Book Reviews | Fade the Heat, by Colleen Thompson
Fade the Heat, by Colleen Thompson
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Houston Bay Area is dedicated to encouraging and supporting the romance writers, both published and aspiring, in its membership.
ISBN: 0505526484
Publisher: Dorchester
Release Date: November 2005
List Price: $6.99
Reviewed by Jo Anne Banker
Reagan Hurley is a tough, kick-ass sort of girl. You have to be when you’re a firefighter on Houston’s urban streets. It’s the only thing she’s ever wanted to do, since her father died a hero fighting a fire when she was just a kid. She works hard for her reputation of ‘matching male rookies axe-stroke for axe-stroke – despite her slender five-six frame’.
But now her career is threatened by the damnable weakness in her own body, asthma. Not willing to give up her hard won position in suppression, she searches out a childhood friend, knowing he’s now a doctor in a poor county-sponsored clinic – a doctor who can sign the medical release she needs to return to the job.
Dr. Jack Montoya’s childhood taught him to survive by walking a narrow path between right and wrong in a tough neighborhood barrio. Now he uses that skill to manipulate social programs to get much needed medical help for illegal immigrant children.
But someone blows the whistle on Jack, and has the city’s ‘tell-all’ talk radio host, who’s trying to steal the upcoming mayoral election with sensationalism, feeding Jack to the hungry crowd.
When Jack doesn’t sign Reagan’s release, she knows her choices are limited. She can ‘cave in now or go down swinging, but Reagan Hurley is looking for Option C . . . some passage through this firestorm that would help her ‘fade the heat.’
Even though she’s angered at Jack’s refusal to help her, the sparks ignited from their reunion burn bright. A series of incidents, which at first seem unrelated, draw the two together, deeper into a twisting tunnel of danger. Soon it becomes evident that they are the targets. As these two fight to solve the mystery that threatens their lives and the lives of their loved ones, both are forced to question truths they’ve always counted on. But sometimes enough heat can melt black and white into gray, blending the essence of their realities.
Take a serving of political intrigue mixed with a portion of social fanaticism, throw in some petty jealousy and personal vendettas, and you have a complex story filled with non-stop action. Season it with a sprinkling of tasty secondary characters: Jack’s sister Luz Maria, the Firebug, Reagan’s neighbor Peaches, and a white greyhound named Frank Lee. Fire the oven with Jack and Reagan’s torch for each other, and Rita finalist Colleen Thompson serves up a spicy treat of suspense along with a passion too hot to handle.
To quote from a recent Publishers Weekly review, “Married to a firefighter in real life, Thompson (Fatal Error) conveys the details of fire fighting and emergency medicine with authenticity and finely crafted prose. She more than holds her own in territory blazed by Tami Hoag and Tess Gerritsen.”
Fine praise indeed for our fellow Houston RWA member. If you enjoy page turning tension that never lets up, not to mention trying to figure out a whodunit, this book is for you. It’ll keep you guessing until the very end.
