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Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler #1
Firewatching
When financier Gerald Cartwright disappeared from his home six years ago, it was assumed he'd gone on the run from his creditors. But then a skeleton is found bricked up in the cellar of Cartwright's burned-out mansion, and it becomes clear Gerald never left alive.
As the sole representative of South Yorkshire's Cold Case Review Unit, Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler is not expected to get results, but he knows this is the case that might finally kick start his floundering career. Luckily, he already has a suspect. Unluckily, that suspect is Cartwright's son, the man Tyler slept with the night before.
Keeping his possible conflict-of-interest under wraps, Tyler digs into the case alongside Amina Rabbani, an ambitious young Muslim constable and a fellow outsider seeking to prove herself on the force. Soon their investigation will come up against close-lipped townsfolk, an elderly woman with dementia who's receiving mysterious threats referencing a past she can't remember, and an escalating series of conflagrations set by a troubled soul intent on watching the world burn . . .
As the sole representative of South Yorkshire's Cold Case Review Unit, Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler is not expected to get results, but he knows this is the case that might finally kick start his floundering career. Luckily, he already has a suspect. Unluckily, that suspect is Cartwright's son, the man Tyler slept with the night before.
Keeping his possible conflict-of-interest under wraps, Tyler digs into the case alongside Amina Rabbani, an ambitious young Muslim constable and a fellow outsider seeking to prove herself on the force. Soon their investigation will come up against close-lipped townsfolk, an elderly woman with dementia who's receiving mysterious threats referencing a past she can't remember, and an escalating series of conflagrations set by a troubled soul intent on watching the world burn . . .
Unknown Binding
First published February 25, 2020
350 people are currently reading
5059 people want to read
About the author
Russ Thomas
6 books206 followersRuss Thomas was born in Essex, raised in Berkshire and now lives in Sheffield. He grew up in the 80s reading anything he could get his hands on at the library, writing stories, watching large amounts of television, playing videogames, and largely avoiding the great outdoors. He spent five years trying to master playing the electronic organ and another five trying to learn Spanish. It didn't take him too long to realise that he'd be better off sticking to the writing.
After a few “proper” jobs (among them: pot-washer, optician's receptionist, supermarket warehouse operative, call-centre telephonist and storage salesman) he discovered the joys of book-selling, where he could talk to people about books all day.
Now a full-time writer, he also teaches creative writing classes and mentors new authors. Firewatching is his first novel.
After a few “proper” jobs (among them: pot-washer, optician's receptionist, supermarket warehouse operative, call-centre telephonist and storage salesman) he discovered the joys of book-selling, where he could talk to people about books all day.
Now a full-time writer, he also teaches creative writing classes and mentors new authors. Firewatching is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 514 reviews
December 27, 2019
Russ Thomas's crime fiction debut is a cracking read, set in Sheffield, featuring a gay detective, DS Adam Tyler, who after an 'incident' that left his face scarred, is the sole member of the South Yorkshire Cold Case Unit, still in the force thanks to his godmother, DCI Diane Jordan. He is a smart, self contained guy, with a reputation for being cold and definitely not a team player. His father was a well known cop who committed suicide, Adam found his body, and he was thought to be corrupt. His successes in solving cases have made him a lot of enemies, he has to endure sly pointed comments about his father, and homophobia in the form of 'banter' and otherwise. After a one night stand with a young, good looking man, Adam pushes his way onto a case where a man's body has been discovered bricked in by a false wall in the cellar at the Old Vicarage in the village of Castledene.
It looks to be the body of Gerald Cartwright, a notoriously corrupt businessman, with a dubious reputation who disappeared 6 years ago. The case is led by DI Jim Doggett, who beneath his bluster is keen to have Adam on the team, and lets him bring on board the ambitious Constable Rabbani, providing he accepts responsibility for her. However, Adam finds himself in trouble almost immediately, the prime suspect is Gerald's son, Oscar, the man Adam had slept with the night before. Despite being compromised, Adam stays on the case which turns out to be a messy, tangled affair with numerous threads. There are the elderly neighbours, the cancer ridden ex-headteacher, Edna Burnside, living with the dementia suffering Lily Bainbridge, they looked after Oscar when he was a child. Lily is getting hand delivered notes from an anonymous sender stating that they know what she did, but the problem is that she cannot remember what that might be. In a tense narrative, another body is discovered and running amok in the background is a pyromaniac, the Fire Watcher, with a blog about historical fires, who knows precisely what happened all those years ago.
Thomas certainly makes his mark with his complex crime fiction debut, the central protagonist, Adam Tyler, is a strong, determined, tenacious, memorable, and flawed character, who fails to keep tabs on and manage Constable Rabbani, with his troubled background and personal life. The multiple threads eventually begin to connect, there is plenty of intrigue and it looks as if Adam might have been played, but by whom? There is plenty to get your teeth into in this dark, tense and suspenseful read, with its gripping central character, I just could not put the book down until I finished. I am not certain if this is a series, but I sincerely hope so. Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for an ARC.
It looks to be the body of Gerald Cartwright, a notoriously corrupt businessman, with a dubious reputation who disappeared 6 years ago. The case is led by DI Jim Doggett, who beneath his bluster is keen to have Adam on the team, and lets him bring on board the ambitious Constable Rabbani, providing he accepts responsibility for her. However, Adam finds himself in trouble almost immediately, the prime suspect is Gerald's son, Oscar, the man Adam had slept with the night before. Despite being compromised, Adam stays on the case which turns out to be a messy, tangled affair with numerous threads. There are the elderly neighbours, the cancer ridden ex-headteacher, Edna Burnside, living with the dementia suffering Lily Bainbridge, they looked after Oscar when he was a child. Lily is getting hand delivered notes from an anonymous sender stating that they know what she did, but the problem is that she cannot remember what that might be. In a tense narrative, another body is discovered and running amok in the background is a pyromaniac, the Fire Watcher, with a blog about historical fires, who knows precisely what happened all those years ago.
Thomas certainly makes his mark with his complex crime fiction debut, the central protagonist, Adam Tyler, is a strong, determined, tenacious, memorable, and flawed character, who fails to keep tabs on and manage Constable Rabbani, with his troubled background and personal life. The multiple threads eventually begin to connect, there is plenty of intrigue and it looks as if Adam might have been played, but by whom? There is plenty to get your teeth into in this dark, tense and suspenseful read, with its gripping central character, I just could not put the book down until I finished. I am not certain if this is a series, but I sincerely hope so. Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for an ARC.
