Best Selling Books by Terry Ambrose

Bandit gold and sunken pirate ships. What could be better for the reputation of a quaint coastal town like Seaside Cove? Or a better motive for murder?

Wilson McKenna's newest tenant is hot, gives great hugs, and just saw a dead body being thrown from a plane. McKenna's not one to get involved in other people's problems, especially those of a woman half his age, but before he knows it he's volunteered to find the plane and its owner-and found more trouble than he's ever seen in his life. He's uncovered an island drug ring, pissed off a sociopath, and set himself up as the victim in a beautiful woman's con that could cost him his life. If only trouble didn't have such great legs.

Rick Atwood has a B&B to run, a killer to find, and a precocious daughter who loves sticking her nose where it doesn't belong-especially when there's murder involved.

The theft of a hot new fragrance leads to murder and a tangled web of deceit.

Wilson McKenna has never written a bad check in his life. So how did he end up with $4,000 in returned checks from an island he's never been to? He knows one thing, make that two, the bank wants their money, and he's going to Kauai to track down the crook who's ruining his life. Before you can say "welcome to the island," he's almost arrested for impersonating himself, the woman who trashed his credit turns up dead, and McKenna feels like he's up to his umi'umi' in hot lava. McKenna quickly learns he'd better watch out because some temptations can get you killed.

When Honolulu philanthropist Kenji Ito disappears, his daughter asks former skip tracer McKenna and his PI-wannabe sidekick Chance Logan to find her dad.With McKenna's wedding to Benni Kapono only a week away, he reluctantly agrees to help. The investigation has just begun when Kenji's body is discovered, the victim of murder.Amidst rumors of ruthless business practices, payoffs to government officials, and gang associations, McKenna realizes he's got an even bigger problem. If he doesn't find the killer before the wedding, Benni might become a widow before she's even a bride. Praise for previous Trouble in Paradise mysteriesThe Scent of Waikiki "Mr. Ambrose has written a mystery that goes from simple to complex in the blink of an eye." - Escape With Dollycas Into A Good BookBig Island Blues "Likable characters, witty dialogue, and ample amounts of humor ensure that readers will be captivated by this Hawaiian Getaway of a mystery." - Kings River Life

Secrets can be a deadly affair.Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast owner Rick Atwood isn't surprised his little town is all abuzz. After all, it's not often that a band of treasure hunters sail into town aboard a boat the size of The Treasure King. They've come in search of the San Manuel, a four-hundred-year-old sunken Spanish galleon. It's a find that could be worth millions of dollars.What makes The Treasure King unusual is not only its size, but the captain's boasts about knowing the location of the San Manuel-until someone murders him with a speargun. The cops don't have any easy answers, so they ask Rick to consult in the investigation. Now, Rick is having a strong sense of déjà vu, especially when his eleven-year-old daughter Alex has takes an interest in the case. The last thing he needs is Alex deciding the cops work too slowly and launching her own investigation-again.Rick knows Alex is precocious, fearless, and fueled by a strong sense of girl-power, but he doesn't expect her to ignore his warnings and sneak aboard The Treasure King. Once Alex is aboard, she finds more trouble than she bargained for. The cops accuse her of breaking-and-entering, and Rick must fight to keep her from becoming the town's youngest felon.Caught in the middle of the showdown between her dad and his friend Police Chief Adam Cunningham, Alex spills the beans about her trip aboard The Treasure King. Her information provides a clue that could break the case, but may be too late because the killer has decided to escape and disappear forever along with the location of the San Manuel.

Con artist Roxy Tanner knows the past is never far behind. And when one of her victims returns looking for revenge, she realizes some wounds never heal.

A masked man called the Amorous Assailant has been frustrating police for months. The man binds his victims with red silk, kisses them, and leaves behind a red rose. After three strikes, he's caused little physical harm, but plenty of fear. New PI Jade Cavendish just inherited the Beachtown Detective Agency, and she's not concerned with the Amorous Assailant. She needs a client. Any client.Jade can't believe her luck when Gina Rose, a newly married young heiress, walks in the door. Gina wants to prove her husband, Bert, is defrauding her. Jade starts surveillance on Bert. After three days, the unexpected happens when Jade witnesses the start of the fourth Amorous Assailant attack. Jade chases off the attacker, but not before identifying him as Gina's husband. When the police arrest Bert, Gina posts his bail, but Bert is murdered that same night. The cops focus on Gina, but Jade believes the Amorous Assailant attacks are the key to identifying Bert's killer. Then, Jade uncovers another secret. The Amorous Assailant attacks may have been a smokescreen for something more deadly than anyone ever anticipated.

With $5 million and their lives on the line, can a determined criminologist and a beautiful con artist learn to trust each other? Or themselves? Roxy Tanner lies for a living. Skip Cosgrove uncovers the lies others tell. Together, they have twelve hours to meet a ransom demand or her father will die. When Roxy reveals that she has the money, Skip is sure of one thing: his way-too-attractive client is lying to him. As events unfold, these two loners discover that for those living on the edge, trust is a luxury they can't afford. There's only one thing left for them to do. Never trust a soul...even your own.

