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The Secret Ingredient to Murder (A Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
8th in Series
Setting – California
Independently Published (March 28, 2024)
Print length : 323 pages
ASIN : B0CT1KVWCR
In Seaside Cove, every truffle has a dark side.
The peaceful paradise of Seaside Cove gets a rude awakening when the home of newcomers Tyler Winkle and his spirited niece, Veronica Campbell, gets turned upside down. The only thing missing? The family’s secret chocolate recipe that Tyler kept in a safe.
When a man who wanted to buy the recipe is murdered, B&B owner Rick Atwood joins forces with the police once again. Rick quickly discovers two disturbing facts. First, the case is as hard to crack as a good truffle. Second, his thirteen-year-old daughter, Alex, has launched a shadow investigation.
Out of desperation to solve the case, Police Chief Adam Cunningham asks Alex to go undercover. But that’s not Rick’s worst fear. He’s also discovered that Veronica and Alex are bonding despite their age difference. Caught between his roles as a father and an investigator, Rick faces a tough decision: put a stop to Alex’s involvement or crack the case.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
We are back in Seaside Cove and the Atwood family has grown to four with the arrival of baby Jack and everyone is over the moon. Seaside Cove also has two other new residents. Tyler Winkle and his niece Veronica Campbell have come to town for a new start. Soon after their arrival, a family legacy, a chocolate recipe that had been in the family for generations, has been stolen. Veronica is beside herself. First, she found out her uncle was trying to sell the recipe and then it was stolen. The recipe was supposed to be hers so she could follow in her now-deceased mother’s footsteps.
Now, the man who wanted to buy the recipe has been murdered, and Police Chief Adam Cunningham needs Rick’s help to solve the case. He surprisingly wants Alex’s help too, because despite the age difference Alex has become friends with Veronica and he hopes she may learn things the police won’t. Alex is thrilled, Rick and Marquetta, not so much. They know when 13 – year-old Alex gets involved in an investigation she doesn’t make the best decisions. Rick knows the best way to minimize Alex’s risk is to solve the case quickly but that isn’t going to be easy.
Mr. Ambrose has created such an endearing cast of characters for this series. The Atwoods and their friends are genuine and caring. It is very easy to get invested in their lives. Rick and Marquetta’s relationship is strong and they have real-life problems. Dealing with a new baby and a teenager like Alex while running their B&B and Rick working with Adam more often than not isn’t easy. They don’t always agree on things, but their love shines throughout the story.
I really enjoy the way we get to know Alex’s thoughts through her diary entries. She is quite a young lady, fearless, especially when trying to help someone. She usually takes the time now to weigh her options but she still puts others first which puts her in some dangerous situations. I admire her courage. In her quest to help people, she also thinks she is a great matchmaker. She did get her dad and Marquetta together 🙂 Now, she believes a guest at the B&B is the perfect match for her teacher. Oh to be thirteen.
The author has put forth a mystery full of twists and turns. It was fun to follow along as Rick, Adam, and Alex worked through each clue to solve this puzzling case. Alex tries so hard to do the right thing. I am surprised Rick doesn’t have a full head of gray hair. The showdown had my heart racing and thankful Alex is not my grandchild. I don’t think my heart could handle all the excitement that comes with the wonderful, curious, courageous child Alex is already.
The Secret Ingredient to Murder was a fantastic read. I escaped right into it and was completely entertained. While this book can be read as a standalone I recommend you read the series in the order they are written to get to know these terrific characters from the beginning.
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
About the Author
Terry Ambrose started out skip-tracing and collecting money from deadbeats and quickly learned that liars come from all walks of life. He never actually stole a car but sometimes hired big guys with tow trucks and a penchant for working in the dark to “help” when negotiations failed.
A resident of Southern California, he loves spending time in Hawaii, especially on the Garden Island of Kauai, where he invents lies for others to read. His years of chasing deadbeats taught him many valuable life lessons such as—always keep your car in the garage.
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Also by Terry Ambrose
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