February 20, 2020
This excellent debut is set in and around the South Yorkshire ‘Steel City’ of Sheffield which is a good backdrop to the dramatic events of Firewatching. The central character is DS Adam Tyler currently assigned to cold cases. He’s scarred in more ways than one, doesn’t win many friends with his cool exterior, very intelligent and gay which makes him feel like he constantly has to prove himself to fellow police officers who often throw innuendo in his direction. Then there’s DI Jim Doggett, what a star! A terrible fidget, his constant jiggling makes you want to hold his limbs down but I love his wit, black humour, his intelligence and he proves to be a very unlikely supporter of Adam. I love the banter between these two! We also have PC Mina Rabbani with her fiery temper, broad South Yorkshire accent, her cleverness and initiative. On the other hand, there’s DS Gary Daley. Ummmm. I think every workplace probably has a Daley. Let’s move on but before we do, here’s a newly created fictional detective team that I think has tremendous potential.
What of the case? It appears to be two but transpires to be one. 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. This proves to be infamous George Cartwright, missing for six years. He was a financial wizard with a finger or two in many a dodgy pie and worse. His son Oscar befriends Adam which causes problems. When growing up Oscar is looked after by two elderly ladies, Edna and Lily who are very interesting characters. There’s also The Firewatcher who posts about arson attacks which grow increasingly dangerous. It all connects to The Vicarage, Cartwright and an LS Lowry painting which is very intriguing. The plotting is excellent, very clever and although dramatic it’s not implausible.
This is a well written book with some really good descriptions, it keeps you guessing throughout especially the identity of The Firewatcher. The dialogue is realistic and often witty. I like the Firewatcher online posts as they not only contain cryptic information but also historical fires which I find very interesting. The characterisation is excellent and though Adam has a cool exterior as a defence at what life has chucked at him but I think he is very likeable. The story unfolds well with twists and turns, some shocking revelations, there’s tension and suspense and it has an almost Gothic/dystopian ‘Mad Max’ feel which adds an extra dimension. I like the diversity element in the story which makes it feel very current. The end is dramatic with the final few paragraphs being very tantalising and leaves me hoping there’s a sequel. PLEASE RUSS THOMAS DON’T LEAVE US HANGING!!! I want more of Tyler, Doggett and Rabbani and if we must, Daley!!
Overall, a fantastic, riveting, praiseworthy debut of high quality.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC.
What of the case? It appears to be two but transpires to be one. 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. This proves to be infamous George Cartwright, missing for six years. He was a financial wizard with a finger or two in many a dodgy pie and worse. His son Oscar befriends Adam which causes problems. When growing up Oscar is looked after by two elderly ladies, Edna and Lily who are very interesting characters. There’s also The Firewatcher who posts about arson attacks which grow increasingly dangerous. It all connects to The Vicarage, Cartwright and an LS Lowry painting which is very intriguing. The plotting is excellent, very clever and although dramatic it’s not implausible.
This is a well written book with some really good descriptions, it keeps you guessing throughout especially the identity of The Firewatcher. The dialogue is realistic and often witty. I like the Firewatcher online posts as they not only contain cryptic information but also historical fires which I find very interesting. The characterisation is excellent and though Adam has a cool exterior as a defence at what life has chucked at him but I think he is very likeable. The story unfolds well with twists and turns, some shocking revelations, there’s tension and suspense and it has an almost Gothic/dystopian ‘Mad Max’ feel which adds an extra dimension. I like the diversity element in the story which makes it feel very current. The end is dramatic with the final few paragraphs being very tantalising and leaves me hoping there’s a sequel. PLEASE RUSS THOMAS DON’T LEAVE US HANGING!!! I want more of Tyler, Doggett and Rabbani and if we must, Daley!!
Overall, a fantastic, riveting, praiseworthy debut of high quality.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC.
Read
October 4, 2023MC makes a decision so bad, so unprofessional and incompetent and just incredibly stupid, that I had to nope out of the entire book, and I read a LOT of romance novels where we roll around in bad decisions like Scrooge McDuck in dollar bills. I'm not sure I have ever stopped reading a book because of a character's bad decision before but here we are. Possibly my tolerance for British policemen making self-protecting vaguely corrupt decisions is low.
February 29, 2020
Firewatching is the first novel in a new exciting series featuring Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler. It was clear from the very beginning that the book is well-written and has a great cast of interesting and well-developed characters.
Adam Tyler works in the CCRU (Cold Case Review Unit) and isn't particularly liked by his colleagues, because he actually gets results. Some of these cases benefit from the new technologies available to the police nowadays, but mostly, in Adam's opinion, it is about a fresh pair of eyes looking through the notes and the evidence, looking and asking uncomfortable questions. Adam has a difficult family background and has gone through a rebellious teenager stage to end up following in his father's steps and joining the police force. He is still working on his family issues, but for now he feels more comfortable working and living alone. When his one-night stand Oscar turns out to be the only son of a man who disappeared six years ago and whose body was just found, Adam knows he should report a conflict of interest and get reassigned to a different case. Unexpectedly, his superior DI Jim Doggett advises him to leave the things as they are. Adam also notices and asks to be assisted by a young ambitious policewoman Amina Rabbani who is eager to move to CID and whose insights and hard work prove invaluable in the course of this investigation.
The plot was quite complicated and I must confess that I didn't guess who the murderer was almost until the very end. I enjoyed the first two thirds of the book more than the ending, which was very dramatic.
I loved the title of this novel- it is very nuanced and multi-layered, although discussing it here would give too many spoilers.
A solid police procedural that will be appreciated by the fans of the genre. I'll be looking forward to other titles in this new series.
Thank you to Edelweiss and G.P.Putnam's Sons for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
Adam Tyler works in the CCRU (Cold Case Review Unit) and isn't particularly liked by his colleagues, because he actually gets results. Some of these cases benefit from the new technologies available to the police nowadays, but mostly, in Adam's opinion, it is about a fresh pair of eyes looking through the notes and the evidence, looking and asking uncomfortable questions. Adam has a difficult family background and has gone through a rebellious teenager stage to end up following in his father's steps and joining the police force. He is still working on his family issues, but for now he feels more comfortable working and living alone. When his one-night stand Oscar turns out to be the only son of a man who disappeared six years ago and whose body was just found, Adam knows he should report a conflict of interest and get reassigned to a different case. Unexpectedly, his superior DI Jim Doggett advises him to leave the things as they are. Adam also notices and asks to be assisted by a young ambitious policewoman Amina Rabbani who is eager to move to CID and whose insights and hard work prove invaluable in the course of this investigation.
The plot was quite complicated and I must confess that I didn't guess who the murderer was almost until the very end. I enjoyed the first two thirds of the book more than the ending, which was very dramatic.
I loved the title of this novel- it is very nuanced and multi-layered, although discussing it here would give too many spoilers.
A solid police procedural that will be appreciated by the fans of the genre. I'll be looking forward to other titles in this new series.
