Customer Reviews

Scorch (Five Star Mystery Series)

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4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
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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

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.

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.

Not the type of book that our book club picks, but I picked this book up on the recommendation of a friend and enjoyed it. Story moves fast with some turns and twists along the way to keep you trying to figure out what is happening next. Liked the realistic description of pyrotech effects that you see in movies which really helped to visualize the story. Fun read if you like action thriller books.

It's hard to do a vengeance story that makes you sympathize with the revenge-seeking hero. Add the fact that the hero is terribly burned, and you'd think you'd have a real downer. Somehow, Paoletti makes it work. Probably because he is a master at the action sequence. It's like he choreographed each move before putting the action into words. The novel also made me feel nostalgic for smart action films of days gone by. Look, it's still possible to do action without camp or corn. Paoletti proves it in Scorch. I could easily see this author make a successful series along the lines of Lee Child's Jack Reacher. Here's hoping to see more.

I was turned on to SCORCH by a person I wholly trust. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book as I am not a frequent reader of this genre. I really enjoyed it! I always relish a good story of revenge, and this is a fast paced and powerful story. One of the great things about this book was the detailed and sometimes brutal descriptions of the main character's horrific injuries and struggle. His knowledge of pyrotechnics is impressive. He clearly did his homework for this novel. I would recommend this novel highly.

If you've read the other reviews posted above, you'll already understand what the story is about. The other caveats here are that I'm not a professional book reviewer nor is this type of story one which I would normally buy on my own.

That said, I bought the book on a friend's recommendation and because I have enjoyed Paoletti's short stories in the past. I continue to enjoy his work very much. The pacing of the book worked very well and the characters exemplified the direct, in-your-face, no nonsense people I would expect in the movie/ special effects industry. Paoletti's personal experience as a pyrotech really helps the story, leading to super-realistic descriptions of the "tools of the trade" and their effects, not always in the most pleasant of fashions. While this makes for intense, gripping reading, the story contains some passages that are not particularly suitable for younger readers

All in all, a very good first effort and one which, although I normally don't buy in this category, I heartily recommend to others. I am really looking forward to his future work.

David Cole, an ex-Navy SEAL, is the head of pyrotechnic special effects on a Hollywood movie set. Ronny, his twenty-one year-old son, works by his side. Ronny is David's pride and joy. David's private life is just as wonderful. He is dating Jennifer Shrager, a lovely film director.

When Ned Brandenburg, the nephew of Gary Stanford who is the film studio's president, almost kills everyone on the movie set, David goes to Gary and informs him that Ned is off the set and the scene will not be filmed until all explosives are double checked (to make sure Ned did not tamper with anything else). This would cost Gary a bundle and put them behind schedule, however, David insists that safety come first.

Gary puts a contract out on David, hiring Frank Ruger to do the job. Frank was part of David's SEAL Team in Iraq and has a huge grudge against David. Frank not only wants David dead, but wants David to suffer as much as he did while committed. To this end, Frank makes David watch as Ronny is tortured, and then uses David's own pyrotechnic devices to blow father and son up. Ronny is killed, but a horribly burned David gets away.

Framed for the crime and pursued by police, David must endure massive agony while hunting down the men responsible for Ronny's murder. A few of David's former teammates help out along the way, but David is slowly losing his grip on reality. Grief, physical pain, and desperation cause flash backs to his time in Iraq. Soon, David will become a threat to friend and foe alike.

**** By letting readers watch as Ronny is tortured and killed, Author Marc Paoletti ensures that readers cheer David on to succeed in his quest for vengeance and justice. Some of the pain and self administered medical actions David endures is a bit too unbelievable for me; however, it makes for some very intense reading. I learned a pretty good amount of how Hollywood stages the epic events on screen as well. This author clearly knows what he is writing about and his back ground is highly impressive. If his future books are as well written and exciting as this one is, then Marc Paoletti will someday become a well known author of the genre. Absolutely terrific! ****

Reviewed by Vanessa for Huntress Reviews.