Title: Firewatching
Author: Russ Thomas
Genre: Crime/Thriller
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Rating: 5/5
Cover:
Summary:
One wrong move will ignite the city . . .
A body is found bricked into a wall of the Old Vicarage. From the state of the hands, it’s clear the dead man was buried alive. When the man is connected to an old missing person’s case, Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler is called.
After an ‘incident’, Tyler needs this case to go well in order to prove himself and get his career back on track. But he soon discovers that he has a connection to the case that hopelessly compromises him. He makes the snap decision not to tell his superiors, certain that he is the only one that can solve the crime. Now Tyler must move carefully to find out the truth, without destroying the case or himself.
Meanwhile, someone in the city knows exactly what happened to the body. Someone who is watching Tyler closely. Someone with an unhealthy obsession with fire . . .
Review:
I’ve been meaning to read this series for a while and I’m so glad I’ve finally read the first book because it was just as excellent as I’d heard and I cannot wait to read the rest! Firewatching is a tense, smart and utterly gripping piece of crime fiction featuring a compelling lead in DS Adam Tyler. He is a layered, complex and intelligent detective with an intriguing backstory that we are slowly introduced to whilst he deals with a now very hot cold case and a dangerous adversary. The plot is propulsive and clever, making it difficult to anticipate which direction it will head in from one moment to the next. The cast of characters is varied and includes both some loathsome individuals and some, like the determined Constable Rabanni, who are easy to root for. I found Firewatching addictive, intense and evocative from beginning to end and would highly recommend if to anyone who enjoys taut and razor sharp crime fiction with an intriguing lead.
★★★★★
Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers for my place on the Russ Thomas Blogathon. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.
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