Thank you to Edelweiss and G.P.Putnam's Sons for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
February 17, 2020
A body has been found bricked up behind a wall in an Old Vicarage. Gerald Cartwright had been missing for six years. DS Adam Tyler works on cold ases. He was called in to help investigate the case at the Vicarage. Gerald son Oscar had hires builders to restore the damage in the basement as it had destroyed by fire. Gerald had been buried alive.
The pace is slow to begin with but it soon picks up. It's a tense read with lots of twists. DS Adam Tyler is a likable character. He has a bit of a backstory. The plotline is intricate. Theres fires being set all over Sheffield.and when the body is discovered, Adam is asked to help investigate. Filled with great, well rounded characters. I hope this is the start of a new police procedural series. I want to k ow more of Adam's backstory. A great debut novel.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and the author Russ Thomas for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The pace is slow to begin with but it soon picks up. It's a tense read with lots of twists. DS Adam Tyler is a likable character. He has a bit of a backstory. The plotline is intricate. Theres fires being set all over Sheffield.and when the body is discovered, Adam is asked to help investigate. Filled with great, well rounded characters. I hope this is the start of a new police procedural series. I want to k ow more of Adam's backstory. A great debut novel.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and the author Russ Thomas for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 7, 2020
Detective Sargeant Adam Tyler, a cold case investigator, is reluctantly partnered with newly promoted Amina Rabbani. Each takes occasional grief from their colleagues because of being gay and Muslim, respectively. A man who went missing years ago is found walked up in his empty house and the son of the victim turns out to have been Tyler’s one night stand. This police procedural involves both old and new murders, . I assume that this is the start of a series that will feature Tyler and Rabbani, but some of the most interesting characters were the elderly Lily and Edna. Edna is dying from cancer and Lily has memory problems and sometimes jumbles the past and present.
The book has too much backstory about Tyler for me and was about 50 pages too long. I also hope the next book doesn’t have half the characters lusting after Tyler. However, I thought that the plot was above average for police procedurals and I would read another book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
The book has too much backstory about Tyler for me and was about 50 pages too long. I also hope the next book doesn’t have half the characters lusting after Tyler. However, I thought that the plot was above average for police procedurals and I would read another book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
July 20, 2021
i flew through this thinking it was going to be one of my new favourite thrillers only to be sorely let down by the final act :(
March 29, 2020
My complete review of "Firewatching" can be found on my blog: https://fictionophile.com
I found D.S. Tyler a bit hard to warm up to at first, but once I did there was no going back. He is withdrawn, a flawed and damaged loner, who just happens to be an extremely handsome, gay, police sergeant. The author has brought Tyler and his team to life vividly. The two elderly ladies were portrayed with empathy and understanding.
The evolving and complicated relationships amongst the team were a delight to read and I cannot wait to see how the personalities develop and coalesce in future books. I'm eager to read more about Tyler's intriguing backstory and how it has shaped the man he is now.
The pacing was nigh on perfect with the interruption of the narrative caused only by the insertion of blog posts by the 'Firestarter' - and these were essential to the plot. The entire story took place in just under a week which made for compelling reading.
A strong police procedural with themes of family secrets, arson, and perversion which reads more like the work of a seasoned and successful novelist, rather than the debut novel which it is.
The ending explained everything, though not quite in the way I expected - which is a good thing.
I was delighted to learn that this is the first in a new series of police procedurals, one which I intend to read more of. Highly, highly recommended. Brilliant debut!
I found D.S. Tyler a bit hard to warm up to at first, but once I did there was no going back. He is withdrawn, a flawed and damaged loner, who just happens to be an extremely handsome, gay, police sergeant. The author has brought Tyler and his team to life vividly. The two elderly ladies were portrayed with empathy and understanding.
The evolving and complicated relationships amongst the team were a delight to read and I cannot wait to see how the personalities develop and coalesce in future books. I'm eager to read more about Tyler's intriguing backstory and how it has shaped the man he is now.
The pacing was nigh on perfect with the interruption of the narrative caused only by the insertion of blog posts by the 'Firestarter' - and these were essential to the plot. The entire story took place in just under a week which made for compelling reading.
A strong police procedural with themes of family secrets, arson, and perversion which reads more like the work of a seasoned and successful novelist, rather than the debut novel which it is.
The ending explained everything, though not quite in the way I expected - which is a good thing.
I was delighted to learn that this is the first in a new series of police procedurals, one which I intend to read more of. Highly, highly recommended. Brilliant debut!
July 16, 2024
4.2 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The storyline didn't go the way I taught. It had some twist and turns that kept you guessing. Kept me engaged and I couldn't stop wanting to read more. The ending tho 🤯 wow. Gobsmacked
The storyline didn't go the way I taught. It had some twist and turns that kept you guessing. Kept me engaged and I couldn't stop wanting to read more. The ending tho 🤯 wow. Gobsmacked
December 27, 2020
“Let’s wait until we get confirmation about the body in the vicarage…..Bloody hell, we’re living out an Agatha Christie novel here.”
Well almost, except I found Firewatching over-complicated and unsophisticated, with hard-to-follow action scenes. Christie’s books are far better than this.
Well almost, except I found Firewatching over-complicated and unsophisticated, with hard-to-follow action scenes. Christie’s books are far better than this.
May 10, 2020
Firewatching is the first in the Adam Tyler detective series, and also the first novel written by Russ Thomas. It’s been praised by Lee Child, and published by Putnam Penguin, an auspicious sign. Thanks go to the publisher and Net Galley for the review copy.
All of the right elements are here for a rip roaringly great tale, but the execution fell short. When I found myself drifting off while reading the digital review copy, I went to Seattle Bibliocommons and checked out the audio book. Sadly, I couldn’t bring myself to listen to all of it, either. I kept with it to the 45 percent mark; skipped to 75 percent in hopes there would be something tantalizing that would reel me back in; and when that didn’t work out, I listened to snippets from there to the end.
Here’s what I like. Conceptually, it sounds promising. Tales of crazed arsonists are generally irresistible, and there haven’t been a lot of them published lately. Fiction writing is as prone to fad and whim as is anything else, as any reviewer can see. This story steers clear of dead, sick, or disabled siblings; Paris; alternate past and present narratives, and struggling alcoholic detectives. Detective Tyler resists his boss’s impulse toward stereotypes. There are two elderly women side characters, one of whom struggles with dementia, and Tyler is told that old women in small towns always love gossip; he refers to them often as “the old dears.” I know I am not the only Boomer that wants to smack that obnoxious character, and so Tyler endears himself to me by not going there. And actually, I like the two older women in this story a great deal. I also like the brief—maybe too brief—passages where we are inside the head of the firebug.
