Man on Fire

by E.R. Yatscoff

Ex-fire captain Gerry Ormond figures his new position as Niagara Falls Fire Chief will be an easy gig. He not only discovers a dysfunctional department, but a corrupt one as well. Winning each battle will be difficult, but the administration has taken away his bullets--he's only a figurehead.

Karen, his partner, is savagely beaten by Branko, her estranged husband while Gerry is scapegoated after a tragic car dealership fire. Add to all that a disaster waiting to happen, as the brutal Red Mafya sinks its talons into an iconic hotel casino project. The criminals may be somehow linked to his administration. When he attempts to find a connection he is warned to back off. The Mafya sends their new enforcer Branko, to change his mind.

The more Chief Ormond investigates, the more men die, as forces he barely understands push back--hard. Out of his league and alone amidst the carnage, he declares war. Winning the war means dealing with the devil--Branko and the Red Mafya.

380 pages, Paperback

First published October 29, 2011

About the author

Retired firefighter and world traveler. One-time freelance astronaut.
Winner of 7 writing awards, the latest being an Outstanding Creator Award for The NIKE Birds..
Worked many jobs from A to Z before settling on a firefighting career. There are very few firefighter-authored crime novels.
Try one, you'll see the difference as they are not lawyer, PI, or cop stories.

Reviews

[Don Levers]

I really enjoyed the book. As a former Volunteer Firefighter I know how personality clashes can create tension even in a group of volunteers. If things get bad it can even be dangerous. You expect the man you are going to fight a fire with is going to help to protect you.
I found the story to be engaging and the characters and personality clashes believable.
Good Job ED. Keep up the good work.

[InD'tale Magazine]

Aaron is a complex, intriguing protagonist with a compelling personality.

Read full review in the 2017 November issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Steve Rogan]

Captain Gerry Ormond has endured through the storms that besieged him throughout Fire Dream, sliding into the freedom of retirement with a pension, and his high school sweetheart. Lucky man, and the luck continued; he's just accepted a new position, and is now the Fire Chief of the Niagara Falls Fire Service... Or, is he?
His hastily-read contract had a set of wrist-binds hidden in the fine print, rendering the role nothing more than a figurehead; a shiny ornament in a crumbling display cabinet. With all manner of shadowy administrative activity raising a myriad red flag, begging someone to take the bull by the horns, Gerry seeks to establish as many allies as he can so as to confront what turns out to be a monster far larger than he could’ve imagined.
Two things are crystal clear; Gerry Ormond isn’t a man who sits back and ignores a deliberately shackled fire service, and city General Manager, Richard Pichera, has made the biggest recruitment mistake of his life.

Man on Fire reaches top gear in no time at all, and rides along at a tidy pace throughout the entire read; buoyed by sound knowledge of all things firefighting on the author’s part, and a cast of strong, well-written characters. Pichera and Williams will get you squirming with fury in your chair, while the likely lads from the eastern side of the strait are up to their usual shenanigans on Canadian soil. This read has no flat spots; winding up like a ratchet taking a spring to bursting point... and burst it did.

As with Fire Dream, I highly recommend Man on Fire.

[Dean Hovey]

I've read Edward Yatscoff's Young Adult books and enjoyed them so decided to give this a try. I was hooked in the opening chapter by Aaron, a Canadian fireman now living in Mexico, who risks his life to save people in a burning car. The rescue and ensuing events change his life and I was quickly wondering if Aaron had entered a pact with the devil as the book played out. His on and off encounters with his female assistant, Maria, created anticipation and later foreboding. The plot twists kept me guessing right up to the last page.

[Christina]

Canadian firefighter Aaron Landers retires to open a tour business in Mexico, specifically the Mayan Riviera, where he soon finds himself enmeshed in a series of lucrative but shady goings-on and a colorful cast of characters, including a crooked police comandante and a sultry woman who’s got a bunch of men running after her, including Aaron. Yatscoff proves once again his deft hand at the adventure/thriller novel, this time with the spicy backdrop of Mexico that adds atmospheric interest to this rollicking read!

[Jennifer Shepard]

This is the first book I read from this autor and let me tell you that I loved it! Such a good book
with great characters Gerry, karen, Branko... that keeps you obsessed with every page since the first one. The ending of this book.. come on! I just didn´t expect it! Amazing job! definitely a must
read!. 5/5 A fantastic story that has it all!

Keep writing Yatscoff!... Great job!

[Santiago De Los Santos]

Great book

[E.R. Yatscoff]

Wow! Now in paperback