Neighing with Fire

In O'Sullivan's diverting third mystery to feature Corolla, N.C., fire chief Colleen McCabe (after 2014's Murder on the Hoof), Colleen and her border collie, Sparky, come across a body on the beach, later identified as that of Michael Hector Fuentes. Although Tropical Storm Ana has swept through the area, the report of the medical examiner indicates a more sinister cause of Michael's demise. Raising further questions is the death of Michael's boss, local construction titan Denny Custis, in an atypical fire. Colleen's new boyfriend, Currituck County sheriff Bill Dorman, would rather that she avoid possibly threatening situations, but she worries about the potential involvement of Denny's rival, Antonio "Pinky" Salvatore, and her former teacher Myrtle Crepe, self-styled mistress of disguise and an advocate for the Outer Banks wild horse population, who previously tangled with Denny. The upcoming New Age-y nuptials of firefighter Chip and the town residents' intense interest in Colleen and Bill's budding relationship provide an amusing counterpoint. Agent: Eleanor Wood, Spectrum Literary Agency. (May)