A Killer On Christmas Cay: A Cozy Crime Beach Mystery

Bruce Hammack

Jun 2024 · Smiley and McBlythe Mystery Book 12 · Bruce Hammack

About this ebook

Sun, sand… and deadly secrets.

 

Blind private investigator Steve Smiley is pulled into another case when his partner's father suspects an employee has been selling company secrets and hires Smiley to sniff out the mole. But after an employee is left beaten and comatose, it becomes clear there's more at stake than just corporate sabotage.

To smoke out the culprit, Smiley and his partner hatch an elaborate plan - gather the suspects on a private Caribbean island under the guise of an elite leadership retreat. But when the assault victim suddenly dies, they realize a cold-blooded killer lurks among the participants.

As the weeklong leadership gauntlet of grueling mental and physical challenges ramps up, nerves fray and resentments boil over. The stakes escalate when two of the suspects are targeted by an unidentified assailant. Now it's a race for Smiley to solve the mysteries and unmask a killer before more blood is spilled on the sand.

Ratings and reviews

This book continues the mystery series of Smiley and McBlythe. It’s best read as a sequel to the earlier books in this series. The author has a talent for writing third person dialogue and this book is no exception. In this episode, the story is completely driven by the conversations of the characters. Only brief informative locality descriptions are incorporated. The characters are unique and complex, with good and bad aspects to their personalities and backgrounds.

Treason in the board room! Someone is stealing corporate secrets from Heather's father. He asks Heather and Steve to investigate, and they devise an ingenious plan to expose the thief. Does the assault on one of her father's employees tie in with the theft? That question and more are answered in the team-building adventure from hell that they planned for the suspects. This is a well-written mystery with fun clues to unravel. The employees were an interesting cross-section of personalities.

A Murder Christmas Cay, #12 - Not much humor but plenty of romance from an unlikely duo mixed with good characters, well written story lines and a couple of twists made for another hard to put down read. Entertaining and interesting with a bit of intrigue. Source:BookSirens. 5* The Smiley and McBlythe Mystery Series: A Question of Murder - This short story steps back in time when Vega becomes Smiley's partner. Smiley invests in Leo and his training in an interesting form of training. I had this

About the author

Bruce Hammack, a native Texan, began his professional writing career in the tenth grade when the local Lions Club sponsored a writing contest for students in civics class. To the amazement of students and teachers alike, he won the prize of a twenty-five-dollar savings bond.

After retiring from a career in criminal justice, Bruce picked up the proverbial pen again. He now draws on his extensive background with law enforcement (and criminals) to write contemporary, clean read detective and crime mysteries.

Bruce has lived in a total of eighteen cities around the country and the world, but now calls the Texas hill country home with his wife of thirty-plus years. When not writing, he enjoys reading a classic mystery, watching whodunits, and travel.

Learn more at brucehammack.com.