Mystery
Date Published: June 10, 2025
Publisher: MindStir Media
In Murder on the Squid Row Run, oboist Georgiana Quilter is finally hitting her stride—with a dream orchestra job and a new apartment. But when she agrees to pose as a celebrity’s girlfriend during a glamorous international sailing rally, things take a dark and deadly turn.
A body turns up on board. A child disappears. A saboteur strikes. As the Squid Row Run heads from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, Georgiana races to uncover secrets buried at sea—all while navigating a fake romance that’s becoming dangerously real.
Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries, strong female sleuths, and nautical adventures, authentic maritime details inspired by the author’s own seven-year circumnavigation. Suspense, wit, and danger at every port
Love mystery series set on the water? This is your next great read.
Quotes and Excerpts
Murder on the Squid Row Run: Sailing Mystery Book 1
I gave Max a high five. A bigger salary would’ve been nice,
but I said nothing because I didn’t want to disappoint him.
If there’s anything I hated, and I mean really
hated, it was disappointing people.
Gran would’ve said, “Honey-girl, everything’s in God’s hands.”
From where I stood, it looked as though God had passed the assignment
along to me.
A gunshot interrupted Nicky’s rant.
I knew a shotgun when I heard it.
Loaded buckshot struck the elaborate crystal-dripping chandelier
over our heads. It exploded outward like launched fireworks.
Shimmering shards of glass pelted us like hard rain.
“Shoot,” I said, not really knowing where he intended to go with
this. “I’ll help if I can.” But words like sex addiction stuck in my head. I
hoped this proposal wouldn’t be something weird.
“Listen, girl, David’s really not a bad guy. He’s good to me. Is it too
much to ask for my best friend to like the guy I love?”
“No, it’s not,” I lied. It’s difficult to get along with David-the-a-wipe, let alone like him.
He fit the dictionary’s definition of an ass-wipe: “… a stupid, annoying,
or detestable person.” Okay, maybe not the stupid part. I’ll admit David’s
a musical genius and a good provider, but he came with baggage—a wife.
Was I alone in having a friend who chose an
a-wipe for a partner? Everything David did annoyed me, including how
he chewed his food. An athletic guy for fifty, his thick brown hair rested
fashionably on his usual Gucci jacket collar, and his arrogance enveloped
him like cheap cologne.
A lot of women were giving Keith an appreciative once-over, and I
felt proud to be on his arm. What a heady feeling. I didn’t know I could
be so shallow.
The rally included people from many walks of life. The diversity
surprised me. I’d figured only rich people sailed, but there were blue-col-
lar workers, managers and executives, movie stars (okay one), professors,
bartenders, journalists, circumnavigators, sailing neophytes, and on and
on. Everyone chattered about weather, navigation, and upcoming passage
possibilities. Like a stripper discarding clothes, politics, religion, and class
distinctions were put aside.
He looked relaxed and healthy. Good choices become easier when
you’re away from temptation.
I didn’t think life could get any better––good company, full sails, brilliant stars, music,
and chocolate. I might be accumulating life-stress points, but that didn’t
keep me from appreciating fortunate moments like this.
Author Julia Shovein brings authenticity and edge to her mystery novels, drawn from a life spent at sea and in service. After a thirty-year career as a university professor of nursing (Professor Emeritus), Julia retired and embarked on a global sailing adventure with her husband, circumnavigating the globe over seven years.
She lived and wrote in exotic locations like New Zealand, Turkey, and London’s St. Katherine Dock. Upon returning home to Paradise, California, Julia and her husband narrowly escaped the devastating Campfire wildfire. These life-altering experiences shaped her writing—and her heroine, Georgiana Quilter.
Now living in Bremerton, Washington, with her husband Horst and husky Blue, Julia is a proud member of the Poulsbo Yacht Club. She’s truly, as Cruising World puts it, “the real thing.”
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Fake Engagement with Forbidden Chemistry
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