Review Through the Fire by Shawn Grady at The Christian Suspense Zone

Book Review - Through the Fire by Shawn Grady

Through the Fire
Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com
By Shawn Grady / Bethany House

Reviewed by Cara Putman

Through the Fire is the debut release from Shawn Grady. There is much to like, even love, about this book. A firefighter from Reno, Nevada, Shawn writes what he knows.

Aidan O'Neill is a firefighter who's either overconfident or has a death wish as he races from fire to fire taking risks that sometimes get others injured. Add a rash of arson fires that noone can solve but leaves the brass and the public demanding answers. Aidan wonders what happened to his gift to read fire at a time when the city needs it and him.

The author pulled me into the fire fighter life. In the scenes at the fire station or fighting fires, I was completely planted in the environment. There were enough details to make it feel real, without bogging down. I could easily imagine the firehouse, the trucks, even smell the smoke and taste the fear of being surrounded by the flames. There is a hint of romance, a layer of faith, and plenty of great supporting characters.

There was one part of the book that almost became a stopper for me. The problem was that it was early in the book, and I had to fight to come back to it. Once I did I was incredibly glad I did. But beware that there's what appears to be a detour in the first quarter of the book that becomes key at the end. That's all I'll say because you need to read the book for yourself…just keep reading!

Even with that detour, I look forward to Mr. Grady's next book. His attention to detail, twisting plot and way with words will have me buying his next book.

About Cara Putman author of Deadly Exposure. View this review and more at: carasmusings.blogspot.com

Through the Fire
Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com
By Shawn Grady / Bethany House

Reviewed by Laura Hilton

Through the Fire is a wonderful debut novel and I am going to look for more books by this talented author.

Aidan O'Neill comes from a long line of firefighters, so it was natural for him to follow in the footprints of his fathers and grandfather. Aidan has an innate gift for reading flames, but it has made him overconfident, cocky, and causes him to sometimes endanger lives. When one call goes wrong, a rookie firefighter working with Aidan is hurt, Aidan ends up suspended for two weeks without pay.

An arsonist is targeting Reno, leaving a scorched path of destruction. As a result, the fire department needs Aidan back before his two weeks are up. But Aidan's return is bitter sweet. His gift of reading the fires is gone…replaced by fear, causing Aidan to freeze on the job.

A fire investigator placed with the department is beguiling, and apparently knows more than she's saying. As the flames burn closer…how can Aidan discover where his trust rests?

Through the Fire is a debut novel from a veteran firefighter and paramedic in Reno, NV, making it obvious that Shawn Grady knows his topic very well. The whole story smacks of realism, making it very interesting reading.

Aidan is a very real, very flawed character, married to his job to the detriment of all his outside relationships. He is also fixated with his father's cause of death from a yet unresolved fire accident, and searching for closure. I was a bit dismayed that the faith message was virtually nonexistent in the beginning of the book, but tiny little tidbits did begin to surface after awhile, leading to a very satisfactory close to the story.

Written in first person, I went through the heat of the fire with Aidan, experiencing his emotions and thoughts. I really think that his story is better for being told in first person-it would have lost it's punch in third. Through the Fire is a wonderful debut novel and I am going to look for more books by this talented author. If you are looking for a different sort of story, one that is not one of the run-of the mill stories about firefighters written by those who are obviously not familiar with the field, then you will not want to miss Through the Fire. This book is authentic, and will make an excellent book for any suspense lovers on your gift list.

About Laura Hilton