Product Description
This digital document is an article from The Forensic Examiner, published by Thomson Gale on December 22, 2006. The length of the article is 6536 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Understanding and treating the juvenile firesetting: a review.
Author: Tracy L. Gilman
Publication: The Forensic Examiner (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 15Issue: 4Page: 11(8)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, 3rd ed., brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1216 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.The third edition of this authoritative, comprehensive, in-depth medical guide features information on medical topics in language accessible to adult laypersons. Disease/disorder articles typically cover definition; description; causes and symptoms; diagnosis; treatments; prevention; and more. Test/treatment articles typically cover definition; purposes; precautions; preparation; risks; normal and abnormal results; and much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent overview of child fire-setting
Dr. Gaynor is one of a handful of true experts on juvenile fire-setting in the United States.She and her colleagues are doing great service by turning out books such as this one, which help us understand and do therapy with juvenile fire-setters.This book was hard to find, but worth the wait. ... Read more

Product Description
In his pulse-pounding thrillers, Earl Emerson takes readers into the heart of the world’s most dangerous profession, where the next alarm might bring sudden death. Based on stunning, actual events in the author’s life, this electrifying new novel is a frightening duel between a Seattle firefighter and a man who wants to burn him down. . . .


To a firefighter, there’s nothing worse than a nuisance arsonist. His multiple fires keep a station up at night, running in circles, and more vulnerable at the next “real” call. And in Seattle, Lt. Paul Wollf of the Station Six’s ladder truck hates a pyro more than most. Two decades before, an arsonist’s fire killed Wolff’s firefighter father, sending his mother into a spiral of depression and triggering a chain of events that left his brother in jail for murder and Wollf alone, seething in anger and isolation.

Already disciplined for punching out a superior officer, Wollf is now taking a young female firefighter under his wing. Despite the stationhouse leers and jokes, Wollf is only doing what comes naturally, helping out an underdog and bucking the system. But soon he and Cindy Rideout find themselves in a fierce political battle inside the department, just as a pyro starts to turn Seattle into his private little hell.


With fires springing up across the city, Wollf begins to see a pattern. The fires being set are coming closer and closer to Station Six. And when a crucial piece of evidence turns up, Wollf suspects the unthinkable: this pyro has turned him into a fiery target.

In Paul Wollf, Earl Emerson has created a hero on the brink. For when the pyro’s rampage puts Wollf in the public limelight, Wollf must choose between his burning rage and the chance to step back–for once–and see a shocking truth hidden beyond the heat.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Gift
I sent it to my son when he was in Afghanistan. We're both fans of Emerson

Watch out, or you might get burned
Earl Emerson splits his time between his real-life occupations - writing, and working as a firefighter in Washington state. And after a lengthy, successful detective series, he's turned to what he knows and has set his last several novels in the firefighter milieu.

I was pleasantly surprised by his Thomas Black private eye novels, mainly because I grew to like the characters so much. Even so, I've found his books to be frustrating reads. They tend to be full of hyper-quirky characters that do and say things that have absolutely no bearing on either story or plot (or what anyone would really do in a similar situation, for that matter).

This is the first of his firefighter novels I've read. And I can't get into it at all, for a lot of the same reasons.

Emerson should know his stuff. Here, everything seems right; the accuracy is all there from a technical standpoint, and who better to write about firefighting than a real life firefighter. But this is the deal: you can feel Emerson hiding behind the writing, working hard to craft his twisty-turny plots and his goofy characters. With Pyro, he splits the narrative into (so far) seemingly half a dozen different points of view, which completely distracts from the flow of the book. You need a scorecard to keep track of who's who.

Drives me crazy. But I struggle on, `cause Emerson's such a likeable mug. Maybe someday I'll actually get around to finishing it...

Not Quite Up to Smoke Room, but Suspenseful Read on its own
Having recently read and loved Earl Emerson's Smoke Room, I went directly on to a previous book, Pyro.Like Smoke Room, Pyro is a stand-alone suspense novel that takes place in and around a fire station.Unlike Smoke Room, the story has multiple narrators and a more widely focused plot that, while still suspenseful, doesn't reach the claustrophobic, near unbearable, oh-my-god-how-is-he-going-to-get-out-of-this levels that Smoke Room did.

There's a nuisance arsonist plaguing the area around Seattle's Station Six, driving all the firefighters mad with multiple nightly calls, but Lt. Paul Wolff has a special hatred for the perpetrator as his father was killed in an arson fire when he was just a kid, and his surviving family went on a downward spiral that they still feel the effects of--Paul may be the "success story" of the family, with an alcoholic murdered mother and a brother in prison, but he's still dangerously unstable emotionally, even if he keeps it well under wraps.

The arsonist's attention seems to be more and more personal, though, seeming to center on Station Six and possibly even on Paul Wolff.The unthinkable slowly begins to seem possible--is this arsonist the very same one who took the life of his father and is now knowingly toying with him?And if he is, what will Wolff do if and when the man is caught?

Emerson, a professional firefighter himself, fills the book with authentic details of firefighting techniques and every day station life and politics that add a dimension to the story beyond the mere suspense plot, and that's one of the things that has attracted me to his books.In Pyro, the narration moves from Wolff to other characters, most notably a female trainee under him who is doing her best to prove her worth and get through her probationary period, but who is being plotted against by supervisors without her knowledge.This plot was almost as intriguing to me as the main story and made me wonder what the inspiration for it might have been in Emerson's real life career.

The multiple viewpoints made things interesting but as I said, somewhat less focused, and I didn't find the fairly stereotypical psycho bad guy nearly as compelling as the good-guys-gone-bad in Smoke Room, but on its own this novel remains a very good read with interesting characters and a page-turning plot.Definitely worth a look!

Exhilarting
I have long been a fan of Earl Emerson and am very excited that he has broadened his style.This book is a thriller that I found hard to put down.While written in the style of several different characters point of view the story still maintains velocity and suspense. My heart is still pounding after the book finishes with a very satisfying end that does not compromise the main character. I could almost feel the flames on my face and hear the crackling of a building burning down.Like any exhilarting ride the only downside is that it comes to an end too quickly.

A real page turner
I just started reading Earl Emerson's books, which involve Firefighters and I became immediately hooked. His books are real page turners, with lots of plot twists. Thecharacters are all pretty realistic with their human flaws. Having recently graduated from the Fire Academy, Pyro was even more interesting for me, because one of the main characters is a female firefighter who is also a new recruit. Earl Emerson's books are well written and entertaining. ... Read more

Product Description
The FBI index reports that juvenile and adult arsons cause an annual average of over 550,000 fires, almost 750 deaths, over 3,600 injuries and about 1.5 billion dollars in property loss.The crime index also states that 55% of all arson arrests in the United States are children under age 18.Nearly half of these are age 15 or younger, and around seven percent are under age ten.The crime of arson has the highest rate of juvenile involvement. ... Read more

Product Description
This text reference provides state-of-the-art information on juvenile firesetters and reviews the current research on youthful firesetters and arsonists. The work illustrates methods of fire scene investigation and assessment relating to child-parent and family factors. This information is then used to prescribe interventions with the individual along with community-wide programs. The work also provides current information on fire safety education and curricula, with explicit training materials. Finally, the book addresses the need for residential treatment centers and training schools on methods for handling firesetting youth and maintaining a fire safe environment.

Key Features
* Presents a multidisciplinary approach
* Describes and illusrates current tools and techniques
* Includes materials encouraging both fire safety and mental health intervention
* Contributors are nationally known experts in their field
* Covers a full range of topics - content has both depth and breadth ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Terrible display of writing
This book is merely a spark compared to Drawn To The Flame by Dr. Stadolnik ... Read more

Product Description
From master crime writer Joseph Wambaugh, the acclaimed author of such classics as The Onion Field and The Choirboys, comes the extraordinary true story of a firefighter who may have been, according to U.S. government profilers, "the most prolific American arsonist of the twentieth century."

Customer Reviews (28)

Great read!
This is an incredible story. I am in the fire service and just reading about his progression was amazing. I am looking at other Joseph Wambaugh publishings now since he has grabbed my attention.

A well-written attempt to get into the mind of a serial arsonist
In Fire Lover, Wambaugh attempts to get into the mind of a convicted serial arsonist, one who nevertheless has never (at least as documented in this book) admitted to his crimes.The story is well-written, intriguing, and at times even a page-turner.The few occasions when the story drags are most often in the telling of Orr's trials, when Wambaugh seeks thoroughness in telling the story of the trial, but occasionally at the expense of the reader's interest.But all told, this is a good, even haunting story of a true case.

Amazing Story
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed four of Wambaugh's earlier books, I was sure this one would be a page turner; however, it was strictly the story and not the writing that kept my interest.So my feelings are mixed and my rating is lukewarm.Wambaugh tries too hard to depict John Orr as evil, yet without the hard-sell, the reader would come to that conclusion anyway.I finished the book still feeling that there is more on John Orr that could have been included in the book.An additional thought - one reviewer mentions that Wambaugh copies Truman Capote's style of not including photographs of the characters, yet Wambaugh's own picture is on the back.I'd much rather see who I'm reading about.

Strange book about a strange character
This is an unusual book. I don't think I've ever read a book about an arsonist before, certainly not a non-fiction book, and the story that it tells is so fantastic that it's one of those stranger-than-fiction tales that defies belief.

The book tells the story of John Leonard Orr. Orr was a frustrated individual, from a split household, who tried to become a policeman and failed, and wound up becoming a firefighter, both in the Air Force and then in the city of Glendale here in Southern California. He rose to become Glendale's senior arson investigator, actually teaching classes that other arson investigators, even Federal ones, attended. He was considered one of the leading authorities on arson fires and arsonists in California. Then suspicion fell on him and his activities, and he was arrested and accused of being an arsonist himself. The accusation was followed by a pair of trials.

Now I live in Montrose (yards from the border of the city of Glendale) and used to actually live in Glendale, so it was interesting to read about the locale and the people of my new home (I've lived here for five years). Everything's reasonably well-recreated, though I didn't think Glendale was made that unique compared with other Southern California cities. Orr comes across as something of a nerd, a doofus who's always trying to fit in while never quite making it, and always cheating on the current wife with the prospective one, while paying child support to the ex.

Wambaugh's writing style is interesting, in that he uses a lot of slang and emphasis to show what he means, and has a very conversational style. It'd be interesting to hear Ken Howard read this book: it reads as if it would sound better than it looks on the page. I will confess that the cast of characters is large enough that I had trouble keeping track of all of the investigators and attorneys involved, and I think it would have helped if the author provided a dramatis personae at the beginning of the book.

One note: several of the other reviewers presented the idea that the author thinks cops are somehow better than firefighters. This is erroneous. It's his position, stated and restated through the book, that the crime spree was solved by a firefighter turned arson investigator, and that he was ignored by his cop colleagues until the evidence confirmed his suspicions. He does say, several times, that cops themselves sometimes think themselves firefighters, but he's clear that he thinks this is unfortunate. Strange when people have read the same book as you, and come to a different interpretation of what was written. Altogether a good book, though.

Too long
I think he could have written in 200 words or less that he hated John Orr, thinks cops are better than firemen, and thinks prosecutors should always have the upper hand.

One thing he could have included was photos, to make the book less boring.And, he could have explained just how we went from the judge disallowing Orr's manuscripts into evidence to the prosecution being allowed to use them as evidence. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Within the last year an estimated 16,000 people were arrested for arson and law enforcement agencies have reported over 70,000 arson offenses to the FBI.Whatever the numbers involved, what is indisputable is that arson in hurting the US economy, insurers and policyholders.On average, half of all fires are arson.These crimes, which threaten human life as well as cause property damage, largely go unpunished and the offending behaviour is often untreated.Written for fire and police investigators, criminal justice professionals and mental health professionals, this book provides insight into the types of individuals who become arsonists.

This book offers a look at the common misunderstanding about the reasons individuals set fires and the research that influenced it.Written by Dr Dian Williams, owner and founder of the Center for Arson Research, the text will provide the latest qualified research into arsonist behavior.The Federal Government recognizes her as one of only six arson research fellows in the United States.This text is the only complete collection of her extensive research into firesetting, gathered through interviews with actual or suspected firesetters, analysis of the data and clinical interpretation of the findings.You’ll learn about six specific physcological profiles of firesetters, their motivation for setting fires and the types of fires they set.

Topics include:•Firesetting history•Identifying an Arsonist•Interrogation Strategies•Recent research and studies•Arsonist motivation•Actual interviews with arsonists•Types of fires•The Experimental or Curiosity Firesetter•The Delinquent Firesetter•The Though-Disordered Firesetter•The Revenge Firesetter•Thrill Seeker Firesetters•The Disordered Coping Firesetter•Risks for arson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Arson: A long misunderstood and under-recognized danger to society
This very important book addresses the complex and significant issues surrounding the act of arson. The book is comprehensive in exploring targeted assessment, issues related to personality structure and dynamics of intrapsychic pathology, but manages to provide the information in a brisk and reader friendly format. The book additionally includes a review of historical underpinnings related to arson and confronts the many myths, stereotypes and misconceptions that have long accompanied firesetting. Dr. Williams book will be a welcome reference to criminologists, police, forensic nurses, social workers, psychologists and frontline healthcare professionals who may encounter these clients in a variety of settings.

A Must Purchase

This volume by Dr. Williams thoroughly fills a gap in the literature regarding what makes an arsonist "tick." Most texts dealing with arson and arsonists have chapters on the characteristics and traits of arsonists, but are outdated, lack currency, ignore recent research, and rely on folklore.Dr. Williams book gives fresh insite, is easily read, understood, and brings a clarity to arsonists' motives, the psychopathic personality, and other factors that no other text has achieved. It is especially useful to the fire/arson investigator, subject matter researchers, and mental health professionals working in this field.

Necessary reading
I feel the book is required reading for anyone working with individuals with fire setting backgrounds.Moreover, it is very useful for those working with at-risk populations of all sorts, given the connection between this and other dangerous behaviors. This is responsible, clinical research written in a straightforward and accesible manner. ... Read more

Product Description
To avoid being sent to a foster home while their mother is hospitalized, Kevin, Rosie, and Nate run away to their grandmother's--a risky move, since they've never met her. Grudingly allowed to stay, the three try to unlock the secrets that have torn their family apart for so many years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great Book
I absolutely loved this book when I was in grade school and was excited to find it again.It's a little different than I remembered but still a great read.Willo Davis Roberts is an amazing author and I haven't read a book of hers that I didn't like.The product was in great condition and shipped quickily.

GREAT!
As usual, Willo Davis Roberts has made a suspensful, scary book for all ages. It will keep you up for hours and on the edge of your seat. I recommend each and every one of her books.

Silly Nathan
In To Grandmother's House We Go there are three main characters. They are Nathan, Rosie, and Kevin, Their dad was dead so then when they find out their mom might be dying too, they decide they have to do something. They decide to go find their grandmother's house. When they get there finally they start hearing strange noises. They start a quest to find out who else was living at grandmother's house along with them, Uncle George, and Grandma.
I liked this book a lot. It is especially good for kids, either boys or girls. It is very interesting. I could hardly put the book down the whole time I was reading it. One of the reasons I like this book a lot is that it is very realistic, but also very fiction because most kids wouldn't be able to go to their grandmother's house by themselves. I gave this book 5 stars.

An ideal book of fun and adventure for children.
As always,Willo is able to capture feelings and create characters that are identifiable to all of us.Who could not enjoy this book?

good
A good book if you like mystery. Good to read because it is about young kids and there is no violenc ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Daddy's book
I found this captivating narration of firesetting evaluation a roller coaster ride for the mind. It was a phantasmal display of writing prowess on behalf of the author. It kept me on the edge of my seat and i was compelled to read on and on...

Solid Book with excellent information on firesetters
Dr. Stadolnik has done us a favor by summarizing previous research and treatment options.He suggests a solid framework for treatment, but points out that the dearth of research in this area has left us with few treatment plans that will work in every case, which is of course what we would all hope for.This is a solid well written book for clinicians, firemen, insurance agents, foster parents and parents who want clear, well written and easily understood information in this often difficult to understand area.Kyle Lassiter, MA, Licensed Professional Counselor ... Read more

Product Description

On an October evening in South Pasadena, a horrifying wave of flame swept through a large home improvement center, snuffing out the lives of four innocent people, including a two-year-old boy. Firefighters rushed to the scene, even as a pair of equally suspicious fires broke out in two nearby stores. Silently watching the raging inferno in the midst of the heat, smoke, and chaos was a man respected as one of California's foremost arson investigators, a captain in the Glendale Fire Department ...

From Joseph Wambaugh, the critically acclaimed,nationally bestselling author of The Onion Field, comes the astonishing true story of a nightmarish obsession -- and the hunt for a brilliant psychopath who lived a double life filled with professional tributes and terrifying secrets.

Customer Reviews (27)

A fascinating non-fiction story
Fire Lover is the story of arson investigator John Orr who became a prolific serial arsonist.Although the reader knows this fact at the beginning, it's still a fascinating book.Orr, a firefighter who obsessed about being a cop and was rejected by the LAPD, targeted businesses and brush fires in southern California.

In the first 150 fast-paced, mesmerizing pages, Wambaugh does a masterful job recreating the fires, making the reader care about the victims and describing the driving forces behind Orr's personality.

After Orr's arrested for arson, the book's pace slows considerably as the final 250 pages center on his trials for arson and murder as the result of four people dying in one of his fires.Orr never confessed and maintained his innocence throughout.

Wambaugh presents an interesting character study of Orr, sheds light on the conflict between policemen and firemen, and reveals the passion of the lawyers involved in the trials.

This is a fine non-fiction effort by one of America's top writers.

I did not buy this and I have no idea why I have it on my review list.
I did not buy this and I have no idea why I have it on my review list.

Very interesting book
As a Fire Investigator/Fire fighter I really enjoyed this book.Very interesting from a criminal justice point of view also.The book was in great shape and arrived w/o any problems.

Not so hot!!!!!
The first half of this book is riveting.It tells of an arson expert who sets his own fires.The book tells where and how he did it.He was always the first one on the fire scene and knew exactly where the fire originated.I have a high respect for Joseph Wambaugh, and am so sorry that this book didn't do anything for me. The second half of the book is just so boring with legal turmoil, and finally a conviction.But now I do know how to set an arson fire and not be caught Woo hoo!!!!!!!Save your time and money. It's just not that good.

Great first half...but the second half is painfully bad
I loved this book...until I got into the second half of it.

The first part of the story is very well written.It sucks you in & keeps the pages turning...even though I kinda figured out "who did it" fairly early.

The second half of the book...focusing on the investigation & prosecution...is painfully bad.It's repetitive, plodding, clumsy...and just plain hard to read. ... Read more

Product Description

One dry October, with wildfires blazing all across the state of Maine, Meg Yeadon keeps having to put out fires of her own-the fights she gets into defending her "backward" cousin Orin and her shy brother Paul. Separated from the grown-ups, Meg and Paul must rely on Orin to help them survive the inferno bearing down on their farm. But what are they to make of the sight of Orin setting fire to the fields himself?

Customer Reviews (1)

Fire in the Wind is a Good Book
This book is about Meg and her backwards cousin Orin.Meg always gets in fights when she tries to stick up for Orin and her brother Paul.When a fire burns most of Prescott Falls, Maine (Meg's home town) Orin saves Meg and her brother.Meg and her brother are the only ones who know that Orinset a backfire.When Meg finds out the backfire was probably the thingthat saved their barn she realizes that she was wrong when she blamed Orinfor setting the fire.

I read this book for a book response project and Ithink you should read it too. ... Read more

Product Description
Smoke has as many different scents as skin.Part of the pleasure is not knowing what it will be -- sulfurous or closer to incense or airier and sweeter as I imagine the smell of clouds.

Ella is a connoisseur of fire, a woman enthralled by it as other women are by love.She savors the seductive promise of a spark, the caress of a curling wisp of smoke, the all-consuming hunger of a spreading blaze.Ella's heart seethes with a rage that can be spoken only with tongues of flame.

In her remarkable first novel, Rene Steinke has created a narrator so lyrical and lucid in her madness as to raise the book to the level of romance. Trapped in a sleepy Indiana town, torn by inner demons that drive her to pyromania and promiscuity, Ella is at once entirely original and unforgettably real.

As she struggles to come to terms with her family's tormented past and her own uncertain future, she draws the mesmerized reader ever deeper into her scorched soul, revealing a sensuality that will spiral into final, fiery destruction -- unless it can be quenched by love.Amazon.com Review
"Once I tried to burn an old toy--a mechanical duck. WhenI'd found it at the bottom of a drawer, it reminded me of the groggysunrise Easter service and the hunt for eggs in the graveyard. After Iset the match to its tail, it started walking pitifully on its metallegs, and it knocked around the room singeing the walls and linoleumuntil it burned down to its metal frame and folded with a crackle andsmall battery explosion. It is less dangerous to burn things than tosave them."

Ella, 22, is a trapped young woman limited to the flickers of releaseshe finds in pyromania. Having abandoned college, she is stuck in hersmall, Midwestern hometown, suffocated by the silence of her repressedmother and grandmother and physically encased in ropy scars from thefire in which she was severely burned as a child. In this mesmerizingfirst novel, we follow her incendiary trail as Ella tries to cope withmany losses: her father to cancer; her grandfather to suicide; herfavorite aunt, whose whereabouts are unknown; and, finally, her senseof herself--both apart from and as one with the shocking scars thatbind her skin. Ella pokes nervously at smoldering truths, but in herfamily the lies come as quick and fast as the deaths--and each newdeceit sparks the impulse to inflame. Fire is made of grief, Ellabelieves, and she witnesses plenty of both in a story as entrancingand powerful as the lick and curl of a flame. --Brangien Davis ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Story is a wake-up call for a town that still struggles with tolerance

This dark novel was one of my most challenging and intriguing reads.The story set in Porter, Indiana is really patterned after Valparaiso; the county seat of Porter in the Hoosier state's Northwestern corner. It's a good slap in the face for a town set on the border between Indiana's industrial hub and endless farmlands to the east and south; cornfields that perhaps makes it the popcorn capital of America. I was drawn deeper into the story because I knew the setting and was also intrigued by the genesis of the author's intent with writing this haunting story.Valparaiso, that hosted the racist sundown laws, and more recently the U.S. Congressman, a Republican of course, that refused to abandoned President Nixon even after the facts came out that the Chief Executive of the land was not only a crook but also obstructed justice, remains intolerant to outsiders. The setting is a place where today you'll hear City Councilman wish for a wall to keep out the Chicago people, Mortgage persons wish for the shooting of our first black President, and others complain that blacks may find "their" beaches. Although American blacks are now included in the cityscape you are hard pressed to find them employed by locally owned establishments.Even the University that hosted Rene Steinke and celebrated this good read, remains the place where non Lutherans speaking at their Missouri Synod programs may result in internal investigations of breaking their rules of co-mingling with others.Valparaiso University once was as highly rated as Harvard and was nearly purchased by the Klan as is reported in Steinke's story.Although with the mindset of the religious clergy there today, who recently encouraged the suicide of a female peer who outreached to lesbians, gays and non Lutherans, you might wonder if the KKK didn't purchase the place.(To its credit the University has some brilliant professors, a good law school, and one of the best art museums outside the city of Chicago).

With all the above in mind I followed this depressing story of a heroine whose only hope for survival seems to be escaping from her Indiana town.(Keep in mind Indiana has been suffering from brain drain from time immemorial and even Bill Blass wrote that he and Halston joinedthe conga dance to New York and LA or anywherefaraway from the banks of the Wabash).Our heroine, a pyromaniac, eventually lands in Chicago as have so many real-life Hoosiers to that Mecca-on-the-lake.But when back home in Indiana she consumes bourbon to sleep,engages in meaningless sex with men passing through her town, and sets fire to the garage of her parent's friends so they too will know what it is like for their black countrymen to experience arson. The story reveals dark family secrets of suicide, rape and a group denial with obvious repercussions. This story is a shocking contrast to the usual feel good stories that have come out of the Indiana Dunes Country.It is depressing and alas all too real.

The Fire in the Writing
Here's a story where every word counts, where metaphor is as vivid as the flame of a match, and the story line as searing as a destructive fire.The main character is well-sketched in slight but effective description.The theme of "fires" is well-thread throughout the story.In some of the minor characters there is less development, but it plays out fine.This is a haunting story of a girl who sometimes feels as thin as smoke and sometimes as large as a raging inferno.

(3.5 stars) ...Turbulent and intense...
This author takes a volatile subject and turns it into a powerful message. Sensing that her life has spun out of control, the promiscious Ella finds her fragile sense of self defined by the unpredictable and dangerous rush of setting fires. As a child, Ella found herself helpless, powerless, drawn into the roar of cleansing flames. As a young woman, Ella's personal disintegration has led to drunken laisons with strangers, further shredding her minimal self-worth. Surrounded by family secrets, covered with burn scars, Ella could be a pathetic creature in lesser hands. But this Ella is a survivor, and Steinke gives her the courage to confront her life. The inner scars are what drive Ella; she can live with those that map her flesh.

It takes consummate skill to propel a story through the stages of renewal and redemption, without resortingto facile techniques. This writer, in lyrical and visual prose, creates a heroine worthy of notice, deserving of respect.

Excellent Book!!
I was looking in the book store for books on sale, and I noticed this bookon the rack.It is exactly the type of book I like to read.This excitingstory of Ella, and how she has an obsession with fire, is a great story toread.I thoroughly enjoyed the book, with all its twists and turns!!Iwould definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in it.

Mediocre Writing, Silly Plot
I was extremely disappointed in, and just flat-out bored by, this book. Overblown purple prose serves no purpose, and the storyline takes forever to move (and even then feels contrived). I finally just put the book downand refused to continue. Just insulting, pointless reading. If this is whatis passing for "good writing" nowadays in Creative Writingclasses (the jacket says she teaches CW at some community college) thenthis woman needs to be fired and replaced, quickly, because she's obviouslyruining young, talented minds with this drivel. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

A different side of Elizabeth I
Karen Harper's Queen Elizabeth series are a rich feast for the senses.Harper has an excellent grasp of the times and her writing is rich in period detail--everything from Elizabethean fashion to the cuisine of the day comes alive under the influence of her pen.Historical fiction doesn't get much more pleasurable than this.

The seventh book in the series finds Elizabeth attempting to hunt down a murdered whose weapon of choice is the mirror.It's an intriguing and innovative premise but that is characteristic of this series.Harper deftly weaves together history and fiction to create an antagonist who has a very interesting motive for murder.The twists and turns that the queen must take to finally determine the identity of the murderer are interesting and the final confrontation is spectacular.The very imagery of it leaps off the page.

Though Elizabeth I is a spectacular and fascinating subject in her own right, in Harper's hands she truly comes alive.Harper's queen is passionate and mercurial but also mindful of those who serve her well.It is this characterization of one of the most dynamic figures in history that is the real strength of Harper's writing.My only complaint about this book--and the only thing that kept me from giving it five stars--is that Elizabeth is a bit too prone to portentious speeches, which must end every chapter or chapter segment.This rang too falsely at times for me and took me out of the story a bit.

Along with the main mystery is an engrossing subplot about Gil Sharpe, a recurring character in the novels.His travels in Italy and his discoveries of Italian painting techniques make for a fascinating read.He is also a wonderful character, displaying yet again the aptitude that Harper has for creating believeable and interesting characters.Harper could probably get by solely by focusing on Elizabeth but she does her readers a great service by surrounding the queen with a cast of vibrant characters.

The Fyre Mirror
As usual, the book was superb.When I read one of the mysteries, I cannot put the book down until its finished.I always look forward to the next one

Fabulous historical mystery
On a whim, Queen Elizabeth I decides to leave her London residence and stay at Nonsuch Palace for a while.Beside the courtiers and the rest of the retinue who make up Elizabeth's inner circle, she takes along artists, who are painting a state picture of her and she will pick the one that is the best and send it all over Europe.Gil Sharpe, who was sent to Italy to learn with the masters goes to Nonsuch and decides to enter the competition to paint his Queen's portrait.

Since Nonsuch is small, many of the people who traveled with Elizabeth are staying in the courtyard in tents.One of the artist's tents catches fire, killing him and his assistant.It is determined that the fire was deliberately set using a mirror and the sun to start the flames.A second artist's tent is also burned in the same manner.Elizabeth convinces her Privy Plot council to help her smoke out the killer but the perpetrator is very cunning.Elizabeth finds her own life is put in danger by a person without mercy.

This is the seventh Elizabeth I mystery by fabulous historical mystery writer Karen Harper and it is a thrilling reading experience because there are so many suspects with too few motives.Readers see the intelligence of the queen as she maneuvers Mary, Queen of Scots into a marriage of her choosing and plans to use her as a public relations tool to prove she is a queen in total command of the kingdom she rules.Fans of the Ursula Blanches series by Fiona Buckley will definitely love this glimpse into a bygone era.

Harriet Klausner
... Read more

Product Description
Join the investigation as lead character, Arson Investigator Phil Langtry, searches every clue to uncover a serial arsonist. Could it possibly be 'one of their own'? This scintillating story was confiscated from the author's home at the time of his arrest. Many believe it parallels his own activities while working as the fire captain and lead arson investigator for the Glendale Fire Department, California. He is currently serving a life sentence at Lompoc Penitentiary, California. This uncut story continues to be a source of ongoing controversy as recently witnessed on Investigative Reports, Nova and Arrest & Trial. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Written by a firebug
This book was written by a convicted firebug, who was a fire inspector for the Glendale, California, Fire Department.The manuscript was found in his belongings after he was apprehended, during a search of his home, on a search warrant.

The story was on the A&E Channel, describing many of the fires he set.Some were in buildings, and in one, children died.Not a paragon of virtue.Although the book is supposed to be fiction, it is patterned after actual facts as only he knew the details.He often astounded members of his department with his deductions on how the fires started; but he was not brilliant. He had first hand knowledge.

The proceeds of the sale go to remuneration of the damages his victims suffered, as is common on books by criminals.A book by Joseph Wambaugh is a good companion to this one, if you want to look into a sick mind.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre
author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

Clarifier
'Points of Origin...playing with fire' is a chilling insight into the psyche of a serial arsonist.What makes this book different is the fact that it was written by former fire captain and highly revered arson investigator John L. Orr now serving four consecutive life sentences for the deaths of four people who died in one of the many fires he was convicted of starting.

NOTE: Neither John Orr nor his family will profit from the sale of 'Points of Origin...playing with fire'.A restitution fund has been set up with the State of California Board of Control through the Attorney General's Office and a portion of the proceeds is being deposited into that account.

Many, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the attorney general's office, Los Angeles and Glendale Police Departments and members of various local fire departments, believe that this fiction novel was a 'roadmap' to John Orr's crimes.The two main fictional characters, Phil Langtry, an arson investigator and Aaron Stiles, a serial arsonist who also happens to be a firefighter, closely parallels the "two faces" of John Leonard Orr.
Points of Origin...playing with fire is most assuredly the companion book to Joseph Wambaugh's Fire Lover and a must read...

Buy the Wambaugh book instead.
As can be understood from the Joseph Wambaugh book "Fire Lover," this book is essentially a journal of the pyromaniac and murderer, John Orr.It includes a arsonist act of a large hardware store that killed a toddler and his grandmother.As the former book discusses, this was the actual event of Los Angeles fire that left a boy, grandmother, and others dead.The author, John Orr, is the culprit.I read the Wambaugh book, but I have not read the convicted killer's book.I have no intention of giving him the satisfaction of buying the book.I hope that he reads this review.I would like for him to know that while I am not a proponent of the death penalty, I do believe that he is one who would deserve it. ... Read more

Product Description

With his bestselling debut, Downtick, Regan C. Ashbaugh took thriller audiences by storm, drawing immediate critical comparisons to James Patterson and Thomas Harris. He earned additional praise for his exceptionally accurate portrait of Wall Street, allowing readers to experience a world Ashbaugh himself has inhabited for nearly twenty years. Now Ashbaugh returns to "the Street" he knows so well, a place where greed burns bright...but the desire to kill is the hottest flame of all.

The top executives at the multibillion-dollar investment firm Morson-Grayhead are among the most powerful men on Wall Street. But all of their wealth can't help them when a killer descends on their quiet Westchester mansions. Their wives are brutally murdered. Their homes burned to the ground. And the growing panic inside Morson-Grayhead has sent shockwaves ripping through the market.

It's up to Chief Fire Marshal Jake Ferguson, one of the shrewdest arson investigators in the tristate area, to bring this homicidal pyromaniac down. For Jake, it's personal -- firefighters have given their lives. And each new victim rekindles the burning pain of having tragically lost his wife, Danielle, four years earlier -- a pain that's suffocating his current relationship, Jake's first since her death.

Feeling like chum in shark-infested waters, Ferguson and his deputy dive headfirst into an investigation that opens their eyes to the high-stakes game played on Wall Street. All Ferguson knows is that there is precious little time before the killer strikes another match. Little time before he becomes the next victim.

Explosive and full of shocking twists, In The Red cements Regan C. Ashbaugh's place among today's top thriller writers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Very good! Briefly reminded me of James Hadley Chase...briefly.
I started on this book this past Sunday afternoon and wrapped it up shortly before midnight the same day. I couldn't put it down. Usually when it comes to fiction, I prefer stories that have to do with the sea or artsy thrillers like The Da Vinci Code. But I am glad that I deviated a bit from my preference this time around.

The beef that I have with a lot of authors today is that, in their books, they throw in two "items" as if that provides some sort of dimension to the main character or the book. These are:

1. The hero has to deal with a demon or demons.
2. There is usually a beautiful damsel who "somehow" tags along with our hero so that our hero can rescue her and/or put up with her.

Well, our hero in this book does deal with demons. But when he does, it does not appear put on or forced and that is important. The demons have a real relevance to what is happening in the story at present.

There is also a beautiful woman involved but she does not make an appearance until about 3/5ths of the way into the book. Initially her presence appears close to being superficial but as we near the climax her involvement does have an impact on how it all ends. Still, there were other things happening in the book that were so riveting that I probably would not have noticed any superficiality.

This is a thick book but without any fat. It is clear from the description of the crime scenes and the various scenes approaching Wall Street that Regan, a firefighter himself, has done quite a bit of research. The book has been paced beautifully and has a lot of atmosphere. It briefly rekindled memories of some of the James Hadley Chase novels I read as a kid.

In The Red
Excellent, excellent, excellent. This book and story line was a page turner from the third chapter on. This novel would make an excellent movie. I highly recommend this book.

In The Red
I thought "In the Red" was good but Regan's first book "Downtick" was so much better. It was a book I could put down and not pick up for awhile. The suspense wasn't there. Too many other details involved in this book that didn't quite measure up. I will buy his next book which I understand he is working on, he is an excellent writer. This one just did not do anything for me.

IN THE RED LEAVES YOU WITH A SMOKEY TASTE IN YOUR MOUTH
Victims inhabiting this tale aren't just killed, they are literally burnedto a crisp. Taking the serial killer to new heights, Ashbaugh has writtenan absorbing book about an investment firm going up in flames as a fire bugtargets the wives of top execs. Chief Fire Marshal Jake Ferguson, whocarries his own pack of matches from his past, has the detail of trackingthe bitter barbeque-r across the state of NY in an effort to stop thecooking. In order to understand his prey (and the readers to understand thestory), Ferguson learns the ins and outs of the stock market as he teachesus why and how a fire can burn out of control. After the middle of thebook, the suspect is no longer a secret and even his reasoning is divulgedbefore the traditional climax and exposure, but the book still held myinterest due to the fact the author has made the characters appealing andinteresting. The book ends abruptly, however, even with all situationsresolved and left me with a rather empty feeling. I will never read about afire again, I must say, without thinking of facts I did learn from readingthis interesting but overly long mystery.

It's a sizzler!
WOW! Did I LOVE this book.It was really hard to put down once I gotstarted.Interesting characters, great writing - I'll never takefirefighters for granted again.The ending was perfect. I really enjoyedthe tie-in to the investment world and big-time brokerage houses.

Youcan believe that I am recommending this book to all my friends from coastto coast via the internet.Hhmmmmm, think I'll drop a couple of copies offat the local volunteer fire department in case they have not yet discoveredit.

A note in passing - I recently learned that the author has anautistic son and ALL proceeds from his books go to a foundation forAutistic Children ... Read more