Fire: A Natural Disaster Thriller

by Lou Cadle

California.Wildfire season. Hot flames, licking through a parched landscape. And nowhere to run.James is at work when he hears the the flames are headed toward his home. And his wife is home, immersed in her own work and may not know. He rushes back over the miles that separate them, hoping to beat the fire.Sylvia doesn't know there's a fire coming until the light changes, the world outside her window shifting color to an ominous orange as the smoke drifts overhead. The animal part of her brain knows it for what it is coming her way. Barely fighting off panic, she packs a few things and takes off in the car, only to run into blocked roads. And then the flames appear.James can't raise Sylvia on the phone. And they won't let him into the fire area. As the hours tick by, and the first refugees from his neighborhood emerge, he hopes and prays that hers will be the next face he sees. But hoping isn't enough. Night falls and Sylvia is still missing. He sneaks into the burned out section of the fire to hunt for the woman he loves.Will he find her before it's too late?A page-turner thriller from Lou Cadle that you won't be able to put down.

171 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 7, 2020

About the author

Lou Cadle grew up in Tornado Alley near the New Madrid fault, was in San Francisco's 1989 earthquake, watched minor eruptions of Mt. St. Helens from close up, and hiked several times over Kilauea's active lava flows. Cadle currently lives in haboob country.

Reviews

[RE Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been working my way through Cadle's natural disaster books, and this is probably my least favorite so far. There simply aren't enough characters for me to feel truly invested, and although I'd agree with Cadle (in his afterword) that fire is probably the scariest natural disaster, I didn't really *feel* that while reading the book. Of course, it might have something to do with the fact that I read it this week, as LA is on fire in a way we haven't seen for decades. I live in CO, and wildfires are also a very big threat here (we've had two devastating blazes in the past few years -- one in Marshall/Louisville, which destroyed many homes in December, and another in Grand Lake, which also destroyed many homes, including our extended family's cabin). But I just didn't get sucked into the tension in this book for some reason.

[Pam Shelton-Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book seems very pertinent with the terrible fires over the last few years, particularly in California. The experiences of Sylvia (caught in the fire) and James (trying to find his missing wife), crystallizes a lot of the narratives in the news of people who lived through these disasters. Sylvia's lack of attention, hesitation to flee and disorientation are very common. The fear and stress James felt when uncertain of his wife's fate was very well told. I hope never to experience such a terrible event but climate change will likely make these fires more common in the years to come.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was so happy to see a new release by Lou Cadle. And what a book. Fire terrifies me. Always has. And this story brought the fear out. The idea of what wildfires do, the destruction, loss of property, lives and to animals is heartbreaking. The characters are well developed as always. The ending had me cheering. I can’t recommend this enough! Grab it and enjoy!

[Susan Cotrill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average

After it starts, it's 90% focuses on the couple. The rest are there to move the story along and they're without any depth. I will admit I prefer stories that have a more ensemble cast with 3-4 focus characters. When it's so focused on just one person or one couple because I want to "see or know" what else is going on outside of them and their world.

[tim szewczyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horrifying story

Hold in to the edge of your seat, this is a fast paced novel. Lou writes such a vivid story you can almost feel the heat from the fire. This is as real as it gets.

[Joi Cowdery · Rating 2 out of 5]

Complete snoozer. The characters were boring like wonder bread. It was almost going to my do not finish pile but i wanted to make my time count. Very boring.