🚢 A festive holiday cruise. A sudden death. A 300-year-old lost treasure.🔍
Retired librarian Molly St. Clair sets out on a Christmas cruise expecting relaxation and holiday celebrations with her close-knit group of friends. Instead, the voyage takes a dark turn when a fellow passenger is found dead under suspicious circumstances.
As Molly and her friends dig deeper, they uncover a connection to the 17th-century Spanish galleon San Cristóbal and a legendary lost treasure protected by a coded message, an intricate maritime chart, and clues hidden in the past. At the center of the mystery is an heirloom pendant given to Molly by her late husband, who had been researching the same historical mystery before his death.
With another group pursuing the treasure—and willing to kill to possess it—Molly must rely on her intelligence, intuition, and the help of her friends to decipher the clues before history repeats itself in deadly fashion.
Yuletide Murder at Sea is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indiebound.
╰┈➤Book Details
❆Title: Yuletide Murder at Sea
❆Author: Sue Stewart
❆Genre: Cozy Murder Mystery
❆Sub-genre: Amateur Sleuth
❆Language:English
❆Pages: 257
❆Paperback ISBN: 979-8996016808
❆Publisher: Waypoint House Publishing
❆Publication Date: August 10, 2026
❆Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yuletide-Murder-Sea-Treasure-Mystery/dp/B0HDQWQGVW
❆Price: Paperback $15.99, Kindle $3.99, FREE with Kindle Unlimited
1715: Aboard the San Cristóbal, Sailing the Caribbean
Salt spray lashed Sebastian St. Clair’s face as he clung to the surging deck, exhaustion deepening with each wave. Blood trickled from a cut above his brow, warm against the chill. He kept his gaze fixed on the roiling darkness ahead, where the ocean heaved with relentless force. This tempest clawed at his spirit—cold dread burrowing deep, every instinct warning of imminent danger.
The San Cristóbal was no ordinary vessel. She carried the spoils of empires: gold and silver taken from distant lands, gems pried from temples and forgotten ruins—wealth meant to reinforce crowns and purchase loyalty. Much of it would be lost before dawn, swallowed by the depths and erased by time.
But not all of it would vanish with the tide. Sebastian had ensured that.
During his voyages aboard the San Cristóbal, he forged a close bond with the island guardians of Isla Verdeña—locals devoted to preserving their cultural heritage rather than serving crowns or chasing treasure. Because he distrusted both his crew and distant authorities, he entrusted a small trove to them, ensuring it would remain safe from careless or greedy hands. He hoped that one day a worthy descendant would follow the clues he had left behind, recover the treasure, and return it to its rightful owners.
The island guardians became vigilant protectors, preserving not only the artifacts but also the stories and knowledge surrounding them, ensuring the St. Clair legacy would endure until someone worthy could uncover the trove and fulfill its purpose.
To guide that future seeker, Sebastian dispersed three carefully chosen clues: a disguised chart, a cipher, and a pendant of deep personal significance.
The pendant’s laurel design symbolized lineage, memory, and quiet strength. He pictured it now—the gentle curve of the filigree, the way it glistened in warm light. As a boy, he had reached for it often, drawn to its warmth against his mother’s chest. She never scolded him. Instead, she covered his hand with hers and told him it carried the weight of their name—not as a burden, but as a promise.
“This pendant is a legacy of our heritage. You must honor it wherever you go,” she had said. The words had stayed with him long after she was gone.
In his final preparations, he hid the last clue within the pendant. It was no longer merely an heirloom—it was the key to everything he had sworn to protect.
As days blurred into nights and the voyage wore on, whispers spread among the crew. Rumors were traded in shadowed corners. Glances lingered too long. Loyalty aboard was fragile.
Realizing the growing risk, he knew he could not keep the clues with him. To do so risked losing them forever—to the sea, to betrayal, or to hands that would never understand their worth.
So, facing these mounting dangers, he made his choice.
He entrusted the chart and cipher to the island guardians. He gave the pendant to his closest friend with instructions to return it to his family in England should the sea claim him. The decision to sever his last tie to a vanished world tore at him, yet beneath it flickered a strange calm—a sense that, at last, he no longer carried the burden alone.
Let it endure, he willed, even if I do not.
– Excerpted from Yuletide Murder at Sea by Sue Stewart, Waypoint House Publishing, 2026. Reprinted with permission.
Sue A. Stewart is the author of several children’s books. These include the Otto’s Epic Adventure series, Bannie Bear Repeats a Grade: The Gift of Time, Bannie el Oso Repite un Grado: El Regalo del Tiempo,and Save the Seagull. Yuletide Murder at Sea is her debut adult mystery novel. It is the first book in the Vintage Quest Mysteries series.
Sue has a background in technical writing. She enjoys traveling and exploring unique destinations. She likes observing people and uncovering details that bring places to life. Her stories come from real experiences, family adventures, and the idea that ordinary people can face extraordinary circumstances.
When not writing, Sue enjoys walking, puzzles, traveling, and time with her family in Southport, Connecticut.
Visit www.suestewart.org to learn more about Sue and her books.
Connect with her on social media at:
╰┈➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suestewartauthor/
╰┈➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sue_stewart_author/
╰┈➤ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22519020.Sue_A_Stewart
