A disgraced cop, turned insurance investigator, is drawn into a sordid series of deaths, circling around some Russian mobsters. He is played like a fiddle, but eventually turns the tables on the conspiracy. Fast paced. ( )

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. ( )

Ce roman de Don Winslow se situe à mi-chemin entre les romans chocs et extrêmement bien documentés et par moment proches du documentaire que sont les griffes du chien ou Cartel et les romans plus légers que sont par exemple Mort et vie de Bobby Z ou L'Hiver de Frankie Machine. Ici, l'auteur a planté ses personnages dans le milieu des incendies criminels et des policiers et compagnie d'assurances qui sont impliquées dans ce domaine. Le livre est par moment trop proche du manuel du jeune policier en apprentissage des incendies sous tous leurs aspects et les personnages sont parfois un peu caricaturaux. Mais cela n'enlève en rien à l'intérêt de ce livre où l'auteur fait montre de sa capacité à monter des intrigues complexes et plausibles ainsi qu'à y faire transiter des personnages haut en couleurs et qui prennent aisément vie au fil des pages. Un très bon roman. ( )

Der Fall eines Brandermittlers gerät außer Kontrolle, als er in das Wespennest der Russenmafia sticht. Das hat Konsequenzen, die detailreich beschrieben werden... ( )

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 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. ( )