Next of Kin

Jason Saylor has returned to his hometown on the northern coast of Florida. Dubbed the Forgotten Coast by its developers and realtors, Jason has forgotten and left behind most of his past. The past, he learns, can catch up to you as old relationships and friendships are re-evaluated and tested. He’s been involuntarily furloughed from a successful career in investigative journalism, a career that threatened too many of Houston’s power elite. Now that he’s home, he finds himself embroiled as a prime suspect in the case of missing coed, Lindsey Lawrence. His intention of spending the furlough writing a new series of euro-spy novels is interrupted, as he puts his skills to the test to clear his name, against the advice of the Sheriff and his former best friend, now a local policeman. Part of a foursome of friends from his high school days, he finds now that rekindling those friendships can be both helpful and hazardous to his freedom, as he searches for either the missing girl’s abductor or, worse, her corpse. Upon the recent death of her mother, Lindsey is an orphan, and Saylor’s best hope is finding her next of kin, the only person who might have a claim on her considerable estate. Aiding Jason’s search is Belle, Lindsey’s roommate and the clerk at the family store. She soon becomes more than just a friend in need. Jason’s life spirals out of control when a blow to his head sends him on a one-way trip to gator-infested waters.