But alas, the story’s protagonist isn’t the arsonist, and it isn’t either of the elderly women. It’s Tyler, and Tyler just bores the snot out of me. I want him to just do something. I don’t need to know what he is wearing, what he is thinking, what he is feeling, wearing, feeling some more, thinking….
During my teaching career, I recall one impatient girl that was sent home for a few days because of her tendency to walk up to a teacher that was standing in her way—tutoring, or speaking to another student—and barking at him, “MOVE!” And I found myself channeling this student as I read and/or listened to this story. I don’t care about your damn wardrobe, Tyler, just move! Move it! Do something, for the love of…
Fine. Whatever.
A possible silver lining occurs to me, and that is that with this first in a series, all of the personal details of wardrobe and emotion may be emphasized in order to introduce the protagonist, and perhaps with the second in the series, the pace will pick up and we’ll be on our way. I surely hope so.
But for now, I can only write about what I know, and I know it would be wrong of me to urge you to purchase this book at full jacket price. If you’re going to read it, get it cheap or free, because most of the joy I see here is in potential, and future maybe-joy makes a thin soup indeed.
All of the right elements are here for a rip roaringly great tale, but the execution fell short. When I found myself drifting off while reading the digital review copy, I went to Seattle Bibliocommons and checked out the audio book. Sadly, I couldn’t bring myself to listen to all of it, either. I kept with it to the 45 percent mark; skipped to 75 percent in hopes there would be something tantalizing that would reel me back in; and when that didn’t work out, I listened to snippets from there to the end.
Here’s what I like. Conceptually, it sounds promising. Tales of crazed arsonists are generally irresistible, and there haven’t been a lot of them published lately. Fiction writing is as prone to fad and whim as is anything else, as any reviewer can see. This story steers clear of dead, sick, or disabled siblings; Paris; alternate past and present narratives, and struggling alcoholic detectives. Detective Tyler resists his boss’s impulse toward stereotypes. There are two elderly women side characters, one of whom struggles with dementia, and Tyler is told that old women in small towns always love gossip; he refers to them often as “the old dears.” I know I am not the only Boomer that wants to smack that obnoxious character, and so Tyler endears himself to me by not going there. And actually, I like the two older women in this story a great deal. I also like the brief—maybe too brief—passages where we are inside the head of the firebug.
But alas, the story’s protagonist isn’t the arsonist, and it isn’t either of the elderly women. It’s Tyler, and Tyler just bores the snot out of me. I want him to just do something. I don’t need to know what he is wearing, what he is thinking, what he is feeling, wearing, feeling some more, thinking….
During my teaching career, I recall one impatient girl that was sent home for a few days because of her tendency to walk up to a teacher that was standing in her way—tutoring, or speaking to another student—and barking at him, “MOVE!” And I found myself channeling this student as I read and/or listened to this story. I don’t care about your damn wardrobe, Tyler, just move! Move it! Do something, for the love of…
Fine. Whatever.
A possible silver lining occurs to me, and that is that with this first in a series, all of the personal details of wardrobe and emotion may be emphasized in order to introduce the protagonist, and perhaps with the second in the series, the pace will pick up and we’ll be on our way. I surely hope so.
But for now, I can only write about what I know, and I know it would be wrong of me to urge you to purchase this book at full jacket price. If you’re going to read it, get it cheap or free, because most of the joy I see here is in potential, and future maybe-joy makes a thin soup indeed.
February 17, 2020
A body has been found bricked up behind a wall in an Old Vicarage. Gerald Cartwright had been missing for six years. DS Adam Tyler works on cold cases. He was called in to help investigate the case at the Vicarage. Gerald son Oscar had hired builders to restore the damage in the basement as it had been destroyed by fire. Gerald had been buried alive.
The pace is slow to begin with but it soon picks up. It's a tense read with lots of twists. DS Adam Tyler is a likeable character. He has a bit of a backstory. The plotline is intricate. Theres fires being set all over Sheffield and when the body has been discovered, Adam is asked to help investigate. Filled with great, well rounded characters. I hope that this is the start of a new police procedural series. I want to know more of Adam's backstory. A great debut novel.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and the author Russ Thomas for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The pace is slow to begin with but it soon picks up. It's a tense read with lots of twists. DS Adam Tyler is a likeable character. He has a bit of a backstory. The plotline is intricate. Theres fires being set all over Sheffield and when the body has been discovered, Adam is asked to help investigate. Filled with great, well rounded characters. I hope that this is the start of a new police procedural series. I want to know more of Adam's backstory. A great debut novel.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and the author Russ Thomas for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 1, 2019
Excellent addictive and clever crime novel. One to watch in 2020 when I shall review it properly. One to watch
September 30, 2020
I'm always up for a new mystery series so I was looking forward to
Firewatching.
This wasn't bad. It wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
DS Adam Tyler is working cold cases when a skeleton is found in the abandoned mansion of a presumed dead financier named Gerald Cartwright.
Unfortunately, the lead suspect in Cartwright's death is his only son, who Tyler had a one night stand with the night before.
Soon, Tyler realizes the case isn't as straightforward as he assumed, and if he does not solve the case, he may be the killer's next target.
I liked that the protagonist is a gay male lead.
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.
Sadly, the author diminishes Tyler's role by relying on the many stereotypes found in police procedurals.
Tyler is a hunky man; one of his colleagues describes him as a scruffier Jake Gyllenhaal.
His attractiveness comes up more than once, as if this has any bearing on his competence as a detective.
Second, Tyler attracts attractive gay men like he's the Pied Piper; they're coming out of the woodwork like termites!
Nearly every hunky man (see: fireman) has a crush on Tyler. He does have that brooding, anti-social loner thing going on.
Another common element in these police procedurals; the unwanted partner.
Here, it is a young Middle Eastern woman who spends half her time doing diligent work, and the other half blushing and gawking at Tyler's handsomeness.
Okay, I get it. Tyler is a hottie. Let's move on.
The story isn't pretty, quite painful to read about the disturbing scenes that occurred in the past.
There are plenty of triggers including rape, pedophilia, physical and spousal abuse so be careful if you about to read this.
The pacing is slow, with too much given to Tyler worrying about his sexual history with the suspect.
The exposition about the two spinster aunts provided additional development but I found these parts dragged the story down the most.
There were no twists I didn't see coming, including Gerald's parentage and the identity of the killer.
This wasn't a bad debut, and I'll look for the next book in the series see how the character of Adam Tyler is further developed.
This wasn't bad. It wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
DS Adam Tyler is working cold cases when a skeleton is found in the abandoned mansion of a presumed dead financier named Gerald Cartwright.
Unfortunately, the lead suspect in Cartwright's death is his only son, who Tyler had a one night stand with the night before.
Soon, Tyler realizes the case isn't as straightforward as he assumed, and if he does not solve the case, he may be the killer's next target.
