Salvagia: A Novel

Triss Mackey lives aboard the Floating Ghost, a rented sentient CabanaBoat, diving for recyclables in the flooded yoreshore—the submerged remains of formerly-coastal cities. She supplements her income by selling salvagia, nostalgic artifacts from the past, to the highest bidder. When the federal government begins withdrawing from Florida, Triss must purchase the Ghost outright or lose the loophole that allows her to live freely. As corporate mafias position themselves to seize power in the region, particularly Mourning in Miami under Edgar Ortiz, Triss searches for a valuable salvage score that will secure her independence from both federal and corporate control. Her search leads her to discover Ortiz's chained, drowned corpse—and complications she did not anticipate. To solve the mystery of Ortiz's death, Triss partners with Riley, Ortiz's spaceracing son. Their investigation may uncover valuable salvagia and offer Triss a path to sustainable freedom in Florida. This sci-fi mystery debut draws inspiration from John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series and is reminiscent of Kim Stanley Robinson's New York 2140.