In James Shannon’s debut novel, “Dying for Attention,” a fame-seeking murderer is on the loose at Prescott High and as one student after another is brutally killed, it falls to substitute teacher and TV personality Chug O’Malley to solve the mystery.

Shannon, a retired Old Rochester Regional High School English teacher, says those familiar with the halls of ORR may recognize some details about the building, but he insists the book, including the characters, are fictional.

Set in a Boston suburb, “Dying for Attention” centers on Chug, tasked with writing a book on a typical year in a high school while also trying to escape the limelight of his former career. His plan fails when students start dying and the murderer begins writing him letters.

“He takes the job to stay afloat and all hell breaks loose,” said Shannon, a Dartmouth resident.

Chug, like his creator, is from Fall River and part Irish part Portuguese. But Shannon said, "I am not he."

Chug is a divorced “weekend father” who turns amateur sleuth. Shannon, on the other hand, is a happily married father of two and grandfather to five who dabbled in writing while a teacher.

“I did enjoy it,” Shannon said of his teaching career.

The book’s focus on murder at a high school has nothing to do with his feelings about working in one for 30 years.

“The book is not at all meant to be a slam on the school,” he said.

Shannon chose to focus on mysteries, in part, because the loose ends are tied up by the last page.

“When I was in college, it was mostly John Updike and things like that,” said Shannon. “I thought I would write about the existential qualms of life and living. Then I realized I didn’t like reading that. I liked reading mysteries.”

Since retiring, Shannon has had more time to focus on his writing, publishing several short stories and finishing the murder novel he worked on sporadically for more than ten years.

After his long career, setting “Dying for Attention” in a high school was a no-brainer.

“I wrote what I knew about,” he said.

Shannon also did research on weapons and explosives for the book and called on a former student who is now a police chief for information.

With editing help from his wife, who has penned 15 Harlequin novels under the pseudonym Shannon Waverly, Shannon said the publishing process was easier than he expected. He submitted his manuscript to Five Star Publishing, they liked it and they published it in February.

Since then many of his former students and colleagues at ORR have read his work. A room full of them gathered at the Inn at Shipyard Park on Friday afternoon for a book signing and reading.

Many said the book was hard to put down.

"I read it in a week," said ORR English teacher Sarabeth Morrell.

Deb Perry, who took classes with Shannon her freshmen and senior years, said she was only a few pages in but was excited to read the book.

Now a teacher herself, Perry remembers Shannon as an animated instructor.

"He was definitely one of my all time favorite teachers," she said.

When she heard about "Dying for Attention," Perry said, "I had to go right out and get it."

Now that his first novel is finished and published, Shannon is in the midst of writing another book. Recently, his work also appeared in a mystery magazine and an anthology.

Whether or not he will return to Chug O’Malley is still a mystery for Shannon.

“I may go back to him, but not right away.”

"Dying for Attention" is available at Surroundings in Mattapoisett and on Barnes and Noble and Amazon.