In, Mystery at the Dead House, Dee Minolta, a fair to passable real estate appraiser, tells the story of how she stumbled upon the dead body of a land developer during the routine inspection of a vacant home and why that led to the discovery of secrets buried almost 500 years before. She enlists the aid of her best friend and a fishing captain to help unravel an enticing mystery with roots dating back to the Calusa Indians and an early Spanish expedition to Florida, which proves to be a dangerous endeavor. Set against the backdrop of the Great Recession, the story Dee tells is an intriguing one involving murder, treasure and redemption.