Christa Reads and Writes: Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery

Today it is my pleasure to have Anna Celeste Burke, author of GNARLY NEW YEAR, as my guest...

Yo-ho-ho, Corsario Cove!

Pirates for hire--who knew?

It’s Christmas when Kim & Brien arrive at the luxurious Sanctuary Resort & Spa for their honeymoon. They soon learn that shouts of “ho-ho-ho” are commonplace. ‘Tis the season and the resort is crawling with Santas. Behind all the holiday hoopla there’s more than merriment going on.

Corsario Cove, the gorgeous setting for newlyweds Kim & Brien’s most excellent adventures takes its name from the word corsair. Corsario in Spanish. That’s corsairs, as in buccaneers or pirates, although the term corsair also applies to the ships they commanded. Blow me down! What do you want to bet that at other seasons of the year it’s “yo-ho-ho” that echoes in the sea breeze?

Despite their reputation as unruly thieves, most corsairs were in fact, paid to do their dirty work on the high seas. They were raiders-for-hire, owners of merchant ships licensed and enlisted by one monarchy to harass, destroy, and capture the booty from ships flying the flag of a rival monarchy. The French, Spanish, Dutch and British all used hired help as they battled for control of the seas and lucrative trade routes.

Technically, some folks reserve the term pirate for those who attack other ships without government authority. I suppose it depends a lot on your point of view. If you’re staring down the barrel of a cannon—several of them, in fact—you probably don’t much care whether the men about to board your ship are carrying the right papers or not. The line between privateering—piracy done in the name of the Crown—and theft for personal gain doesn’t always seem to have been all that clear. Imagine that!

Pirates of the Caribbean, yeah, but California?

If you’ve seen the Disney Pirates of the Caribbean movies or older Hollywood films featuring pirates, the action is centered far away from the California Coast. The hey-day of corsairs occurred earlier than the settlement of California by Europeans. By then, most of the pirates that roamed the open seas threatening to hang men from the yardarms or force them to walk the plank were long gone. Where? According to Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow character, “Wherever we want to go, we go!” In this case, they faded into history as governments relied less on paid privateers.

Still, as my character Kim discovers in Cowabunga Christmas, California did have pirates. Well, one of them at least. In 1818, French privateer Hippolyte de Bouchard launched a series of attacks on Monterey, San Juan de Capistrano and other spots along California’s coast. At that point in history, it doesn't appear he took those actions on anyone's authority other than his own.

Did those raids yield treasure—including a six-foot gold cross, a jewel-encrusted chalice, gold and silver coins, pearls and gemstones? In part, yes. Bouchard and his men helped themselves to whatever they could find as they raided the coastal settlements. The details about the contents of his treasure trove? I made most of that up.

Did he stash his loot in hideaways along the coast as he went from one port to another, and did he abandon it when forced to make a speedy retreat? Could be. It’s true that he fled in haste, away from California to what we now call the Hawaiian Islands. Bouchard had lost most of his crew to disease and marauding and had to beat it to safety. Apparently, he intended to put together a new crew fit enough to enable him to resume his pirate ways. Maybe that also meant he planned to return to California and reclaim treasure he left behind.

There be more than pirates, matey!

The rumor of lost treasure is only one of the themes that run through the stories in this series. What about the local legends of mad monks? Not to mention all the modern-day rogues and scallywags who find their way into Corsario Cove and the nearby town of San Albinus. That’s already resulted in a dead Santa and a prolonged game of hide-and-seek with a marine GPS device that sets the local homicide detective a-twitching when anyone brings it up. Murder, kidnapping, and plenty of other forms of mayhem have pushed Detective Mitchum to the brink of an overdose--on coffee and donuts. Who knows what other secrets remain hidden in this lovely but mysterious cove? You’ll have to wait for Brien and Kim's future adventures to find out.

With that introduction, let's find out more about the book!

Gnarly New Year! Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery

Cozy Mystery

2nd in Series

Paperback: 220 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1530845781

E-Book ASIN: B01G15GEPC

Synopsis

The honeymoon’s not over yet! Kim and Brien’s excellent adventure at the swanky Sanctuary Resort & Spa continues when an unwelcome visitor drops in on New Year’s Eve. An elusive marine GPS device found and lost again, unleashes another wave of murder and mayhem in Corsario Cove! What is it about that thing? Will the secret be revealed when they visit the chamber of heinousness? Stooges, Krugerrands, and monks—oh my! Is it going to be a Gnarly New Year for Kim and Brien?

About the Author

Anna Celeste Burke is an award-winning and bestselling author who enjoys snooping into life’s mysteries with fun, fiction, & food—California style! Her books include the Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery series