As climate change causes forests to become ever drier due to decreased snowfall, higher temperatures and earlier snow melt , the challenge of wildfires increases.

The 1949 Mann Gulch fire where thirteen firefighters lost their lives is well known. The site is considered almost holy by the firefighting community, including smoke jumpers and the elite hot shot crews. Now a famous actor has caused offense by building a palatial home on private property overlooking the gulch. But this year is extra dry and once again fire rushes up the gulch, burning the home to the ground. The actor’s daughter is missing. Matt Solberg, a tracker, author on the subject and head of a search and rescue unit is called in to find her. There are clear signs that the fire was deliberately started.

But it’s only the beginning of the fire season. More fires break out in western Montana. Is it a coincidence that many of them destroy highly vulnerable new subdivisions built along the forests’ edges? Several of these fires show signs of arson, but clues left behind at the fires are inconsistent.

I have lived in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana for forty years. The most amazing parts of this book are the local details. Every road, every trailhead, every mountain is accurate and referred to by name. (I can’t comment on the subdivision names, because I don’t keep track). In addition, Wright has nailed the simmering-to-a-boil politics of the area: newcomers coming in with money, old timers who have lived here for generations, hippie type environmentalists, ranchers and those whose politics are on the extreme right. In Missoula the mix also includes scientists from the University and the core of firefighters based at the Smoke Jumper Center.

There are a multitude of suspects; each of the groups has its radicals and ex-wives. I was a bit skeptical that Matt Solberg would be called in by the FBI as a fire expert and tracker to do the sleuthing around the fires.
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the book. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the political climate of this microcosm of the west, this specific area, forest fires and a different sort of mystery – I believe this was called an ‘enviromystery’. ( )

This was an interesting book, with historical and academic tidbits about firefighting mixed in with a suspenseful mystery, with lots of interesting characters. I overall enjoyed the book, and if I had any complaints it was that the ending felt a bit rushed - in particular the storyline involving Solberg's daughter felt hastily wrapped up without a satisfactory conclusion, but the loose ends of the main mystery also felt a bit abrupt. ( )

Let me stsrt my review out by saying, "Wow!" Fire Scars by John B. Wright went in many directions! I enjoyed the main theme of the plot however it did tend to get lost in several other plot lines any of which by themselves would have made an exciting storyline. The main theme of solving the crime of who's the arsonist that injured lovely little Linda and burn down two homes was interesting enough in itself but when you add in more than a few suspects, a revenge plot, a drunk driving accident, an FBI agent, and a town full of emotionally scarred but proud people, it just seems the author wished to put many storylines into one that for me just wasn't realistic. I get teists and turns and shocking revelations but this was a bit overdone in Fir Scars. Not to say that it was a bad read though, because it isnt. I got invested to a point where i wanted to know who done it. I liked the characters, and the setting and the main premise of this book. I think this author is going to get much smoother and more nuanced as he progresses. He obviously has lots of great ideas for potential future books and i will watch for what comes next from John B. Wright. ( )

This was intriguing, suspenseful and timely. I especially thought the content about the searches, and the fire investigation were quite interesting. Most of the characters were well-balanced, and the story drew me in. I would read another novel with the same protagonist. ( )

A Jack-of-all-trades Geography professor helps the FBI in tracking down an arsonist in Montana. The writing is occasionally uneven, with long, crafted sentences followed immediately by punchy sentence fragments, like the author hasn't quite figured out his style. Fortunately, it was infrequent and the predominant style was good, well-written but not overwritten. The relationships weren't as affecting and the tension never quite as high as I think they were meant to be, but it was an enjoyable easy read. The main character, Matt Solberg, was believable, sympathetic, and complex enough to be interesting. The villains and even the secondary characters were as well. I'm not sure I trust the credibility of Solberg's extensive role in an FBI investigation while not actually working for the FBI, his involvement and knowledge of just about everything and everyone, his lasting connection with a child he rescues, or the sheer number of potential arsonists, but I also don't know that I shouldn't trust those things. The author clearly knows the region and the issues it faces, and he does a great job of portraying them in a way that leaves me feeling like I know something new about a place I've never been, which I always enjoy in a book. ( )