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A review by damppebbles
Into the Flames by James Delargy
4.0
All my reviews can be found at damppebbles.com
When a bushfire starts to get out of control in Rislake, a popular Australian tourist destination, DS Alex Kennard decides to lend a hand evacuating the locals. But it soon becomes clear that someone important is missing — Tracey, the wife of one of the firefighters. Throwing caution to the wind, DS Kennard joins Russell, the anxious husband, and his best mate, fellow firefighter Joel, in the hunt for the missing woman. Only to discover her crumpled, bloodied corpse at the bottom of the stairs. It’s clear to experienced detective Kennard that Tracey has been murdered. But the fire is edging ever closer to the property, promising to destroy the murder scene and any evidence left behind by the killer. It’s a race against time for DS Kennard who feels he has something to prove to both his superiors and to himself. Can he solve the murder before the fire destroys him…?
Into the Flames is a compelling, atmospheric, claustrophobic crime thriller that held my attention from beginning to end. I was drawn into the story by the vivid setting, the ever-present threat of the fire devouring everything in its path, the flawed main character and the high tension stakes. Would Kennard be able to get beyond his own demons and discover what happened to Tracey or would those same demons take hold of this fragile man and destroy him? Leaving the city behind following a hostage situation gone terribly wrong, Alex Kennard and his wife Ann are making a new life for themselves in Katoomba, New South Wales. Having had a rather shaky start in the new town, Kennard knows he needs to work hard to build trust. So when he realises that he’s inadvertently stumbled into a murder scene, Kennard is keen to take control of the situation. Show his superiors and those colleagues who doubt him that he is a good detective. That he is capable of solving a murder and that the past is firmly in the past. But time is running out, along with Kennard’s list of suspects. And still the fire burns, getting closer and closer to the murder scene, ready to destroy everything.
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Into the Flames is a gripping, thrilling, tension-laden read perfect for fans of well-written mysteries. I adored the small-town Australian setting. The way the author builds the threat of the fire throughout the book is done very well. The scale and the impact for someone who has never experienced an Australian bushfire first hand was staggering. There was no stopping the devastation and destruction. And on top of the drama and imminent threat posed by the fire, there is an intriguing murder investigation playing out. I quite liked Kennard as a lead character. He’s flawed but that only made him all the more interesting to me. I enjoyed seeing the journey he took, particularly the really quite reckless decisions he made along the way. They certainly added a lot of tension to the narrative. All in all, I very much enjoyed Into the Flames and would happily read more by this author without a moment’s hesitation. A very vivid story and a great murder mystery set against one of the best backdrops I have read in recent years. Unpredictable, claustrophobic and highly compelling. Recommended.
When a bushfire starts to get out of control in Rislake, a popular Australian tourist destination, DS Alex Kennard decides to lend a hand evacuating the locals. But it soon becomes clear that someone important is missing — Tracey, the wife of one of the firefighters. Throwing caution to the wind, DS Kennard joins Russell, the anxious husband, and his best mate, fellow firefighter Joel, in the hunt for the missing woman. Only to discover her crumpled, bloodied corpse at the bottom of the stairs. It’s clear to experienced detective Kennard that Tracey has been murdered. But the fire is edging ever closer to the property, promising to destroy the murder scene and any evidence left behind by the killer. It’s a race against time for DS Kennard who feels he has something to prove to both his superiors and to himself. Can he solve the murder before the fire destroys him…?
Into the Flames is a compelling, atmospheric, claustrophobic crime thriller that held my attention from beginning to end. I was drawn into the story by the vivid setting, the ever-present threat of the fire devouring everything in its path, the flawed main character and the high tension stakes. Would Kennard be able to get beyond his own demons and discover what happened to Tracey or would those same demons take hold of this fragile man and destroy him? Leaving the city behind following a hostage situation gone terribly wrong, Alex Kennard and his wife Ann are making a new life for themselves in Katoomba, New South Wales. Having had a rather shaky start in the new town, Kennard knows he needs to work hard to build trust. So when he realises that he’s inadvertently stumbled into a murder scene, Kennard is keen to take control of the situation. Show his superiors and those colleagues who doubt him that he is a good detective. That he is capable of solving a murder and that the past is firmly in the past. But time is running out, along with Kennard’s list of suspects. And still the fire burns, getting closer and closer to the murder scene, ready to destroy everything.
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Into the Flames is a gripping, thrilling, tension-laden read perfect for fans of well-written mysteries. I adored the small-town Australian setting. The way the author builds the threat of the fire throughout the book is done very well. The scale and the impact for someone who has never experienced an Australian bushfire first hand was staggering. There was no stopping the devastation and destruction. And on top of the drama and imminent threat posed by the fire, there is an intriguing murder investigation playing out. I quite liked Kennard as a lead character. He’s flawed but that only made him all the more interesting to me. I enjoyed seeing the journey he took, particularly the really quite reckless decisions he made along the way. They certainly added a lot of tension to the narrative. All in all, I very much enjoyed Into the Flames and would happily read more by this author without a moment’s hesitation. A very vivid story and a great murder mystery set against one of the best backdrops I have read in recent years. Unpredictable, claustrophobic and highly compelling. Recommended.