I liked that the protagonist is a gay male lead.
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.
Sadly, the author diminishes Tyler's role by relying on the many stereotypes found in police procedurals.
Tyler is a hunky man; one of his colleagues describes him as a scruffier Jake Gyllenhaal.
His attractiveness comes up more than once, as if this has any bearing on his competence as a detective.
Second, Tyler attracts attractive gay men like he's the Pied Piper; they're coming out of the woodwork like termites!
Nearly every hunky man (see: fireman) has a crush on Tyler. He does have that brooding, anti-social loner thing going on.
Another common element in these police procedurals; the unwanted partner.
Here, it is a young Middle Eastern woman who spends half her time doing diligent work, and the other half blushing and gawking at Tyler's handsomeness.
Okay, I get it. Tyler is a hottie. Let's move on.
The story isn't pretty, quite painful to read about the disturbing scenes that occurred in the past.
There are plenty of triggers including rape, pedophilia, physical and spousal abuse so be careful if you about to read this.
The pacing is slow, with too much given to Tyler worrying about his sexual history with the suspect.
The exposition about the two spinster aunts provided additional development but I found these parts dragged the story down the most.
There were no twists I didn't see coming, including Gerald's parentage and the identity of the killer.
This wasn't a bad debut, and I'll look for the next book in the series see how the character of Adam Tyler is further developed.
October 14, 2020
Top notch plot twists. The characters were a little two dimensional. I didn't for a second believe the big reveal. It just didn't make sense. I think that now that the characters have been developed a little, the second book should be better. I loved Rabbani and feel she should get her own series.
March 30, 2021
I found this book quite confusing as there were too many characters and I really didn’t like the racial comments throughout this book. I really can’t understand all the hype that went with this book and I was very disappointed in it. Shame.
February 13, 2020
This was really great read. I really enjoyed reading it
February 16, 2020
DISCLAIMER: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the publishers in return for an unbiased review. My thanks to Simon & Schuster UK and NetGalley for giving me this opportunity.
A body is found bricked up in the cellar of a derelict house and the evidence seems to link the macabre find to a missing persons case from years before. For DS Adam Tyler this initially appears to be a chance to claw back some respect from his colleagues in the South Yorkshire Police and rebuild his stagnating career. When he finds out he’s more intimately connected to the case than he could have known he’s forced to make a choice – declare his conflict of interest to his superiors or stick with the case to the end. But there’s someone watching from the shadows, a sinister observer with an even more intimate link to the murder and a disturbing obsession with fire.
This is a fantastic debut from author Russ Thomas, with a structure that will be more than a little familiar to any seasoned crime reader. This familiarity lets the reader settle into the story quite quickly, and it’s in the details where we find the real surprises the author has in store for us.
The main protagonist and central point-of-view character, DS Tyler, is an excellent study in character building. He has several oh-so-typical traits for the genre, such as an apparent inability to make friends, a flagrant disregard for those above him, and a chequered past in which he assaulted a superior officer, but this is coupled with his being identified as openly gay more-or-less from the start of the narrative, something you don’t get to see much of in crime fiction.
Alongside Tyler, we also have DI Jim Doggett, a no-nonsense, seemingly stereotypical bigoted cop from the old-school, and Constable Amina Rabbani, a uniformed cop trying hard to get into CID despite the hurdles in front of her.
There’s also a second point-of-view character in the shape of Lily, an elderly woman with more links to the dead body than it first appears. For the most part Lily’s story is there to show the reader the background of the various characters involved in the story, though by the end of the novel it’s clear that her connection to the whole torrid affair is much more tragic than you’re initially led to believe.
The thing that makes this a great first novel is the fact that it doesn’t try to be anything more than it is, a relatively straightforward whodunnit. Consequently, the twists and turns that do crop up in the narrative are all the more surprising because in hindsight they’re so blatantly obvious. 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. Added to this is Lily’s confusion over the events of the past, apparently a result of her being an Alzheimer’s patient, though through the occasional lucid flash of memory the reader is given a little more of the story to work with.
If you’re a fan of modern police thrillers and like to be kept on your toes until the last few pages of the story then this is definitely one to wrap your eyes around. I know I for one will be looking out for more from Russ Thomas, and I sincerely hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of DS Adam Tyler.
A body is found bricked up in the cellar of a derelict house and the evidence seems to link the macabre find to a missing persons case from years before. For DS Adam Tyler this initially appears to be a chance to claw back some respect from his colleagues in the South Yorkshire Police and rebuild his stagnating career. When he finds out he’s more intimately connected to the case than he could have known he’s forced to make a choice – declare his conflict of interest to his superiors or stick with the case to the end. But there’s someone watching from the shadows, a sinister observer with an even more intimate link to the murder and a disturbing obsession with fire.
This is a fantastic debut from author Russ Thomas, with a structure that will be more than a little familiar to any seasoned crime reader. This familiarity lets the reader settle into the story quite quickly, and it’s in the details where we find the real surprises the author has in store for us.
The main protagonist and central point-of-view character, DS Tyler, is an excellent study in character building. He has several oh-so-typical traits for the genre, such as an apparent inability to make friends, a flagrant disregard for those above him, and a chequered past in which he assaulted a superior officer, but this is coupled with his being identified as openly gay more-or-less from the start of the narrative, something you don’t get to see much of in crime fiction.
Alongside Tyler, we also have DI Jim Doggett, a no-nonsense, seemingly stereotypical bigoted cop from the old-school, and Constable Amina Rabbani, a uniformed cop trying hard to get into CID despite the hurdles in front of her.
There’s also a second point-of-view character in the shape of Lily, an elderly woman with more links to the dead body than it first appears. For the most part Lily’s story is there to show the reader the background of the various characters involved in the story, though by the end of the novel it’s clear that her connection to the whole torrid affair is much more tragic than you’re initially led to believe.
The thing that makes this a great first novel is the fact that it doesn’t try to be anything more than it is, a relatively straightforward whodunnit. Consequently, the twists and turns that do crop up in the narrative are all the more surprising because in hindsight they’re so blatantly obvious. 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. Added to this is Lily’s confusion over the events of the past, apparently a result of her being an Alzheimer’s patient, though through the occasional lucid flash of memory the reader is given a little more of the story to work with.
If you’re a fan of modern police thrillers and like to be kept on your toes until the last few pages of the story then this is definitely one to wrap your eyes around. I know I for one will be looking out for more from Russ Thomas, and I sincerely hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of DS Adam Tyler.
May 4, 2020
Detective Sgt Adam Tyler looks for a new place to live. Although the real estate agent doesn't tell him, he knows the place is hard to sell because a woman was eviscerated in the bedroom. Doesn't bother Adam because he knows all about death and he's successful at his job. He works cold cases in South Yorkshire.
