Washed Up: A Claire Maxwell Mystery Book

Veteran homicide detective Lou Boldt is called onto the scene of a house fire, where the flames had been so fearsome that none of the firefighters had ever experienced anything like it. In tandem with profiler Daphne Matthews, Boldt is determined to smoke out the vicious arsonist, who strikes again a few days later. Within this scenario, author Pearson spins out a riveting subplot. Ben Santoro, the twelve year old victim of a sadistic stepfather, has found a safe haven in the home of psychic Emily Richland, and in the course of their friendship, both become involved with arsonist. Finally, the intense attraction that Boldt and Matthews feel for each other is compounded when Boldt suspects that his wife, whom he also loves, is having an affair.

Starting with practically no hard evidence, Boldt obstinately pursues clues to the identity of the killer, who uses rocket fuel to create his infernos. Little by little the tension builds, and the final third of the book is so suspenseful that it is difficult to put down. The denouement in Ben's story is a satisfying one, but the reader is left hanging in the final scenes between Boldt and his wife, his behavior toward her having been appallingly distant. He's a great cop, but he could use some help with his own character.