While Elaine L. Orr lives and works in the heart of the midwest, her life has been enriched by time spent on the mid-Atlantic coast beaches of New Jersey and Maryland. In her humorous mysteries, Orr pays homage to the eastern beach towns by making it the home of protagonist Jolie Gentil in The Jolie Gentil Cozy Mystery Series.

Springfield, IL -- (SBWire) -- 09/25/2013 --Elaine L. Orr has enjoyed a diverse career as a writer, editor and publisher for more than thirty years. However, while she is regarded for a diverse array of stories and novels, Orr’s greatest pleasure comes at the coast – walking the boardwalks and eating French fries with dashes of vinegar. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the region whetted Orr’s literary appetite as the perfect setting for a compelling series of mystery novels.

The Jolie Gentil Cozy Mystery Series is as unique as its New Jersey setting; fusing fact with fiction to boast plausible plots that will keep readers wanting more. The series currently has five books that are resonating with readers from coast to coast and as far away as Australia and New Zealand.

Series synopsis:

The Jolie Gentil mystery series debuted in October 2011 with Appraisal for Murder, and was followed by Rekindling Motives and When the Carny Comes to Town. The most recent books are Any Port in a Storm (September 2012) and Trouble on the Doorstep (March 2013). All books are in electronic form and paperback, including large print, and some (soon all) are in audio. Watch for Behind the Walls in fall 2013, and a prequel (Jolie and Scoobie High School Misadventures) in September.

Jolie (pronounced Zho-Lee, last name Zhan-tee) is a real estate appraiser in a New Jersey beach town whose flexible schedule seems to allow plenty of time for trouble. With a name that translates to ‘pretty nice’ in French, she's used to teasing, and her embezzler ex-husband taught her more about trouble than she could have imagined. But stumbling across dead bodies in the middle of the work day? That's a new one.

As the author explains, “This is my recreation of the eastern beach towns in fiction. I set Jolie and friends in a fictional east coast beach town, gave Jolie a profession that gives her flexibility as well as time to get in trouble (real estate appraiser), and character quirks that let Jolie and friends grow with the series,” says Orr.

Continuing, “While the mix of murder, family, and friends led to the first four books in the series, when it came time for number five (Trouble on the Doorstep), Hurricane Sandy had just brought her wrath to the Jersey shore. It was not ‘just’ a storm, but a life changer for millions of people. Therefore, Sandy could not be ignored, and the storm and its aftermath are woven into Trouble on the Doorstep.”

To date, each book in the series has attracted a string of rave reviews. For example, writing for LL Book Reviews, Susan Anderson said of Appraisal for Murder, “The book is a snappy read with all the ingredients of a first class mystery including a sleuth with an unquenchable spirit who will engage your heart and mind. Orr brings the Jersey Shore to life. Jolie runs on the boardwalk, takes the dogs on long walks, smells the salt tang of the sea air, reacquaints herself with old high school chums, and slowly uncovers evidence to reveal the perpetrator. She leaves no stone unturned.”

Orr has also kept eastern seaboard residents guessing about the book’s ‘real’ location.

“Is Ocean Alley based on a real place? As several Jersey shore readers have guessed, Ocean Grove is in my mind as I write, though Ocean Alley is far more commercial than Ocean Grove. And it has more murders!” she adds.

With many more books in the works, readers are urged to dive into ‘The Jolie Gentil Cozy Mystery Series.’ Each book is available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1fu0ciI and all other online retailers, including all Amazon international sites.

For more information and to view other releases, visit the author’s official website: http://www.elaineorr.com.

About Elaine L. Orr
Elaine L. Orr has written fiction and nonfiction for many years and introduced the Jolie Gentil cozy mystery series in 2011. She began writing plays and novellas and graduated to longer fiction by the mid-1990s. She has written plays and other light mysteries, and Biding Time, which is geared to young adults and was one of five finalists in the National Press Club's 1993 fiction contest, the club's first. Her nonfiction includes material on caring for aging parents and carefully researched local and family history books. Elaine is a regular attendee at conferences such as the Midwest Writers Workshop and Magna Cum Murder. She studied writing at the University of Maryland, Georgetown University School of Continuing Education, the Writer's Center of Bethesda, Maryland, and the University of Iowa's Summer Writing Festival. She grew up in Maryland and moved to the Midwest in 1994. Her books are at all online retailers, in all formats. Bookstores and libraries can also order paperbacks or eBooks.