Into the Fire (Undaunted Courage, Book 1)

IRENE HANNON

Edition read: Trade paperback, Revell, 2023

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program.

First line: Fire was cleansing.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I really really enjoyed this one. Bri is an arson investigator, called out to investigate a fire that killed a retired arson investigator. She’s irritated when her boss calls in the ATF and tells her she’ll be working with an ATF Special Agent, but Marc is not quite what she expects and she’s intrigued by him. As he is by her. Bri is a wonderfully nuanced character. A former smokejumper, her life was changed after a fall caused by a malfunctioning parachute, the physical effects of which still linger. Just prior to that, she had a bad experience with a fellow smokejumper wooing her and then showing his ugly side. So getting closer to Marc or having any type of relationship with him is not in her plans. Marc, meanwhile, left his big time job to move home when his grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. He doesn’t have a bad relationship behind him, but his plan is to get focus on his grandmother and his new career and not get back into the dating pool for awhile, so pursuing Bri is not on his agenda. I loved the slow build up of the relationship between Bri and Marc, which often took a backseat to the investigation. Because this isn’t just a love story. This is a romantic suspense, and the author provides plenty of the latter as Bri becomes a liability to the serial killer who’s victims are dying in fires made to look like accidents.

The mystery of who was setting the fires and why was very well done. I was a little stunned when we finally learned who the culprit was. The writing and the characterization are wonderful and engaging. There is a lot of action as the investigation ramps up, as well as the danger to Bri, but we also get to know both Bri and Marc really well, as we’re inside their heads and privy to what makes them tick. I really liked Bri, and I loved Marc.

Irene Hannon is quickly becoming a favorite author who’s entire backlist I want to read now. 

*Received from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

As a former smokejumper, arson investigator Bri Tucker knows her way around fires. But after a mysterious blaze takes the life of a former colleague, Bri inherits a curious puzzle from him that raises questions about several fiery deaths. Someone, however, doesn't want her picking up where he left off in search of answers. 

When she teams up with ATF Special Agent Marc Davis to solve the puzzle, the danger escalates. But will they manage to track down the person behind the mysterious deaths before their budding romance--and maybe even their lives--go up in flames?