Customer Reviews

Where There's Fire (Berkley Sensation)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book starts off at the beginning and keeps you hooked until the end...hard to put down..A one day book for me.
Detective Shoni Alexander is a good cop that is trying to cope with loosing her mom. Her mom was hit by a drunk driver and she wants revenge. While driving to the drunks house one night she helps a little girl and meets John McClane (I also thought where have I heard that name??) There is humor, suspense, romance.. The twists and turns in this book are worth reading.

I've read McCade's historical romance series (A Reason to....) and enjoyed them - but this beats them hands down. Less on romance, more on suspense/action/murder/mystery/ and steamy steamy steamy sexual tension! Well worth a read!

Norfolk Violent Crimes Unit Police detective Shoni Alexander grieves the unexpected death of her mother due to a drunken driver by diving into her work. Shomi knows she is using her job to avoid thinking about her loss.

Her current prime case she investigates involves arson and murder. She realizes homeless John may have clues to enable her to solve the case; so she takes him into protective custody. Shoni learns John suffers from amnesia; unaware of whom he is. As they are attracted to one another, both wonder if he has a wife and kids wondering what happened to their father. As they begin to close in on the arsonists, her superior removes her from the official inquiry. She continues to focus on assisting John in learning his identity and hoping by doing that uncover the arson ring.

This is an engaging police procedural romance as readers will enjoy the banter between the lead couple; both has issues at the moment but the attraction is strong. Amnesia is an overly used gimmick, but Maureen McKade makes it work on the two intended levels of solving the case and falling in love. WHERE THERE'S FIRE is in the hearts of Shoni and John.

Harriet Klausner

The mystery of the torched warehouses in Maureen McKade's Where There's Fire has several interesting layers to it, and I enjoyed following along as the characters puzzled it out. There's plenty of confusion and misdirection to keep things interesting.

The characters are fun; the side characters don't have a huge amount of depth, but they amount to more archetype than stereotype. There's plenty of action and tense scenes to keep things interesting.

My one real complaint was the romance. It wasn't as though I couldn't see these characters becoming interested in each other (although it happened a little suddenly); it's more that whenever the romance came up, the writing became formulaic and expected. It felt like a paint-by-numbers in those areas, right down to the spots where the characters suddenly jump to conclusions and alienate each other. It also felt as though Shoni was so much of a loose cannon that I had difficulty believing that even her protective boss could keep her in the field.

Where There's Fire is an enjoyable read, but it's the sort of book I'd pick to pass the time on a bus or plane if I didn't have a better option with me.


[NOTE: review book provided by Penguin Group]

Shoni stopped at a red light and heard a scream. She did a U-turn, braked, and saw a young girl about seven running out of the alley screaming. Three guys were hurting her friend John. Shoni went into the alley said, Freeze! Police! Seconds later the three bullies scampered away. Detective Shoni sensed that John was homeless. John was injured, Shoni offered to take him to the hospital for a doctor to check his injuries. When he refused, Shoni gave John her business card. "If you need help, call me"

John McClane has amnesia and someone tried to kill him. Lainey found him on a beach. She took him to her great-grandmother's house. He stayed with her for a few days until he recovered from his injuries. John was living in an empty, run down, warehouse not far from Estelle, Lainey's great-grandmother.

John went back to the warehouse where he has been living. He heard a sound like liquid being poured and a scent of gasoline. A whooshing sound followed, then fire. John saw the face of the arsonist. He went to Estelle's building and knocked on doors, managing to save everyone before the building burned to the ground.

The arson investigator called Shoni in the early morning hours to ask if she knew John McClane. He's been asking for you said, he said. John saw the arsonist. When Shoni arrived at the scene, her star witness was under rifle fire from a sniper.

I've enjoyed Maureen Mckade historical novels. Where There's Fire is her best modern day romance. It's a suspenseful thriller. It was rather easy to get right into the story line. There were lots of diversity around John McClane with his amnesia. His memory didn't return until three-fourth into the plot. Once that occurred, the drama all came together.

This is my favorite kind of romance. One that keeps you guessing until the end and even throws in some clues that make you think it's someone else. The sexual tension between them was kind of amazing. Oh wow the scene where she's helping him shave? A rational part of you is thinking that 'he's homeless, possibly diseased' but then you remember that a homeless guy won't look that good. lol. I read this book in one day and was almost late for work. So it's a really good read. It's a quick one though, but the good ones usually are.