Karen Harper, Inferno

Inferno

Karen Harper

Mira, January 2007, $6.99

ISBN: 0778324044

In Vermillion, Montana, widow bush pilot Lauren Taylor raises her two sons by herself, since her firefighting spouse Ross died trying to put out a wildfire blaze two years ago. Though not easy, she has adjusted to being a single mom.

However, she becomes very concerned when she flies in Rocky Marston, who upon landing seems to have vanished. She becomes concerned later when she sees a picture of the notorious Boy Next Door Arsonist killer who is the media's "darling" as the BND ,and on the FBI most wanted list with four dead due to his inferno's. She thinks her charter Rocky is BND, so Lauren uses the federal hotline to report her belief. FBI arson investigator Brad Hale comes to Vermillion to investigate, because the agency takes any tip on the whereabouts of this arrogant serial arsonist-killer seriously. As the evidence mounts that Evan is the culprit and planning something nasty and big, Lauren and Brad team up to prevent another tragedy caused by this ruthless murderer, while their attraction to one another remains simmering, as stopping Evan remains the top objective.

What makes INFERNO a fascinating police procedural romantic suspense in spite of the overused serial killing arsonist villain, is the isosceles "triangle" that forms between Lauren, Brad and BND. Whereas Lauren and Brad are dedicated individuals who fall in love, BND is a lunatic who is obsessed with deadly inferno's. Though everyone knows Evan is BND and that he is insane, he remains sly and elusive, as he continues to evade his adversaries while torching anything and anyone who tries to douse his fire. Karen Harper provides a tense action-packed thriller.