California Fire and Life

One of the finest crime novels I've ever read: Beautifully evoked California settings; a flawed, dogged, smart-ass hero; how-stuff-works exposition worthy of John D. MacDonald; and -- best of all -- an offbeat narrative voice that hooked me on Winslow's writing by the end of the third chapter. The prose reads like great jazz sounds: Loose, casually energetic, and seemingly effortless.

Winslow, when he's at his best, gives us a great thriller fleshed out with tons of background and history. Here, he takes s story of a claims adjuster determined not to pay a dirty claim and infuses it with ex- KGB Russian gangsters, fabulous South County life, courtroom shenanigans, and dirty double dealing. The book really soars when it paints a portrait of Nicky, including his time in a Russian prison, joining the brotherhood of the two crosses, and finding his own path to the American Dream. No less fascinating is Jack Wade's background as a former sheriffs deputy who wanted to nail the bad guys too much. The stories of growing up surging and going to arson school are terrific. And, you feel his frustration as he is stymied at every show more turn in his investigation into the arson and Pam's death.
A great thriller and if you have a chance to hear the narrated version, don't hesitate. show less

Winslow can write! This is his first book, and he got better, but this is really great. What a fun mystery. I loved learning about fire, and California real estate, and the Russian Mafia. I loved Jack, about whom I knew enough to care but not so much he stopped being mysterious. I also loved the surprise at the end, sad and grisly though it might have been. It made sense, but I did not see it coming. Perfect summer read.

The opening, with its short, smartass chapters, is a bit offputting, but persevere and soon you'll be swept along on a wild ride involving arson, murder, the Russian mob, the American dream, corruption, and true love. A good writer can make anything interesting, and you'll be eager to absorb whatever Winslow tells you about fuel loads, insurance law, and Georgian furniture. Jack Wade's a great hero, smart and stubborn, although a few hundred pages too slow to realize one crucial fact; but when you think you've got everything figured out, the story twists hard, then twists again.

Ok, I liked, and disliked this book. I liked the story, the action, the main character and plot! I liked the way the first 4 "chapters" and chapters 137 & 138 end! And I liked the ending in general!
I disliked all of the technical mumbo jumbo about arson investigation and insurance companies and policies, claims and the like. To be honest, I started skimming those parts, much like I did with the science parts of "The Martian". I liked the book much more after I did that!

In a strange sort of "coincidence", Chapter 23 actually happened TO me when I was in college- in Southern California, Orange County, if memory serves! I guess it was/is a common insurance scam!

Wonderful book. What more could you ask for: a good mystery, lots of detail about fire investigations, interesting character. I really enjoyed the section in the fire academy when the instructor is going through all the little details about fire and he uses the metaphor of a man seducing a woman. Fascinating: “Oxidation occurs. Act One: The Smoldering Phase. The seduction, if you will, the chemical reaction between oxygen and solid molecules in which the oxygen tries to induce heat in the solid matter. The seduction might take a fraction of a second—in the case of a hot number like gasoline or kerosene or some other liquid accelerant, the roundheels of the flammable street corner, I might tell you. Switching metaphors, liquid show more accelerants are the aphrodisiacs of the fire seduction. They are the storied Spanish fly, the fine wine, the manly cologne, the American Express Platinum Card left casually by the side of the couch. They can get the passion ignited in a big hurry.

Jack is a really competent arson investigator., but one with a checkered past. He's sent by his boss to check out a fire that killed a woman. It appears to be a simple case of accidental death. Soon Jack is mixed up in something that's way over his head and that he didn't see coming at all. (Neither did I.) But Jack has a sense of wanting to do things right.

Winslow writes great scenes. There's one love-making scene that's really erotic and another involving an attempted run-off-the-road that's very well done. One of the bad guys gets very well done, too. With just the right touch of humor.

One quibble. He says at one point, "Heated gas is lighter than air so it rises—witness your Goodyear blimp." Not an accurate example; a hot-air balloon perhaps, but the blimps have helium which is lighter than air. show less

Jack Wade investigates fires for California Fire and Life. When Nick Vale's beautiful wife and all his antiques go up in smoke and the fire department declares it accidental and his own insurance company wants to pay the $5million claim, Jack can't just let it ride. Something's not kosher. That something involves the Russian mafia and a lot of shady characters. I don't know who Don Winslow spends his spare time with but he's just about the best there is at creating shady characters. And he's not to shabby with a plot line either.