Malibu
Burning
by Lee Goldberg (Thomas & Mercer, 2023) finally drifted up my TBR stack and
I tackled it over the weekend. I didn’t know anything about the book and I was
delighted to see that the primary characters are arson investigators. I have
wondered for years why arson investigators are not considered interesting
enough to feature as leads in crime fiction. Homicide detectives, private eyes,
department store detectives, insurance investigators, even food inspectors and railroad
detectives, but I don’t remember seeing arson investigators as anything but
incidental characters. Much of what they do is based on science, and I can
understand that analyzing burn patterns and checking for accelerants does not
make a scintillating read but I always thought it was fascinating.
Walter Sharpe
is an old hand in the arson shop. He draws Andrew Walker as his new partner.
Walker is a former U.S. Marshal, a bit of a cowboy, but his pregnant wife
pressured him to find a job that would bring him home at night and arson seemed
to be a likely alternative. With the wildfires in southern California
never-ending and the winds whipping the smallest spark into an inferno that
consumes acres of forest and millions of dollars in real estate, the arson
department did not lack for work.
Danny Cole is
a likable and talented thief, aided in his chosen profession by a significant
degree of intelligence and creativity. His attention is drawn to the mega
mansions in Malibu. These over-the-top residences (20 bedrooms! 40 bathrooms!) are
full of valuable collectibles, art, jewelry, and cash. He decides that a
well-placed wildfire would force the residents to flee, leaving the contents of
their homes open to plunder.
The narrative
moves back and forth between the investigators and the thieves. Along the way
it draws attention to the political maneuvering that directs scarce fire
protection resources to the wealthy and away from those who need them more. An
informative thread describes the California convict firefighting program in
which prisoners have the option to join a firefighting unit instead of living
in a cell. A quick internet search says at least 14 states have programs that
use inmates as firefighting resources and that they are considered essential in
rural areas.
With over 50
books and multiple popular television series to his credit Goldberg is a master
at character development, consistent pacing, and inventive plotting. I liked
it!
The second
adventure of Sharpe and Walker was released in September 2024 and the third is
scheduled for April 2025. A promising new series. Starred review from Library
Journal.
·
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (September
1, 2023)
·
Language: English
·
Hardcover: 304 pages
·
ISBN-10: 166250067X
·
ISBN-13: 978-1662500671
Amazon Associate
Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3Csm2qW
Aubrey Nye Hamilton
©2024
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
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