Reena Hale's fascination with fire began when an arsonist
torched her parent's restaurant. The dancing flame, the
roar and the power of the fire drew her to learn its
secrets. Leaving childhood behind, Reena dedicates herself
to studying and undertaking the difficult job of arson
investigator. The years of sacrifice are worth it when she
succeeds beyond her wildest dreams as she investigates
suspicious fires and learns to read the raging flames. The
one negative in her life is her relationships with men.
Working in a man's world in a job rife with danger, tends
to discourage relationships. Instead of bemoaning the fact,
Reena surrounds herself with her large boisterous family.
Twenty years ago at a crowded party, Bo Goodnight caught a
fleeting glance of a beautiful woman across the room. He
never believed in love at first sight until that fateful
moment. Destiny plays another trick on him when his fantasy
woman moves in next door. As Bo and Reena's relationship
heats up, an arsonist with an obsession for Reena invades
their life. His fires put Reena and her family in deadly
peril. Time is running out for her to catch this horrifying
serial arsonist and killer.
BLUE SMOKE does an excellent job of depicting the seductive
nature of fire and the art of the fire investigators. Fast-
paced and riveting, Roberts' tale ends with a cliffhanger
guaranteed to have readers on the edge of their seats.
The blaze that night at her family's pizzeria changed young
Reena Hale's life. Neighbors and relatives would help the
Hales rebuild. The Baltimore authorities would arrest the
arsonist responsible. But as Reena beheld the fire's brutal
beauty and destructive power, her destiny began to take
shape. She would understand and master its terrible force-
and one day become an investigator herself.
But she is not the only one fascinated by the flames.
Someone else sees their power-and is obsessed not with
conquering the fire but with controlling it, owning it,
using it to exact vicious revenge . . .
When Reena finally joins the arson unit, her strength and
wits are constantly tested-although sometimes the job seems
like a snap compared to her love life. But she can't always
blame the men-after all, a soot-caked woman barking orders
and smelling of smoke isn't the biggest turn-on in the
world. Then she meets Bo Goodnight, who seems different.
He's been trying to find Reena for years, and now that she
is close enough to touch, he has no intention of letting
go.
Nor does the man who has begun to haunt Reena's life-with
taunting phone calls and a string of horrifying crimes. And
as Reena tries desperately to trace the origins-of the
calls, the fires, the hatred aimed in her direction-she
will step into the worst inferno she has ever faced.