Rolando had been a bartender for twelve years, and he’d never seen a more miserable looking group of tourists visit the Thousand Coconuts Caribbean Resort. “Come on ladies, it’s just a little rain,” he said to the eight women huddled under the roof of his beachside tiki bar. “This can’t be your worst beach trip ever.”

Robin Weiss shook her head at that statement, her brown hair flowing in waves around her shoulders. “I’ve had worse. I was at Lake Michigan once for my sister’s beachside wedding. She wanted everything to be perfect, more for our mom’s sake than for her own. So, a wedding at the beach seems like a dream come true, right? Not so much. So many things went wrong that by the end, I was ready to kill someone.”

Rolando raised an eyebrow. “The beach doesn’t usually cause such violent urges.”

Allie Larkin, a redhead with a ballerina’s figure and grace, spoke up. “Oh, violence has definitely happened in the beachfront town where I live. One time, right before the Mystic Bay Triathlon, there was an attempted murder, on top of jewelry theft. It’s crazy to think, since Mystic Bay is such a quiet New England village. Actually, since I’ve been on a medical break from dancing, there have been all sorts of issues. Maybe it’s not as quiet as I think. . .”

“Well, as they say, still waters run deep.” He turned to Barbara Marr. “Please tell me that your last beach vacation didn’t involve murder.”

Barb moved a strand of curly hair out of her eyes and grimaced. “Ah yes, the ‘M’ word. For me, all I wanted was a nice, relaxing trip to the beach with no kids or pets or a husband to take care of. My friends and I found this awesome deal for a resort in Delray, Florida. I should have known there would be problems when the bartender handed me a drink called Murder on the Beach. Because, well, I find a lot of dead bodies. . .”

Rolando blanched. Who were these women? Concerned now, he turned to Madison Cruz, a brunette with bright green eyes. “I’m sure you have never found a dead body, right? Right?” he squeaked.

“Let’s put it this way. You’re lucky you weren’t with me on that California beach. True, a sexy model from the photo shoot would’ve been all over you, I’ll give you that. But for some reason, everywhere I go, bodies happen.” Madison finished her drink and thumped the glass down. “I need therapy.”

Desperate now to find someone with a happy beach tale, he turned to Jackie Norwood, who looked vaguely familiar, maybe a minor celebrity or something. “You’ve never been involved in murder, have you?”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, Rolando, but I also have experienced that fusion of murder and sand.” She smoothed down the stray blond hairs escaping from her French braid. “This one was on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, and the victim was my co-judge for a food festival. I’d say it was a pity that he died, but only because the festival got cancelled. Still, even though he was a jerk, it was hard finding a body.”

He wasn’t keeping count, but the bodies were stacking up. With only three women left sitting there, certainly one of them had to be unconnected to murder. “And you, Lissa?” He said to the brunette whose ponytail was still wet from the rain. “Have you ever found a dead body?”

Lissa Eller frowned. “I haven’t, but my dog has. I just wanted a break from the family and a beach away from it all with my best friend Abby. Of course, we took my dog Honey with us. She’s a sweet Lab, but she has got to stop finding buried bodies.”

Bodies? thought Rolando. He turned to Lorrie George, a blue-eyed blonde. The picture of innocence. “I’m sure you haven’t experienced anything like this, right?”

“Murder? Been there, someone else done that. I kid you not, my last beach vacation was a free trip to Cabo San Lucas. I’m talking private jet travel, all-expenses paid resort accommodations. So much potential was ruined by murder attempt after murder attempt. Do you know how exhausting that can be? It wore us out. And don’t even get me started on the camels!”

One last woman, Rolando realized. He hoped beyond hope that this one, with a beauty queen countenance, would tell a story that didn’t end badly. “And you, Sabrina? I beg you, please tell me you haven’t found a dead body.”

Sabrina Westfall snorted. “Just one body? Must be nice. At my town’s Summer Crab festival on the eastern shore of Maryland, there were multiple murders. It completely ruined the Miss Crab Pageant. And let me tell you, the killer was a surprise.”

Rolando walked over to the bar phone, dialed his manager, and told her he wasn’t feeling well and would be going home for the rest of the day. Maybe the rest of the week.

We hope that you, unlike Rolando, will enjoy MURDER ON THE BEACH, an anthology of cozy, beachy short stories—perfect for a summer read. It is currently at a pre-order sale price of only .99 and will be published on May 28th.

In order:

A TALE OF TWO SISTERS, Barb Goffman. When Robin’s sister gets married at Lake Michigan, Robin will do whatever it takes to protect Emma’s special day.

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND, Shari Randall, a new short story in the Lobster Shack series. A jewelry theft and attempted murder upset the tranquility of Allie’s quaint New England town.

COAST BUSTERS, Karen Cantwell, another short story in the Barbara Marr series. Barb and her friends figure Florida and a quirky chic resort would be the perfect Mom vacation…until it’s not.

BEACH PARTY BODY, Lucy Carol, a new story from the world of Madison Cruz Mysteries. A photo shoot on the beach should be fun, especially when the surf’s up. But when someone’s wild behavior turns deadly, the party’s over!

FROG DAYS OF SUMMER, Cathy Wiley. Former celebrity chef Jackie Norwood’s attempt to revive her career goes badly when murder interrupts a food festival on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana.

FRUGAL LISSA NEEDS A BREAK, Ritter Ames, the newest short story in the Frugal Lissa series. Life has been anything but a beach lately for Lissa and Abby, so they head to Galveston for a girls’ weekend. All they plan for is sand, sea, and applying sunscreen regularly. Until the dog digs up a dead body.

CABO SAN LOCO, Eleanor Cawood Jones. Lorrie George wants to enjoy a celebratory trip with her friends to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. But the all-expenses-paid, exclusive trip keeps getting ruined by attempts on her friends’ lives.

BAY OF RECKONING, Shawn Reilly Simmons. It’s Sabrina Westfall’s job to ensure that the Miss Crab Pageant, a vital part of the Summer Crab festival on the eastern shore of Maryland, goes well. But what is she supposed to do about the dead bodies?

Murder on the Beach: A Destination Murders Short Story Collection
Genre: Cozy Anthology
Release: May 2021
Purchase Link

If you’re searching for the perfect light and funny Beach Read, what could be better than one that features mysteries actually on the beach?

And with eight funny short stories, you can travel along with our cozy authors to a variety of shores: from the rocky coastlines of New England, to the white stretches of sand on the Atlantic, to the teal and emerald waters of the Gulf Coast, the surfing havens on the Pacific, and even the beaches in between.

So, take a trip with our authors as they show you that sharks aren’t the only danger near the water.

All comments are welcomed.