Murder at Sea of Passenger X Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #5 (Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery Series)

by Anna Celeste Burke

  “Justice won't bring Jake Nugent or Abby Kinkaid back," I huffed. "It won't undo the stress passengers experienced even though Max will try to make it up to them with credits toward another cruise."

  "Most of the passengers will have their missing jewelry returned to them. And, thanks to another misstep by Tina who imagined she could implicate Gerard by stealing your necklace and planting it on him, you have it back.”

  “I’m just glad that agent Jennings didn’t try to take it into evidence. I might have had to tangle with the law to keep it. I know it’s just a thing, Jack, but it’s a symbol of the beauty we found even while we were up to our eyeballs in all that sludge.”

  “That sludge is all but forgotten already, my love. All that I remember is the light in your eyes as you held me in your arms and we gazed at the open sea.” Jack added a tinge of Irish brogue as he spoke those words.

  “Aw, you do have the gift of gab, husband, and a way of making me feel light as a feather. All my troubles vanquished, I feel like I could dance through life with you at my side."

  "You don't need me to make you dance. Although, you weren't so light on your feet when you sent that chair sailing into Maggie and nearly knocked her down."

  "To be precise, I was ‘off’ my feet, not on them. Maggie was getting ready to put Mad Max down like a dog. I had to stop her!"

  "Lucky for Max you did that. I won't soon forget the light in his eyes, either. Mad Dog Max, I say." Jack snarled and woofed. He looked so ridiculous that I hooted with laughter.

  Miles bellowed from under the seat in front of us. That container muted his call but not by much. The passengers around us stirred.

  "Shh, it's okay Miles," I said. "It truly is okay, isn't it?"

  "More than okay and this adventure has only just begun." Jack brushed my cheek with a kiss, and then leaned back, pulling the Panama hat he wore down over his eyes. "You gotta grab your forty winks when you can," he reminded me.

  I marveled at how Jack helped me find these tiny islands of tranquility even when my angst-prone nature pushed me toward despair. Is that what love is—a string of small transcendent moments bound together by the ups and downs of ordinary life? If so, I’ll take it.

  --THE END—

  Thanks for reading Murder at Sea of Passenger X, Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #5.

  I hope you enjoyed Georgie’s latest mystery! Please, please, please leave a review on Amazon & Goodreads. Thanks a bunch. Don’t miss the recipes. Some of Georgie’s favorite recipes from the story are included below. YUM!

  I also hope you’ve read Georgie Shaw’s other cozy mysteries Murder at Catmmando Mountain http://smarturl.it/georgie1, Love Notes in the Key of Sea http://mybook.to/lovenotes, All Hallows’ Eve Heist http://mybook.to/halloeve, and A Merry Christmas Wedding Mystery http://mybook.to/cozywed.

  A new Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery will be out later in 2017! Until then, why not try a most excellent cozy mystery adventure with honeymoon sleuths, Kim and Brien, in Corsario Cove? Here’s chapter one from Cowabunga Christmas, Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery #1. Enjoy!

  Cowabunga Christmas Excerpt: 1 SURF’S UP

  The sound of pounding surf woke me at the crack of dawn. Why not? We had left the doors to the veranda open. We felt safe in our suite up on the sixth floor and the sound of the waves was pleasant last night. That wasn’t all that was pleasant, I thought as I slipped out of the oversized bed. That bed was a dream, decked out in soft, silky sheets and a plush comforter in creamy colors mirroring the sea, sand and sun. I grabbed a waffle weave spa robe I had tossed casually on a chair near the bed when we returned from a midnight dip in the hotel pool.

  The gated area for club members had been locked at 10:00 p.m., but no matter. Brien climbed over the fence and then opened the gate from the inside, bowing gallantly as I entered carrying champagne and crystal flutes. The gesture was sweet—a side of Brien that made it almost impossible not to love the guy. Of course, he had just violated several resort rules and probably a law or two. He ought to know, given he’s licensed in security and has his ‘guard card’ as the State of California calls it.

