3 stars out of 5
“Monsters may not deserve compassion,” Kaely said softly. “But everyone gets forgiveness from God if they want it.”
“The end game is to kill him.”
“‘Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candlestick. Jack jump high, Jack jump low, Jack jumped over and burned his toe.’”
First off, I really enjoyed Kaely’s first book, Mind Games, by Nancy Mehl. Even though I easily guessed the killer in that one, I thought the writing was really good, the action intense, and just a really good thriller. Unfortunately, Fire Storm didn’t match that same intensity. Maybe because serial killers are more interesting than serial arsonists!
While there were some good moments that held promise (i.e Kaely and Noah teamed up again, the creepy Jack Be Nimble poem sent after the fires, and some family dynamics), I felt it was slow paced and ultimately a letdown. Even Noah’s presence in this book was disappointing. I thought the beginning 20% or so held promise, followed by a slow 60%, and a final 20% of couldn’t put the book down. The ending was kinda satisfying, though I’m sure I could poke some holes in it if I really wanted to. I did appreciate the Christian aspects.
Such a shame this was a letdown for me considering I thought this was going to be one of those series that was must-read and would keep getting better and better. I’m sure I’ll read Book 3 in hopes that Mehl can deliver a more complete thriller and not one with just small storms of fiery intensity.
* I received this book free from Netgalley and publisher Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.
