In the Heat of the Night

Bindarra Creek A Town Reborn #2

by Susanne Bellamy

Fire Captain, Kel Jones, suspects an arsonist is active in his town of Bindarra Creek. But he's distracted by his newest recruit, petite Greek goddess, Thalia of the divine-baklava.
When a callout to an accident gives him his first break in the case, he's shocked when the investigation throws up an unexpected suspect. Sparks fly as the search for truth pits him against his newest recruit.

Genres: Romance

294 pages, Paperback

Published September 9, 2019

About the author

Born and raised in Toowoomba, Susanne is an Australian author of contemporary and suspense romances set in exciting and often exotic locations, and rural romance and set in Australia. She has also written several historical stories. She adores travel with her husband, both at home and overseas, and weaves stories around the settings and people she encounters. One Night in Tuscany almost wrote itself after her travels in Italy, and her rural romances were inspired by a stint teaching in far north-west Queensland.

Her heroes have to be pretty special to live up to her real life hero. He saved her life then married her. They live on the edge of bush land on a mountain in beautiful sunny Queensland, Australia, with their dog.

Susanne is a member of the RWA (Romance Writers of Australia) and is a finalist in their 2021 RuBY award for her seasoned romance, 'Home from the Hill'. She has also been a finalist in the Emerald Award and Pan Macmillan competitions.

Reviews

[Brenda]

Thalia helped her parents out at their Greek café in Bindarra Creek. It was a popular venue, busy most times of the day, but especially over lunch. Kel Jones, fire captain in Bindarra Creek often had lunch in the café as it was close to the office. Kel had lost his mother a few years prior and was worried about his Dad who was still grieving the loss of his beloved wife. But Kel had more worries as small fires throughout the town were reported. Did they have an arsonist?

When Kel and his team were called out to a bad car accident, needing the jaws of life, Kel was surprised to also discover a link to recent fires. But could it be possible? Kel was being pulled in several directions at once and wondered what the town was facing…

In the Heat of the Night is the 2nd in the Bindarra Creek, A Town Reborn series by Aussie author Susanne Bellamy. With each episode written by different authors, I thoroughly enjoyed Ms Bellamy’s rendition of the town’s battle with an arsonist. A light, quick and easy read, In the Heat of the Night is one I recommend.

[Jenny]

"In the Heat of the Night" is book two in the Bindarra Creek A Town Reborn series by Susanne Bellamy. Kel Jones was the Fire Captain of Bindarra Creek, and one day in the local cafe, he made a declaration with Thalia. However, Kel Jones never thought that Thalia would go through with it until Thalia turns up at the Bindarra Creek Fire Stations. The readers of "In the Heat of the Night" will continue to follow Kel Jones and Thalia to see what happens.

"In the Heat of the Night" is another fantastic book, Susanne Bellamy. I am not sure why Susanne Bellamy always engages me with the plot of her books. I love Susanne Bellamy's portrayal of her characters and the way they interact with each other throughout this book. I like Susanne Bellamy's description of the settings of "In the Heat of the Night" that allowed me to imagine living in Bindarra Creek.

The readers of "In the Heat of the Night" will understand the role of rural fire service to a rural community and the work involved to became a rural firefighter. Also, the readers of this book will learn about living in a rural community in Australia.

I recommend this book.

[Helen]

This is a fast paced story, with a fabulous feisty Greek heroine, who knows how to keep a hero on his toes and that would be the local fire captain. I thoroughly enjoyed this story a lovely journey to a beautiful HEA that had me smiling and I hope that you will too.

Fire captain Kel Jones is sure there is an arsonist in town and he and his crew are doing their best to catch the culprit but he is struggling to keep himself from being distracted by the new recruit Thalia who has him on a dare. The more time they spend together the harder it is for Kel to refrain from kissing those beautiful lips.

Thalia works with her family in the Greek café in Bindarra and she and Kel have always had a pull that has them shooting barbs at each other and taunting one another and when a dare is made for Thalia to join the fire crew things heat up even more, but when her brother is involved in an accident the pressure is on them both, but good Greek food and Kel’s dad helps to bring them together.

