cover image THERMAL IMAGE

THERMAL IMAGE

Pat O'Keeffe, P. O'Keeffe, . . New English Library, $8.95 (436pp) ISBN 978-0-340-82016-2

In firefighter-turned-novelist O'Keeffe's first novel, fireman Steve Jay is battling more than just flames. He's also dealing with a pair of problems that almost have him licked: his love-hate relationship with his prodigal girlfriend, Jenny, who has just returned from a brief but heated fling, and a mounting debt problem. To solve his money woes, he accepts an assignment from an old friend. The assignment involves working after-hours for an insurance company, investigating a fatal warehouse fire likely caused by arson—and likely the latest in a series of blazes tied to a wealthy family. Jay is endearing in his down-on-his-luck way, a weary but noble character who learns the business of detection by trial and error. The book opens with vivid scenes of firefighters at work, but the majority of the tale is spent following Jay as he investigates the complex family ties that connect the fires and eventually bring the case back home to Jenny. The book would benefit from more of the gritty firefighting sequences hinted at in the opening chapters, but crisp, realistic dialogue keeps this savvy story moving at a brisk pace. (July)