kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
Firewatching by Russ Thomas is a mesmerizing mystery with a clever storyline and brilliantly developed characters.
Openly gay, Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler is a bit of a loner who works cold cases. At his boss's urging, he is attempting to be more be more friendly, so he reluctantly accepts his friend Sally-Ann's invitation to join her and her mates at a local pub. He is definitely out of his element so Sally-Ann encourages him to get to know the young man at the bar who is clearly interested in Adam. Not one for relationships, Adam is not looking for a repeat of their night together.
Reporting to work the next day, Adam learns the Criminal Investigation Division has been called to the scene where workers have discovered a body in the wall of a cellar during a renovation. The house belongs to local Gerald Cartwright who went missing six years earlier. Adam persuades his boss to let him work the case and Detective Inspector Jim Doggett reluctantly agrees. Tyler's excitement soon turns to dismay when he discovers his one night stand is Gerald's son Oscar. Although he knows he should reveal his connection to Oscar, Adam instead convinces himself to keep quiet in order to remain on the case.
The small town of Sheffield is abuzz over the news Gerald's remains have been unearthed. But Gerald's neighbors Lily Bainbridge and Edna Burnside are not exactly curious about the investigation. They raised Oscar both before and after his father vanished so they are delighted to seen Oscar again.
Lily is quite upset since she has been receiving distressing letters and she is determined to figure out why someone is targeting her. Edna is in ill health and she is worried about how Lily will get on by herself. She counsels Lily to stay away from the investigation, but will she heed her advice?
Not long after Gerald's remains have been found, someone begins setting mysterious fires around town. Fire Inspector Paul Enfield thinks there is a connection between the arson and grisly discovery. Doggett is not keen on the idea but Adam believes Paul might be right. Years earlier, someone set a fire at the Cartwright home and Adam is also troubled by a painting found at the scene.
Adam has also enlisted Constable Amina "Mina" Rabbin to work on the investigation. They painstakingly interview Gerald's neighbors and friends but they are frustrated at their lack of new information. While Mina lacks confidence due to her lack of experience, she has great instincts. She uncovers pivotal information, but wanting to prove herself, Mina puts herself in a very dangerous situation.
Firewatching is a well-written and engaging mystery but the pacing is sometimes a little slow. Adam is a fascinating character with a very intriguing backstory. The secondary cast of characters is well-developed and easy to like. The investigation is a bit of a slow burner but a viable pool of suspects gradually emerge. With stunning twists and brilliant turns, Russ Thomas brings this outstanding mystery to a nail-biting, edge of the seat conclusion. An impressive debut that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend to fans of British police procedurals. Hope to see more of Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler in future novels.
Openly gay, Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler is a bit of a loner who works cold cases. At his boss's urging, he is attempting to be more be more friendly, so he reluctantly accepts his friend Sally-Ann's invitation to join her and her mates at a local pub. He is definitely out of his element so Sally-Ann encourages him to get to know the young man at the bar who is clearly interested in Adam. Not one for relationships, Adam is not looking for a repeat of their night together.
Reporting to work the next day, Adam learns the Criminal Investigation Division has been called to the scene where workers have discovered a body in the wall of a cellar during a renovation. The house belongs to local Gerald Cartwright who went missing six years earlier. Adam persuades his boss to let him work the case and Detective Inspector Jim Doggett reluctantly agrees. Tyler's excitement soon turns to dismay when he discovers his one night stand is Gerald's son Oscar. Although he knows he should reveal his connection to Oscar, Adam instead convinces himself to keep quiet in order to remain on the case.
The small town of Sheffield is abuzz over the news Gerald's remains have been unearthed. But Gerald's neighbors Lily Bainbridge and Edna Burnside are not exactly curious about the investigation. They raised Oscar both before and after his father vanished so they are delighted to seen Oscar again.
Lily is quite upset since she has been receiving distressing letters and she is determined to figure out why someone is targeting her. Edna is in ill health and she is worried about how Lily will get on by herself. She counsels Lily to stay away from the investigation, but will she heed her advice?
Not long after Gerald's remains have been found, someone begins setting mysterious fires around town. Fire Inspector Paul Enfield thinks there is a connection between the arson and grisly discovery. Doggett is not keen on the idea but Adam believes Paul might be right. Years earlier, someone set a fire at the Cartwright home and Adam is also troubled by a painting found at the scene.
Adam has also enlisted Constable Amina "Mina" Rabbin to work on the investigation. They painstakingly interview Gerald's neighbors and friends but they are frustrated at their lack of new information. While Mina lacks confidence due to her lack of experience, she has great instincts. She uncovers pivotal information, but wanting to prove herself, Mina puts herself in a very dangerous situation.
Firewatching is a well-written and engaging mystery but the pacing is sometimes a little slow. Adam is a fascinating character with a very intriguing backstory. The secondary cast of characters is well-developed and easy to like. The investigation is a bit of a slow burner but a viable pool of suspects gradually emerge. With stunning twists and brilliant turns, Russ Thomas brings this outstanding mystery to a nail-biting, edge of the seat conclusion. An impressive debut that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend to fans of British police procedurals. Hope to see more of Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler in future novels.
mpr2000's review against another edition
4.0
Someone is ready to burn Sheffield but the police is much more interested to investigate a body that has appeared related to a cold case. Will the city burn before the police catch the arsonist? Of course you’ll have to read the book if you want to know all the answers!
ktdurkin's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
gonzales04's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
gaysandmurder's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
tags: 3+ PoV, police procedural, darker triller, lgbt, one main timeline.
lucyvictoriamay's review against another edition
4.0
A great read! The characters were so wonderfully fleshed out I felt like I knew them. I guessed who did it! But to be fair to Russ Thomas, I only guessed about 5 pages before he told me haha so all in all, a fantastic read! And another fast-paced page-turner which is my favourite kind of crime novel
emmaleckie7's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
dustymoons's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
because_of_writing's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5