Scorch (Five Star Mystery Series) [Hardcover]

Marc Paoletti (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Having worked in Hollywood as a pyrotechnician, Paoletti provides an authentic backdrop for his debut, an otherwise routine revenge thriller. When David Cole, an ex-Navy SEAL and veteran of the first Gulf War who's the special effects supervisor on a movie set that resembles an Iraqi battlefield, fires a couple of incompetent underlings, Ned Brandenburg and Levar Watkins, the two resolve to make Cole pay a deadly price. Brandenburg and Watkins team with Frank Ruger, a psychotic former military colleague of Cole's, who blames Cole for his dishonorable discharge. Though Cole survives the death trap Ruger sets for him with severe burns, Cole's 21-year-old son dies in the blast. While Cole has no plausible motive for killing his beloved son, he becomes the prime suspect in the crime. The brutal violence and lack of psychological depth limit this one's appeal. (May)
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From Booklist

David Cole’s career as a Navy SEAL didn’t end well. Life is OK now, though. He’s working in the movies, dating an exciting film director, and even teaching the underwater trade to his son, Ronny. But when he crosses swords with Gary Stanford, a film producer financed by organized crime, his world blows apart. Literally. Stanford decides to eliminate Cole and hires a disgraced SEAL whom Cole drummed out of the navy because of his actions during a failed Iraq mission that tainted Cole’s career. Frank Ruger sabotages one of Cole’s jobs, leaving Cole terribly burned. Struggling with the never-ending pain and obsessed with revenge, Cole sets out to kill Ruger, a very formidable opponent. This is your basic action thriller with enough violence for at least two Die Hard installments. But like that cinema franchise, the novel works because the good guy and the villains are believable, realistically motivated, and emotionally scarred individuals working through their issues with knives, guns, and bombs rather than conventional therapy. Hey, whatever gets you to a better place. Genuinely engaging escapist fiction with a bit of a surprise ending. --Wes Lukowsky

Product Details

• Hardcover: 299 pages
• Publisher: Five Star (ME) (June 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594146578
• ISBN-13: 978-1594146572
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,900,907 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Visit www.marcpaoletti.com for more information.

Marc's writing career started in Los Angeles where he worked as a stringer for community newspapers including The Glendale News-Press, The Burbank Leader, and The Pasadena Star, and for film industry trades. During this time, he also worked as a special effects pyrotechnician in Hollywood, where he blew things up for such movies as Showdown in Little Tokyo and Hard Target as well as for such television shows as American Gladiators: Knights and Warriors, and on commercials for director Michael Bay.

Both types of work were enjoyable, but didn't pay the bills consistently. Hence his move into copywriting.

Marc has worked as a staff or freelance Senior Copywriter for an array of global advertising agencies including OgilvyOne, Grey, DraftFCB, Young & Rubicam, Wunderman, The Kern Organization, and Brierley & Partners, and he's worked on an even wider array of accounts including Microsoft, Apple, United Airlines, TimeWarner, Hitachi, AAA, American Standard, Bank of America, Lovaza, AT&T, Lowenbrau, MetLife, and The Los Angeles Philharmonic.

After several years in advertising (during which time, he won a few awards), Marc decided to focus an equal amount of energy and passion on his first creative love: fiction. He is the author of SCORCH, published in hardcover by Five Star Mysteries (an imprint of Macmillan Library) in June 2008, and co-author of THE LAST VAMPIRE and THE VAMPIRE AGENT published in paperback by Del Rey (an imprint of Random House) in June 2008 and December 2008, respectively.

In addition, Marc has written numerous pieces of short fiction that have been published alongside such authors as Stephen King and Irvine Welsh, and recently, he earned his second honorable mention in Ellen Datlow's THE YEAR'S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR, and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Also, he has written, edited, and adapted a few comic book scripts, most notably with Dan Simmons and Richard Layman, DC/Vertigo artist Michael Lark, and Dark Horse artist Tommy Lee Edwards.

Marc is a native of Detroit, but spent his formative years in Sacramento, and several post-college years in Los Angeles. Now he splits his time between Chicago and New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 200 proof action thriller, May 24, 2008

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scorch (Five Star Mystery Series) (Hardcover)

Former Navy SEAL David Cole is excited about being the pyrotechniques expert on the filming of Bringing Them Back because his adult son Ronny works with him on the set and he is attracted to the movie's director Jennifer Shragee. However, when Ned Brandenburg and Levar Watkins almost cause an explosion due to carelessness, he fires them knowing that the former is the nephew of Loki Studio head Gary Stanford. Ned and Levar vow to get even with Cole while Gary is upset because he needs the film finished or face bankruptcy and mob muscle; Cole is holding up the filming due to safety concerns.

Gary hires psychopath Frank Ruger to take out Cole. To the horror of Ned and Levar, Frank kills Ronny before igniting a horrific explosion that should have left David dead. However David survives though badly hurt and begins his quest for revenge against Gary, Frank, Ned, and Levar even as Police Lieutenant Scott Whittaker names him as the suspect in his son's murder.

Fast-paced, fans who appreciate 200 proof action in their thrillers will relish Marc Paoletti's full octane tale. However, those who want a psychological side to the prime players will find that lacking as the action supersedes character development. Still SCORCH is an exciting cat and mouse tale of twisted revenge.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't get burned!, May 25, 2009

By 

michael a. draper (Guilford, CT) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Scorch (Five Star Mystery Series) (Hardcover)

Sometimes having integrity is a deterrent. David Cole is a former Navy Seal who is given a job in charge of phrytecknics at a Hollywood studio.
He spots wires set incorrectly which could cause a major accident and fires the men responsible.
One of the men was the director, Gary Stanford's nephew. When Stanford wants his nephew back and threatens to fire Cole, Cole mentions that if he does, Cole will have to report the negligent practice to the authorities.
Knowing he couldn't handle a man with Cole's talents, Stanford hires Frank Ruger to find and kill Cole so Stanford can rig an explosion. Not to give plot away but it has something to do with his backers.
This is a story of vengence and it is full of action. Some of the decisions made by Cole and his comrads were questionable but if you like plenty of action, this story will please you.

Mildly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fast-moving page-turner with a brutal edge., October 6, 2008

By 

Chauncey Hollingsworth - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scorch (Five Star Mystery Series) (Hardcover)

Though it starts off a bit slow, the fire builds fast in this page-turning novel about a pyrotechnic special effects artist who runs afoul of the Hollywood machine. I'm reticent about giving too much away to those who haven't read this book yet, but suffice it to say that Paoletti knows his special effects and his insider perspective on the industry provides a fascinating backdrop for a primal murder/revenge/love story. I could *easily* see this turned into an intense action movie directed by either Jerry Bruckheimer or John Woo. Yes, it's that good.