Welcome to the Fun in Key West Book Club… where we mix great books, island vibes, a little escapism, and the occasional cocktail pairing just for fun.
If you love Key West, Florida-inspired stories, quirky characters, mysteries, and books that feel like a mini vacation, you’re in the right place. Each month, we feature a new read and share fun ways for you to stay connected with the club.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the book links on this page are Amazon or Bookshop.org affiliate links. That means if you make a purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting Fun in Key West and helping me keep the bookish fun going.
Join the Fun
The best way to stay in the loop is by signing up for the Fun in Key West Book Club newsletter. That’s where I share the current book pick, what we’re reading next, book club extras, and all the latest fun.
Click here to: Join the Book Club Newsletter
Hang Out With Us on Facebook
Want to chat about the current book, share your thoughts, and connect with other readers? Come join us in the Facebook group.
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Prefer a Facebook-Free Option?
You can also join us over on Skool if that’s more your style. It’s another fun place to stay connected with the club and join the conversation.
Click here to: Join the Skool Community
In Key West? Stop by Key West Island Books
If you’re lucky enough to be in Key West, be sure to pop into Key West Island Books and check out the Fun in Key West Book Club section while you’re there.
Suzanne has a shelf devoted to many of our book club picks, which makes it such a fun stop for book lovers. So if you’re wandering around town looking for your next read, definitely stop in and show a little love to one of Key West’s wonderful indie bookstores.
Want to support your local bookstore when you buy the books?
Check out our store on Bookshop.org
This Month’s Featured Book
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Green Flash at Sunset by Nic Schuck
Green Flash at Sunset brings us back to Key West, but this time through the lives of four people all searching for something different… escape, redemption, purpose, and one last shot at becoming who they were meant to be.
Janet is trying to break free from an abusive marriage and find her way back to the artist she once was. Randall, a charter boat captain, is fighting financial ruin and the weight of his past. Stacy is chasing her dream of becoming a songwriter, hoping Key West might be the place where everything finally changes. And Eli, an aging escape artist with fading vision, is preparing for what may be his final performance.
As their lives begin to overlap on the island, their stories become tangled together in ways they never expected. But when violence threatens to destroy the fragile connections they’ve built, each character is forced to face the truth about what they want, what they’ve lost, and what it takes to keep going.
It’s part Key West story, part emotional journey, and part reminder that sometimes the most powerful escapes aren’t from places… they’re from the past we’ve been carrying too long.
Paired With: The Sunset Escape 🍹
Rum, pineapple juice, lime, and a splash of grenadine… bright, layered, and made for that golden-hour moment when anything still feels possible.
Get the book on Amazon ➝
Prefer to support local bookstores? Grab it through our Bookshop.org store ➝
Past Book Club Picks
How Key West Killed JFK by David Sloan
How Key West Killed JFK trades beachy daydreams for something far more intriguing… a version of the Florida Keys where secrets moved as quietly as the tide.
In this fast-paced true story, David L. Sloan explores how Key West may have played a surprising role in the Assassination of John F. Kennedy. Through Cold War tension, Cuban exile activity, and a swirl of intelligence operations, the island becomes more than a backdrop… it becomes part of the story.
Familiar figures like Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby appear alongside lesser-known names like Gilberto Policarpo López, as Sloan pieces together a web that feels bigger than the official narrative.
It’s part history, part investigation, and part “wait… what really happened?”—the kind of book that makes you see Key West in a whole new light.
Paired With: The Conspiracy Cooler 🍹
Vodka, lime, coconut water, and a splash of blue curaçao… smooth, layered, and just a little mysterious.
Mile Marker Zero: The Moveable Feast of Key West by William McKeen
Mile Marker Zero dives straight into the wild, weird, boozy, brilliant world of Key West in its anything-goes heyday, when the island became a magnet for writers, musicians, artists, and larger-than-life personalities looking to reinvent themselves at the end of the road.
At the heart of the book is the story of the legendary cast who helped shape Key West’s reputation as a sun-soaked paradise with a deliciously chaotic undercurrent. Hunter S. Thompson, Jimmy Buffett, Tom McGuane, and a whole crew of unforgettable characters drift through these pages, chasing inspiration, excess, freedom, friendship, and sometimes trouble. What unfolds is part literary history, part cultural time capsule, and part backstage pass to one of the most fascinating eras in Key West history.
This isn’t a novel, but it reads with all the color, energy, and unpredictability of one. McKeen brings the island to life through stories of ambition, mischief, art, love, bad decisions, and the kind of friendships that somehow survive through all of it. Beneath the parties and personalities, there’s also something deeper here about identity, creativity, and why Key West has always drawn people who don’t quite fit anywhere else.
