Lucky Number Seven

 

He’s as cool as a Pina Colada on a Key West beach, he’s the kind of guy your mother wouldn’t let you play with, and he’s every bad guy’s worst nightmare. Nick Seven is back in “The Big Fall,” a romantic adventure from Tim Smith. This is the seventh installment in the popular series featuring two former spies trying to keep a low profile in the Florida Keys, but not having much luck.

 

“Just when you think life can’t get much better, a crashing wave wipes out your sand castle. Former spies Nick Seven and Felicia Hagens are taking a break from Key Largo to visit a casino owned by Nick’s friend, Rock Bianco. An unexpected, nasty encounter with one of Nick’s former lovers turns disastrous when she’s killed shortly afterward. The police and the girl’s wealthy father are convinced that Nick did it, despite the lack of hard evidence. The billionaire industrialist wages an online smear campaign to make Nick look guilty, including sordid details from his past career in the CIA. The stakes become more personal when the fallout impacts Felicia, testing their relationship. Nick fights back, but why is the man determined to hold him responsible for his daughter’s murder? Who really killed her, and why is their identity being shielded? Can Nick and Felicia resolve this crisis and reclaim their idyllic life in paradise?”

This is a different kind of story for this series, because Nick and Felicia don’t get involved in international intrigue or a criminal plot. Since Nick is being set up as the fall guy for a murder he didn’t commit, he and Felicia must use their covert intelligence skills to find the real killer. The nemesis du jour is an arrogant Miami billionaire who uses his mega-bucks to get what he wants, manipulates the media for his own benefit, and crushes anyone who gets in his way. Unfortunately, this time the target happens to be Nick Seven.

 

At the core of the story is a strong romance between Nick and Felicia, his former co-worker from Barbados. The situation they’ve found themselves in threatens their relationship, but ultimately brings them closer. Here’s a snippet:

 

Nick and Felicia walked hand in hand, barefoot along the water’s edge, the incoming tide washing over their feet. Nick wore an open box-cut shirt that allowed the gentle evening breeze to keep him cool. He glanced at Felicia’s hips swaying ever-so-sexily under the white mesh throw she wore over her string bikini.

 

They hadn’t said much about their fact-finding trip or the day’s earlier events. Nick was irritated about being the prime suspect in a crime he didn’t commit, and he knew Felicia was upset, too. When they returned to shore after dinner he had suggested the moonlight stroll as a distraction.

 

“So pretty and peaceful out here,” Felicia said. “I always liked walkin’ along the beach back home at night, listenin’ to the tides roll in.”

 

“Do you ever get homesick?”

 

“Once in a while, ‘specially around holidays and birthdays.”

 

“Any regrets about staying here instead of going back to Barbados?”

 

She stopped and looked up at him. “None. Any regrets about askin’ me to stay with you?”

 

Nick cupped her cheek with his palm and gazed into her soft eyes. “Not a one. Why would I have second thoughts about making you a part of my life?”

 

Felicia shrugged. “I thought maybe you had a pretty full agenda, and I wasn’t sure I’d fit into it.”

 

Nick leaned down and planted his lips on hers, giving her a gentle kiss. “Life was nothing before you came along. Just an endless parade of meaningless encounters.”

 

They looked out at the ocean. The lights of a cruise ship crossing on the horizon broke up the endless darkness. Seagulls pecked at seaweed that had washed ashore. Sounds of laughter from a nearby group who were clearly enjoying themselves drifted in, along with the unmistakable aroma of reefer.

 

“Since you brought it up,” Felicia said, “can I ask you somethin’?”

 

“What did I bring up?”

 

“Your life before we reconnected a few years ago.”

 

Nick felt his gut clench a bit. Revisiting his past wasn’t something he liked to indulge in very often, preferring to let sleeping ghosts lie. There were enough of them to occupy the world’s largest haunted house at Halloween. He had worked hard at putting that unpleasantness in a vault under double lock and key, with instructions not to open it. He also realized that Felicia was now an integral part of his life, he trusted her, and part of that trust involved candor, no matter how uncomfortable it was.

 

“Such as?”

 

“This girl they think you killed. Were you two very close?”

 

“Not really.”

 

“How long did you date her?”

 

“A few months.”

 

Felicia looked at him. “Okay, Mister Tightlips. This is me you’re talkin’ to, not some board of inquiry where you stick to the facts and nothin’ but.”

 

Nick twirled a strand of her long hair that blew in the breeze. “I’d characterize my relationship with Kristine Overman as a one-night stand that turned into a runaway train heading for a fork in the tracks. Came a point where I had to decide whether to stay on board or jump off.”

 

Felicia kissed him. “I’m glad you landed on your feet.”

This story drew inspiration from current events, especially the influence of social media and how some people use it for their own good at the expense of others. There’s also an homage to one of my favorite dramas, “Law & Order,” and some nods to film noir crime capers. Add in tropical Florida atmosphere, from the oceanfront sands of Fort Lauderdale to the laidback ease of The Keys, and you have all the necessary ingredients for an entertaining read. Happy reading!     

“The Big Fall” (Nick Seven, Book 7) is available on Amazon, Kindle and print. "The Big Fall" on Amazon   

Tim Smith is an award-winning, bestselling author of romantic mystery/thrillers and contemporary romance. He is also a freelance writer, editor, blogger and photographer. His books featuring former CIA operative Nick Seven have garnered several awards and international critical praise. His author site is Tim Smith, AllAuthor