Neighing with Fire: A Mystery (Colleen McCabe Series)

PACIFIC BOOK AWARDS FINALIST IN SUSPENSE, 2015 LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA LITERARY AWARD NOMINEE
Fire Chief Colleen McCabe is enjoying a quiet summer and her budding romance with Sheriff Bill Dorman. However, her peaceful start to the tourist season is shattered when a tropical storm blows through Corolla and unearths a body buried under a vacation home boardwalk. When callous land developer Denny Custis dies in a suspicious fire, Colleen has a hunch the two deaths are linked.
As she and Bill investigate, they discover that virtually everyone, including Colleen, has had a beef or run-in with Denny and a motive for murder. When Pinky Salvatore becomes the primary suspect, Colleen is determined to clear his name. Despite his and Denny's well-documented housing development rivalry, Colleen is convinced that the real killer is still out there.
While digging through an ever-widening list of suspects, Bill and Colleen become embroiled in a vicious battle between those committed to saving Corolla's wild horses, those protecting the endangered piping plover shore bird, and a greedy tour company who would destroy their habitats.
Neighing with Fire is the third entry in Kathryn O'Sullivan's cozy series known for its colorful characters, strong setting and thoroughly charming humor.