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As a minority woman placed in a highly visible government position, Susan Kim Delancey feels the pressure to perform at an exemplary level to prove that her appointment is based on her competency and not just on the fact that she is Asian and female. In the newly created position of Arson Czar, Delancey faces a very tough case. Someone is incinerating young single women in a very hot (flashpoint) fire while kidnapping their newborn daughters. Susan is among the first on the scene in each of the deaths to collect evidence. Expected to determine who the culprit is, she is also responsible for disseminating information to the press, and they are quite a demanding lot. Susan has a very competent assistant who helps her chase down leads. Ricky was at one time a firefighter who was squeezed out of the department because of his sexuality. He and his significant other are trying to adopt a child, but they are facing all sorts of obstacles to accomplish that. There is also an older woman who works part time for Susan, and those are all the resources she has to investigate what amounts to 5 murders. She's not getting support from her higher-ups; in fact, they issue some confidential information that thwarts her investigation. All in all, it's a very frustrating situation. The case is tantalizing. It feels as though the answer is right in front of them and that they are just unable to see it. On top of all that, Susan's personal life is in chaos as a result of the demands of her job. Delancey has been divorced for several years and shares custody of her 16-year-old son, Max, a budding rock musician. . She has a promising relationship with a physician, but their every encounter tends to be interrupted by an emergency on her part or his. At one point, it appears that the relationship is doomed when she devotes almost every waking hour to the investigation. As she moves closer to finding the killer, both Max and Susan find themselves in grave danger. Jacobs has really done her homework. All the information that is provided about setting fires and arson investigation appears to be very well researched. The tension grows as Susan finds bits and pieces of the puzzle without getting to a point where she has anything concrete. The book builds to a very exciting denouement. Most importantly, Jacobs ties up all the threads of the narrative in a most convincing way while leaving the reader guessing from the clues provided. Unlike many books I've read recently, the resolution is quite satisfying. Jacobs is the author of a PI series featuring Devon MacDonald and has several other books to her credit. She writes with an assured hand. The main characters were well drawn, and the plot and pacing were excellent. It appears that Flash Point is the first book in a new series, and I will definitely be reading the books that follow. Attachment converted: Mac Brain:jacobs.gif (GIFf/ogle) (0009FAE6)
Reviewed by Maddy Van Hertbruggen, August 2002
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