As a retired Fire Officer, and current Fire Investigation Consultant and Fire Procedures and Science Lecturer, I always open books which contain fire scenes with trepidation. However, I have to say that this book has got everything spot on. The Fire Scenes, along with the interaction between the Police team and the Fire Investigation Officer, is stunningly accurate.
This is the fifth outing for Detectives West and Butler and just like the four before it it is a great read.
Now working in two separate forces it takes a cross boarder crime to bring the two together as a team, which is not to everybody’s liking.
At first they are kept apart, West investigating a stalker, and Butler investigating an arsonist that has set fires in both force areas.
When the teams realise that they may be dealing with the same person committing both crimes it is inevitable that they start to work closely together again, and the old spark is rekindled, in more ways than one.
As with real fire setters the crime of setting the fire begins to escalate. And when the frequency of when they are set isn’t enough, the severity and dangers to others start t increase.
But when two people die in different fires are they randomly unlucky or is there a connection to the fire starter.
If the stalker is responsible is the target of his attentions in danger from an arson attack.
The tension mounts as the investigation continues, who is the fire setting stalker, and why are they not leaving any evidence that might identify them.
Meanwhile the relationship between West and Butler is also smouldering. The year working in different forces, and the fact that they are both in relationships hasn’t done anything to dampen that fire.
Can they both concentrate on the case, and keep each other at arms length.
The want the case over quickly. One of them will take unnecessary risks. This story might not have the happy ever after ending.
What a book. Without other commitments it would have been a one sitting read, what it was was a distraction when I should have been doing other things. Brilliant.
I was convinced I knew who the stalking fire setter was, and I’m sure that was because of some canny writing, but it wasn’t until they were revealed that I realised I was wrong.
A clever plot, completely realistic, and a brilliant balance of crime investigation and personal battles amongst the main characters.
Pages: 411. Publisher: Canelo Crime. Publishing date: 6 July 2023
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