No one is ever exactly as they seem, no matter how well you think you know them.

Maggie Seward's first case as a criminal investigator with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office involves the shooting death of an elderly man during what appears to be a home robbery. Who broke into the French's home? Was Robert French's murder the reason for the break-in, or a terrible, unexpected result?

The people of this quaint coastal area in the Florida Panhandle are shocked by the crime, but one of them is the one who pulled the trigger, killing a man who only had a few months to live.

Meanwhile, Maggie struggles to understand new mysteries in her own marriage. What is her husband and best friend really doing to earn a living? What other secrets is he keeping?

This is a novellette, not one of the regular books in the bestselling series. It is intended as a short "extra" or "bonus" read and a prequel; set four years before the first book, Low Tide.

The Forgotten Coast Florida Suspense series is clean suspense, with very little violence, very mild language, and no sexual content. It is rich in coastal atmosphere, populated by textured, full-realized characters, and liberally seasoned with dry humor.