Murder in Murrells Inlet

Peter F. Warren

Description

With one victim already brutally and senselessly murdered in Murrells Inlet, the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office is then confronted with another similar set of circumstances at the scene of a second murder. As Paul Waring, a retired state trooper from Connecticut, is called in to help investigate these murders, a third victim – a Catholic priest - has been found shot to death inside a church in Pawleys Island. But why? Two days later, a tragedy involving Paul’s family occurs in nearby Garden City. Is this latest incident an attempt to discourage Paul from working these three murders or has the person responsible for these heinous acts become even more dangerous? A suspenseful and exciting series of events connects each of these murders. Then, as Paul and his fellow cops begin digging for answers, they learn their suspect now has plans to blow up the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. As Paul and his colleagues piece together some of the evidence they have found, their suspect's uncle is found dead. Is a symbol from the past really the cause behind all of the mayhem that has caused many along the Grand Strand to become concerned for their safety or are there other reasons? This explosive story will satisfy readers who enjoy being teased with many unsuspecting twists. 

Sujets

• General officer
• Detective
• Mystery
• General
• Fiction

Informations

• Publié par: Outskirts Press
• Date de parution: 28 avril 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781977264497
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

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This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described herein are imaginary and are not intended to refer to specific places or living persons. The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.
MURDER in Murrells Inlet All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2023 Peter F. Warren v3.0
Cover Photo and Author Photo © 2023 Jayne Smith. All rights reserved - used with permission.
This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Outskirts Press, Inc. http://www.outskirtspress.com
ISBN: 978-1-9772-6449-7
Outskirts Press and the "OP" logo are trademarks belonging to Outskirts Press, Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
To Nora June and Nathan Patrick
‘ We’re glad you’ve joined the family!’
Table of Contents
Prologue
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Peter Warren Books


www.readpete.com
Other novels by Peter Warren include:
One Brother’s REVENGE
The Horry County Murders
The Parliament Men
Confederate Gold and Silver
Forgotten Treasure
The Journey North (Written with Roy McKinney and Edward Odom)


Peter Warren often speaks at libraries, schools, book and civic group meetings, and at other events. He has spoken numerous times to Confederate Civil War groups and camps, and at Gettysburg. As well, he often attends, and participates in, Civil War reenactments and other events across South Carolina.
If you would like Peter to speak to your group, please contact him at www.readpete.com , by email at [e-mail] or through his Facebook pages.
LIKE the author on Facebook.
About the Author

Peter Warren retired from the Connecticut State Police Department after serving for many years in several command assignments. He is a graduate of the University of New Haven, the FBI National Academy, and is an Honor Graduate of the Connecticut State Police Academy. He is a past national president of the National Alliance of State Drug Enforcement Agencies; a past member of the CT Chapter of the FBI National Academy; a past member of the American Association of State Troopers, and served several terms as President of the CT State Police Academy Alumni Association.
Currently he resides in Connecticut with his wife Debbie.
A Civil War enthusiast, and an avid golfer, the author has combined those interests, along with his law enforcement experience, to write several novels. Murder in Murrells Inlet is among the author’s best-selling novels. His previous novel – Forgotten Treasure - closely follows on the heels of the author’s well-received historical novel, Confederate Gold and Silver . His murder mysteries include The Horry County Murders, The Parliament Men, and Murder in Murrells Inlet . First appearing in the author’s Civil War novel, Confederate Gold and Silver , several characters from that story also appear in each of the author’s murder mysteries. With the exception of The Journey North , all of the author’s novels occur along the South Carolina coast. Like Confederate Gold and Silver , a novel that has been very well-received by many historical groups and history buffs, The Journey North , is a Civil War novel. Written with Roy McKinney and Edward Odom, the story follows two soldiers as war breaks out in different parts of the country. Suspenseful and intriguing like all of the author’s novels, they are stories that readers will thoroughly enjoy.
The author routinely speaks at libraries, schools, social events, book events, Civil War reenactments, and at many other events. Individuals and organizations interested in having Peter Warren speak at your event may contact him directly at www.readpete.com or by sending him an email at [e-mail] See the author’s Facebook page - PETER WARREN BOOKS .
Single or bulk copies of this book may be obtained through the author, through Outskirts Press, or through the worldwide web.
Some of the Characters

