FIRESTORM by Iris Johansen
Atlanta author Iris Johansen knows how to create a thriller that holds your interest. In the past she has used a continuing series of characters who are inter-related in some way, but in her new novel FIRESTORM she starts with an entirely new group. Hopefully we will meet up with some of them again in future stories.
The center of attention in this book is Kerry Murphy. She is an arson investigator who started out as a firefighter. When she realized she had some special talents that could make her more valuable as an investigator she switched careers. Part of this "talent" is her ability to project herself into the minds of people involved in fires. She keeps this part to herself and instead credits her fire dog Sam with being able to sniff out information.
One day she meets Brad Silver. He is a strange man who seems to know as much about her as she knows herself. He wants her to use her "talent" to help him track down a deadly arsonist named James Trask. Kerry is hesitant about helping him until Trask attacks her family. Then she is in with a vengeance.
As a storyteller Johansen has a wonderfully inventive mind. She creates characters with talents that strain our credibility but who still are wonderfully human. Such is the case of Kerry. Her 'talents" are extreme but her heart and mind are completely normal.
The plot of FIRESTORM holds the readers' interest from the start. It takes an amazing number of twists and turns but always leads back to a point of logic. Kerry and Brad make an almost invincible couple but they are not superheroes. They can be hurt and harmed and that adds to the excitement.
If you are not familiar with Johnasen's talents as a storyteller then this is a good starting point. As I said, most of her stories feature characters she has used in previous novels. In FIRESTORM she creates a brand new cast.
This is a book full of mystery, thrills and romance. It has a little bit of everything in the plot department, and fascinating characters too. It may not be the best book Johansen has written but it is still one that will keep you reading till the very end.
FIRESTORM is published by Bantam Books. It contains 336 pages and sells for $24.95.