Who doesn’t love a fireman and Kel is such a great guy and Thalia is just the heroine for him, this one had me cheering them both on and wanting to go to a Greek café with the beautiful food that they were having, MS Bellamy has done a fabulous job of bringing Kel and Thalia together in a sensual and moving journey that had me turning the pages, I am really enjoying this series. Thank you MS Bellamy, this is one that I highly recommend.

[Janine]

I'm not loving this series.

[Tayra Sanders]

This is a fantastic and well written book. An intense story line that holds your attention as you get caught up in the fierce twists and hot chemistry. Lots of excitement. A thrilling must read.

[Liv]

Wonderfully Satisfying

Susanne Bellamy kept me riveted from the first page to the last. The chemistry between Kel and Thalia is palpable and her descriptions swept me away in a beautifully written Australian love story. A wonderfully satisfying read. I will most certainly be keeping an eye open for books from this author in the future.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elvira]

This is a great read with an awesome storyline that has well developed and engaging characters that have lots of chemistry. The smooth flow of the storyline makes for a good reading time.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Charli]

I havent read any of the Bindarra Creek Romances before and this was also my first book of Susanne Bellamy's, but I LOVED it and will now be happily purchasing more of her books :-) This was a very sweet romance, based in a small town in rural Australia. It highlighted some key issues that are very relevant in todays society but with a focus on the romance between the two main characters, fire captain Kel and feisty Greek heritage Thalia. I loved it, was a very easy to read novel, very enjoyable and relevant read. Cannot wait to read more from this author.

[Juanita Kees]

Totally enjoyed book 2 in this series. Fiery Thalia (of the divine baklava) is a perfect match for Bindarra Creek's fire captain, Kel Jones. A sweet, entertaining read from the very first chapter. With an arsonist in town, and romance blooming, it was easy to cheer these two on to their HEA.

[Colin Sampson]

It felt like real life situations.

[Efthalia Author]

This book is a quick and enjoyable read. Lots to love in this story and Thalia and Kel were perfect together and really who can resist a Moussaka eating Fireman, and a captain to boot. :)

[Toni Umar]

So nice to be able to read a book from a very local author. Despite romance not being a genre I choose, I did really enjoy the story of Kel, Thalia and the small town of Bindarra Creek. Kel is the local fire captain and Thalia is a wonderful cook, who works at her parent’s cafe. There is chemistry between these two immediately, however a local arsonist, their own misunderstandings and Thalia’s over thinking has a tendency to keep them apart. The back ground story covers the mystery of many local fires, as well getting to know the families and friends of Kel and Thalia. Running a rural fire brigade, a busy cafe with home cooked goodies (prepare to be hungry as you read about the food) and other topics such as death and grief are themes covered in the story. There are a few twists and turns before a predictable but very good ending. A very nice and enjoyable read.

[Claire Louisa]

4.5 ***** This is the second book I've read in the new Bindarra Creek series, I've read them out of order and though they do work well as standalones, I would recommend you read them in order. In the Heat of the Night is book #2 in the Bindarra Creek Reborn series and I loved it. Fire wasn't the only thing burning in this novel, there were plenty of sparks between our two main characters Kel and Thalia.

I loved the strength and determination that Thalia had, she was also stubborn, caring and loved her family to bits. Kel is known as the town's ladies man, a love them and leave them kind of guy, but Thalia may be about to change all that, completely blindsighting Kel. underneath Kel is much more than a ladies man, he's captain of the fire station and a loving son to dad Keegan, who is going through some bad times.

Mixed in with this budding relationship are fires, a potential arsonist, an accident, grief, and food.

Food plays a big role in bringing these two together and helping to start the healing for Kel's dad Keegan. I want to go out and try some Greek food myself after reading this, and I am by no means a foodie. Thalia's Greek parents add an extra layer to this story with some added humour, especially from her dad. 

