Asbury High and the Arson Avenger: Asbury High Series
Young Adult Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Purple Milk Publishing (September 5, 2021)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 349 pages

Synopsis

Suspicious fires erupt all over town.
With no pattern or motive—can they all really be coincidences?
Or are they linked? And why?
Is there an arsonist hiding in Asbury?

 

Carly, Maddie, Pilot and Cornelious begin their junior year, ready to take on the town as upperclassmen. With their most recent case solved, the gang joins the town in hopes of starting anew, with the focus on normalcy. However, in Asbury “normal” is a foreign word. As new relationships bloom and jealousy mounts, the heat begins to rise.

During the first week of school, the local music hangout explodes, leaving only ashes behind. Within weeks, a second location burns down, leaving the gang little doubt that an arsonist is loose in Asbury. Due to growing political pressure from town Mayor Jeremiah Gibbz, as well as lack of any evidence, the fire and police departments are hesitant to blame criminal activity. As usual, the gang finds itself thrust into the investigation, wondering where to begin—especially since the whole town seems adamant on denying foul play.

Unfortunately, proving the fires are the result of an arsonist seems to be just as difficult as solving the actual case. As more fires burn across Asbury, the teens wonder what the motive could possibly be. Finding themselves pulled into a world of revenge and discovering an ages-old grudge, the teens find themselves facing increasingly dangerous situations.

Adding to their fiery investigation are new relationships and typical high school drama. After seeing Maddie with another guy, Cornelious realizes too late that his feelings for Maddie are beyond simple friendship—but will that tear the gang apart when Asbury needs them the most? With the scheming Pitbulls seemingly lurking behind every door, political and departmental denial of arson, busy teen schedules, and new relationships pulling the gang apart, the foursome find it hard to get together.

With all these disruptions, can the quartet resolve their issues and find the arsonist before Asbury burns down?

Amazon

Character Guest Post

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RAINY-DAY ACTIVITY?

from CORNELIOUS

Well, this should come as a surprise to no one. Living in a coastal town, rainy days tend to be more than just your average sprinkling. Usually, it’s a downpour, with tidal risings causing minor flooding—higher during hurricane season.

Because of this, when I know it is going to rain—or when the rain just begins—I head over to see my favorite people. AKA my second family: the Petrozzas. Not only is their crazy family bound to be going wild, but I also know that they’re all together. This, obviously, greatly differs from my family (who spends the rainy days going over stock portfolios or political happenings).

When I get to the Petrozza’s, Mrs. Petrozza will shoo me in—taking off my rainy coat and making sure I know Maddie is in her room, waiting. During the walk up the stairs, I’m sure to bypass two wild, screaming twins, holding onto hot sauce like a lifeline. If Trent is home, he’s probably wrestling or fighting Alec…offering me free rides to parties if I join his side. Clearly, by now I know better than to join in any sibling rivalry—so I pass.

Sometimes, Sophia is baking in the kitchen and sometimes she has a friend over or two—all of whom try to lure me into their room and their middle school games.

When I finally make it to Maddie’s room, Pilot and Carly might be there or it might just be Maddie. I love all my best friends, but I prefer when it’s just Maddie. We can talk for hours about nothing—or do some sleuthing into some recent case.

Basically, just being in the warm Petrozza home with my best friend is how I choose to spend my rainy days. I can honestly say I can count on one thing though” the unknown. In Asbury, with my friends, I know something out of the ordinary will happen.

About the Author

Growing up just over the bridge from Ocean City, NJ in Upper Township meant discovering plenty of fun places to both read, write, and run around outside like a maniac. In fact, for as long as she could remember, Kelly loved making up stories and leaving her listeners/readers on the edge of their seats. Perhaps that’s why she always managed to talk herself out of trouble…

So, if her past teachers and/or coaches are reading this, maybe it’s time to reconsider some of the tales she may have told back in the day.

After graduating from Ocean City High School, Kelly accepted a basketball scholarship to Holy Family University, in Philadelphia. Upon graduating college, Kelly continued to live in Philly, teaching for four years and meeting the love of her life during a snowstorm. In fact, it was her awesome husband who encouraged her to pursue her writing–Yay, Ryan!

Before writing page-turners, however, she taught first, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade — like a dessert menu, she simply had to test them all out. But her favorite job is the one she’s now doing full time: writing.

As her first published work, the Asbury High series has been brewing since she was 18, and has something for every type of reader–go ahead take look for yourself! If you love mysteries, you’ve found your new favorite author. Kelly loves to craft whodunit mysteries, leading readers through various twists and turns filled with red-herrings, hidden clues, and more peculiar characters than a reality show. As an athlete, she hopes that the importance of teamwork and overcoming adversity is also quite clear in her writing

Kelly lives in South Jersey with her handsome husband, energetic baby boys, two cookie-stealing dogs, and an awfully smart cat.

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