Blaze [Mass Market Paperback]

JoAnn Ross (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 26, 2005

Bestselling author JoAnn Ross turns up the heat in a novel of heart-stopping suspense and white-hot passion that takes readers from the sultry South Carolina Lowcountry to the rugged Northern California coast, and ultimately into the darkest reaches of the human heart....

Fire cop Tess Gannon is hot on the trail of a pyromaniac who's been setting buildings ablaze throughout Somersett, South Carolina, when ATF Special Agent Gage O'Halloran arrives on her fire scene. Coming out of a self-imposed exile, Gage suspects that Tess's "Flamemaster" is connected to a serial killer he apprehended three years ago.

Tess doesn't like Gage. He's too rude. Too arrogant. Too damn...male. Worse yet, she doesn't trust him. Forced into an uneasy alliance, Tess and Gage race to stop the killer from striking another fatal match. But Gage's fragile hope for redemption is put to the test when Tess becomes ensnared in a homicidal pyromaniac's deadly obsession. And time is running out....

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In bestseller Ross's intense, seamlessly plotted novel of romantic suspense, Tess Gannon, who's been a fire investigator in Somersett, S.C., since her firefighter fiancé, Danny, died two years earlier in a mill fire, teams up with former ATF Special Agent Gage O'Halloran, a widower, to look into an apartment fire that Gage believes was set by a serial arsonist. As Tess and Gage try to solve the arson case, they engage in sizzling foreplay, rendered all the more powerful by the excess emotional baggage that each carries. Gage's overt sexual references, rather than being offensive, seem to match his personality, that of a devil-may-care cowboy who lives for the moment. He's also a talented investigator who becomes immersed in the captivating mystery surrounding the serial arsons, which may be connected to the mill fire that killed Danny. Though the man known as the Flamemaster, who murdered Gage's wife, is now in San Quentin, this new arsonist is a clever copycat, writing threatening letters to the Somersett newspaper signed "Flamemaster." Ross (Out of the Mist) keeps the heat on right to the last page.
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Review

". . . a wonderful novel full of action and suspense. . . love scenes so hot the pages almost burn with intense heat." -- Angel, Romance Junkies Reviewer, June, 2005

"Steamy passion. . .riveting danger ratchet up the drama in this transfixing tale of twisted psychological suspense. . . nonstop tension and thrills!" -- Jill Smith, Romantic Times

. . . Singes the pages. . .an unbelievable adventure. . . a strong story, rich in characterization, a powerful ending. . . don’t miss this one. -- Suzanne Tucker, Freshfiction.com

A PERFECT TEN! As hot, compelling, and all-consuming as a five-alarm fire . .dynamic. . . fast-paced, utterly engrossing. -- Susan Lantz, Romance Reviews Today

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Pocket; 1ST edition (July 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416501649
• ISBN-13: 978-1416501640
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 3.9 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #881,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I wrote my first story -- a tragic romance about two star-crossed Mallard ducks -- as a second grade writing assignment. The paper earned a gold star. And I kept writing.

I've since written around a hundred novels and have been published in twenty-six countries. Two of my titles have been excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine and my books have also been published by the Doubleday, Rhapsody, Mystery Guild, and Literary Guild bookclubs. As a New York Times, U.S. Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller, I'm also a member of the Romance Writers of America's Honor Roll of best-selling authors.

I'm currently writing my Shelter Bay series, set on the magnificent Oregon coast where, when I was eighteen-years-old, my high school sweetheart bought me a bag of taffy, then proposed. The smartest thing I ever did was say yes!

My husband and I live in our beloved Pacific Northwest, with three rescued dogs who pretty much rule the house. (And, in case you're wondering, that taffy store is still there! )

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Read!, July 28, 2005

By 

Ellen "avid reader" (Washington State) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blaze (Mass Market Paperback)

JoAnn Ross's newest novel, Blaze, is a page-turning romantic suspense that you won't want to miss. The dynamic main characters, Tess Gannon and Gage O'Halloran, connect the instant they meet at the sight of an arson fire/murder scene. Tess is a fire cop, whose fiancé had been a victim of the chilling Flamemaster, who is torching buildings in Somersett, South Carolina, with murderous intent. Gage is an ATF Special Agent (or had been until his job collided with his personal life, with fatal results for someone close to him.) When Gage learns about the Somersett arsonist, he joins with Tess and her partner in a quest to stop the Flamemaster.

Tess is a hard-working, intelligent woman, who is unaware of her own beauty and sexuality. Gage is all male - hot, tough, and smart. Together, they hunt down the arsonist, while at the same time, explore their sexual attraction. The burning chemistry between Tess and Gage is omnipresent, and the love scenes set fire to the pages! As Gage resolves the painful issues from his past, and Tess learns to welcome new love into her life, the hero and heroine find more than just the killer they seek.

The vivid descriptions of Somersett, especially its local cuisine, make the setting a character unto itself. The insight into the lives of firefighters gives the reader a sense of familiarity with main characters. The detail about how fires spread, the ways in which the villain uses explosives, and later, the eerie description of San Quentin's death row, enrich the already intricate plot. From the Low country to northern California, this fast-paced race to stop a killer is a must-read. And as an added bonus, look for a twist at the end!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blaze is one hot read, August 22, 2005

By 

Judy "book reader" (Cincinnati, ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blaze (Mass Market Paperback)

Blaze by JoAnn Ross blends a tale of intense passion and the dangers of firefighting.

Tess Gannon is excelling at her job as an arson inspector. It was an adjustment after she lost her finance and fellow firefighter to a fire a few years ago. She is now hot on the trail of a serial arsonist when a hotshot ATF special agent comes to town.

Gage O'Halloran is a burnt out ATF agent. When similar fires that torn his life apart start happening again Gage rushes to Somersett, South Carolina to lend a hand. Tess and Gage don't start out on the best of terms but forge an uneasy alliance to stop the fires.

Tess and Gage partnership turns into an explosive passion that neither can ignore. As their passion escalates so does the danger until it strikes much to close to home.

Blaze is a story with pulse pounding suspense and white-hot passion that is not to be missed. Tess and Gage feel like people you know and you route for them to find a way to survive on all levels.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars No smoke no fire here, June 7, 2008

By 

L. Pitman (Berkeley, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Blaze (Mass Market Paperback)

I was hopeful. Blaze started out like a house-a-fire, and then dwindled to a few cinders. We have here two individuals who have lost spouses to violence and who have spent years getting over it, who meet each other and immediately go bed-ballistic. Sorry, I couldn't buy it. Just a little too staged. Zero chemistry. One reviewer claimed that Nora Jones fans' would love it; well, I'm an NJ fan, and it seemed shallow and undeveloped compared to NJ's complicated characters.

Story was just an artifice for the sex. Perhaps my disappointment was greater because I had just come down off a Jack Reacher binge, where the plot-to-sex ratio is inversely proportionate to that in this novel. I longed for a little complexity. I wanted a serious plot, not just an excuse to throw two adults together. I wished for some hard-core technical details, some precision, some dead-ends and a few incredibly arcane details that pulled the whole story together, and there was NOTHING there I couldn't have found in a single google. I wanted some meat, by golly, and what I got was a sugar-high.

Oh well. Back to Jack Reacher.