Apartment manager and amateur sleuth McKenna wants a break from solving murders. Too bad his best friend, wannabe PI Chance Logan, doesn't feel the same. Chance has found a case he thinks McKenna's going to love-the death of prominent attorney Julian Carr, and the theft of a 125-year-old necklace that's worth a quarter of a million dollars. Before long, McKenna's feeling pressured from all sides-find the necklace, solve the murder. Sure. Why not just add save the world?McKenna's sure something fishy is going on when he and Chance meet with Julian's granddaughter about the case. She's created her own murder board with five suspects. The list includes an unstable, art-collecting veterinarian, a convicted felon, a disbarred attorney, a suspected art thief, and Julian's new business partner. As the investigation ramps up, McKenna and Chance see their leads drying out faster than laundry in the tropical sun. The really bad news is they're not sure they can even find the Eight Islands or solve the murder. For once, McKenna's worried they just might fail.

McKenna flies to the Big Island to help find his best friend's missing niece. No sooner has his search begun than he finds big trouble in paradise. With a killer on the loose and his best friend's very hot sister pressuring him for results, McKenna's got more than trouble, he's got a volcano ready to blow.

With Christmas just a week away, murder strikes in Seaside Cove. The cops don't think sending out ugly Christmas sweaters is a motive for murder, but ten-year-old Alexandra Atwood isn't so sure. The question is, how does she convince them she's right, and they're wrong?

The wedding of Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast owner Rick Atwood and Marquetta Weiss is only days away and the B&B is abuzz with excitement. But the mood changes when Rick's daughter Alex does a little snooping. She overhears Henry Nicholas on his cellphone with his wife, and it's not Tara, the woman who checked in as Mrs. Nicholas. When Alex outs Henry at breakfast, Tara explodes. She demands Henry leave immediately. He checks into the town's motel. But the next morning, Henry is found dead in his room. Rick and Police Chief Adam Cunningham investigate the death, focusing on Tara, who was seen outside the room at the time of the murder. Alex is convinced Tara is innocent and starts investigating. The trail leads her to a rocky bluff over the ocean and a deadly showdown with a sociopath. There, the truth, and Alex's life, hang in the balance.

Con artist Roxy Tanner just walked away with $2.6 million on her latest job, but left behind a dead body. Skip Cosgrove wants to help Roxy find out who killed her mark, but he has his own problems-a man the former criminologist once helped put behind bars is back for revenge. With the cops closing in on Roxy, and a killer on the hunt for Skip, the last thing they need is a gutsy street kid turning their lives upside down-until it happens. Now, all three must decide how far they will go to survive a killer's con game.

The eighth Trouble in Paradise island mystery featuring senior sleuth McKenna and his PI-wannabe sidekick Chance Logan. Whatever happened to easy? McKenna had the perfect cover for his plan to propose marriage. He and his girlfriend Benni would help his elderly tenant, Mrs. Nakamura, fly to Maui for a visit with her pregnant granddaughter. Then, he'd take Benni for a walk on the beach. He had a ring, but did he have the courage to pop the question? The minute they land, McKenna's perfect plan hits a snag. Mrs. Nakamura's grandson-in-law is being accused of murder-and she wants her amateur sleuth landlord to investigate. Reluctantly, McKenna agrees to take the case with his friend Chance. They dive into an investigation that starts in a seedy hospitality club and goes straight downhill. Before they know it, the battle for Maui's water is raging around the amateur sleuths and they have too many questions to answer. Why was the murder victim living under a fake identity? Why is their client claiming he committed the crime? And, who is the mystery man stalking them? On a dusty cane road, McKenna must answer the toughest decision of his life-live rich or die poor? There's no way it's the question he wanted to face, but if McKenna doesn't think fast, he may never ask another.

Seaside Cove amateur sleuths Rick and Alexandra Atwood are back! Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast owner Rick Atwood is again called on to assist his friend, Chief of Police Adam Cunningham, with a murder investigation. The case seems straightforward enough. Clive Crabbe, who has a quick temper and a strong jealous streak, was found hunched over the victim after the man made advances toward Clive's ex-wife. A murder investigation is the last thing Rick wants right now. The B&B is booked solid. The town is inundated with tourists and news reporters chasing stories about treasure thieves. And Rick's wedding to Marquetta Weiss is just weeks away. As if that wasn't enough, Rick's eleven-year-old daughter Alex is not only itching to help the cops solve another murder, but she's forming an unhealthy friendship with a B&B guest. As the murder investigation progresses, Rick realizes Alex's new friend could be at the center of everything. The worst part is that Alex may be the one person capable of cracking the case. If you like funny cozy mystery books, you'll love these other cozies: A Treasure to Die For: "Right smack out of the gate this debut cozy is a winner." - Laura Childs, New York Times Bestselling Author Clues in the Sand: "If you enjoy reading Karen McInerney's Gray Whale Inn Mysteries, you'll love this second installment in the Seaside Cove Mysteries." - Jess Lourey, Agatha, Anthony, and Lefty-nominated author Secrets of the Treasure King: "...filled with small town charm, plot twists, and two amateur sleuths-a true delight for cozy fans!" - Muddy Rose Reviews Why do I write funny cozies (amateur sleuth mysteries)? We have plenty of stress in our lives and I think we all need a chance to unwind. Amateur sleuth mysteries let me help you do that. With a little drama and plenty of chances to laugh, they're akin to those Hallmark movie moments we all love. I hope you'll join me by getting cozy in Seaside Cove-a little town where murder meets the sea.