If you are not currently reading Candice Fox, you need to remedy that right now. For years she has been one of my go-to writers, having initially fallen in love with her thrillers set in her native Australia. She then teamed up with the legendary James Patterson on a handful of novels, which helped put her on the map as a top-flight author.

FIRE WITH FIRE takes place in the U.S., specifically Los Angeles. The premise is pure fire, and it burns from start to finish. Four days prior to the beginning of the narrative, a woman named Mina rescues a naked, heavyset man from drowning in the ocean. Once he gets to shore, two surfer dudes assist her and notice the large bleeding wound on him. As soon as he’s revived, he asks for a cell phone. He proceeds to make a call and uses the code word “hellfire,” which the person on the other end of the line acknowledges.

"[FIRE WITH FIRE] has an ingenious plot and simply does not let up on the thrill meter. Candice Fox never fails to amaze me with her skilled and unique thrillers."

The man is Charlie Hoskins, an undercover detective who had been in deep cover for five years with a deadly motorcycle gang that eventually found him out and nearly tortured him to death on a boat. The wound was from them cutting off a gang tattoo he had on his body.

The next storyline, set two days before the main action, involves the first day of duty for Lynette Lamb. It also will be her last day, as her Chief discovers that a week prior to starting, she took home a random man she met while celebrating her graduation from the police academy. He ended up being an expert hacker working for the same motorcycle gang with which Hoskins had been mixed up. He proceeded to access Lamb’s laptop and uncover details on a case against the gang that not only ruined it but also helped to out Hoskins in the process.

These two unlikely allies will team up to take on a pair of foes in whom they both have a vested interest --- and are unlikely candidates for the roles of villains. Ryan and Elsie Delaney’s young daughter, Tilly, was allegedly abducted from a crowded beach while she was being watched by her older sister. The police closed the case after just 48 hours, claiming she had drowned. This was solely based on two witnesses insisting they saw Tilly heading towards the water before disappearing.

Ryan and Elsie know in their hearts that Tilly is still alive and out there somewhere. Years have gone by, and they are consumed daily by the fact that the local P.D. gave up on her. They decide to literally fight fire with fire and take matters into their own hands. So they show up armed to the police evidence lab and take three individuals hostage --- a security guard, a manager and a reporter. They also begin destroying lab evidence one at a time, effectively killing any chances of prosecution against known criminals.

The Delaneys give the P.D. 24 hours to find Tilly, or they will continue on their rampage. They have no fear of imprisonment as they already feel like they’ve been behind bars ever since Tilly was taken. It is now up to Hoskins and Lamb to join forces and covertly take on this baffling cold case.

If you need to catch your breath at this point in the review, just imagine what reading FIRE WITH FIRE will do for you. It has an ingenious plot and simply does not let up on the thrill meter. Candice Fox never fails to amaze me with her skilled and unique thrillers. If you have not found her yet, this stand-alone novel is a great place to start.