Paulette Marshall Mystery Series

Captain Maxwell Hernandez has been found dead next to his fishing vessel, The Ramblin’ Rose, facedown in the waters at the Bahia Honda Inlet near Key West, Florida.

Meanwhile, Paulette Marshall has left her mansion on top of Mulholland Drive in the very rich and prestigious Bel Air, California, neighborhood after winning the property during a very contentious divorce she did not want. Arriving at Key West, she is hired by the local high school as a counselor.

Her student Ariel Costa is the victim of sexual abuse by the captain, who had been her mentor and provider as well as a father figure. Ariel was aboard that ill-fated trip to Islamorada and is considered a person of interest to local authorities. Pregnant with Max’s child and only an alcoholic mother and absent father to turn to, who can Ariel trust now?

Further, there is the issue of $300,000 missing from the safe of Hernandez’s fishing boat. If Ariel tells authorities about the one envelope she did take, feeling assured Hernandez wanted her to have the money for a new start, she could go to jail and be charged with stealing the entire amount.

This plays right into the plans of Susanna, the captain’s youngest daughter, who is hot to recover the $300,000 so her drug dealer husband will take her back.

In between all the action, Key West turns out to be the perfect getaway for Paulette as she works through no longer being “someone’s daughter, wife, or mother”. As a woman finally able to seek her own road, Paulette hopes she can do the same for Ariel.