  As I slipped the robe on, I padded in my bare feet out onto the lavish balcony that spanned the length of our two-room suite. The sunrise was glorious; molten colors spilling over the rolling waves. The air was cool, as it usually is this time of year on California’s Central Coast. I felt warmth creep over me as I tightened the belt on the robe and sank down on a comfy chaise.

  My robe had not been tossed casually, but frantically as Brien and I lunged at each other the moment we returned to our room after sneaking that swim. We were giggling and out of breath when we burst into our suite and shut the door behind us. Our leisurely moonlit soak had come to an abrupt ending as we ran for it before hotel security could catch us. The entire evening had been like that—bouncing wildly between deliriously romantic and breathlessly sexy; moonlight and surf vying to set the mood.

  Not that unusual, I suppose, for a honeymoon. I looked at the rings on my left hand, almost in disbelief. What had I—what had we—done? Me, Kim Reed a married woman—Kim Reed-Williams if I went along with Brien’s idea to add the hyphen. A little over a year ago, if asked, I would have described myself as a down-and-out loner. Worse, I had been swimming for my life in murky, shark-infested waters. That all changed when murder and mayhem put the celebrated music producer I worked for in prison. When he had found me on the street years before, I was grateful—that was before I knew what it meant to be ‘discovered’ by the Mr. P.

  What I’m grateful for, now, is the chance for a do-over. A fresh start, thanks to my new boss and BFF, Jessica Huntington. Brien owes her a lot, too. That included this deluxe honeymoon. Neither of us could have afforded anything close to a real honeymoon after paying for our small, Christmastime wedding. Jessica Huntington—as in the Huntington Beach Huntingtons—would gladly have paid for the wedding too.

  One of the things I got back, though, when I was liberated from my indentured servitude to a scum bucket, was my pride. So, I set limits on Jessica’s largesse even though that’s not always easy to do. She’s sneaky generous and her lawyer skills give her great persuasive power.

  “Yo, Kim, where are you?” my sleepy guy called out from bed. His voice grew louder as he got up and walked closer. “Oh, wow, there you are!”

  I looked up to see the buff, blond beach-boy I had married, standing there wearing a grin and a towel. The man is built that’s for sure. To be honest, physical attraction accounted for a lot of my initial interest in him.

  My attraction had been offset by what I took for immaturity and a lack of smarts. Lots of people see Brien that way. Perhaps it’s all that unbridled brawn. I did say he’s built! Or it could be the surfer-dude-what-me-worry persona he often hides behind. I was wrong and so are they.

  The real Brien, the man I married, is a sweet, guileless guy. A little immature, true, but what 25-year-old man isn’t? It could be my California dude is too laid back for most people. Or possibly there’s something odd going on in the frontal lobe—a missing filter or switch that should keep him tuned in better to the world around him. Who knows, who cares?

  As it turns out, dumb he is not, and he’s a hard worker once he makes a commitment. Like working out the disciplined way he does to keep that body of his in such ‘righteous’ shape, as he would say. There is a simplicity about him that I find appealing. I’m quite sure he’d be content to live in a shack on the beach; workout, surf, listen to music, take in the sunsets with a ‘brewski,’ and eat, of course. My surfer boy can put it away.

  Now, I’d have to add ‘hanging with me’ to that list of the things that make the light shine in Brien’s eyes. Still, a lot comes out of his mouth that he should think about first, or keep to himself altogether. I like him that way—I never need to worry about what he’s really thinking. I always know where I stand. At least after I sort out what he means given that he’s prone to malapropisms and uses tons of surfer lingo.

  Me, I
’m not nearly so verbose and can go for long stretches without saying a word. Talk about yin and yang. I’m darkly moody, he’s pathologically optimistic and upbeat. I don’t trust anyone, he trusts everyone. He’s blond and has brown eyes with specks of gold in them. In contrast, my hair is black and my eyes are dark. He’s big—not all that tall at about 5’8”, but muscled. Me, I’m petite. The differences go on and on. Opposites do attract, so they say.

  “Morning, Dude.”