Talk about a cold case: Financier Gerald Cartwright disappeared six years ago. As abnormalities with funds surfaced, everyone assumed he was on the run. His son Oscar inherits at age 21 and builders knock down the walls in the cellar of Gerald's old burned out mansion. Lo and behold, Gerald's skeleton is found, walled up while he was still alive. To add a little conflict of interest, Oscar just had a one night stand with Adam.
Questioning of the neighbors reveals two older ladies who used to help take care of Oscar: Ex-schoolteacher Edna is dying of cancer and Lily is suffering from a dementia-like illness. Lily has been receiving threatening letters, the first of which said I Know What You Did. Only Lily is having trouble remembering what she did.
Several more interesting characters here: DCI Jordan - - Adam's godmother who is protecting him on the job, DI Jim Doggett - - the veteran homicide detective who strangely seems to want Adam's help, and Constable Amina Rabbani, young Muslim officer who desperately wants to make it to a homicide job. In the midst of it all, there's an unknown arsonist out there. I bet it all ties together somehow.
This is definitely a character driven police procedural and fortunately, I liked all the characters. There are clues to parts of the mystery but I never guessed who was behind the fires. By the way it ended with Adam, I'm thinking sequel. I see a lot more character development that can occur. Good debut!
Talk about a cold case: Financier Gerald Cartwright disappeared six years ago. As abnormalities with funds surfaced, everyone assumed he was on the run. His son Oscar inherits at age 21 and builders knock down the walls in the cellar of Gerald's old burned out mansion. Lo and behold, Gerald's skeleton is found, walled up while he was still alive. To add a little conflict of interest, Oscar just had a one night stand with Adam.
Questioning of the neighbors reveals two older ladies who used to help take care of Oscar: Ex-schoolteacher Edna is dying of cancer and Lily is suffering from a dementia-like illness. Lily has been receiving threatening letters, the first of which said I Know What You Did. Only Lily is having trouble remembering what she did.
Several more interesting characters here: DCI Jordan - - Adam's godmother who is protecting him on the job, DI Jim Doggett - - the veteran homicide detective who strangely seems to want Adam's help, and Constable Amina Rabbani, young Muslim officer who desperately wants to make it to a homicide job. In the midst of it all, there's an unknown arsonist out there. I bet it all ties together somehow.
This is definitely a character driven police procedural and fortunately, I liked all the characters. There are clues to parts of the mystery but I never guessed who was behind the fires. By the way it ended with Adam, I'm thinking sequel. I see a lot more character development that can occur. Good debut!
April 15, 2020
Firewatching – A scorching debut
Firewatching is the debut thriller of Russ Thomas and a gripping one at that. Thank God he escaped from doing a proper job and stuck with writing. Though I am sure there are many authors who will point out, writing is a proper job especially when you are published – eventually.
Firewatching besides being Russ Thomas’ debut thriller it is also the introduction to a new crime fighting detective, DS Adam Tyler. Based in Sheffield and with the South Yorkshire Police Force, Tyler is unusual for anyone from SY Police, he actually finds criminals, maybe the real South Yorkshire Police might like to give that a go for a change?
Called out to a cold case in an old vicarage where the body of a long-deceased body has been found behind a wall in the cellar. So begins a story, of sexual deviancy, abuse, and murder, which somehow Tyler will have to work, sometimes in spite of himself, and maybe even to prove some of his colleagues wrong.
Used to working on his own, he has been partnered up WPC Rabbani, an aspiring detective, who gets put upon by DC Doggett and DS Daley. She has a grudging respect for Tyler, especially when he remembers they are supposed to be working as a team.
With an arsonist and a murderer on the loose, Tyler has no time to lose, except on his nights off, when by chance he ends up in the bed of Oscar, the murder victims son. Tyler cannot workout if Oscar purposefully made a play for him, but he does trust his friend Sally-Ann.
Little does Tyler know, how much this investigation is going to cost him, physically and mentally, it might even cost him his job. Trying to do the right thing, he has to omit facts that will come back and bite him later.
It does not help, the village where the Old Vicarage is like the village of the damned. Everyone has a secret, could be the killer and someone likes burning things, even the church. What Tyler has to hope is that he does not become the target of the Firewatcher at any point.
This is an excellent debut thriller with a few twists, that will leave you breathless and impressed. When you think you have worked out who the killer is, there is that twist that shows you how wrong you are.
This is certainly a scorcher of a debut, which starts with a fire and possibly ends with a fire, with plenty of excellent story telling in the middle.
Firewatching is the debut thriller of Russ Thomas and a gripping one at that. Thank God he escaped from doing a proper job and stuck with writing. Though I am sure there are many authors who will point out, writing is a proper job especially when you are published – eventually.
Firewatching besides being Russ Thomas’ debut thriller it is also the introduction to a new crime fighting detective, DS Adam Tyler. Based in Sheffield and with the South Yorkshire Police Force, Tyler is unusual for anyone from SY Police, he actually finds criminals, maybe the real South Yorkshire Police might like to give that a go for a change?
Called out to a cold case in an old vicarage where the body of a long-deceased body has been found behind a wall in the cellar. So begins a story, of sexual deviancy, abuse, and murder, which somehow Tyler will have to work, sometimes in spite of himself, and maybe even to prove some of his colleagues wrong.
Used to working on his own, he has been partnered up WPC Rabbani, an aspiring detective, who gets put upon by DC Doggett and DS Daley. She has a grudging respect for Tyler, especially when he remembers they are supposed to be working as a team.
With an arsonist and a murderer on the loose, Tyler has no time to lose, except on his nights off, when by chance he ends up in the bed of Oscar, the murder victims son. Tyler cannot workout if Oscar purposefully made a play for him, but he does trust his friend Sally-Ann.
Little does Tyler know, how much this investigation is going to cost him, physically and mentally, it might even cost him his job. Trying to do the right thing, he has to omit facts that will come back and bite him later.
It does not help, the village where the Old Vicarage is like the village of the damned. Everyone has a secret, could be the killer and someone likes burning things, even the church. What Tyler has to hope is that he does not become the target of the Firewatcher at any point.
This is an excellent debut thriller with a few twists, that will leave you breathless and impressed. When you think you have worked out who the killer is, there is that twist that shows you how wrong you are.
This is certainly a scorcher of a debut, which starts with a fire and possibly ends with a fire, with plenty of excellent story telling in the middle.
January 21, 2020
Wow what a fantastic read this was. Dark, engrossing and tense it kept me reading far too late at night!
The mention of fire always intrigues me as it’s so dangerous and unpredictable so the blurb instantly appealed to me. I was not disappointed as the Firewatcher was a truly despicable villan who I loved to hate. He’s obviously a highly intelligent individual and I found it hugely enjoyable trying to work out who he was. His main communication to the detectives was through blog posts which gave the story a modern feel which made it seem more realistic.
