Underground in Ocean Alley

Elaine L. Orr

Sep 2018 · Lifelong Dreams Publishing

About this ebook

 Jolie Gentil has sworn off butting into other people’s business. To those who know her, it sounds as far-fetched as finding used bubble gum on Mars. Her life revolves around her husband Scoobie, her twins, appraising the occasional house, and helping run the Cozy Corner B&B. 

Nothing could drag Jolie into solving crimes. Really.

Except maybe a request from the most unlikely source. Sergeant Morehouse is convinced his nephew is not a runaway. Something had terrified the teenager, but before Morehouse could figure it out, Kevin was gone.

Jolie has a soft spot for Kevin, who helped Scoobie’s young brother Terry adjust to life in Ocean Alley. Plus, she has a feeling that Kevin saw something he wasn’t
supposed to see at the hospital, when he had his appendix removed.

She has to make the time to follow her hunch. Kind of hard to balance family, the B&B, and the upcoming Cinco de Mayo-themed food pantry fundraiser. And what about the murder of the hospital's head nurse? Could it be connected to Kevin's disappearance?

Adding to the mix is Aunt Madge decision to enlighten the Jersey shore by running for mayor of Ocean Alley. She's convinced a proposed resort will change the character of Ocean Alley. With her husband Harry as campaign manager, she intends to convince voters progress doesn't have to mean lots more concrete.

Jolie has faith in her hunches. Scoobie isn't so sure and Aunt Madge believes Jolie needs a remedial course in minding her own business.

But Kevin’s life may depend on Jolie’s certainty and her efforts to find him before a killer does.

Follow the crime -- and fun -- in the eleventh Jolie Gentil cozy mystery.

Ratings and reviews

I like the story/plot but I think this needs a good editor before publishing for a smoother reading. The twin's antics are such a hoot.

a really good story I enjoyed it very much will read more of these books

a good book. The characters are well developed and relatable.

About the author

Elaine L. Orr writes three mystery series, including the eleven-book Jolie Gentil cozy mystery series. Behind the Walls was a finalist for the 2014 Chanticleer Mystery and Mayhem Awards. The first book in her River's Edge series, From Newsprint to Footprints, came out in late 2015, and the Logland series began with Tip a Hat to Murder in 2016. Demise of a Devious Neighbor, the second River's Edge book, was a Chanticleer finalist in 2017.

She also writes plays and novellas, including the one-act play, Common Ground published in 2015. Her novella, Falling into Place, tells the story of a family managing the results of an Iowa father’s World War II experience with humor and grace. Another novella, Biding Time, was one of five finalists in the National Press Club's first fiction contest, in 1993.

Elaine conducts presentations and teaches online classes on book publishing and other writing-related topics. Nonfiction includes Writing in Retirement: Putting New Year's Resolutions to Work, and Words to Write By: Getting Your Thoughts on Paper. Elaine grew up in Maryland and moved to the Midwest in 1994.

She graduated from the University of Dayton and the American University. She did some journalism course work at the University of Maryland and took fiction courses from The Writer's Center in Bethesda, MD, the University of Iowa Summer Writing Festival, and Georgetown University's Continuing Education Program. Elaine is a regular attendee at the Midwest Writers Workshop and Magna Cum Murder. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Indiana Writers’ Center.