The Jacaranda

Everyone is running from something at the Jacaranda, a low-key summer getaway in Hesper Key on the gulf side in Florida. Stella Hennessey took over operations when her gambling husband disappeared, relying on the income of a cast of characters that summer in this out-of-the-way enclave. That is, until Frank Dallary finds himself on the run after a failed coup and in need of a hideout. Only this is a calculated move: Frank's long-lost, unsuspecting nephew, Robert, works for Stella. Uncle Frank wants to inspire Robert's piano career with his wide range of contacts but has to approach the situation carefully, as Robert is filled with the same temperamental Dallary blood. Meanwhile Frank seems a bit over his head with Stella, who has plans of her own. Part romance, part murder mystery, part family reunion, and all around adventure story, this is one of David Rubin's most fully realized novels, introducing the world to the tangled web of the Dallary family, which would continue in his writings throughout his life.