DS Tyler was a fantastic main character and one that I warmed to instantly. He’s the first gay police officer that I remember reading about and it was sad to see the homophobic behaviour of his colleagues that was casually wrapped up as so called ‘banter’. I thought he handled everything very well though and I found myself admiring him for his intelligent determination towards the case.
Overall I thought this was a fantastic read with a fascinating plot that held my attention throughout the book. I enjoyed reading all the different threads and watching them slowly come together. There were lots of twists and surprises which kept me guessing which I always enjoy. The final revel was brilliantly done and took me completely by surprise- very cleverly done by the author.
This is unbelievably the author’s debut novel and I look forward to reading more from him in the future. 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!
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Jess from Simon and Schuster for my copy of this book.
The mention of fire always intrigues me as it’s so dangerous and unpredictable so the blurb instantly appealed to me. I was not disappointed as the Firewatcher was a truly despicable villan who I loved to hate. He’s obviously a highly intelligent individual and I found it hugely enjoyable trying to work out who he was. His main communication to the detectives was through blog posts which gave the story a modern feel which made it seem more realistic.
DS Tyler was a fantastic main character and one that I warmed to instantly. He’s the first gay police officer that I remember reading about and it was sad to see the homophobic behaviour of his colleagues that was casually wrapped up as so called ‘banter’. I thought he handled everything very well though and I found myself admiring him for his intelligent determination towards the case.
Overall I thought this was a fantastic read with a fascinating plot that held my attention throughout the book. I enjoyed reading all the different threads and watching them slowly come together. There were lots of twists and surprises which kept me guessing which I always enjoy. The final revel was brilliantly done and took me completely by surprise- very cleverly done by the author.
This is unbelievably the author’s debut novel and I look forward to reading more from him in the future. 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!
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Jess from Simon and Schuster for my copy of this book.
January 16, 2020
I'd heard lots about this debut novel from the publisher. It's certainly a book that I've been looking forward to reading.
I could just say 'read this book', or 'where on earth did Russ Thomas spring from' ... honestly, this is one hell of a debut; almost perfectly executed and incredibly clever. It's my kind of crime novel and ticks every single one of my boxes.
I do love a story that's set in a familiar location and this one takes place bang in the centre of Sheffield; a city that I visit frequently and is very dear to me. The locations, the dialect and the superbly crafted Northern grit that runs through it is so well done.
Lead character DS Adam Tyler works on the Cold Case Review Team for South Yorkshire police, well to be fair he is the review team. He's something of a loner and separates himself from his colleagues in the force. He sits behind a partition, but also has his own emotional barriers. As the reader learns a little more about him, we come to realise that his barriers are a form of self-preservation. He's often the victim of ridicule, and bullying and, as the scar on his face proves, he often has to protect himself from himself.
The body of a man is discovered in a derelict house that's being demolished after a devastating fire. However, it's clear that this guy didn't die in the fire. Someone left this man to die, he was entombed behind a brick wall, built after he was dumped there. The evidence of his desperate struggle to survive, is there in the ragged fingernails on each hand.
Everyone knows who the dead man is, but there's little mourning done. Tyler is on the case, however he finds himself embroiled in this one far deeper than he'd imagined.
Russ Thomas writes with flair and such authenticity; his research into historical fires is impeccable and his use of blog posts to give the 'Firewatcher' a voice is a really nice touch which adds so much to the overall story line.
It's a complex and complicated plot at times and the reader does have to invest in this one. However, it's not a chore; it's the sort of book that I found every conceivable excuse to pick up, often finding it difficult to set it aside to eat, or to work.
DS Tyler is excellently created and the supporting cast of characters are perfectly drawn too. Fairly often a lead character will overshadow the others, but this author has put just as much into all of them. From slightly odd Sally Ann and hard on the exterior DI Jim Doggett, to the apparently eccentric elderly pair of ladies Edna and Lily. Each and every one of them are lifelike and easy to believe in.
Firewatching is smart, it's suspenseful yet considered. The plotting is so intricate and the pace is absolutely perfect. 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.
Highly recommended by me; Russ Thomas is an author to watch. This debut is brilliant and I'm ecstatic that he, and DS Tyler will return soon.
I could just say 'read this book', or 'where on earth did Russ Thomas spring from' ... honestly, this is one hell of a debut; almost perfectly executed and incredibly clever. It's my kind of crime novel and ticks every single one of my boxes.
I do love a story that's set in a familiar location and this one takes place bang in the centre of Sheffield; a city that I visit frequently and is very dear to me. The locations, the dialect and the superbly crafted Northern grit that runs through it is so well done.
Lead character DS Adam Tyler works on the Cold Case Review Team for South Yorkshire police, well to be fair he is the review team. He's something of a loner and separates himself from his colleagues in the force. He sits behind a partition, but also has his own emotional barriers. As the reader learns a little more about him, we come to realise that his barriers are a form of self-preservation. He's often the victim of ridicule, and bullying and, as the scar on his face proves, he often has to protect himself from himself.
The body of a man is discovered in a derelict house that's being demolished after a devastating fire. However, it's clear that this guy didn't die in the fire. Someone left this man to die, he was entombed behind a brick wall, built after he was dumped there. The evidence of his desperate struggle to survive, is there in the ragged fingernails on each hand.
Everyone knows who the dead man is, but there's little mourning done. Tyler is on the case, however he finds himself embroiled in this one far deeper than he'd imagined.
Russ Thomas writes with flair and such authenticity; his research into historical fires is impeccable and his use of blog posts to give the 'Firewatcher' a voice is a really nice touch which adds so much to the overall story line.
It's a complex and complicated plot at times and the reader does have to invest in this one. However, it's not a chore; it's the sort of book that I found every conceivable excuse to pick up, often finding it difficult to set it aside to eat, or to work.
DS Tyler is excellently created and the supporting cast of characters are perfectly drawn too. Fairly often a lead character will overshadow the others, but this author has put just as much into all of them. From slightly odd Sally Ann and hard on the exterior DI Jim Doggett, to the apparently eccentric elderly pair of ladies Edna and Lily. Each and every one of them are lifelike and easy to believe in.
Firewatching is smart, it's suspenseful yet considered. The plotting is so intricate and the pace is absolutely perfect. 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.
Highly recommended by me; Russ Thomas is an author to watch. This debut is brilliant and I'm ecstatic that he, and DS Tyler will return soon.
December 30, 2020
Russ Thomas delivers a heartstopping, page-turning debut thriller, “Firewatching.”
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.