Expect big personalities, behind-the-scenes literary gossip, island history, and plenty of moments that make you laugh, raise an eyebrow, and want to book a trip to Key West immediately. If you love books about writers, Florida, old Key West, or the gloriously unpolished spirit of the Conch Republic, this one is a fascinating ride.
Paired With: The Last Call at Mile Marker Zero
Rum, fresh lime, pineapple juice, and a splash of bitters.
A little breezy, a little bold, and exactly the kind of cocktail that feels right at home in a story about Key West at its most legendary.
Pit Bulls in Paradise: A Dog Fighter’s Funeral by Tony Soika
Pit Bulls in Paradise takes the glossy, sun-drenched image of Key West and flips it on its head, revealing a darker story about justice, loyalty, and doing the right thing when it’s deeply uncomfortable.
At the center is John Tuttle, a decorated Army veteran seeking peace in island life after years of combat and personal loss. But when he uncovers a brutal dog-fighting ring tied to the Russian mafia, his sense of duty and love for animals pull him into a dangerous fight he can’t ignore.
This is a fast-paced, emotionally charged thriller that blends military grit, crime drama, and a powerful stand against animal cruelty. Beneath the action is a very human story about trauma, purpose, and what happens when someone decides that walking away is no longer an option.
Expect tension, moral gray areas, and a Key West setting that goes far beyond the postcard version. This one sticks with you long after the final page.
Paired With: The Watchful Guardian
Bourbon, a splash of citrus, a hint of smoked syrup, and an orange peel.
Strong, layered, and grounded, just like the story.
How Will I Know – Marc Renson
In How Will I Know by Marc Renson, we follow a journey that blends romance, intuition, and the big question we’ve all asked at least once… how do you know when something is truly meant to be? Set against sunny Florida vibes and real-world twists, this story explores love, timing, and the mysterious ways life keeps tapping you on the shoulder when you’re not paying attention.
There’s heart, there’s humor, and there’s that goosebump-y feeling that maybe the universe has a better planner than we do. Add in themes of psychics, signs, and those “this can’t be a coincidence” moments, and you’ve got a read that makes you pause between chapters just to process your own life choices for a second.
What makes this one extra compelling is how grounded it feels while still flirting with the unexplained. It walks the line between everyday reality and “okay but… what if?” in a way that keeps you turning pages and rethinking every chance encounter you’ve ever had.
Expect emotional pulls, reflective moments, a few surprises, and that addictive just one more chapter momentum where suddenly it’s way past bedtime and you’re fully invested in destiny doing its thing.
Paired with: The Cosmic Connection Cooler 🍹
Vodka, splash of elderflower liqueur, fresh lemon, soda water, and a twist of orange peel. Light, bright, and just mysterious enough to make you believe in signs.
Son of a Son of a Pirate — Chris Harvey
Time to trade the airport pretzel for a treasure map, cue up the island playlist, and dive into a Key West adventure that’s part pirate legend, part modern-day chase, and 100% page-turning fun.
In Son of a Son of a Pirate: A Tale of Pirates, Conquistadors, and Parrot Heads, we meet John “Teach” Taylor, a Jimmy Buffett-loving Key West tour guide who stumbles into a hunt for the long-lost fortune of his infamous ancestor, Blackbeard. The treasure trail winds through a stolen Spanish gold haul and rumors of an ancient Aztec relic with power that should probably stay buried. (Because in Key West, even history has a few secrets tucked behind the conch shell curtain.)
What makes this one extra juicy is the time-spanning storytelling: you’re not just in present-day Key West, you’re also swept back into the eras of Aztecs and conquistadors and the Golden Age of piracy, all braided together like a perfectly twisted dock line.
Expect sun-soaked Key West energy, swashbuckling twists, real-history vibes with a little creative license, and that delicious “one more chapter” momentum that makes bedtime a suggestion, not a rule.
Paired with: The Parrot Head Treasure Punch — dark rum, pineapple juice, fresh lime, a splash of orange liqueur, and a tiny float of grenadine. Sweet, bold, and a little dangerous (like chasing pirate gold when you should be leading a walking tour).
Want to Catch Up?
If you’re new here or just want to dive deeper into the bookish fun, here are a couple of good places to head next:
A Little Bookish Escape, Key West Style
Whether you’re reading from your couch, your porch, your pool chair, or your favorite happy hour spot, I’m so glad you’re here.
The Fun in Key West Book Club is all about enjoying good stories, connecting with fellow readers, and adding a little island escape to your reading life.
Want to Join the Book Club?
We’d love to have you!
Click here to sign up for our monthly email, filled with new book picks, discussion invites, and the occasional cocktail recipe inspired by the story.