:
Cowabunga Christmas! Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery 1 @ http://smarturl.it/cove1
Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery Series, Books 1-3 @ http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Huntington-Desert-Cities-Mystery/dp/B00YIY37ZY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1448586983&sr=8-2&keywords=Jessica+Huntington
Love a Foot Above the Ground, Prequel to Jessica Huntington Series @ http://smarturl.it/loveabove
We’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to leave a comment. And when you do, you’ll automatically be entered to win a copy of Cowabunga Christmas to get you into the holiday spirit.
Anna, so fab reading your bio and extract. My sort of gal and story. We have lots in common – Los Angeles, Palm Springs – not to mention marriage to a rocker. I am still married many years after too. I’ve lived in LA, Burbank, Pasadena and Sierra Madre, and Big Bear Lake, and so I will know your locations I am sure – have toured the USA many times too. Oh and I write crime too, some set in LA and some in the UK. So cool. 🙂 Loved your writing here. Investigating further. Good luck. 🙂
Sounds like a book I’d really enjoy. Unfortunately, I’ve had some of life’s dramas, and I’m also in the middle of getting ready to move to another state. When things settle down, I’ll be looking for your book.