Southern Comfort by Fern Michaels

From Goodreads: Atlanta homicide detective Patrick 'Tick' Kelly turned his back on the world the day his wife and children were murdered. Abandoning his city and his career, he holed up in a beach house on Mango Key, Florida, and drowned his grief in Jack Daniels. Now sober and a bestselling author, Tick would gladly stay a recluse forever if his brother Pete didn't keep trying to drag him back to the land of the living. After years of sacrificing her personal life in favour of her DEA job, special agent Kate Rush resigned and moved back to her native Miami. But the unofficial assignment that has just come her way is too intriguing to pass up. She and a fellow ex-agent are relocated to Mango Key to keep an eye on an imposing, mysterious fortress believed to be at the centre of a human trafficking ring. At first, the Kelly brothers are suspected of involvement, but Kate is sure Tick poses no danger - except for the slow-burning gaze that makes her breath catch and her heart race. Tick finds himself fascinated by Kate's investigation - and by her inviting mix of courage and kindness. Teaming up, they uncover a web of betrayal, blackmail, and ruthless greed. And as danger mounts, Tick realizes how far he'll go to protect the rare and surprising gift that's come his way: a second chance at a happy ending

This was good, not great, but good. It was clean, it was somewhat predictable, but it moved along at a good clip and held my attention. The predictable part was not so much plot but the characters - they were kind of stock - the jaded cop, the blowhard administrator so as things unfolded they acted pretty much exactly like I expected them to act. The dialogue was kind of cheesy, occasionally it was so bad it would distract me from the story as I thought, "People do not actually talk like this!" I liked the setting, would love to visit the Keys someday and lay on the beach, swim in the water, and drink in the bars! This would be a great book to take on vacation.

I received this book from the Goodreads First reads program. It counts for these challenges...