Fire is Nice

Sequoia National Park has a disturbing problem with bone-poachers. After one ranger is shot, former FBI agent Sable Chisholm is given the job of park ranger.  Sable is adjusting to her ‘new normal’ after a brain injury left her without a fear mechanism. Her personality change didn’t endear her to other agents, putting Sable’s career in jeopardy. This job may be her one and only hope. However, Sable immediately clashes with her new partner, Carter Class. Carter is obsessive about his own projects and is an extreme introvert. He doesn’t want a partner—period!  But, when a murder is committed, Carter and Sable must put aside their differences and join forces to stop a killer. 

“Fire is Nice”, is a unique mix of mystery and romance with quirky, but likeable characters. The situations are often humorous, but the tension between Carter and Sable is palpable. Not only do their personalities mix like oil and water, they are also attracted to one another. The character development and romantic tension is one the novel’s nicer attributes. The mystery is solid and not at all transparent. The story does lose momentum here and there, and occasionally the structuring is a little off kilter. Sable’s family drama might have worked better if it had been interwoven throughout the story, instead of tacked on at the end. The author does a nice job of depicting amygdala and agoraphobic disorders, so that both main characters are sympathetic. This book will appeal, not only to traditional mystery readers, but to cozy mystery lovers, and fans of romantic suspense, as well!

Julie Whiteley