Title: Chasing Fire
Author: Nora Roberts
Review: This is an interesting story that makes me want to jump out of an airplane again. Smoke Jumpers are the subject of this book and she seems to have done quite a bit of research on the subjest. A dear friend of mine has a brother that smoke jumped for a few summers, he was even caught on the wrong side of the river once and forced to hunker down in his shelter for several hours to avoid the deadly fire surrounding him. His boot bottoms had melted and so had several other items he had with him by the time he was able to walk out of the mess.
I liked this book, but I found it a bit predictable. The killer was obvious because there wasn’t really anyone else available to have done it. I didn’t want to think it was him because it seemed very out of character for the way he was written. This is the main thing that made me rate this book only a 3 star. Another reason was the fact that I felt I had read this same story before, just a new occupation for the characters, but otherwise very much the same book as others she has written in the pass. I also felt the ending was too quick to come.
If you like Nora Roberts then you will enjoy this book, but it won’t be on your list of favorites.
Publisher: Published April 12th 2011 by Putnam (first published 2011)
ISBN: 0399157441
Copyright: 2011
Pages: 472
Quick Review: 3 stars (out of 5)
Why I Read It: I like this author and wanted to keep up with her books.
Where I Obtained the Book: I requested it from the library.
Synopsis: Little else in life is as dangerous as fire jumping. Flying past towering pillars of smoke, parachuting down to the edge of an all-consuming blaze, shoveling and sawing for hours upon hours, days at a time, all to hold the line and push back against the raw power of Mother Nature.
But there's also little else as thrilling - at least to Rowan Tripp. The Missoula smoke jumpers are one of the most exclusive fire-fighting squads in the nation, and the job is in Rowan's blood: her father is a legend in the field. She's been fighting fires since her eighteenth birthday. At this point, returning to the wilds of Montana for the season feels like coming home - even with reminders of the partner she lost last season still lingering in the air.
Fortunately, this year's rookie crop is among the strongest ever - and Gulliver Curry's one of the best. He's also a walking contradiction, a hotshot firefighter with a big vocabulary and a winter job at a kid's arcade. He came to Missoula to follow in the footsteps of Lucas "Iron Man" Tripp, yet he's instantly more fascinated by his hero's daughter. Rowan, as a rule, doesn't hook up with other smoke jumpers, but Gull is convinced he can change her mind. And damn if he doesn't make a good case to be an exception to the rule.
Author Biography: Nora Roberts (b. Eleanor Marie Robertson), is a bestselling American author of more than one hundred fifty romance novels. She was the first author to be inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. For the early part of her career Roberts wrote for the category romance line Silhouette which produces short romance novels. Her first full length release was the book "Hot Ice" in 1987.
She continued to write for Silhouette until 2002 with the release of "Cordina's Crown Jewel." She is considered one of the most prolific romance writers ever.
Under the pseudonym J.D. Robb, she writes futuristic mystery/romance novels called the "In Death" series. Early in her career, she also wrote under the pseudonyms Sarah Hardesty and Jill March.
Other Reviews:
I used to be a huge fan of Nora Roberts, but some of her recent stuff just hasn't appealed to me enough to pick it up yet. I personally prefer her trilogy work which usually incorporated paranormal elements.
ReplyDeleteYou're right her recent stuff is only OK. Thanks for the comment.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Roberts latest because there was just enough technical talk to indicate that she researched the subject matter, but not so much that it was boring. Roberts also has the uncanny ability to create a cast of characters that we all love and who the reader can identify with. And finally, Roberts does an excellent job weaving the murders, romance (especially Rowan's sweet father) and the ins and outs of the profession into a fast moving and enjoyable story.
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