My name is Giovanna Rogers, and I’m the manager of Leisure Dreams – Galapagos, the newest hotel in the international luxury resort chain. This is a dream job in a dream location, overlooking Academy Bay and the town of Puerto Ayora on the island of Santa Cruz. About 97% of the Galapagos Islands are part of a national park, and much of the wildlife here can be found nowhere else. To be sure, there have been many hoops to jump through to comply with environmental regulations, but we’re now ready for our grand opening. Everything has to go perfectly, because I have a lot to prove.

After the bankruptcy of my nonprofit clinic back in the States, for which my ex-fiancé blamed me, I’m lucky for the opportunity to restart my corporate career. My grandmother and I met the Leisure Dreams CEO and his family on a Galapagos cruise last year, and he offered me this position. Although I impressed him with my business acumen, his offer might have also had something to do with what happened to me here while the hotel was still under construction. But I try not to dwell on that horror.

The resort looks beautiful, and the staff is in place. I couldn’t be prouder. My assistant, Belinda Chavez, has been staying here all week, helping me prepare for Friday night’s festivities. She insists that I take today off and go hiking with that hot police detective, Victor Zuniga. Ours is a new relationship, and I’m excited about where it might lead. Belinda also hopes to prove that she can handle things in my absence. I know she wanted the manager job and resents that it was given to an American expatriate instead. Nevertheless, she’s a loyal employee who would never do anything to undermine me.

She’s probably right that a day off communing with nature and romancing with a hot guy will recharge my batteries. I’ll need all that energy tomorrow when the CEO and his family arrive, along with other Leisure Dreams executives, the American ambassador, and various Ecuadorian dignitaries from the mainland. My grandmother, Michelle DePalma, and her husband, Roberto, will also be here for the opening, and it will be great to see them again.

Claire Costello, a famous American documentary producer, is flying in later today; she and her crew will use the hotel as a base while they shoot a nature documentary in the Galapagos. They, too, will attend the grand opening festivities. I’ve arranged for the staff to roll out the red-carpet treatment for this VIP guest: the best suite, extra amenities, and a bottle of our finest champagne, compliments of the CEO. Belinda said not to worry; she will handle it personally.

Murder at Leisure Dreams: Galapagos – A Giovanna Rogers Mystery, Book 2
Genre: Traditional Mystery
Release: June 2025
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

Giovanna Rogers restarts her career as expatriate manager of the new Leisure Dreams resort hotel on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos. Due to her youth and limited proficiency in Spanish, she struggles to gain the respect of her staff and the company’s executives. She has to prove to them that she got the job because of merit, not because the CEO is a family friend. And prove to herself that she can overcome a past business failure and make the hotel a success.

When the story opens, Giovanna and her staff prepare for the hotel’s grand opening. Friends, family, and corporate bigwigs fly in for the event. Renowned documentary producer Claire Costello and her film crew have arrived; Giovanna has the staff send a bottle of champagne to Claire’s room to welcome the VIP guest. The next morning, Claire is found dead in her bed; the cause of death is apparent poisoning. Now Giovanna must work with her boyfriend, local police detective Victor Zuniga, to solve the case while juggling the details of the grand opening and controlling the narrative around the mysterious demise of a VIP guest on the property.

Complications in her relationship arise when Giovanna’s ex-boyfriend decides to join her family to attend the grand opening. Her best friend and several of her employees have a history with Claire. And Claire’s team is somewhat dysfunctional, keeping secrets and telling contradictory stories. Despite Giovanna’s efforts to maintain normalcy and apprehend the culprit, things continue to worsen.

About the author
Sharon Marchisello is the author of the Giovanna Rogers mysteries from Milford House, the fiction imprint of Sunbury Press, and the DeeLo Myer cat rescue mysteries from Level Best Books. She has also written a nonfiction book, travel articles, a blog, book reviews, and short stories. She earned a Master’s in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California and is active in Sisters in Crime, the Atlanta Writers Club, and the Hometown Novel Writers Association. Sharon lives in Peachtree City, GA, and does volunteer work for the Fayette Humane Society.