George Clay

 George Clay jumped into my imagination with both feet when Michael Bracken invited me to submit a story to a proposed anthology to be called Groovy Gumshoes, Private Eyes in the Swinging Sixties. That story, “Heir Apparent,” was revised and incorporated into my new book, Bless Our Sleep.

In the sultry heat of 1968 Miami, private investigator George Clay finds himself entangled in a web of murder, smuggling, and forbidden desire. Fresh out of the Navy with an honorable discharge and a taste for adventure, George sets up shop on Miami Beach, where the glittering facade of Art Deco hotels hides a thriving underground gay scene.

When wealthy banker Will Broadwater hires George to find a missing signet ring, the PI stumbles upon the battered body of a teenage boy known as "Worm" in Matheson Hammock Park. As George digs deeper, he uncovers a tangled network of privileged teens, Cuban exiles, and shadowy figures with dangerous secrets to protect.

Complicating matters is George's growing attraction to the handsome and enigmatic Alex Reyes, a Cuban exile with his own ties to Miami's criminal underworld. As their relationship deepens, George must navigate the treacherous waters of love and trust in a world where nothing is as it seems.

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 With the help of his new friend Raj and the reluctant cooperation of Detective Aloma, George races to unravel the mystery behind Worm's death and a high-stakes smuggling operation. From the neon-lit streets of South Beach to the lush mangroves of the Florida Keys, George's investigation takes him into the heart of Miami's Cuban community and the dangerous world of drug trafficking.

As the body count rises and the danger mounts, George finds himself caught between his duty to solve the case and his loyalty to Alex. Can he bring justice for Worm without destroying the man he's falling in love with? And can a rough-around-the-edges PI from the wrong side of the tracks find happiness with a wealthy, sophisticated Cuban exile?

 

Set against the backdrop of a city in flux, where the sexual revolution clashes with conservative values and the influx of Cuban refugees reshapes the cultural landscape, "Bless Our Sleep" is a gripping noir thriller that explores themes of identity, belonging, and the power of love to transcend social boundaries.

I’ve tried to bring 1960s Miami vividly to life, from the smoky depths of the Cockpit gay bar to the sun-drenched beaches of Haulover.

I hope that fans of the Mahu series and the Have Body, Will Guard series will fall in love with George, as I have.

My connection to Miami Beach goes back a long way, to the time in the early 1960s when my father’s mother spent winter months in a hotel on Meridian Avenue during the winter. I imagine her among those retirees in their lawn chairs, basking in the sun and playing cards.

The Rouse Company, which employed me as a construction manager at South Street Seaport in New York, transferred me to Miami in the fall of 1986. I got off the plane, felt the warm air and saw the palm trees, and decided I was going to stay. I fell in love with Nice, France, on a visit when I was fourteen, and spent two summers there as a young man. But I couldn’t find a way to live there permanently, and Miami seemed a good choice, which it has been for over thirty years.

My parents came to visit me my first Christmas, and I got to see the city, the Keys, and Key West through their memories. Those have informed my descriptions of George’s world.

If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll follow me on Goodreads and BookBub. Both of those sites help readers discover me and my books, and getting a lot of free subscribers there can offer me promotional opportunities.