"Paradise", by Lizzie Johnson

One Town’s Struggle to Survive and American Wildfire

Paradis, California

“Paradise” is a brutal account of the deadliest wildfire in California history. The author, an investigative reporter, narrates in detail what she has drawn out from firsthand accounts, reports from 911calls, residents, officials and fire department workers.

November 2018,” Camp Fire”

The fire was fast less than two hours after it started, Paradis was engulfed in flames. Balancing horror with compassion Ms. Johnson notes that management’s practices had allowed the woods to become diseased and overgrown this with neglect on the part of Pacific Gas and Electric Company were the key factor for this disaster. The details are horrifying and overwhelming. The account of young mother fleeing with her newborn, a school full of children in search of an escape route, medics, nurses as well as patients trapped. Heartbreaking: The list of victims and where they were found. The fire nearly leveled the town of Paradise and the surrounding areas...This is a gripping, edge of your seat read.

The investigation: brought PG&E to their knees

The verdict: “Guilty: PG&E enters pleas for 85 Camp Fire felonies

It took time and heart to gives us this well-researched and reported account. Kudos to you Ms. Johnson you definitely painted a horrific picture of a wild fire out of control....

I had the opportunity to receive this book from Crown Publishing via Netgalley for my thoughts: this is the way I see it.

"Take Her Breath Away", by Melinda Woodhall

                                              

A Detective Nessa Ainsley

Novella #2

This is another quick read revealing more about the earlier life of Nessa Ainsley, one favourite character we often see investigating gruesome cases in the Mercy Harbor and Veronica Lee series.

Nessa lives in Rosewood, Georgia with her husband and new born son when this second chilling novella opens. The body of a young woman in found in the woods and Nessa upon investigating soon discovers a serial killer has been stalking working girls in the town’s red-lights district.....Nessa is determined to get to the bottom and catch the killer before he strikes again.

This little mystery is a twisted tale filled with deadly moves, provides an exciting build-up and within its 80 pages some short lived action. It is not hard not to say that “Take Her Life” is a page-turner but as in any novella the conclusion comes way too fast and leaves you wanting more.

I received a free copy of this book and I leave a voluntary review, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

"The Darkness Knows", by Arnaldur Indridason

Detective Konrad #1

It begins when a group of German tourists hiking on the LangjÖkull glacier stumbled upon the body of a man who was buried deep under the ice. Forensic specialists identify the cadaver belonging to Sigurvin, a young man who had disappeared 30 years ago.

This new series is a spin off the “Shadow District” Reykjavic-set novels featuring retired CID Inspector Konrad as the main protagonist who returns in action as a consultant to investigate this 30 year old cold case. At the time, he was the lead investigator and his unsuccessful attempts to solve what happened to this young man has haunted him ever since. Back in the thick of things Konrad, this grumpy and grouchy detective captivates us both in his investigation, his personal history, his relationships with colleagues and with his dysfunctional family.

Mr. Indridason is definitely a master in pacing and characterisation. With a simple prose yet somewhat frosty he has penned a concise and profound mystery to ensnare us from the opening page. I surely did with me. I was glued to every word wanting to see what the author had in store for me so much so I often lost track of time.

There are several threads in this story that smoothly intertwine together in order to give us an old fashioned mystery that is mainly narrated by Konrad. Along the way, Mr. Indridason also made reference to the financial crisis of 2008 and the current socio-economic reality that has changed life in Iceland for ever.

It was a pleasure to read such a well-written crime novel.

Thank you, St-Martin Press Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.