Financier and bon vivant Gerald Cartwright disappeared from his residence six years earlier, and many people thought he might have fled to escape his creditors. But while working the case, DS Adams discovers the skeletal remains of the man’s body buried inside the wall of the old burned-out mansion.
Detested by many of his fellow officers, Adams continues working the case, even when he is temporarily suspended for getting too close to the prime suspect.
The secondary plot involving the victim’s neighbors, Lily and Edna, is an emotive backstory, and Thomas does a fine job creating a powerful, believable storyline with the two women while keeping the narrative moving at a steady pace. 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.
Diversity, sexuality, bigotry, and excellent writing move the story along in this smashing debut.
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.
Financier and bon vivant Gerald Cartwright disappeared from his residence six years earlier, and many people thought he might have fled to escape his creditors. But while working the case, DS Adams discovers the skeletal remains of the man’s body buried inside the wall of the old burned-out mansion.
Detested by many of his fellow officers, Adams continues working the case, even when he is temporarily suspended for getting too close to the prime suspect.
The secondary plot involving the victim’s neighbors, Lily and Edna, is an emotive backstory, and Thomas does a fine job creating a powerful, believable storyline with the two women while keeping the narrative moving at a steady pace. 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.
Diversity, sexuality, bigotry, and excellent writing move the story along in this smashing debut.
January 14, 2021
I almost gave up on this, the first half of the book left me struggling to keep track of which character was which and the exposition was quite clunky. The obvious gag about being stuck in an Agatha Christie book had me groaning out loud. The second half of the book was better and in the last couple of chapters the pace and storytelling were more what I’d expected. There wasn’t much original here though and I had hoped to see Sheffield as a main character but save for sprinkling some street names throughout, I felt nothing of the city. The vicarage/cul de sac setting for the main plot felt completely unrecognisable as Sheffield. I really felt like we were in Midsummer instead.
January 24, 2021
Great debut, though I know this has been a while coming. Russ came through the same route as myself for writing with very familiar names cropping up in the acknowledgements. I don't think we ever met but we must have been in close proximity. But then, my mind lets me down on a regular basis.
The novel though: great idea with fabulous characters. It made me work, which is what it's supposed to do, and I had no idea where it was going. It was good to 'feel' the city of Sheffield within the pages and especially the occasional nods to special places (yeah, I mean the Red Deer). 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. There's a delightful ambiguity about their reliability that must have been a nightmare to work with.
Adam Tyler is a great invention though, as is 'Fireman Sam' and the miserable DI Doggett. Great name. I would recommend this to anyone who fancies a slightly more challenging detective story. One of them (I think Doggett) references Agatha Christie at one point. This sails much higher than that.
The novel though: great idea with fabulous characters. It made me work, which is what it's supposed to do, and I had no idea where it was going. It was good to 'feel' the city of Sheffield within the pages and especially the occasional nods to special places (yeah, I mean the Red Deer). 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. There's a delightful ambiguity about their reliability that must have been a nightmare to work with.
Adam Tyler is a great invention though, as is 'Fireman Sam' and the miserable DI Doggett. Great name. I would recommend this to anyone who fancies a slightly more challenging detective story. One of them (I think Doggett) references Agatha Christie at one point. This sails much higher than that.
December 7, 2020
A great debut novel following DS Adam Tyler, a cold case reviewer in Sheffield. He starts working a high profile when a missing business man, Gerald Cartwright, is found bricked into the wall of his home. Unfortunately for Tyler, the main suspect appears to be Cartwright's son, who Adam had a one night stand with the night before.
The book was paced well, not rushed or slow. I enjoyed all the characters, especially the main protagonist. It was also fantastic to have LGBTQ representation, including our gay main character DS Tyler, his lesbian friend Sally Ann and fire fighter Paul. Although Paul's sexuality isn't stated, he shows clear interest in Adam. We also have Muslim representation with Amina Rabbani, a young and ambitious constable.
The plot was intriguing and compelling, with plenty of suspense and unpredictability and interesting and enjoyable characters. I'm really looking forward to the second instalment. Nighthawking, being released February 2021.
The book was paced well, not rushed or slow. I enjoyed all the characters, especially the main protagonist. It was also fantastic to have LGBTQ representation, including our gay main character DS Tyler, his lesbian friend Sally Ann and fire fighter Paul. Although Paul's sexuality isn't stated, he shows clear interest in Adam. We also have Muslim representation with Amina Rabbani, a young and ambitious constable.
The plot was intriguing and compelling, with plenty of suspense and unpredictability and interesting and enjoyable characters. I'm really looking forward to the second instalment. Nighthawking, being released February 2021.
May 1, 2020
Firewatching
(Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler #1)
by
Russ Thomas
4 Stars
Firewatching is a terrific debut novel from Russ Thomas. The writing is excellent, the plot is tight and well crafted, the characters are terrific, and the double mystery (two murders and an arson case that may or may not be related) kept me guessing until the end (as usual, I didn’t see the end coming). I’m waiting expectantly for Thomas’ next book!
https://mhassett23.blogspot.com/2020/...
(Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler #1)
by
Russ Thomas
4 Stars
Firewatching is a terrific debut novel from Russ Thomas. The writing is excellent, the plot is tight and well crafted, the characters are terrific, and the double mystery (two murders and an arson case that may or may not be related) kept me guessing until the end (as usual, I didn’t see the end coming). I’m waiting expectantly for Thomas’ next book!
https://mhassett23.blogspot.com/2020/...
January 2, 2022
Everything I love for a crime novel, thoroughly enjoyed every twist and turn and then some, will definitely read Russ Thomas again ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
September 14, 2020
Wonderful and addictive
November 10, 2020
3.75 rating-rounded up to 4 stars
Others have given a synopsis of the plot so will write what I liked and did not like in the book. The 3.75 is mainly because it was a slow read for me for the first half of the book. Thought the plot was rather convoluted and had a little bit of everything in it. Did not care for super long chapters.
One thing I noticed was the author would mention something that I didn't remember. Would think did I miss that. Then would go on to tell that story. I hadn't missed it. This process was used as a segue into the story.
What I liked was it was a character driven book. I, also, liked that I did not have the plot solved until the author divulged it. I thought it was well written. Will I read the next book? Don't know- with time passing perhaps.
Others have given a synopsis of the plot so will write what I liked and did not like in the book. The 3.75 is mainly because it was a slow read for me for the first half of the book. Thought the plot was rather convoluted and had a little bit of everything in it. Did not care for super long chapters.
One thing I noticed was the author would mention something that I didn't remember. Would think did I miss that. Then would go on to tell that story. I hadn't missed it. This process was used as a segue into the story.
What I liked was it was a character driven book. I, also, liked that I did not have the plot solved until the author divulged it. I thought it was well written. Will I read the next book? Don't know- with time passing perhaps.
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