Prelude to Death — Sharon Zukowski

It's been a long time since New York P.I. Blaine Stewart has seen her wayward brother Dick. Now, he's calling from jail, pleading his need for Blaine's talent and street smarts to help him out of the mess he's in. Not just any little mess but murder. And not just anyone's murder but Corrye Edwards, Key West's unofficial poet laureate and widow of a famous Cuban expatriate artist. It's hardly Blaine's easiest case, as Dick has no alibi and Corrye's last poem, "Prelude to Death," clearly points to his guilt.

Caught between family loyalty and the search for justice, Blaine realizes that this, island of balmy breezes and languid days has ruthless undercurrent. With her every move monitored by sleazy lawyers, local detectives, and a shadowy government agent, she risks all to clear Dick's name. And as the case gets hotter than a June afternoon in the Florida Keys, Blaine can't help wondering if all her efforts will end up a prelude to her own death....