Inferno

by Karen Harper

Bush pilot Lauren Taylor knows better than most the devastation fire can leave in its wake: two years ago she lost her husband to a raging wildfire. But when she flies a stranger into her isolated hometown of Vermillion, Montana, her actions may be the spark that starts an inferno. Because the mysterious passenger bears an undeniable resemblance to a serial arsonist wanted by the FBI--and he's disappeared into the tinder-dry woods….

FBI agent Brad Hale doesn't have time to fly into picturesque towns based on one woman's vague suspicions, but Lauren Taylor seems desperate.

And when her young son goes missing, he realizes the little boy may hold the key to his investigation. Hot on the stranger's trail, Lauren and Brad will do anything to stop a man bent on destruction…even if that means rushing headlong into the flames.

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Thriller

528 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Karen Harper is a former college English instructor (The Ohio State University) and high school literature and writing teacher. A lifelong Ohioan, Karen and her husband Don divide their time between the midwest and the southeast, both locations she has used in her books. Besides her American settings, Karen loves the British Isles, where her Scottish and English roots run deep, and where she has set many of her historical Tudor-era mysteries and her historical novels about real and dynamic British women. Karen's books have been published in many foreign languages and she won the Mary Higgins Clark Award for 2005. Karen has given numerous talks to readers and writers across the county. Her most recent books include THE SOUTH SHORES TRILOGY (CHASING SHADOWS, DROWNING TIDES and FALLING DARKNESS.) Her latest historical is THE ROYAL NANNY. Please visit her website at www.KarenHarperAuthor and her fb page at www.facebook.com/KarenHarperAuthor

Reviews

[Jo-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inferno is an edge-of-your-seat suspense with a light romance. While this is not my usual type of book, I did enjoy it. I really liked Brad and Lauren and really didn't like Evan Durand - the arsonist known as The Boy Next Door.

Lauren was a widow who lived in the small town of Vermillion, Montana with her young son. She moved there after her husband was killed in a wildfire in California. Something she had always been suspicious about because he was a well-trained firefighter. Lauren now flew a small plane, ferrying people in and out of town to a larger settlement. One day she flew a man into town and had a bad feeling about him so she called the FBI. Agent Brad Hale didn't want to go to Vermillion but wondered if Lauren's feeling about the visitor was right. When her son went missing, he definitely believed there was a bad guy around. He only had to find him.

If you like suspense with a touch of romance and a REALLY bad guy, you will like this book.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel hooked me right from the beginning and the suspense kept building and building and building making it impossible to put down!

Lauren Taylor and her young son, Nicky, live alone in the small town of Vermillion, Montana where Lauren makes her living flying a small Cessna, ferrying people in and out of town to the larger settlement of Kalispell. Lauren’s husband and his partner were killed two years ago fighting a fire which Lauren always believed was suspicious as her husband was a well-trained fire specialist.

One day she flies a stranger into her isolated hometown but little does she know that she may be responsible for the fires being set in Vermillion which eventually become a raging inferno!

FBI agent Brad Hale hesitantly flies into Vermillion after Lauren phones in her suspicions, but Laura seemed so intent on the phone that agent Hale couldn’t refuse her. After his arrival, Lauren’s young son Nicky goes missing which turn the tables for agent Hale. Perhaps Ms. Taylor is right about the stranger she flew into Vermillion?

Together, agent Hale and Lauren set out to find the mysterious stranger who seems to have literally disappeared but little do they realize that they themselves may be caught in the raging inferno!

I would highly recommend this novel to anyone. Karen Harper is a skilled author who knows how to build characters and has the ability to keep the suspense going, only releasing a small clue at a time making you want to keep going headlong into the story.

[Beth Lechman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harper does a great job with the storyline in this book. Brad Hale is on the FBI Arson Team chasing an arsonist that has been setting fires all over the country. Lauren Taylor is a bush pilot flying out of Vermillion, Montana. a small town set in the mountains. When she flies a passenger into her little town and than sees a sketch in the paper that looks like him she calls the hotline number. Brad flies to Vermillion to check it out and the race is on to catch the arsonist. The plot flows nicely but I had a bit of trouble with the character of Lauren. Something just didn't ring true to me. Overall though a book I would recommend to my friends to read.

[L8blmr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good suspense story, with a very rushed romance thrown in to qualify for the genre, I believe! There was no mystery to this one, as the reader knows how the antagonist is from the beginning. However, the setting was different and the climactic "inferno" was pretty impressive but ran on a bit too long for my liking. There were other slow portions of the story that would have benefitted from more editing. Still, I was entertained and engrossed for most of the story, and the heroine was more than a sobbing pretty face despite everything she faced. I'll round 3.5 stars up to 4.

[Lisa Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book,it helped take my mind off some of the problems I was facing. Single Mum Lauren flies s stranger into a small community,only to discover the man is an arsonist and a killer wanted by the FBI, the investigators arrive and a game of cat and mouse ensues. Not exactly intellectually stimulating but if you like action adventure this one is for you.

