Mysteries in Paradise: Gasparilla Island Series, #1

By Jessie Kelley

Susan is in shock. Her husband Shawn has recently committed suicide and left Susan and their three children with a huge debt and many unanswered questions.
As the loan sharks close in on Susan and her family, the lawyer, who was also Shawn's friend, finds some mysterious documents on his computer. The documents reveal that Shawn had money invested on Gasparilla island as well as a life insurance policy with an interesting clause.

They think their troubles are over, but they have only just begun. It seems as though their lives have been cursed, and one misfortune after the other leaves the family reeling. They depart for the island, only to discover that everything they believed to be real was an illusion. Betrayed, stalked, attacked, and splintered, the family looks like it will never be the same again.

 

Follow the Jeremy household as they battle people, chaos, and confusion to keep their family intact.
Who is causing all these 'accidents', and why? Why has Shawn betrayed them? Can the family ever recover?
This book is the first in a thrilling 6 book series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jessie Kelley
• Release date: Mar 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393251415

Book preview

Introduction

Susan is in shock. Her husband Shawn has recently committed suicide and left Susan and their three children with a huge debt and many unanswered questions.

As the loan sharks close in on Susan and her family, the lawyer, who was also Shawn’s friend, finds some mysterious documents on his computer. The documents reveal that Shawn had money invested on Gasparilla island as well as a life insurance policy with an interesting clause.

They think their troubles are over, but they have only just begun. It seems as though their lives have been cursed, and one misfortune after the other leaves the family reeling. They depart for the island, only to discover that everything they believed to be real was an illusion. Betrayed, stalked, attacked and splintered, the family looks like it will never be the same again.

Follow the Jeremy household as they battle people, chaos and confusion to keep their family intact.

Who is causing all these ’accidents’, and why? Why has Shawn betrayed them? Can the family ever recover?

Chapter One

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Susan stared at the papers in her trembling hands and fought hard to stop the tears from flowing. But, despite her best efforts, the tears continued to steam softly down her face, unnoticeable except for the little tingling sensation on her cheeks. She wiped her cheeks impatiently with the back of her hand as she sniffed again and raised her head to look out the window. Sitting by the window was a habit she had formed after Shawn's death. It was therapeutic in a way. She realized that she enjoyed watching others as they lived their lives; largely because it took her mind off the way she lived hers. It diverted her attention from the turmoil she faced, but only for a while. This morning, staring outside the window to watch the woman next door watering her flower bed and cooing her cat to sleep, did nothing to soothe her troubled state.

There, in Oakridge, it was beautiful to watch the sun rise and set on the emerald green lawn in Susan's yard. A small fence separated her from the house next door, so different from the usual staircase that separated homes and families in places like New York and other neighborhoods in Tallahassee. In her neighborhood, it was one family per building, not a story building with many floors and different families. Susan loved the peace and quiet in Oakridge, Tallahassee, Florida. The sun was always smiling radiantly on the different parks that served as favorite spots for families. And the high level of maintenance and cleanliness felt orderly and organized. Safe. Of course, there was still a small amount of crime even in this neighborhood. Being the capital of Florida, Tallahassee attracted a lot of diverse people as, amongst other things, it hosted the state university and college. It was beautiful, so downright beautiful that Susan could never imagine leaving. Leaving was not an option for her.

Right now though, the purring cat and the beautiful flower bed just seemed to aggravate her. Why were they so peaceful? What right did the cat have to purr so softly? And what right did the lawn have to look so beautiful? Or the flower bed. They had no right to any of that when she was stuck with the reality that her husband was gone. Gone. And his death certificate, pinned between her two hands, was undeniable proof of that. Shawn was gone. She felt her heart contract yet again as the information hit her in yet another different way. This way conjured up the warmth of him, and the fun. He was gone. And there would never again be someone to make tasty bacon for breakfast or organize surprise family vacations. Neither would there be anyone to rub her back and trail dry kisses down her spine whenever she came home from work tired. There would be no sound of his voice in the garage every evening as he drove in shouting, I'm home!, which he’d insisted on doing, even though they all told him to stop. He was out of date, they had joked.

"Dad? Stop doing that;