The Lockview Logans
Fire One
by
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Tori was reading contentedly in her bedroom when she smelled a rather strange smell. The slender fifteen-year-old put down her paperback novel and pushed her blonde bangs out of her eyes. What was that odour? It was a burning smell. But not like the nice smell of wood burning in a woodstove or fi replace. It sort of smelled electrical. Or was it chemical? Tori couldn’t be sure. All she knew was that it was nasty. It made her nostrils twitch. Tori heard the television blaring in the downstairs family room and decided to check on her younger sister. She bounded down the wooden staircase, landed with a bang, and hurried into the cozy family room. “Mack, do you smell something?” “No. Why? Did you fart?” Twelve-year-old Mackenzie was reading on the carpeted floor, lounging in a puddle of sun that was streaming in through the large bay window. She was ignoring the loud tube, and with one hand was idly running her fingers through Charlie’s curly fur. Charlie was the family dog, a black miniature poodle. “Seriously, Mack. I smell something. It smells like something’s on fire. But not like a wood fire. It’s weird. It’s like burning wires or stinky gas. It’s awful.” Mack set down her dog-eared novel and tucked her long red hair behind her ears. “See! You did fart. I can’t smell anything, you loser. But then again, you always think you’re smelling things. Now, get lost. I’m busy.” Mack picked up her mystery novel again. “Fine! Just forget it, Mack. And turn off the stupid TV. You’re not even watching it. But I do smell something. And it’s not a good smell.” Tori grabbed a cushion off the couch and threw it at her sister. Charlie barked. Finding nothing noteworthy in the house, Tori ventured outside through the garage. It was a beautiful summer day—a bit cool, but the sun was shining in a sky of turquoise blue. Tori took a deep breath—but it wasn’t fresh air that she breathed in. The smell was definitely coming from outside. She padded down the driveway. Wait a minute. She looked up. Was that a whiff of smoke coming out of the Camerons’ upstairs window?
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About the Book
After Tori Logan and her sister, Mackenzie, witness a suspicious fire across the street from their house, their neighborhood is transformed into a crime scene. Worried about their daughters’ safety, their parents ship the girls off to their grandparents’ cottage in a charming village where they hope they will be out of harm’s way for the remainder of the summer. But little do they know that Tori and Mackenzie are about to once again be immersed into the midst of a dangerous investigation.
The sisters are thrilled when they are joined by their cousins, Jack, Philip, and Rip. But it is not long before the quintet ironically discovers another fire scene—this time in uptown Lockview. After beginning their own investigation to determine who is responsible for setting the fire, the Logan kids soon realize they have few clues, but an entire guilty-until-proven-innocent cast of townspeople. From the scary man who hangs out at the town diner to the disgusting video store owner to the librarian, butcher, mayor, pastor, and even their grandpa, the cousins have no shortage of suspects.
In this suspenseful tale, five kids on a search for a crazy arsonist with a little help from their elders quickly discover that things—and people—are not always what they seem.
About the Author
C. S. Norman is a reading consultant who has enjoyed her summers at the family cottage in Northern Ontario for over twenty-five years. She currently resides in Waterloo, Ontario, with her husband, daughter, nephew, and two Yorkies.