Aubrey Grant lives in the tropical paradise of Old Town, Key West, has a cute cottage, a sweet moped, and a great job managing the historical property of a former sea captain. With his soon-to-be-boyfriend, hotshot FBI agent Jun Tanaka, visiting for a little R&R, not even Aubrey’s narcolepsy can put a damper on their vacation plans.

But a skeleton in a closet of the Smith Family Historical Home sure does throw a wrench into the works. Its identity drags Aubrey and Jun into a mystery with origins over a century in the past. They uncover a tale of long-lost treasure, the pirate king it belonged to, and a modern-day murderer who will stop at nothing to find the hidden riches. And if a killer on the loose isn’t enough to keep Aubrey out of the mess, it seems even the restless spirit of Captain Smith is warning him away.

The unlikely partnership of a historian and special agent may be exactly what it takes to crack this mystery wide-open and finally put an old Key West tragedy to rest. But while Aubrey tracks down the X that marks the spot, one wrong move could be his last.

Also available as an audiobook!

Same Universe Spin-offs:

Snow & Winter series reading order:

#1 The Mystery of Nevermore

#2 The Mystery of the Curiosities

#3 The Mystery of the Moving Image

#4 The Mystery of the Bones

#5 The Mystery of the Spirits

#1 Interlude (Snow & Winter short story collection)

Memento Mori series reading order:

#1 Madison Square Murders

#2 Subway Slayings

#3 Broadway Butchery

An Auden & O'Callaghan Mystery series reading order:

#1 A Friend in the Dark

#2 A Friend in the Fire

Keywords: gay romance, steamy, opposites attract, size difference, law enforcement, beach, medical condition, whodunit, red herring, amateur sleuth, vacation, pirates, mm romance