Search - Blue Smoke

This was my first time reading Nora Roberts and I really did enjoy this book. It moves along rater nicely and I found myself wanting to see what happens next. I will read more from her.

As a former firefighter, I found Nora's attention to detail very enjoyable. She 'did her homework' on this one.

this book was good i could not put it down

Nora Roberts is always a fast and easy read...One of her trilogies got me interested in gardening....the one with flower names:) This one was obviously good enough to make into a tv movie.....

I thought this was a pretty good thriller for a Nora Roberts book. I read her books when I want a quick romantic escape from the dark thrillers I usually read. The book had romance story line but I felt the mystery and fire fighting info was emphasized more.

When Catarina "Reena" Hale was eleven years old, she watched with her family--father Gib, mother Bianca, sister Francesca, sister Isabella, and brother Xander--as their family business, Sirico's, burned to the ground. The case came to a swift conclusion, when the father of a boy who had attempted to assault Reena is picked up for arson. The family rebuilds their business, their family ties stay strong, and their love and respect in the neighborhood grows.

We fast-forward to Reena in college, where she's finally decided to lose her virginity to Josh, a fellow student who yearns to be a writer. After her sister Bella's dream wedding, Reena has sex with her boyfriend, returns home, and later discovers that Josh has died during a horrific apartment fire--after supposedly falling asleep in bed with a lit cigarette.

Again, fast-forward. Reena is still in training to become an arson investigator, her life-long dream. She's a member of the police force, has worked actual fires with her fellow firefighters, and now needs to finish her training. A firefighter she was thinking of dating dies in an apparent robbery, shot and left in his burning truck.

Still farther into the future, Reena is a full-fledged arson investigator, and tragedy finds her once again. Only days after earning her gold shield, Luke, a boyfriend whose marriage proposal she turned down, has his Mercedes burned sky-high, and of course Reena is the main suspect. After she's cleared, she's only more determined than ever to make fire her job--to find out who sets it, and why, and to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Then she meets Bowen "Bo" Goodnight, her new next-door-neighbor, and feelings and emotions get jumbled up with the fires that seem to dog her every step. Because someone has made her their vendetta, and will stop at nothing to make sure that his own brand of justice is served.

I loved BLUE SMOKE! Although it took me four days to read, weighing in at 437 pages and spanning twenty years, the book is a wonderful mix of engaging family saga, taut police/arson procedural, and down and out thriller. I don't agree with the other reviewers who said this book was "horror" or that Ms. Roberts delved too deeply into the mind of the killer--most romantic suspense (and this is definitely one of those books) these days go more into the who, how, and why and less on the fluff. I commend Ms. Roberts for another winning story, one which I was sad to see end. I loved reading about the Hale family and their extended relations, and I'm sure you'll be as enthralled by them as I was.

**I have to also say that BLUE SMOKE reads a lot like Nora Robert's alter-ego, J.D. Robb, in a lot of instances. Some of the short sentences, rapid-pace dialogue, and out-loud ruminating are reminiscent of Eve Dallas, but that only adds to the allure of BLUE SMOKE, instead of taking away from it. Kudos on another winner!

Reena became an arson investigator because of a fire that destroyed her family's pizzeria when she was young. But her job is easier than her love life. But she meets Bo, who seems different. Unfortunately, there is a man haunting Reena with phone calls and horrifying crimes. Reena tries to figure out what is going on.

I loved how Nora didn't make this a sole love story. It had real, mystery and suspense that some of her other novels lack.

A good Nora Roberts novel!

This was a fun, fast paced read. I couldn't put it down! Another great Nora Roberts.

Great book--up there with her best.

Even though I am a Nora Robert's fan, this book is not one of my favorites. The ending is too predictable and some parts are too crude for my taste.

Another great thrilled by Nora Roberts about a fireman named Reena who tracks down the person who's killing those close to her by fire. Great read.

I started reading this but it is not my bag. I didn't think it was terrible but just not connecting.

Nora Roberts has out done herself with this book. This is one of the best books I've read. Very well written.

excellent read, like all of Norab Roberts's books

another excellent NR book