  “Morning, Gidget,” he said, holding onto the smile, but dropping the towel. Sometimes our moods do match, I thought as I let him pull me up out of the lounge chair and into his arms. I laughed as he swept me off the floor and carried me back to bed. Who knew what surprises the rest of our day would bring?

  ~~~~~

  Read the rest of Cowabunga Christmas! Amazon @ http://smarturl.it/cove1

  Gnarly New Year! is out now, too! http://smarturl.it/cove2

  RECIPES

  Rumaki

  24 pieces

  INGREDIENTS

  1/4 pound chicken livers, trimmed and rinsed

  1/4 cup soy sauce

  1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger

  2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

  1 clove fresh garlic

  12 canned water chestnuts, drained and halved horizontally

  8 bacon slices (1/2 pound), cut crosswise into thirds

  24 wooden toothpicks

  PREPARATION

  1) Cut chicken livers into 24 (roughly 1/2-inch) pieces. Chop garlic fine. Stir together soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and brown sugar. Add livers and water chestnuts and toss to coat. Marinate, covered and chilled, at least 1 hour.

  2) While livers marinate, soak toothpicks in water 1 hour. Drain well.

  3) Preheat broiler.

  4) Remove livers and chestnuts from marinade and discard marinade. Place 1 piece of bacon on a work surface and put 1 piece of liver and 1 chestnut in center. Wrap bacon around a piece of chicken liver and a chunk of chestnut and secure with a toothpick. Place each rumaki on the rack of a broiler pan.

  5) Place about 2 inches from the broiler, turning once, until bacon is crisp and livers are cooked but still slightly pink inside (unwrap 1 to check for doneness), 5 to 6 minutes. Serve immediately.

  Georgie’s Tips

  Rumaki is one of many “pupus”—bite size appetizers—you’ll find at Polynesian or Asian restaurants. Pupu platters popped up at tiki-inspired restaurants during the 50s and 60s. You can still find them at many Asian restaurants. If you’re planning a backyard or beachside luau, you’ll need lots of these little goodies to feed the family and friends who gather.

  Luaus don’t seem to have originated in Tahiti or the other Society Islands, but in Hawaii. They’re found pretty much everywhere in the islands, now, and no ship in Max Marley’s fleet that cruises to the South Seas would be without one. Let the feasting begin!

  The classic version of rumaki is made with chicken livers. It’s the way I first learned to prepare it. Since then, though, I have created rumaki using other delicious tidbits wrapped in bacon alone or in combination. Just leave out the chicken livers and prepare it with the water chestnuts or substitute 24 chunks of fresh pineapple or pitted dates for the chicken livers. The marinade in this recipe gives whatever you wrap in bacon a hint of the exotic, so don’t skip it. Try shrimp or scallops, chunks of chicken breast, beef tenderloin, or duck breast instead of the chicken livers. Serve with a small side of Chinese hot mustard, Japanese wasabi, Sriracha, Sambal, sweet chili sauce or your favorite condiment.

  Sweet Teriyaki Beef Kabobs

  36 pieces

  INGREDIENTS

  2 pounds beef tenderloin or any lean tender beef cut into 1-inch cubes

  1 (16 ounce) can cut pineapple (reserve juice)

  1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

  1/4 cup brown sugar

  1 garlic cloves, minced

  2 scallions, minced

  2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced

  1/2 cup soy sauce

  1 cup reserved pineapple juice

  2 teaspoon cornstarch

  1/4 teaspoon pepper

  PREPARATION

  1) Whisk together the brown sugar, garlic, green onion, ginger, soy sauce and 3/4 of the reserved pineapple juice.

  2) Toss beef in 2/3 of the mixture and marinate overnight.

  3) Place remaining mixture in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat.

  4) Mix remaining 1/4 cup reserved pineapple juice with cornstarch and pepper, then add to the simmering sauce.

  5) Reduce to low heat and whisk. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

  Strain and reserve. Chill to store, then reheat when ready to serve.

  6) Preheat grill or broiler.

  7) Remove beef from marinade and drain well.

  8) Soak short 4 or 6-inch bamboo skewers in water for 1 hour.

  9) Put 1 beef tenderloin cube and 1 pineapple chunk onto each bamboo skewer.

