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Beach House Mysteries #1
Trouble on Treasure Island
Kate Harper witnesses the prelude to a murder outside her Treasure Island, Florida beach house. Finding a key piece of evidence in the sand, she becomes a material witness to the tragic event.
Unwelcomed visitors and prying eyes descend on Kate’s house following a newscast identifying her as a possible key to solving the murder. As the interest in her and her beach house escalate, Kate decides to take matters into her own hands and sets out with a reluctant partner, handyman-surfer Nick Mason, to hunt down the murderer herself.
Kate and Nick wade through a sea of suspects. The closer they come to uncovering the killer, Kate’s own life is put in danger as someone in the vacation beach community is intent on keeping her silent.
Unwelcomed visitors and prying eyes descend on Kate’s house following a newscast identifying her as a possible key to solving the murder. As the interest in her and her beach house escalate, Kate decides to take matters into her own hands and sets out with a reluctant partner, handyman-surfer Nick Mason, to hunt down the murderer herself.
Kate and Nick wade through a sea of suspects. The closer they come to uncovering the killer, Kate’s own life is put in danger as someone in the vacation beach community is intent on keeping her silent.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 6, 2022
14 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Seth Sjostrom
36 books24 followersA New England native, Seth had a storybook childhood growing up in Connecticut. He graduated college at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 1993 and transplanted himself in the Pacific Northwest soon after.
Immediately falling in love with northwest topography, Seth made the most of it becoming an experienced hiker, whitewater rafting guide, mountain climber (alright, his friends dragged him up a couple of NW peaks) and skier/snowboarder. Seth now resides on Florida's Gulf coast, trying not to be distracted by dolphins and manatees swimming by.
A serial entrepreneur, Seth has created and partnered with several cutting edge healthcare companies and helped launch two magazines.
Seth supports Hire Heroes USA, Christmas is Not Cancelled and the Mel Green Institute to Combat Human Trafficking with his books.
Immediately falling in love with northwest topography, Seth made the most of it becoming an experienced hiker, whitewater rafting guide, mountain climber (alright, his friends dragged him up a couple of NW peaks) and skier/snowboarder. Seth now resides on Florida's Gulf coast, trying not to be distracted by dolphins and manatees swimming by.
A serial entrepreneur, Seth has created and partnered with several cutting edge healthcare companies and helped launch two magazines.
Seth supports Hire Heroes USA, Christmas is Not Cancelled and the Mel Green Institute to Combat Human Trafficking with his books.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 7, 2023
We vacation on Treasure Island every year. The book was an easy read…I was disappointed that there weren’t very many landmarks that I could relate to.
September 4, 2023
An easy-going romance-mystery, Trouble on Treasure Island: A Beach House Mystery is a lighthearted read with an undercurrent of sinister. Seth Sjostrom establishes the right tone for a mystery-romance set at a beach house on the Gulf Coast of Florida.
Kate Harper, a well-to-do realtor, works for a real estate management company specializing in high-end rentals, mostly on beaches throughout the United States. As she inspects a house on Treasure Island near St. Petersburg, FL, her foot goes through a rotten board on one of the decks facing the ocean. A surfer using the beach access easement next to the property, comes to her aid. Turns out, he's a handyman. So, Kate hires him. Nick Mason, the surfer-handyman, becomes friendly with Kate as she finds more jobs for him to do.
One night, Kate witnesses some unusual activity on the beach—two shadowy figures, one chasing the other—she hears a scream before the figures disappear along the shoreline. Kate exits the house to give chase but finds nothing but an engagement ring along the path the figures had taken. What follows is the discovery of Joann Marrs murdered further along the beach. The police investigation, with much input from Kate and a reluctant Nick, consumes the rest of the novel.
I enjoyed this lighthearted read. Sharp-eyed and perceptive describe Kate. She easily interprets what she sees and hears concerning the murder and the police investigation. She puts herself out there to move the investigation along. Nick, it turns out, is a non-practicing lawyer as well as surfer and handyman. He is no slouch as a handyman, who can put together an intricate alarm system in the beach house for Kate. He’s a gentleman, who also knows the best local places to have great food. But he could be more well-rounded, not just a love interest for Kate.
And that’s another thing—to a large extent, Kate seems a little oblivious to the effect she’s having on Nick. Kate is also unaware of the effect she has on Detective Connolly, the policeman in charge of Joann Marrs’ murder. All in all, more could be made of this emergent love triangle than what happens throughout the book. That might be a missed opportunity to ramp up the novel’s tension in a different direction.
Another potential shortcoming is that it takes about one-third of the book before it begins to ramp up. The beginning encompasses a lot of stealthy, creeping intruders who slink around Kate’s beach house, but don’t do much to move the plot along. Nor do they create the brooding atmosphere for which Sjostrom strove.
