A Taste for Burning

Book excerpt: OUT OF THE ASHES A pyromaniac hands the police force of Castlemere a case that becomes more personal and more devastating than any other. Chief Inspector Frank Shapiro, respected for his quiet authority and sound judgment, is suspended from the force, pending an inquiry into an arson investigation he led eight years earlier. Now it falls to Inspector Liz Graham and Sergeant Cal Donovan to probe the recent fires that have turned Castlemere into a hot zone. As the fire bug draws closer to creating his ultimate masterpiece, Shapiro's son becomes a suspect. The investigators, including an unofficial Shapiro, must probe the dark side of parental love—and the desperate lengths one will go to protect one's own. “Excellent.”—Poisoned Pen “A satisfyingly action-filled whodunit... [Bannister's] coppers flare into bold relief.” —Kirkus Reviews “Bannister does some excellent character studies in this work.” —Mystery News