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?

Point of Danger

 

IRENE HANNON

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2020.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program

First line: The package was ticking.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: That first sentence plunges us right into the plot, as Eve Reilly calls 911, and police officers and the bomb unit descend on her cul de sac. Eve is a radio host, a very controversial radio host, so detective Brent Lange begins looking into her listening audience for suspects. Which means he and Eve are thrown into each other's company, and sparks fly. I'm not a fan of insta love, I want to watch characters get to know each other, and I l loved how the attraction between Eve and Brent grew as their romance slowly played out. Revell is a Christian publisher, so it was tame, and sweet, and endearing and very satisfying. I'm also a fan of character driven stories, and the author did a wonderful job with both Eve's and Brent's characterization, as well as the supporting characters. I loved the interactions between Eve and her two sisters, and the suspects were all sufficiently creepy in their own ways. 

The mystery was well crafted, with some red herrings thrown in. I kept thinking I had an idea of who the culprit was, but in the end I was completely unprepared for the twist that led to the true culprit. Looking back, I realize that despite the fast pacing there was not necessarily a lot of action, and yet there was always something going on. I'd previously only read a couple of Ms. Hannon's books, both of which were Love Inspired romances, and both of which were enjoyable but (to me) fairly standard for the genre. With POINT OF DANGER, I'm much more interested now in reading more from her. This book is tag lined “A Triple Threat Novel”, so I hope another one will be coming soon.

Goodreads synopsis: Radio talk show host Eve Reilly is used to backlash from her pot-stirring on-air commentary and interviews, but now it seems a disgruntled listener is resorting to more than angry words to express their displeasure. When a suspicious package arrives on her doorstep, Eve turns to law enforcement for help.

Police detective Brent Lange can't find any evidence to link the string of unsettling incidents that follows, but he's convinced they're connected. As the harassment grows more menacing, it becomes clear someone wants Eve's voice silenced--permanently. 

But unless he can track down her foe, fast, the gutsy woman who is willing to take risks for what she believes--and who is swiftly winning his heart--may not survive. 

Bestselling author and three-time RITA Award winner Irene Hannon is back with a heart-stopping new series that will have you turning pages well into the night.