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During a secret meeting in a Miami hotel room, aspiring politician Bobby Coulter accepts a bribe from a drug trafficker in exchange for future political favors, when a chance interruption by the housekeeping staff leads to an act of horrendous violence. This catalyst sets in motion repercussions that will one-day rock Florida´s political foundation.

Twenty years later, finds Allen Pearson—a likeable guy just trying to do a good thing—in collaboration with real estate developer Celeste Dillon to restore the Strand Theater. Celeste has allowed Allen to operate his antique auction in the historic building for a nominal percentage of the profits, in order to jump-start the revitalization effort in Tampa´s blighted downtown area. But as Allen concetrates on the auction, he finds himself ensnared in a DEA sting and the mark of someone practicing Santeria voodoo.

Meanwhile, for Celeste´s long-term plan to work, she must secure a $38 million HUD loan and convince Tampa´s City Council to co-sign the note. The sticking point is the "criminal element" that plagues the area. But Celeste, as neurotic as she is beautiful, has sinister plans for the Strand and for the homeless population that prowls the city´s streets.

Allen´s efforts to even the score with the drug smugglers lead to his discovery of Celeste´s true agenda, which threatens to destroy all he´s worked for.

Then the unthinkable happens—an environmental catastrophe shuts down the water supply to the Tampa Bay area, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents. The governor enacts an emergency order, which causes downtown property values to soar. The HUD loan appears to be a certainty, but Allen now posesses information about the deal that could put his life, and the lives of those he loves, in danger.

Filled with gritty and often hilarious characters, THE STRAND is Suzanne Smith´s debut novel—a darkly humorous suspense thriller, with many bizarre twists that lead to a surprising conclusion.