Sjostrom does do a great job of characterizing Frank Driscoll. Driscoll, a private investigator hired by someone in Charleston with an interest in the murder of Joann Marrs. He’s assigned to keep an eye on Kate and uses various not very effective disguises to do so. He adds a delightful air to the mystery.
All things considered, Trouble on Treasure Island: A Beach House Mystery is a great romp on the gulf coast. The scenery, the restaurants, the marinas and the house at the center of this mystery all delight the reader as do the main characters: Kate Harper, Nick Mason and Detective Connolly.
Kate Harper, a well-to-do realtor, works for a real estate management company specializing in high-end rentals, mostly on beaches throughout the United States. As she inspects a house on Treasure Island near St. Petersburg, FL, her foot goes through a rotten board on one of the decks facing the ocean. A surfer using the beach access easement next to the property, comes to her aid. Turns out, he's a handyman. So, Kate hires him. Nick Mason, the surfer-handyman, becomes friendly with Kate as she finds more jobs for him to do.
One night, Kate witnesses some unusual activity on the beach—two shadowy figures, one chasing the other—she hears a scream before the figures disappear along the shoreline. Kate exits the house to give chase but finds nothing but an engagement ring along the path the figures had taken. What follows is the discovery of Joann Marrs murdered further along the beach. The police investigation, with much input from Kate and a reluctant Nick, consumes the rest of the novel.
I enjoyed this lighthearted read. Sharp-eyed and perceptive describe Kate. She easily interprets what she sees and hears concerning the murder and the police investigation. She puts herself out there to move the investigation along. Nick, it turns out, is a non-practicing lawyer as well as surfer and handyman. He is no slouch as a handyman, who can put together an intricate alarm system in the beach house for Kate. He’s a gentleman, who also knows the best local places to have great food. But he could be more well-rounded, not just a love interest for Kate.
And that’s another thing—to a large extent, Kate seems a little oblivious to the effect she’s having on Nick. Kate is also unaware of the effect she has on Detective Connolly, the policeman in charge of Joann Marrs’ murder. All in all, more could be made of this emergent love triangle than what happens throughout the book. That might be a missed opportunity to ramp up the novel’s tension in a different direction.
Another potential shortcoming is that it takes about one-third of the book before it begins to ramp up. The beginning encompasses a lot of stealthy, creeping intruders who slink around Kate’s beach house, but don’t do much to move the plot along. Nor do they create the brooding atmosphere for which Sjostrom strove.
Sjostrom does do a great job of characterizing Frank Driscoll. Driscoll, a private investigator hired by someone in Charleston with an interest in the murder of Joann Marrs. He’s assigned to keep an eye on Kate and uses various not very effective disguises to do so. He adds a delightful air to the mystery.
All things considered, Trouble on Treasure Island: A Beach House Mystery is a great romp on the gulf coast. The scenery, the restaurants, the marinas and the house at the center of this mystery all delight the reader as do the main characters: Kate Harper, Nick Mason and Detective Connolly.
March 20, 2025
It was clear the author wasn't a true native and could've spent more time researching to detail out the local flair. Can forgive some, laugh off the editing errors, but the surfing in the Gulf and referring to the city of Tampa as Tampa Bay are big errors to a local that take you out of it. Local readers will be disappointed. The story itself lacks description and is one dimensional but easy enough to get through. The warnings the detective gives to the main character to stay out of the murder investigation and then lays out all the evidence to her and let's her in on interrogations is comical. Happens so often you end up laughing it off and just rolling with it.
September 5, 2023
I enjoyed the book. It was a hood summer read, especially bring from Pinellas County & well acquainted with Treasure island. Always fun to read about the area you know do well.
A little longer than the story really needed. But the ending was a surprise & I always love a good surprise.
A little longer than the story really needed. But the ending was a surprise & I always love a good surprise.
October 24, 2023
Terrible dialogue. Wow.
October 27, 2023
This was an entertaining book. There were many editing errors though.
December 21, 2023
Longer than it needed to be.
Characters were somewhat unbelievable, the detective telling all, the VERY HEAD-STRONG Kate and the always available Nick.
Surprise ending which I appreciate.
Characters were somewhat unbelievable, the detective telling all, the VERY HEAD-STRONG Kate and the always available Nick.
Surprise ending which I appreciate.
February 7, 2024
Charming and genteel, it's an interesting story.
September 10, 2024
Sub par book. The main character very unlike able. Events in the book not realistic at all. Pushed myself to finish it as I like to finish what I start. Easily one of my least favorite novels.
June 2, 2024
I was a bit disappointed by the few references to Caddies, the Don Cesar etc. I was looking for more description and local color …
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews