by Ace Atkins
Part of Spenser, book 44
First published 2016
A Catholic church burns in Boston's South End. Three firefighters die trapped in the flames. The department calls it an accident, bad wiring in an old building. But firefighter Jack McGee lost his best friend in that fire. He believes someone set it deliberately. McGee brings his suspicions to private investigator Spenser. The detective discovers McGee may be right. The church fire connects to other arsons spreading across the city. Spenser tracks the fires into Boston's criminal underworld. He works alongside his partner Hawk and apprentice Sixkill. They face a new enemy who breaks the old rules and wants Spenser dead. The detective must identify the arsonist before more people die. He also needs to survive long enough to stop the killer.
Genres: suspense, mystery, crime, thriller, detective, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Boston, Boston's South End
Period: 21st-century
320 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam's Sons
Content warnings: death, graphic-violence