Any Port in a Storm

A Jolie Gentil Cozy Mystery #4

by Elaine Orr

Jolie Gentil and friends are putting the finishing touches on the Talk Like a Pirate Day fundraiser for the food pantry and trying to figure out who's breaking into some of the houses Jolie appraises. When she realizes a new face in town is leading high school kids into trouble in those houses, she's mad and lets him know it. But Hayden offers to help her mind her own business, and a lot of people at the fundraiser hear her give him what for. A hurricane's on the way to disrupt the fundraiser, and when a corpse turn up under the pirate ship the next day, someone wants to be sure Jolie looks like a suspect.

When her car gets run into a ditch, Jolie knows someone is seriously mad at her. Soon she's getting less work. Who wants a possible murder suspect appraising their house? Scoobie's pirate limericks can't solve a crime, so Jolie and her sometimes buddy local reporter George Winters look for the murderer and try to figure out who's trying to frame Jolie. They need to stay ahead of whoever's mad at her and off the radar of the local police who tell Jolie -- for the hundredth time -- to butt out. For a cozy mystery with a dose of humor and a touch of romance, join Jolie and friends in Ocean Alley.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy

195 pages, Paperback

First published July 9, 2012

About the author

Also published as Elaine L. Orr
Elaine L. Orr has authored 35 works of fiction, including four mystery series. They include the fourteen-book Jolie Gentil cozy mystery series, which is set at the Jersey shore. "Behind the Walls" was short-listed for the 2014 Chanticleer Mystery and Mayhem Awards. "Demise of a Devious Neighbor," second of the River's Edge series, set in Iowa, was a Chanticleer shortlister in 2017.

The Western Maryland mountains host the five-book Family History Mystery Series, which began with "Least Trodden Ground." The "Unscheduled Murder Trip" received a B.R.A.G. Medallion in 2021. Small-town Illinois is the setting for the Logland Series, which features Police Chief Elizabeth Friedman -- a police procedural with a cozy feel.

Elaine also writes plays and novellas, including the one-act, "Common Ground," published in 2015. Her novella, "Biding Time," was one of five finalists in the National Press Club's first fiction contest, in 1993. "Falling into Place" is a novella about family strength as a World War II veteran rises to the toughest occasion. "In the Shadow of Light" is the fictional story of Corozón and her family, who are separated at the U.S./Mexico border.

A member of Sisters in Crime, Elaine grew up in Maryland and moved to the Midwest in 1994.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jolie Gentil was finding many of the houses she was appraising for sale had been broken into, with trash left behind; she’d even disturbed some youngsters as they fled when she arrived. It was the stranger who took her eye – around five to six years older than the teens he was enticing into crime, Jolie hadn’t seen him around Ocean Alley before. When the town hosted Talk Like a Pirate day, she had the teens helping, and the stranger, Hayden was close by, causing Jolie to give him a piece of her mind. But it was when a body turned up in the middle of a severe storm that Jolie realized she was in trouble.

Scoobie and George set out to help Jolie solve the mystery of the death, to remove the title of murder suspect from her name. Once again the police told her to stay out of it, to mind her own business, to let them do their work – but of course Jolie didn’t listen. The job of framing her had worked well…

Any Port in a Storm is the 4th in the A Jolie Gentil Cozy Mystery series by Elaine Orr, and it was fun and entertaining, as the series has so far proven to be. I enjoy the characters of Scoobie and Jolie, Aunt Madge, Harry, Ramona and George and am looking forward to the next in the series soon. Recommended.

[Lucii Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another incredible addition to the Jolie Gentil cozy mystery series. A story packed with drama, busybodies, complex characters and an officer of the law who may end up having a coronary because of Jolie’s antics.

The characters in this one can be quite irritating. Though I found Madge has calmed her ‘tantrum’ ways in this one. I love Jolie and George; though I really wish they’d stop acting like 14 year olds and get together already. They’re absolutely hilarious and I’m gutted Scoobie wasn’t in this one very much. Maybe Ain’t Madge’s attitude (for an 80+ woman, she certainly gets the PMS moods!) has toned down due to a certain gentleman called Harry?

The story, the mystery, and the general investigation was an interesting one, and talk like a pirate day? Sign me up! Sounds fun! I’m really starting to wish I lived in Ocean Alley so I can join the fun.

I’m absolutely loving this series and can’t wait to dig into the next one!!

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hate At Its Worse

Appraising houses Jolie Gentil finds break-ins and she recognize one person that disturbs her very much. A tropical storm ends the SPEAK LIKE A PIRATE day and the next morning a man is found murder at the site. Clues point to Jolie and her curiosity wants to know who hates so much they are trying to frame her. The events take strange turns that keep you guessing. The ending surprise me. I am reading this series out of order and have no trouble understanding as there is enough of a back story to understand it.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very impressed with the characters and the writing in this book. I haven't read the earlier books but I will. Jolie's career (house appraiser) and volunteer work (in a food pantry) bring her in contact with interesting characters and situations. Her aunt, George, Scoobie, and the two homeless men, Max and Josh, are great regular members of the cast. Orr's writing style flows very well and dialogue is also a strong point.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author has created one of the best story series. You got your usual murder, suspects, a handsome protector, escaping possible death brought on by a deranged woman, the ah-ha moment when you realize who the murder is, and finally solving the case.

[Glenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

5th book in the Jolie Gentil mystery series. i have read them all and will read the next one released.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of her better books. Fun mystery

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jolie Gentil wishes that she'd never heard of Talk Like A Pirate Day and that she hadn't been talked into using the concept as a fundraiser for her food bank. It's been a busy time running up to the event, made even more stressful when the local teenagers begin running amok by breaking into houses, shop-lifting and generally creating havoc. When the leader of this group is found dead at the benefit, Jolie (who had words with the victim before his death) becomes the number one suspect. It's up to her and her friends to clear her name before she finds herself incarcerated.

This book tied together some of the concepts from the first three. Many loose ends were brought together and the main cast of characters showed personal growth. Though I didn't guess the murderer in the other books, this one was more clearly telegraphed than previously, yet the conclusion was effective.

I recommend this series to cosy lovers with the caveat that reading the books in order will provide the most pleasurable reading experience.

[Linda C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jolie is heading up the Talk Like a Pirate fund raiser for the food pantry when she finds a group of teens breaking into houses she's appraising. Since one of them is a good friend's 14 year-old daughter who seems to be under the influence of an older young man, she tries to get the kids involved with the fund raiser. Then a hurricane blows in cutting the event short. Clean up the next day results in the discovery of the body of the young man and then the murder weapon turns up in Jolie's car. Jolie, George and friends try to figure out who's trying to frame Jolie. Jolie does some stupid stuff as usual, exasperating the police. The four friends in this series seem to act like they are still teenagers.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful story with the antics of Jolie and George is there also. Someone is messing with her with break ends at the houses she appraises and a dead body when that wasn’t part of the fundraiser they were having. Mayhem and murder at the finest. Given audio for my voluntary review and my honest opinion

[J.T.K. Gibbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little darker than the previous three in this series, Orr nonetheless sweeps the reader into situations where past deeds come to the fore and harm the present. Jolie faces a murder accusation, relationships changes and a deepening of her life in Ocean Alley. A wonderful read!

[Kaye · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5**

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story moved at a good pace. Some of the interpersonal relationships plots were just mentioned in passing.

[Nancy]

Jolie Gentil and friends are putting the finishing touches on the Talk Like a Pirate Day fundraiser for the food pantry and trying to figure out who's breaking into some of the houses Jolie appraises. When she realizes a new face in town is leading high school kids into trouble in those houses, she's mad and lets him know it. But Hayden offers to help her mind her own business, and a lot of people at the fundraiser hear her give him what for. A hurricane's on the way to disrupt the fundraiser, and when a corpse turn up under the pirate ship the next day, someone wants to be sure Jolie looks like a suspect.

When her car gets run into a ditch, Jolie knows someone is seriously mad at her. Soon she's getting less work. Who wants a possible murder suspect appraising their house? Scoobie's pirate limericks can't solve a crime, so Jolie and her sometimes buddy local reporter George Winters look for the murderer and try to figure out who's trying to frame Jolie. They need to stay ahead of whoever's mad at her and off the radar of the local police who tell Jolie -- for the hundredth time -- to butt out.

Put on your pirate bandana and eye patch and join the fun in Ocean Alley -- with Jolie, Scobbie, Aunt Madge, and George. And let's not forget the dogs (Mister Rogers and Miss Piggy) and Jolie's cat, Jazz. And do batten down the hatches -- a hurricane's approaching.

One of the homeless men accidentally killed the bad boyfriend of the young girl working in the soup kitchen. He eventually confessed.

[Jenny Falcone · Rating 3 out of 5]

"As the top left corner [of the pirate ship shaped plywood] came toward me, I steadied it and walked a couple steps back. "Yeeee!" I screamed and sat down in the mud, hands splayed at my side. It was a horrible place to sit, as I could stare into xxx's dead eyes."

This is the fourth book in the Jolie Gentil series. Someone is breaking into vacant, for-sale houses and Jolie is trying to figure out what is going on while getting ready for the upcoming fundraising event she is in charge of organizing. Someone dies and she is blamed for it. The break-in's end but other things go wrong for Jolie while she is trying to figure out who has framed her.

The beginning quarter of this book is very slow moving. At this point the pace gets faster as we begin to figure out what everything prior has meant. We do not know the actions of other characters and have to wait for them to tell Jolie about thibgs since the book is written in the first person from Julie's perspective. Our author does a good job of describing her characters and we get a feel for everyone's emotions but it takes some time to get this feeling.

This is an interesting book and I would recommend it. This is not a christian book but Jolie makes some references to God and that she should give her problems to Him a couple times. Nothing even remotely explicit happens other than a reference to Jolie's aunt's boyfriend coming out of the house at a late hour and Jolie and her new boyfriend making out on the living room floor after a movie. 3 out of 5 stars. It will be interesting to see what happens with Jolie next.

[Jeanie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really have fun with the Jolie Gentil series. The mysteries are intriguing but what I love most is the character interaction.

A young man who has been hanging around young teens including a friend of Jolie's is murder the day after Jolie is seen having and angry exchange with the young man. It soon looks as if Jolie is being frame for the murder so of course she sets out to find who really killed him. Her friends are split on helping her or pushing to leave it in the hands of the police. On the nicer side, a little romance grows for the appraiser.

[Sonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fairly predictable, but fun.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book as well as the others in the series.

[Nannette · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED IT

[bex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent cozy

Pretty good distraction. Decent cozy. Reasonable sense of the Jersey shore, at least for someone who doesn't know it well.