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Novels about firefighters are receiving some new and well-deserved attention. They've always been there, getting some below the radar notice, but nothing really major, and nothing such as some of them deserved. Since the attack on September 11, 2001, however, that has changed. As Suzanne Chazin points out in her Acknowledgments for her new novel, FLASHOVER, it is estimated that the 343 members of the Fire Department of the City of New York who perished saved an estimated 25,000 citizens. There is, perhaps, a need to become closer, however vicariously, to these individuals, to these souls who run toward the disasters from which we flee.
FLASHOVER is Chazin's second novel concerning FDNY Fire Marshal Georgia Skeehan; its sophomore status belies the strong, confident voice used to tell this tale of revenge and misplaced justice. It begins with Skeehan's investigation into two separate deaths caused by fires. It quickly becomes clear to Georgia that the deaths are related; both victims are physicians who in the past had been instrumental in denying line-of-duty benefits to disabled firefighters. Her investigation slowly begins to uncover far more motive than simple revenge, however. When she begins to feel as if she is making progress, she is thwarted not only by the passage of time but also by the city government and her superiors. Skeehan is further stymied when her best friend, Connie Ruiz, disappears from her own apartment, and Skeehan's boyfriend and fellow fire marshal, Mac Marenko, is found at the scene. Betrayal, on both a personal and professional level, is everywhere. And when the arsonist, known only as Robin Hood, holds New York City for ransom, Skeehan is the only one who can solve the twisted mystery, concealed for decades, that is about to light the conflagration in the present.
FLASH OVER is a compelling second effort, perfectly paced, meticulously plotted, and expertly constructed. Those who believe they are clever --- like this reviewer --- will think they have the solution to the mystery of the identity of Robin Hood by FLASHOVER's halfway point. Those who are truly clever will withhold judgment. Both sets of readers will be surprised. Chazin is familiar with her territory --- her husband and father-in-law are among the ranks, past and present, of New York's Bravest. This explains in part how she has come to know the inner workings of the FDNY --- indefatigable research accounts for the rest --- but the time, talent, and sweat so obviously poured into this labor of love are Chazin's alone. FLASHOVER will undoubtedly cause a clamor for more of Skeehan, and for more from Chazin.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
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