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FBI Special Agent Maggie O’Dell’s life is a bit hectic at the moment: still recovering from a failed attempt at a relationship, her newly discovered half-brother Patrick comes to live with her, and a sensationalist television reporter has become the bane of his existence by filming an embarrassing profile on her; all just as a string of increasingly violent and disturbing arson incidents sweep through the heart of Washington, DC. As this tenth installment of Alex Kava's popular series featuring O'Dell begins, the local authorities are convinced that the crimes are nothing but a disturbed young man doing deranged things, but when Maggie is asked to look into these incidents, she soon comes to the conclusion that there is more going on than meets the eye. Matters complicate further when Maggie's superiors make it clear that they want a quick, clean, and simple solution to these attacks, which incidentally have been taking place near politically sensitive areas. Also entering into the picture is a bombastic and ambitious reporter, Jeffrey Cole, who seems to arrive at the scene of the arson crimes before the police does and is doing an embarrassing and personal profile of Maggie for the network telecast. Further complicating her case is the presence of her half-brother, Patrick, who works for a for-profit fire squad that Maggie has deep moral qualms about and who also has a romantic eye for Cole's assistant. FIREPROOF is a quick and light ride, complete with cliffhanger endings that average about four pages each, but Kava still is able to flesh out real and interesting characters and situations. Maggie, even for those previously unfamiliar with the series, is a convincing, tough, and likable protagonist and the supporting characters are similarly well-drawn. Additionally, Kava's ability to create real, ethically tricky situations for the reader to ponder help this novel rise above the normal mainstream novel of suspense. The one primary flaw that drags FIREPROOF down a bit is how it clearly intends to, and spends much time developing, a political corruption angle to the story that frankly never develops in a meaningful way to the story, It's unclear if Kava decided to pull her punches at some point, but it's quite the unfortunate distraction, and the reader would have been better served if the author went further or did not broach the subject to begin with. But that being said, FIREPROOF still is a worthy entry in a subgenre occasionally known for being "light." FIREPROOF begins with a set-up that hooks you and for the most part delivers what it intends to: a brisk read, full of twist and turns that also manages to produce real characters that encounter real obstacles. The latest entry in the Maggie O'Dell series is recommended for all fans of suspense and fast-paced mysteries. § Ben Neal is a public librarian in northeastern Tennessee and likes to fancy himself an amateur writer, humorist, detective, and coffee connoisseur in his spare time. He can be reached at beneneal@indiana.edu.
Reviewed by Ben Neal, July 2012
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