[Linda George · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this action packed book. An arsonist is connected to the past and the present to Lauren Taylor, pilot and widow in a remote town in Montana. FBI arsonist investigator Brad Hale does not expect his visit to Montana to lead not just to the arsonist, but also to love and community.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got 100 pages onto this when I realized this was not the book for me. Typical girl meets guys and they lust after one another. That took up more of the book than the fire story did. I didnt like this book at all

[Jasmine B · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5.

It wasn't that I didn't like it. Karen is a great writer. I just felt it lacked a little emotion. I was excited at the beginning but I felt confused by the end. I still enjoyed reading and will read more of her books.

[Jeanie Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a real thriller!! A real page turner.

The good guys came through though!!

Highly recommend.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! So exciting, hard to sleep after reading!

[Barry Paul Autry · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an ok book! Not great but ok!

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay but very predictable.

[Jasmin In1001Geschichten · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 Sterne. Ein kurzweiliges Buch durchaus spannend aber am Ende würde es sehr detailliert Erzählt was das Finale sehr in die Länge gezogen hat. Auch war die eine oder andere Wendung zu viel.

[Mary Abramovich · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little rushed at the end but good story woudl definitely read again later.

[Danielle Hixson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for books that have suspense with a hint of romance and this book had it! Loved the chase for the bad guy whilst the two main characters fell in love.

[Jennifer Olsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story. Love the characters and the well described setting.

[Noelle Saladin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would have given it a 3.5 if that was an option

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great example of a PG-13 contemporary romantic suspense. The bad guy is truly deranged. And yet, from what I have read about firestarters, he certainly fits the profile. The profile is also discussed within the book as FBI agents join the heroine in tracking down the "boy next door" arsonist.

The BND arsonist has been bedeviling the FBI for some years. He also has a connection to the heroine. The final Big Fire in a Dry, Remote, Highly Forested Area and the pursuit of the BND give the requisite adrenaline rush. The characters, major and minor, are detailed. The growing relationship between the hero and heroine is nicely handled. As a bonus for those preferring PG or PG 13 romances, there is a genuine romance minus the heavy sex.

Bonus points for information about wildlife of the area and a particularly disgruntled bear. A refreshing change of pace, this might also appeal to some readers of thrillers.

[Jill Manske · Rating 1 out of 5]

Choosing this book to read from the library shelves was impulsive and regrettable. When will I learn to research writers and books rather than just picking randomly? I could only stomach about 150 pages of this book. It's just a ridiculous premise, another of those "handsome hero saves lonely and lovely young woman". Had I known it was a romance/suspense novel, it would have stayed safely on the shelf. An FBI agent falling for a witness within a matter of hours? Come on. I'd like to think that most federal agents are more professional than that. Unless you love romance novels, don't bother with this book. Yuk.

[Cathy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads. I enjoyed every minute of reading this book. I really liked the characters, especially Red and Mari. Lauren is a brave heroine, and Brad is right for her. I like airplanes, so this was very entertaining for me. Wish there had been a few more details on how Evan met his end, but overall, it was a very good book. I will recommend this book, and author!

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

there was a lot of action in this book, and surprisingly, the female maiin character was a bush pilot in montana. the villain was quite wily, and there was a love interest for lauren, as well as a deceased huband and young son to complicate things.

the other characters were interesting as well, and the book gave insight into wilderness flying and fighting forest fires.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit I had my doubts about it at first. I thought it might be a snore fest, but I was pleasantly surprised when things started to heat up. The fire situation brought out the best and the worst in the characters. I wanted to see the arsonist fry in his own pan, Several romances were kindled or rekindled and justice was done. That's all I am saying as I don't want to spoil it.

[Kristine Buchholtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're in the wildland fire fighting business, many of the concepts within the novel will be close to home, and you'll be able to identify with the references made therein. As an avid outdoorsperson, I enjoyed the vivid scenery descriptions, but admittedly, the plot was a bit predictable. One of the minor characters was named after the town I call home, which added some personal irony.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an action-packed read! Lauren and Brad's frantic race against time and flame to catch an arsonist is very thrilling. There is romance, lots of interesting characters, and a beautiful setting. Very enjoyable.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty decent story. Ive had this on my shelf for a while and needed a good, quick, non-complicated read (as the book I finished prior to this was pretty deep). The plot was entirely predictable, but I still somewhat liked it. Would be a good quickie beach read.

[Wendy · Rating 1 out of 5]

1/2 star.. this book was a real disappointment. Too long. Too much discription of nothing. But my curse is that if I start a book I have to finish it, so I did. But it will never be read again. In this house.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts out with a really deranged guy enjoying the fire he set. Felt he was both director and producer of the chaos he created.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

hot. hot. hot.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining mystery reading