  10) Grill or broil beef skewers about 5 minutes on each side until beef is cooked.

  11) Top with additional sauce and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

  Georgie’s Tips

  Teriyaki anything is good, but teriyaki beef is another classic. Don’t overcook this dish so that the beef remains tender. The enzymes in the pineapple juice are good to include in a meat marinade because help tenderize the meat.

  The teriyaki marinade when combined with cornstarch will thicken it into a sauce. How thick or thin depends on how much of the cornstarch you add.

  Try marinating shrimp, chicken, vegetables, or just plain pineapple instead of beef, putting them on skewers under the broiler or on a grill. For your friends who don’t eat meat, use cubes of extra-firm tofu instead of beef and make them super happy. On other occasions, you can also use this sauce to create a teriyaki inspired stir fry—adding that pineapple juice & cornstarch at the very end.

  Shrimp Toast

  40 pieces

  INGREDIENTS

  1/2 lb shrimp, peeled & deveined

  3 tablespoon water chestnuts

  1 teaspoon minced ginger root

  1 clove garlic

  1 teaspoon sesame oil

  1 teaspoon cooking sherry

  2 teaspoon soy sauce

  1 tablespoon slightly beaten egg

  1 teaspoon cornstarch

  2 scallions finely chopped

  1/2 cup sesame seeds

  10 slices white bread

  24 oz peanut oil or EVO for frying

  Preparation

  1) Cut the crusts off the slices of bread and set out for a few hours to dry out.

  2) Pulse shrimp, garlic, water chestnuts, ginger, sesame oil, sherry, soy sauce and egg to a coarse puree.

  3) Stir together with cornstarch, scallions and 1/4 teaspoon salt. [Reserve a tablespoon of scallions for garnish]

  4) Spread the mixture on the bread and cut each slice into quarters—half squares and half triangles.

  5) Pour the sesame seeds on a plate and take one of the quarters and press into the seeds, shrimp paste side down.

  6) Repeat for half the squares and half of the triangles, and leave the rest plain.

  7) Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until ready to fry.

  8) Heat 1-inch depth of oil to very hot, but not smoking. A few bread crumbs dropped in should sizzle right away.

  9) Fry the quarters a few at a time by lowering them paste side down into the oil with a slotted spoon for about 1 minute.

  10) Flip them over and fry a few more seconds.

  11) Drain on paper towels. Garnish with 1T of scallions.

  Georgie’s Tips

  This is another classic pupu. The oil needs to be hot but you don’t want it to burn and smoke—use the sizzle test as directed above. These crispy, savory bites are best served immediately, but you may fry them ahead of time and reheat 5 minutes in a 300° F oven, or keep them for a few minutes in a warming oven. They also may be frozen then heated in 325° F oven
for 15 minutes.

  Pork & Mango Skewers

  Makes 40 pieces

  INGREDIENTS

  3/4 cup Hoisin Sauce

  3 tablespoon soy sauce

  1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

  1/4 cup olive oil

  1 tablespoon ginger, minced

  2 pounds pork, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

  3 mangoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

  PREPARATION

  1) Whisk together all ingredients except pork and mangoes.

  2) Add pork and mango cubes and marinate overnight, stirring occasionally.

  3) Prepare a grill or broiler.

  4) Soak 40 short 4 or 6-inch wood skewers in water for 1 hour.

  5) Put 2 pork cubes and 1 mango cube on each skewer.

  6) Grill or broil for 7 to 8 minutes, turning once.

  Georgie’s Tips

  This is a simple and delicious recipe. Chicken, shrimp, tofu, or beef works well, too, for these mini-kabobs if you don’t eat pork. Hoisin sauce is widely available in the Asian food aisle at your grocery. It works well as a substitute for barbeque sauce on just about anything you grill. Just terrific for stir fry dishes, so keep it on hand.

  Spicy Coconut Pineapple Shrimp Skewers

  30-40 pieces

  INGREDIENTS

  1/2 cup light coconut milk

  4 teaspoons Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce [use less if your choice is a very hot, hot sauce!]

  2 teaspoons soy sauce

  1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

  1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 2 large limes)