🚢 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
Interview With Sue Stewart
Yuletide Murder at Sea is a cozy historical mystery. What are the mandatory “ingredients” you feel every great cozy mystery needs to have?
For me, a great cozy mystery begins with a likable protagonist and a supporting cast readers want to spend time with. Add a dash of humor, a hint of romance, a little adventure, and, of course, a worthy adversary.
Then mix in intriguing clues, a puzzle that keeps readers guessing, and a few unexpected twists. I especially enjoy a mystery that gives readers a fair chance to piece things together alongside the sleuths. A locked-room puzzle is always a tempting extra!
The setting is the finishing touch. Whether it’s a familiar town or a Caribbean cruise, I like reading a book that I can step into—and perhaps stay awhile, despite the occasional murder.
The book relies heavily on a puzzle-driven plot (maritime charts, coded messages). Did you map out all the clues before you started writing, or did the mystery unfold naturally as you drafted?
I mapped out two of the clues before I began writing and knew I needed a third to help decipher them. But that third clue developed as the story unfolded, and I didn’t know exactly where the trail would lead until I was about halfway through the book.
As the characters became clearer to me, their backgrounds began shaping the investigation. A librarian would approach a question differently from a retired detective or a museum curator, and a technology entrepreneur would bring another perspective entirely. Rather than having everyone think alike, I wanted the solutions to emerge from their different skills and experiences.
That became one of the most rewarding parts of writing the story. These retirees have accumulated decades of knowledge, and the adventure gives them unexpected opportunities to use it. They aren’t simply chasing clues; they’re rediscovering their confidence and finding a renewed sense of purpose.
The biggest challenge was making the connections believable. I had to work out how clues originating aboard a Spanish galleon could reach my present-day characters. The historical backstory, family connections, and puzzles all needed to fit together so the discoveries felt earned rather than convenient.
As this is your debut adult fiction novel, what was the most surprising or challenging part of the publishing process for you?
The first challenge was translating the story in my head into words on the page. I could picture the scenes clearly, but writing them was a much slower process. With six main characters, I had to give everyone a distinct voice while keeping the plot moving and the puzzles believable.
There were practical challenges, too—like remembering where everyone was aboard the ship. A character couldn’t be in the dining room one moment and suddenly appear on the other side of the ship without time to get there!
One of the biggest hurdles, though, was confidence. I worried about negative feedback and even considered publishing under a different name. My family heard a great deal of “What do you think of this?” and “How does this sound?” Eventually, my son asked, “How will you ever become a better writer if you don’t get negative feedback?”
He also offered another piece of advice: “Being brave means doing something that scares you but doing it anyway.” Together, those thoughts helped me accept that my first novel wouldn’t be perfect—and that putting my work out into the world was part of growing as a writer.
The biggest surprise was how much work remained after I finished the manuscript. I went through several rounds of developmental revisions and three rounds of editing, then listened to an audio read-through of the entire book to catch awkward phrasing and unnatural dialogue.
The cover became a project of its own. After working with two designers, I still didn’t feel the artwork was quite right. Eventually, I requested the source files and spent months revising it myself. I also ordered eight printed proofs before I felt ready to publish.
It was a crash course in writing, editing, design, and independent publishing. I learned an enormous amount—although next time, I’d like to spend a little less time revising the cover and a little more time writing the next book!
Have you always been a fan of the cozy mystery genre, or was there a specific book or author that made you say, “I want to write one of these”?
There are too many wonderful books and authors for me to choose just one. For me, the appeal of a cozy mystery is as much about a feeling as it is about the puzzle: settling in with a warm blanket and a cup of tea on a chilly day, ready to visit familiar characters and unravel a mystery alongside them.
My love of this kind of mystery actually began with television. I was a huge fan of Murder, She Wrote and, later, Monk. I loved Jessica Fletcher’s intelligence and quiet determination, and Adrian Monk’s ability to notice the one small detail everyone else had overlooked. I also sought out every book I could find in both series. Those characters showed me how satisfying a mystery can be when its solution depends on paying attention.
I’m drawn to unconventional sleuths who rely on intelligence, observation, and ingenuity rather than force. Those are qualities I wanted to bring to Molly and her friends, along with the warmth and humor that make readers want to spend time with them.
These days, I’m hooked on mystery series on BritBox, Acorn TV, and PBS Masterpiece. I’m continually impressed by the writing, performances, and clever plotting. I watch for the enjoyment of a good story, but the writer in me is always learning, too!
This is Book 1 of the Vintage Quest Mysteries. Can you give us a sneak peek into where Molly and her friends are heading next?
I’m planning to take Molly and her friends to Rome, where a discovery among her late husband’s research notes draws them into another centuries-old mystery.
Molly begins to suspect that Henry was investigating something far more dangerous than she ever realized. His unfinished work leaves tantalizing clues and questions she can’t ignore—and, naturally, her friends aren’t about to let her follow that trail alone.
As the investigation unfolds, they may also need help from Kai, their young, tech-savvy friend from the cruise. I’m looking forward to exploring how their friendships develop after the events of the first book. They know they work well together, but that doesn’t mean they’ll agree on everything—or stay out of trouble!
Will future books in the series always feature a mix of travel settings and historical puzzles, or will the formula change?
Travel and historical puzzles will remain at the heart of the Vintage Quest Mysteries series. My plan is for each book to take Molly and her friends to a different destination, where they’ll encounter a new mystery rooted in that location’s past. I’d like to visit each destination personally, explore its history, and discover details I can weave into the story.
Within that framework, there’s plenty of room for surprises. The puzzles will change, the friendships will evolve, and each destination will offer new opportunities for adventure—and trouble.
Sometimes an idea arrives before I’ve even reached the destination. For some reason, a lot of my best ideas come when I’m driving alone. One day, I pictured my group of senior sleuths touring Rome in one of those tourist golf carts. Then I thought: Wouldn’t it be hilarious if their leisurely sightseeing trip suddenly turned into a chase?
Naturally, a golf cart tour is now on the itinerary for my upcoming research trip to Italy for Book 2! Whether that scene makes it into the book remains to be seen, but it’s a perfect example of how a passing idea can become something I want to explore in real life—although I’m hoping to skip the actual chase.
Writing this series brings together my love of travel, history, mysteries, and humor. The fun is discovering what kind of trouble these friends might stumble into next—and how they’ll help one another find their way out.
Where to purchase the book:
You can find Yuletide Murder at Sea on Amazon:
The book also has a Goodreads page:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/256717858
Where to find Sue:
Website:
https://www.suestewart.org
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/suestewartauthor/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sue_stewart_author/