SOLVED. fire marshall detective novel [s]

[Penny]

I read a mystery about 20 years ago where the protagonists were two fire marshals investigating a fatal fire. One of them was named Jose. It had something to do with the gay community as well - there was a villain who was gay but was trying to pretend to be straight in order to get money out of a rich woman.

Does anyone recognize this? It was a very unique sort of mystery novel, and I'd like to find it again.

Thanks.

[Penny]

I forgot I'd posted this but something recently made me think of it again, so I thought I'd give it one more try before i give up...

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Penny, just periodically bump it up. Sooner or later, we all live in hopes of getting a cherished but titleless book id'ed.

[Kate]

First Degree Burn has a fire marshall as the main character.

Black Hearts And Slow Dancing has a fire chief who steps in as acting-sheriff in Seattle.

Both are first books in series.

[Penny]

Thanks, Kate. Neither of these are the books I'm looking for, but they look like good ones, anyway!

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Ashes to Ashes by Mary Monica Pulver also has a fire marshall helping to solve an arson/murder.

Mariner's Compass by Earlene Fowler has a retired fireman helping to solve a mystery.

I doubt that either of those is the one you are looking for, but thought I'd throw them out there anyway.

[Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large)]

One of the Fire Marshal Ben Pedley books by Stewart Sterling? E.g.
Nightmare at Noon
Five Alarm Funeral
Too Hot to Handle
The Hinges of Hell

Or one of Terri Blackstock's Newpointe 911 books?
Private Justice
Shadow of Doubt
Word of Honor
Trial by Fire
Line of Duty

Or Death and the Visiting Fireman by H.R.F. Keating?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Penny, are you still looking for this book? Lots of suggestions @6 and @7.

[Penny]

Oh,yes. Sorry for not replying. I checked out the suggestions and they don't seem to be the one I remember. I'm pretty sure it was not part of a series.

It has been fun to see all the ideas people posted anyway. I had no idea there were so many mysteries featuring firefighters and fire marshals! I'll have to make sure my friend who works in the industry knows about all of these.

[Penny]

BTW- the main villian's name was Quiggley, or something like that. that's the only other detail I remember.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Still looking?

[Penny]

I haven't found it yet. I have sort of given up.

[Khaoula]

Lobstergirl wrote: "Still looking?"

Hi Penny i am sorry i can't help you find this book , i tried :/ , but i have read a similar plot and i thought maybe you will enjoy it as a form of consolation! :p

A Casual Weekend Thing

[Tab]

Glitter & Ash by Dennis Smith fits. Here is a snippet of the Novelist description:

Who threw a fire-bomb into Club Sophia (a new disco in the Plaza Hotel basement) during the opening-night festivities, thus burning 43 people to death? That's the puzzle for N.Y. fire marshal Terry Ahearn--who gets little cooperation from his rivals, the city cops. And Terry also has to deal with distractions on the home front: his socialist-but-bigoted father over in Brooklyn is fuming over kid sister Maureen's affair with a Brazilian guitarist; and Terry is feeling ambivalent about his affair with upper-class, clown-to-earth Melissa. Still, there are some good clues to follow:(view spoiler)[ a man in a cape seen near the crime spot; the remnants of the fire-bomb bottle; and, above all, the fact that the fire-bomb contained amyl nitrate--a sex-enhancing drug in wide use among homosexuals (hide spoiler)]. So Terry and his pal Jose manage to pinpoint the culprit--(view spoiler)[he's a discreetly gay, quite psychotic fashion-magazine publisher with grudges against a couple of people at that ill-fated party (one of whom survived!); but since they have no real evidence, they have to catch the psycho in the act, as he tries the same thing again at a costume ball (hide spoiler)].

[Penny]

That's the one, Tab! Thank you so much!!

Thanks also to those of you who made an effort and suggested other books. Many of them look like they are worth checking out.

[Tab]

You're welcome :)

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

O. MG. This thread was solved after 7.5 years so that should give us all hope.

[Khaoula]

Lobstergirl wrote: "O. MG. This thread was solved after 7.5 years so that should give us all hope."

I so hope someone will find my book too :p

[Khaoula]

Penny wrote: "That's the one, Tab! Thank you so much!!

Thanks also to those of you who made an effort and suggested other books. Many of them look like they are worth checking out."

You are welcome and i am so happy that Tab found your book. Seems like an interesting one, i'll try it :)