A stabbing in a crowded bar in Key West is the starting point for a story for Detective David Sharkey that turns up the tropical heat, with secrets and lies that start to bubble to the surface like ghosts from the past. Detective David Sharkey soon asks his friend Rex to help solve a missing person's case that appears related to the stabbing in a local bar. Rex Jamison, the foxy professor, has returned to Key West to find that sometimes you can't just walk away from the past. Rex has moved from San Francisco to Key West to start a new life. He has quit his job at the university; he has a new best-selling book, and a stunning new girlfriend. He is looking forward to his new life in the sun but it is the past that is about to collide with his future, in ways he could never have seen coming. No sooner does he arrive than he finds himself juggling his new love Roslyn and an ex-fiancé who might be involved in Sharkey's case. Set in the tropical heat of Key West, we get an up close and personal look at the lives of the characters that reveal the things they told no one about their secrets of lust, betrayal, and jealousy. We also meet an intriguing lawyer the locals simply call "Sloan" and then smirk, because they know his crayon box has different colors and he is not afraid to color outside the lines. When Sloan hands you the picture, it's always different than what you expected. The young and sexy but intense and cocky attorney R. Sloan uses his unorthodox style to help solve the mysteries that surround Rex and his friends. As more bodies appear Rex is distracted by trying to juggle his relationships. The heat starts to rise when the investigation suddenly turns personal for both Rex and Sharkey. As Starkey's case evolves he discovers secret ties to the past and he pushes aside the curtain to get an intimate look into their lives and loves. When the secrets get too personal Sharkey can no longer confide in Rex and he finds he has to decide between protecting the people he loves and solving the case. Ghosts from the past thicken the plot and then race to the climax in a show down in Sharkey's Key West.