Fried Plantains and Fatal Secrets

By Samuel DenHartog

Summer in Florida should mean iced tea, quiet days, and a break from the unexpected. But Margot Bellamy is about to find herself in the middle of a mystery steeped in family secrets and caf con leche. When a celebrated Cuban restaurant owner in historic Ybor City dies suddenly during a private dinner, whispers of foul play swirl beneath the clatter of plates and the scent of fried plantains. A trusted lawyer reaches out to Margot for help, hoping she can uncover the truth before the family fractures beyond repair or the estate becomes a battlefield.

Inside the weathered walls of Casa Del Castillo, five adult siblings mourn, maneuver, and keep secrets close. Each one has a reason to protect the legacy or claim it for themselves. As Margot begins quietly questioning the staff and family members, she uncovers rivalries, bitterness, and a perfectly timed espresso that may have delivered more than caffeine. The deeper she digs, the more she realizes that charm and tradition can sometimes hide the sharpest edges.

From moonlit courtyards and art galleries in St. Petersburg to the quiet corners of her own intuition, Margot follows a trail of small inconsistencies that slowly begin to connect. The truth will not come easily, and when it does, it will force the Del Castillo family to face what they never wanted to see. For Margot, it is one more reminder that in every mystery, the real danger often lies in what goes unnoticed.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FHJW1XV5
• ISBN13: 9798292547020
• Release Date: July 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 290 Pages
• Weight: 0.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 8.0"