The Hidden World of South Florida
South Florida may look like paradise, but beneath the sunshine, palm trees, waterfront homes, and crowded city streets lies a world most people never see.
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Deputy Samuel “Sam” Rourke is pulled into that hidden world when what appears to be an isolated act of violence begins pointing toward something much larger. His investigation soon stretches beyond Palm Beach County and into a dangerous network involving secret shipments, organized crime, unexplained contamination, and the powerful Duarte Empire.
As Sam follows the trail from West Palm Beach through Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami, each discovery raises more questions. A devastating explosion, a suspicious warehouse, cargo moving under cover of darkness, and a mysterious substance that should never have reached South Florida all suggest that someone is willing to do almost anything to protect the truth.
But the deeper Sam digs, the more dangerous the investigation becomes.
What began as police work turns into a race to understand exactly what has been brought into South Florida, who is behind it, and how far its effects may already have spread. With innocent lives at risk and powerful people determined to keep their secrets buried, Sam must navigate a world where appearances are deceptive, loyalties are uncertain, and paradise can become deadly without warning.
Hidden World of South Florida is the first book in Howard Mark Hines’ Blood in the Palms series, a suspenseful journey into the crime, corruption, danger, and buried secrets hiding beneath one of America’s most beautiful places.
