An exciting read Preston and Child have done it again with their mysterious FBI Agent Pendergast and his progeny Corrie.

WHITE FIRE begins with the rendering of a true story of Oscar Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle, meeting with a publicist, when Wilde tells Doyle a story that is so shocking it affects Doyle for the remainder of his life.

Corrie, who is trying to write a thesis and win an award that will give her a scholarship to finish her schooling, is presented with an idea to go to Colorado and do forensic research on a series of grizzly bear attacks from the 1800. Once she arrives in town Corrie's investigation is quickly shut down by powerful people in the small but wealthy Colorado town. When she decides to go ahead with her investigation she is quickly arrested and looking at serious jail time, Agent Pendergast shows up just in time and Corrie is allowed to proceed.

At the same time there is an arsonist in town murdering people and burning down their homes. Corrie goes forward with the investigation and discovers the grizzly attacks are a series of unspeakable murders and her life is quickly placed in danger. While at the same time Agent Pendergast works the arson case and researches the story Wilde told Doyle believing that it is the key to the truth about both sets of murders.

The parallel between the way Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes does his investigating and the way Agent Pendergast works is as fun reading as is the search for a lost Sherlock story. The only disappointing part of the story was I knew who the arsonist was the minute the character was introduced. Still if you're a fan of Holmes or Agent Pendergast then you will enjoy WHITE FIRE.