How can you go wrong reading Alex Kava! Another book that keeps you on the edge of your seat reading till your eyes beg you to stop!!! ( )

Kava is back. This one was a slow burn (pun intended) so I almost put it down, but the it took off with the same head long hurdle as some of the earlier books in the series. ( )

Fireproof
3.5 Stars

A serial arsonist is active in the D.C. area and Agent Maggie O'Dell and her partner, R. J. Tully, are hot on his trail. Unfortunately, a ratings hungry journalist also takes an interest in Maggie, and is not above using her personal and professional lives to further his career even if it exposes her to a killer.

The plot is fast paced, and the investigation into the arson cases and the possible serial killer connection keep the pages turning. That said, there isn't much in the way of character development and the book ends on a semi-cliffhanger.

The most common complaints about this series are 1) Maggie fails to learn and grow as an individual, and second, she never actually does any profiling even though she is an FBI profiler. Anyone expecting differently in this installment is bound to be disappointed. Maggie's personal life is stagnating and her professional skills are limited to chasing suspects, visiting the medical examiner and discussing the case with her colleagues.

Nevertheless, Kava's writing style is very engaging and she has a way of presenting characters that evokes an emotional response in the reader whether it is empathy or sympathy, fear or anger. Moreover, the details of the arson case and the question of whether the human fatalities were intended or accidental are very compelling.

Overall, fans of the series will enjoy this one, but readers in it for insight or growth in Maggie's character, or that of Tully, Julia, Ben or Gwen, will end up being frustrated. The open ending may also be an irritant for some, but for me the hook is baited and it will be interesting to see how it plays out in the next book. ( )

It was a little thin, but still a good read. Part of a series, and that tends to mean that you don't actually get to read some of what makes a character do what she does because those who read the others already know. But then again, I prefer that when reading a series to reading little mini-summaries of the previous books so that the late-comers can catch up.

It wasn't awesome enough to make me pull up all of Alex's previous book, but it was good enough that I'd give another one a shot. ( )

FBI Special Agent Maggie O'Dell has been called in to investigate a suspicious warehouse fire where the body of a young woman lies just outside the building and a man's skull is found inside the burned structure. The murders and the suspected arson do not seem to be related but Maggie cannot understand how such a strange coincidence could occur. While on scene, Maggie is approached by aggressive news reporter Jefferey Cole and his camera operator Samantha. Cole wants desperately to be noticed by the networks hoping to eventually anchor his own news program. Maggie brushes the reporter off and, to retaliate, Cole runs a two-part feature on Maggie forcing her into the unwanted limelight.

Maggie has been sharing her home with her recently found brother Patrick who, having graduated from college with a degree in fire science, has taken a job with a private fire-fighting company, a company who protects its clients from fires for a price. While Patrick is uncomfortable in this role that Maggie calls "nothing more than a hired mercenary" he has already ruffled feathers with his boss when he helped put out fires in buildings that were not clients of his company. Patrick's partner, Wes Harper, has no problem watching buildings burn and, in fact, loves the sight of the flames. As the arsonist escalates the number of fires and bodies Maggie begins to wonder why reporter Cole is always on site before the fire engines arrive. And what about fire lover Wes Harper? Maggie soon finds that she has become a target and she may lose everything before she solves the case.

I enjoy the Maggie O'Dell series very much. The stories are fast moving and suspenseful and the characters are likeable and believable. This would have been a 4 star read for me except that when the culprit was revealed at the end it seemed to be rushed and I was not at all satisfied with the guilty person's punishment. However, the last chapter is a great tease for the next book.
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