Murder in Murrells Inlet is a story set in Murrells Inlet and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Some of the characters in this story have lived there their entire life, and speak with the rich flavor that so many Southerners have in their voices. A few of them, for several personal reasons, have received little in the form of a formal education; hence, their speech has been intentionally designed to be rough. Those characters, who add so much to this story, are designated below with a * next to their names. I hope you enjoy those characters as much as I do. Like most of the characters, they are honest and hard-working folks; just the kind I enjoy having as family and friends.
Paul Waring
First appearing in the author’s novel Confederate Gold and Silver , the author’s principle protagonist is also the main character in several of the author’s other novels. They include The Horry County Murders, The Parliament Men, Forgotten Treasure, and One Brother’s REVENGE . He is a retired Connecticut state trooper who now resides in Murrells Inlet, SC. One of his closest friends is Bobby Ray Jenkins.
Donna Waring
Paul’s wife. She is a bank manager. Like Paul, Donna appears in several of the author’s novels.
Captain Bobby Ray Jenkins*
A close friend of Paul’s. He is the commanding officer of the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Departments Major Case Squad. Like Paul, he is one of the principle characters.
Sheriff Leroy William Renda*
The sheriff of Georgetown County.
Solicitor Joseph Pascento
A South Carolina prosecutor.
Carl ‘KD’ Adkins
The owner of an ACE Hardware store.
Betty Repko*
A waitress, she is a close friend of the author’s principle characters.
Carter ‘Sonny’ Pratt
A carpenter.
Mickey O’Keefe
Sonny Pratt’s boss.
Ziggy Bagrov
An employee of the South Carolina DMV.
Walter Barber
Georgetown County’s deputy coroner.
The Victims
Roger Platek, Kevin Holland, Father Jonathan Guyette, Uncle Johnny
The Investigators
Sgt. Kent Wilson, Detectives Frank Griffin, Blake Stine, Darren Edwards, Bruce Davis, Sgt. Don Elmendorf, Ron Nanfito, Douglas Vane, Doug Lancelot, Roy McKinney, Trooper Edward Odom, Detectives David Wagner and James Dzamko, and FBI Agent Thomas Scozzafava.
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations GCSD Georgetown County Sheriff’s Department HCSD Horry County Sheriff’s Department MBPD Myrtle Beach Police Department NMBPD North Myrtle Beach Police Department SCHP South Carolina Highway Patrol SLED South Carolina Law Enforcement Division PIO Public Information Officer DD Detective Division ME Medical Examiner MP Military Police SAC Special Agent in Charge NCIC National Crime Information Center XO Executive Officer FTO Field Training Officer RPG Rocket Propelled Grenade RTC Round the Clock PEG Tube Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (a feeding tube) ISIS Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
Prologue

Like so many others he was fighting with, Corporal Gideon Squires, of the 1 st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment, struggled to maintain his position alongside his fellow soldiers. Ordered to fill a widening gap within the Union line along Cemetery Ridge, Squires, like his fellow Minnesotans fighting at Gettysburg, moved bravely forward. Advancing under withering fire, they attempted to beat back the ferocious charge thrown at them by Brigadier General Cadmus Wilcox’s Alabamians.
In the chaos of the hot and dusty afternoon, like in many other places along the Union line, from the Round Tops to the copse of trees sitting slightly more than a stone’s throw away from Squires’ position, Union and Confederate soldiers alike struggled to keep their regiments together as cohesive fighting units. Around them, just as it was across the entire battlefield, the whiz of minie balls, as well as thunderous cannon fire and the screams of thousands of injured soldiers, contributed to the afternoon’s confusion. Further adding to the confusion was the thick acrid smoke which lingered in the air like soft grey clouds. The result of thousands of rounds being fired from a variety of different infantry regiments; both blue and grey, smoke blanketed the area where nervous soldiers hastily fired their weapons; each trying to survive the bitter fight so they could live to fight another day. Around them, smoke from a variety of cannons angrily firing their shells at an enemy they often never saw enveloped the fields where thousands of young men worked to maintain contact with others from their respective regiments.
As evening approached, Gettysburg’s second-day of bitter fighting drew to a close. Across the battlefield, from along the Emmitsburg Road to the Wheatfield, from the Peach Orchard to Spangler’s Farm, and from all along the Union line, soldiers like Gideon Squires, as well Private George Adams, from the 10 th Alabama, struggled to keep in contact with their regiments, and with those supporting them. While some were fortunate enough to walk away from the deadly fight that had ensued for hours, others were not. Limping or crawling from the field of fire, soldiers dressed in a wide variety of blue and butternut colored uniforms anxiously strained their weary eyes across the blood-soaked ground to find a source of comfort amongst the epic ordeal they had somehow managed to survive. Many had been shot or injured by a minie ball destined to find them.
That comfort, found on poles and wooden branches, or on fancy wooden shafts carved before the war, came in many different shapes and sizes. No matter what the colors were, or what the shape and size of these banners an