Review: Firewatching by Russ Thomas

 

DS Adam Tyler works cold cases, but his newest case is a pretty hot one. Amid the discovery of a burned corpse bricked away in a cellar, someone has been setting fire to buildings across the city, and somehow, Tyler is convinced that the two cases are linked. Unfortunately, by the time he can prove this, he may have compromised his position on the case by becoming involved with the main suspect.

But regardless of his personal involvement, the arson cases are soon taxing the city’s law enforcement to breaking point, and if they don’t find the person responsible, it could end badly for the city. With no new leads to the murder case, it’s tough to piece together who is responsible for the body in the cellar, although once they identify the victim and his sordid past, it’s hard to believe anyone would pass up the chance to get rid of him.

Firewatching has some very clever and novel narrative devices in play – including a key witness to the cold case that now suffers from dementia. While this excellently builds tension and prolongs the mystery, there are aspects that Thomas overuses, such as the detective’s homosexuality. Every pages, the reader is reminded of this fact, giving the impression that the author is concerned we’ll forget the detective’s sexual orientation.

Despite this, Tyler is an immensely intriguing character with enough emotional baggage to make him relevant for several books – the perfect introduction to a series. Add to this the writer’s flair for the macabre, and we have the first in what will likely be a long series of great stories. Russ Thomas has a knack for penning the unexpected, and making any outlandish details so believable that he can master any narrative – it’s impressive and enviable, and an indication of true talent.

Firewatching by Russ Thomas is published by Simon & Schuster, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.