Rick Atwood first appeared in A Treasure to Die and one of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Rick.

What is your full name?
My name is Richard J. Atwood, but everyone calls me Rick. Except my daughter, of course—she calls me Daddy.

How old are you?
I’m thirty-three, but thanks to my daughter’s interest in solving murders, I’m starting to feel more like I’m sixty-three.

What is your profession?
I own and operate the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast.

Do you have a significant other?
Not yet. I’m in love with the B&B’s cook. It bugs me to be a cliché, but my relationship with her is complicated—and not just because she works for me.

What is their name and profession?
Marquetta Weiss. She’s not only our cook, but helps with almost everything around the B&B. Actually, she’s the one who taught me how to run this place.

Do you have any children?
Alexandra Atwood, age eleven. She’s curious, precocious, and fearless—everything a kid shouldn’t be when you live in a place where people are getting murdered.

Do you have any siblings?
No, I’m an only child.

Are your parents nearby?
No, my parents are both deceased.

Who is your best friend?
Since moving to Seaside Cove, I’ve become good friends with Adam Cunningham. We met while working a murder case. Since then, our friendship has grown and he’s gone on to become Chief of Police.

Do you have any pets?
No. Alex would love a cat, but the B&B has a strict no-pet policy.

What town do you live in?
Seaside Cove. We’re starting to think of it as the place where murder meets the sea.

Would you say you live in a small town or a big city?
Seaside Cove is a small town. The downtown area is about a block long and is composed almost entirely of old Victorian homes. My daughter Alex says the town is totally boring, but an awesome place to live. I can’t quite wrap my head around that combination of descriptions.

Type of dwelling and do you own or rent?
The B&B is in an old Victorian. It’s a magnificent place thanks to a complete remodel done by my grandfather. I inherited it when he passed away.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
My favorite place in the B&B is the kitchen for two reasons. First, that’s where Marquetta spends a lot of time. Second, thanks to Marquetta’s impeccable taste and my grandfather’s remodel, the kitchen is modern, bright, and airy. It also has a view that overlooks the gardens and the shoreline beyond.

Favorite meal and dessert?
Don’t tell Alex, but my favorite meal is the same as hers—Mac n’Cheese. My favorite dessert is anything rich and chocolaty.

Do you have any hobbies?
Before we moved here, I was a reporter. I guess that penchant for writing never left me because one of my hobbies is working on a mystery novel. I’m not very good at it, and I’ve been writing for what feels like forever, but eventually I’ll finish—unless I get sidetracked by more real murders in Seaside Cove.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
Vacation? What’s that? I exchanged one 24/7/365 job for another when we moved to Seaside Cove and I started running the B&B. Come to think of it, I’ve really got another of those jobs, that of a single dad. Marquetta has lightened my burden on that score considerably, which is one reason I’m thinking that if we get married we should go someplace warm for our honeymoon.

What do you know about Hawaii?

What music do you listen to?
I’m a big fan of rock n’roll bands like the Eagles, Bob Seeger, and the Allman Brothers. Marquetta likes country, but she tolerates my taste. I’m still grappling with songs about losing dogs, trucks, and drinking beer. Dogs and trucks, maybe. But, beer? C’mon.

Do you have a favorite book?
I’ve always liked those early Kinsey Millhone books. You know, A is for Alibi. Maybe that’s because they give me hope I’ll someday get enough time to finish my own.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
Spending time with Alex is almost always fun—not when I have to ground her, of course. That’s almost always in response to her breaking the rules to help solve a murder. But, when we can spend time alone or with Marquetta and play one of those silly board games? That’s the best.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
** How I survived a marriage competition and lived to tell about it. **

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
I’m an amateur, but I consult with the police because I had the New York crime beat for a long time. We have a three-man police force, which is currently down one, so I usually work with the Chief of Police. Unfortunately, I also end up trying to keep Alex from interfering in the case. You see, she considers herself a better sleuth than me or the police, an opinion that’s hard to disagree with given her success rate.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
After spending half an hour on the business of running a business, I head downstairs and join Marquetta to prepare for our morning breakfast rush. After the rush, Alex, Marquetta, and I have our own breakfasts and start our daily housekeeping duties. All pretty boring, but Alex and Marquetta make it fun. Oh, and if there’s been a recent murder, I’ll probably get out of the housekeeping tasks to work with the police and, at some point during the day, will most likely ground Alex for sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong.

Secrets of the Treasure King is the fourth book in the “Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast” mystery series, released April 29, 2020.

The Seaside Cove rumor mill is buzzing about the captain of The Treasure King. He claims to know the location of the San Manuel, a four-hundred-year-old sunken Spanish galleon with a cargo worth millions. And now, he’s dead, the victim of a speargun attack.

When the police ask B&B owner Rick Atwood to consult in the investigation, he has mixed feelings. Consulting for the police is not the problem. He’s done it before. The problem is his eleven-year-old daughter, Alex.

Alex is fearless, precocious, and fueled by a strong sense of girl power. She’s also convinced the cops will never find the killer without her help, so she launches her own investigation—and quickly becomes a candidate for Seaside Cove’s youngest felon.

Now, unless Rick can solve the case with the clues Alex found illegally, his daughter might face charges of breaking-and-entering, the treasure of the San Manuel will be lost to pirates, and a killer could get away with murder.

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About the author
Terry Ambrose has written and published fourteen mysteries. His Seaside Cove Mystery series new releases have risen to the Amazon genre Top 100. In 2014, Con Game, Terry’s second thriller in the License to Lie series, received the San Diego Book Awards Best Mystery/Thriller award. Terry also writes the McKenna Trouble in Paradise mysteries and organized an anthology written by bestselling mystery writers to benefit a literacy nonprofit in Hawaii. Visit Terry’s website at terryambrose.com.

All comments are welcomed.