Overview

It is a devastating tragedy: in the South Canyon of Colorado's Thunder Mountain, a sudden cold front whips a small, containable fire into a raging inferno, killing nine heroic firefighters from the Duke City Hotshots. The US Forest Service blames the dead; a victim's grieving mother charges the government with negligence. Into this flammable mix enters Albuquerque lawyer Neil Hamel, hired to pursue the explosive wrongful death case. Mounting an investigation of her own, Neil interviews shocked survivors of the fire, then hikes the charred remains of the forest where the Hotshots met their end. But after retracing the steps of their flight, she will face the terror of their last gasps of breath-because someone is playing with fire.

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9780792794943

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Reviews

Van Gieson's prose is clean and refreshingly straightforward, and she has succeeded in making both her protagonist-narrator and the New Mexican locales memorable. One more thing: she gives the reader pause to wonder if it's worth sacrificing the lives of firefighters to protect homes knowingly constructed in hazardous areas. -- Los Angeles Times We have always enjoyed the Neil Hamel series, but with Hotshots-Van Gieson's best book to date-we were struck with how graceful and fluid her writing has become, how skillfully she nudges along the intriguing relationship between Neil and the Kid, and how seamlessly she integrates topical issues with suspenseful storytelling. -- Denver Post [Van Gieson] delivers her message with a maximum of adventure and a minimum of preachiness...After reading this tale, readers will view TV news clips of forest fires with heightened respect. -- Publishers Weekly Solid writing and plotting, a likable heroine, and an intriguing look at the brave men and women who fight forest fires make this a good choice. -- Booklist Neil's seventh features magnificent backcountry landscapes, all-too-believable fights over their use and protection, and intelligent work by its savvy heroine. -- Kirkus Reviews

Neil's seventh features magnificent backcountry landscapes, all-too-believable fights over their use and protection, and intelligent work by its savvy heroine. -- Kirkus Reviews Solid writing and plotting, a likable heroine, and an intriguing look at the brave men and women who fight forest fires make this a good choice. -- Booklist [Van Gieson] delivers her message with a maximum of adventure and a minimum of preachiness...After reading this tale, readers will view TV news clips of forest fires with heightened respect. -- Publishers Weekly We have always enjoyed the Neil Hamel series, but with Hotshots-Van Gieson's best book to date-we were struck with how graceful and fluid her writing has become, how skillfully she nudges along the intriguing relationship between Neil and the Kid, and how seamlessly she integrates topical issues with suspenseful storytelling. -- Denver Post Van Gieson's prose is clean and refreshingly straightforward, and she has succeeded in making both her protagonist-narrator and the New Mexican locales memorable. One more thing: she gives the reader pause to wonder if it's worth sacrificing the lives of firefighters to protect homes knowingly constructed in hazardous areas. -- Los Angeles Times

Author Information

Judith Van Gieson is the author of a children's book, a collection of poetry and short stories, and more than a dozen mystery novels. The Lies That Bind was a finalist for the Shamus Award for best detective novel, and both of her mystery series have been regional and IMBA bestsellers. AudiobookStore.com recently cited her as one of their most popular audiobook authors. Judith lives in Albuquerque's North Valley. Meredith Mitchell is an actress who has performed in such films as Mona Lisa Smile and The Reunion, on stage with Shakespeare & Company and the New Repertory Theatre, and on television on Good Morning America. She received her BA in psychology from Emory University and her MFA in acting from Brandeis University.

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