Queen of Florida: A Crime Novel

A wickedly entertaining romp featuring retired widow June who delves into the deep underbelly of paradise — Boca — to get everything she knows she deserves

June has spent a lifetime tending to the infinite needs of her four children, especially the youngest, Jimmy, who was the black sheep from the very beginning and who has dragged her down to hellish places she never expected or wanted to go: court, rehab, prison. After Jimmy’s latest relapse, June makes a break for it. She heads south to a place where so many like her have found their happiness: Boca. For the first time in her life, she does what she wants — until Jimmy knocks on her door unannounced with that strange hollow look in his eyes.

But the prodigal son is not made for paradise, and he disappears not long after he arrives. June’s search for him draws her into the shadiest corners of this sunlit Shangri-La, where there are dirty cops, ambitious gangsters, and vicious henchmen waiting for her. Opportunities wait in the darkness, too. And after a lifetime of sacrifice and self-denial, why shouldn’t June partake of them? After all, Florida is expensive — she needs a new roof, a new car, a new face — and June is on a fixed income. Plus, you can’t become the queen without breaking a few rules.