Consumed by Fire

Stuart falters in this international romantic thriller focusing on the American branch of the secretive Committee, first introduced in her Ice series (On Thin Ice, etc.). James Bishop, operative for the Committee, married academic Evangeline Morrissey and then disappeared. Five years later, with his ex-partner gone rogue and his enemies hunting them both, James reappears in Evangeline’s life, bringing chaos and killers in his wake. As they go on the run from the Montana border to the Committee’s new headquarters in New Orleans, Evangeline must decide whether to trust a man who has already betrayed her. A few friends and foes populate the world but are little more than elements for the couple to react to. The suspense is strong, with several intense action scenes; however, the romance is lacking, with troubling underlying themes of violence, sex, and abuse, and the story relies heavily on linking gender fluidity with mental instability. Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel & Goderich Literary. (May)