Fired Up and Feisty

By: Elaine L. Orr

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Fired Up and Feisty
Book 1 of the Shore Shenanigans Series

Fired Up and Feisty puts the Ocean Alley High School Reunion front and center. The Golden Grads (alums from long ago) end up at the Cozy Corner B&B after a fire at the local hotel, Beachcomber's Alley. Well, not all of them – Preston McKinley is found on the floor in the room where the fire started. Did smoldering high school resentments lead to his demise? Or maybe his prior business dealings?

Longtime Ocean Alley resident and local PI George Winters is pulled into the fray, assisted by Cozy Corner B&B owner Madge Richards (a.k.a. Mayor Madge). They get lots of input from snooty seniors.

One of the first things George learns is that the death of Lenna -- sister to Catherine, a current reunion attendee -- may have been more complex than driving off the road. Did Preston McKinley have something to do with why Lenna was outside of town late at night? Does her sister learn more at the reunion?

Preston was an investment advisor whose advice was not always on target. There's even a rumor that he embezzled funds from the high school senior prom. As Ocean Alley Police Sergeant Morehouse says, "That was a long time ago."

But was it the start of a pattern? Preston later created a private investment fund. Did all that money go where it should have? Were some of his high school friends investors who might be angry about results?

There's talk about all of this at B&B, and Mayor Madge keeps her ears open. She wishes she heard less of the Golden Grads' practice for the reunion talent contest.

The night of the big reunion party, George keeps an eye on key plyers and follows a couple of them to a hallway away from the main event. As Louie Louie blares, angry words and a couple of gunshots fly. Will Preston McKinley's killer be unmasked?

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The Senior Shenanigans series will feature small groups of visitors to Ocean Alley, all of them staying at Mayor Madge's Cozy Corner B&B. As the primary sleuth, George Winters will discover whatever is churning. As a man usually paid to investigate more mundane things (think background checks for big corporations), he's quick to dive into issues B&B guests bring with them to the Jersey Shore. A few familiar faces from other Jersey Shore books will stroll in from time to time, but you won't see as much of them as in other of Orr's mystery series.