An important issue Susanne Bellamy brings up in this novel is one of thinking about our older generation of people and what happens to them when they reach retirement age, especially in the rural communities, what is there for these people (who have given so much) to do so that they continue to feel useful and have interests to make them want to keep going, especially for those who retirement isn't an option they have chosen themselves.

I really liked how this relationship grew changing both characters as they learnt more about themselves and each other. A highly enjoyable read.

Thanks to the author and Booksprout for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[KL Cassanello]

Kel's the fire brigade captain, and gorgeous. He's a player, doesn't have to beg any woman to go out with him, and doesn't do relationships. Thalia's parents own Cyprus Cafe where she works. She has a big crush on Kel, but that'll go nowhere since he's a player. What he really enjoys is pushing her buttons. He says he'll join the book club when she joins the volunteer fire brigade. After a string of fires, he suspects they have an arsonist in their midst. But the person he suspects will rock the town. I love this book - it was easy reading, with a compelling story line that grabbed me from the first page. Kel is a likable hero - gorgeous and strong, a capable leader to solve the fire mystery, and devoted to his father. Thalia is beautiful, smart, strong, stubborn, and caring to a fault. This is my first read from this author, and I'm very much looking forward to the rest of this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Texas]

In The Heat Of The Night - This is my first read by this "author". There seems to be a misunderstanding about what an independent and strong woman is and a stupid woman that thinks she's strong and independent making idiotic demands. The stupidity hangs on young women thinking being I&S means no man will tell them what to do in all situations. Here Thalia will not have "some big, muscly" man give her orders; she's joining the local fire brigade without experience. Please, don't send that eejit to my house in case of fire or to get my neighbor's cat out of a tree.

I tried so hard to enjoy this story since it sounded like a fun romance with magic, but the constant prejudice against men bothered me too much to ignore. I made it to page 24 before giving up to the disappointment of having found another male basher giving bad examples of female behavior towards men.

Watch the movies of the 70s, which will give you an example of male behavior that I experienced from the 60 - 80s, and I was one female soldier working WITH 74 males when the military mindset was females were considered either whores or lesbians. Never had any disrespect because I respected myself and them, and would calmly let the occasional Neanderthal know his behavior would get him in trouble. Usually a coworker would step up and defend me when needed, but none of my coworkers were guilty, these were guys from other companies that we supported. (We were all from the same division, which consists of companies. ) Now it seems the shoe is on the other foot.

A good example of a I&S woman is Samatha Stevens, a modern witch married to an unreasonable pinhead human. She stayed true to herself while making their marriage work; that is being strong and independent. Watch the original TV series Bewitched from the 60s, not that movie with Nicole and Will, which made a mockery of I&S women everywhere.

I found this dribble on Booksprout. 1*

[Waruguru]

Thalia and Kel have known each other since high school, though Kel was older and finished before her. He has a reputation of serial dating and lack of seriousness. Kel enjoys teasing Thalia until the day he challenges her to join the fire crew, a challenge she rises to. Along the way they individually battle rising feelings for one another. Enjoyed the story immensely as it doesn't follow the routine boy meets girl formula and the supporting cast are a lovely addition to giving insight to who Kel and Thalia really are.

[Barbara]

Book two in the Bindarra Creek A Town Reborn series that was a surprise I did not see that happening. This is Fire Captain, Kel Jones and Thalia Levonis' story, a well written story with a very good storyline. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Susan Swiderski]

This book takes place in the same friendly small town as book one, and these new characters are just as likable.

Just as hunky fire captain Kel's interest in fiery Greek beauty Thalia is starting to heat up, her brother becomes a suspect in an arson investigation, and the police chief orders him to steer clear and keep his mouth shut. Not an easy task, considering she's the newest trainee for his volunteer firefighter group, and he's promised to help her study. Plus, his widowed father, who's been grieving for the past four years, is finally smiling again, thanks to Thalia's kindness and good cooking. Toeing the line has never been more difficult.

But of course... we get our happy ending. This is a sweet romance with a bit of danger in the background. Three and a half stars, rounded up to four.