Page 1 of Fire and Ice Cruise

CHAPTER 1

Iceland Adventure Cruise (10 Days)

Day 1: Departure from Copenhagen, Denmark

Day 2: At Sea

Day 3: Akureyri, Iceland (northern fjords, whale watching, charming town)

Day 4: At Sea / Scenic Cruising

Day 5: Isafjordur, Iceland (northwest fjords, dramatic cliffs, isolated village)

Day 6: At Sea / Scenic Cruising

Day 7: Reykjavik, Iceland (historic harbor, city sightseeing, day trip to Blue Lagoon)

Day 8: At Sea

Day 9: At Sea

Day 10: Reykjavik, Iceland (Disembarkation)

Suddenly Hitched—What a Trip!

Fire and Ice—What a Milestone!

Hey there, mystery-loving readers! Ready to join me aboard the Emerald Queen for the most dramatic—and potentially deadly—Iceland birthday cruise ever? I’m turning FIFTY (how did that even happen?!) and I’ve packed my sense of adventure, my waterproof everything for those hot springs, and enough chocolate lava cake to properly celebrate this milestone!

From the steaming geothermal waters of the Blue Lagoon to the breathtaking northern lights dancing across volcanic landscapes, I’m determined to soak up every drop of Icelandic magic—along with plenty of champagne and those divine pastries that make turning fifty feel almost fabulous.

Oh, and did I mention Ransom is currently on unexpected “leave” from his job? (Corporate politics are messier than murder.) So now my gorgeous, unemployed husband and I are both aboard for this adventure, which I’m choosing to view as romantic rather than a harbinger of things to come. My track record suggests I should know better.

Here’s to turning fifty, volcanic hot tubs, and hopefully keeping my sanity intact. But I have a sinking feeling this birthday cruise is going to be anything but relaxing.

XOXO

Trixie

Copenhagen, Denmark

Five minutes ago, my life was perfect. Well, as perfect as life gets when you’re married to a former FBI agent turned cruise ship security chief while solving murders and seeing ghosts on a regular basis.

Then Quinn Riddle appeared with a folder that changed everything.

Ransom—my brilliant, capable, devastatingly handsome husband—has just been fired from the Emerald Queen of the Seas. As in terminated. Let go. All because he did his job too well and solved Madison Rothschild’s murder alongside his liability of a wife. Apparently, Royal Lineage Cruise Lines decided that having a security chief married to someone who attracts dead bodies like a magnet is bad for business.

Meanwhile, I’ve been reinstated to my art instructor position. Because that makes sense. Fire the professional, keep the amateur who literally trips over corpses.

The irony isn’t lost on anyone, least of all the small group gathered around us on the gangway. Bess and Nettie are as stunned as I am, Elodie looks furious on our behalf, and Captain Wes Crawford studies the termination papers as if he’s looking for a loophole written in invisible ink.

Ransom’s hand is still in mine, his grip steady despite the bomb that just detonated our carefully constructed life. His face doesn’t give away any emotion—years of FBI training don’t disappear just because your world is falling apart—but I can see the tension in his jaw, the tightness around his eyes.

“Well…” Wes says, finally, folding the papers and handing them back to Quinn, hardly concealing his disgust. He looks at our little group—every last one of us is shell-shocked, angry, and we’re all still standing on the gangway like we’re not sure what to do next. “I know just the place I need to take us. I think what we all need right now is a drink.”

“And nachos,” Nettie adds without missing a beat. “Some of us still have an appetite despite the emotional devastation we just witnessed.”

“We’ll see what we can do,” Wes replies with a half-smile that doesn’t look too promising about anything.