During a 4th of July beach party, reporter Roland "Beanie" Bean enjoys the display of firecrackers exploding into the night sky - until he hears three bangs that sound more like gunshots than Roman candles. Later, when Beanie trips over a dead body in the sand dunes, he realizes he was right. Someone used the booming explosions of fireworks to cover up a murder! Covering the case, Beanie discovers a slew of suspects: A dangerous bookie. A bitter ex-girlfriend. And a strange man with ominous ties to the dead man's past. Beanie is determined to get the truth even though his sleuthing makes him the target of a demented killer.