Firewatching

Product Information

Detective Sergeant Tyler Adams is a rich, intelligent, tortured, thought-provoking character who struggles to find an arsonist who is setting fires in the small village of Sheffield. Right to the end I was convinced I knew who'd done it, but alas, I was wrong as Thomas in a final flourishing twist swept my confidence away from me with a surprising denouement.

Along with ambitious Constable Amina Rabbani and despite his link to the suspect, Adam manages to stay on the case, determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. Backstory plays a major factor in the book, shifting from past to present, and Thomas excels at keeping his readers engaged with vivid imagery and a fluid narrative. It starts with the discovery of a body hidden behind a relatively newly created wall in a cellar of The Old Vicarage in a Peak District village. There were no twists I didn't see coming, including Gerald's parentage and the identity of the killer.Firewatching‘ introduces us to a fresh new take on the police procedural, featuring an original protagonist. There’s little more gratifying than finding a new author and then being able to say, with utter sincerity, “What an absolutely stunning debut novel. I’m hopeful that this is the start of a new crime series staring DS Tyler as I’d love to read more of him! I loved the addition of blog posts from the firewatcher dispersed occasionally throughout the book and the inclusion of information on historical fires. The chapters with the old ladies were really well done, leaving the reader in more than a little doubt as to what was or has been going on.

I understand I can change my preference through my account settings or unsubscribe directly from any marketing communications at any time. Tyler isn't unlikable, but he's anti-social, most likely due to his family drama and the loss of his father to suicide when he was a teenager.

Because we’re seeing most of the story through Tyler’s eyes, we’re also led along by his hopes, assumptions and fears, which in turn distracts the reader from the fairly obvious clues. Firewatching is his debut novel and the first book in a new series of crime thrillers set in Sheffield. The author doesn't shy away from darker issues, including homophobia and sexual abuse; however he does it with a sensitive touch, adding depth to what is already a fine crime story.