Lost Key

by Chris Niles

  But when Anna uncovers a secret about her own past that ties her to Volkov, she must make an impossible choice: learn the truth about herself, or save innocent American lives.

  Learn more at chrisnilesbooks.com

  Author’s Note

  I was eleven when my family moved to Florida’s west coast. And while I never quite got used to Santa wearing shorts and shades, the Sunshine State burrowed into my blood. I’ve lived on the coast and inland. North, and … less north.

  But when my younger brother moved to Key West a few years ago, I found the place my heart felt at home.

  Every region of the state is unique; each carries its own culture and vibe. From the pulsing nightlife of South Beach to the sleepy live oak canopies in Tallahassee, Florida’s got diversity covered.

  Visitors typically only experience a tiny portion of what those who’ve built lives there know. My goal in this series of novels is to give my readers a glimpse of life beyond the vacation. To meet a character who’s living the life most of us can only dream of. And to join in adventures around the Caribbean and beyond.

  I mean…who doesn’t want to cruise around on turquoise waters with only the sun to tell the time?

  While I’ve done a lot of research and tried to keep all the facts straight, I will admit I’ve taken a few liberties with the geography to facilitate the story.

  The biggest one? Shark Key itself.

  Shark Key is a real island (and a beautiful one, too), but it was developed long ago and is now a gated community full of multi-million dollar estates. I rolled back the clock and gave the mile-long island a different history. I also deepened the water on the east coast of Shark Key by a few feet to allow access for bigger boats, and I added a bridge passage under the Overseas Highway just to the east of the Key.

  In addition, I took some liberties with the Custom House and other locations as well…their staffs are far more attentive and adherent to policy than I make them out to be! If you notice any mistakes, they are mine and mine alone, and not the fault of the many wise and informed people I used as research slaves.

  Finally, a word about Kate’s German Shepherd dog, Whiskey. He’s inspired by a real badass. The real Police Dog Whiskey is still on active duty. He chases bad guys in Western Australia, drives on the wrong side of the road, and barks with an accent. ;)

  I hope these books offer as much escape and adventure for you as they’ve given me in writing them.

  Acknowledgments

  If I won the lottery, I’d buy a shack on the beach and write the great American novel.

  Well, I won the lottery … the marriage lottery, that is. I’m blessed with a husband who supports my dreams and encourages me every day as I make a career out of my “lottery dream.” It’s not a shack by the beach, but to be honest, I’m really glad to have electricity and running water.

  The first idea is easy. It’s even not so hard writing the first few chapters. But after that, it takes a team of people cheering me on, kicking my butt, and checking my details to make sure I didn’t get anything wrong that I didn’t mean to get wrong.

  I have so many people to thank, and even after I thank them all, I’m sure I’ll have forgotten some. So of course, thanks to everyone I’m not mentioning here. I still love you and cherish your support.

  I have to start with the many people who shared their knowledge and spirits and technical expertise. Special thanks to Julie for being the inspiration for many of Kate’s best features (and none of her flaws!) and to Juliet for sharing her expertise about police dogs, and introducing me to the legendary Police Dog Whiskey. He’s an amazing dog, and you have every right to be proud of him. Thanks to Barry for taking me shooting and answering every ridiculous law enforcement question, so I could keep the cops off of Kate’s tail, to Bill for answering random airplane questions during his layovers, and to my buddy Cap Daniels for getting William’s plane in the air.

  Thanks to Amy for naming Babette (and Amy Johnson), for teaching me that you don’t need white cotton gloves to handle antique books, and for helping untangle the knots in Tommy Miller’s flight from the mob. And of course thanks to Mark for figuring out the treasure (both in the story and in real life).

  I’d never get through a day without Ric, who names random bad guys after whoever’s annoying him that week (and who chases me with his own astronomical word count and reminds me to keep writing when I don’t feel like it). And to my unsung cheerleaders: Linda and Stacy for reading every word and loving even the terrible ones, Tammi for being Tammi and advising on #AllTheThings and fixing my brain when it gets caught in a downward spiral, Ernie for telling me to Quit F***ing AroundTM, and to Michelle Spiva for helping me understand what readers really want.

  Finally, to Adam for being my secret muse, for living the life I can only dream about, for fact-checking AllTheThings, and for sending me random crime reports from the Key West Citizen.

  But my greatest thanks go to you, my reader. In a world as crazy as ours, I’m humbled and privileged that you chose to read this adventure I created. I hope I’ve honored your time and delivered a great story, and I trust you’ll join me again for LOST RELICS.

  About the Author

  Chris(tine) Niles has been telling stories since she was a lying kid. Now she’s figuring out how to make a career of it. Because she likes to eat, she tried for about fifteen minutes to write romance. But her characters kept killing each other, so she switched to thrillers.

  Her heart is buried deep in the hammock north of Sugarloaf Key, and you can only find it from a kayak. Despite that, her body lives in northeastern Indiana with her husband, two mostly adult daughters, and a hungry four-legged sack of fur named Franklin.

  You can find out more at chrisnilesbooks.com.