Through the Fire

Very exciting!

This was a very exciting novel. I am looking forward to reading his other books. It was hard to understand some of the fireman terminology but the story was so interesting, I would just skim over it. I was shocked to find out who the arsonist was! It was very well written. It opened my eyes to the bravery and selflessness of the fireman. May God keep them safe.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Masterpiece

Was on the edge of my seat till the last page....totally blindsided with the culprit

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Realistic and Suspenseful

Wow, I just finished reading Through the Fire. I'm thankful for the review copy of this fascinating, enlightening book. I realized how clueless I was as to what firefighters go through day-in and day-out to save peoples lives and risk their own! It's astounding!

Only someone who's been in a firefighter's shoes could show the realistic side of this demanding, sacrificial job that most of us take for granted. Shawn Grady's been in the fire as a firefighter in Reno, for many years, which gives him a unique perspective. As I read, I felt as if I were in Aiden's skin and the enemy he faced. Shawn describes fire, "The fire danced. It mocked. It shot from the room with wicked lit fingers, clawing and scratching, curling around my air bottle. It tugged at me, pulling me to it. Flame edges whipped down the walls, forming a sickle in the air, swinging in a slow arc down toward my sternum." Now that's a perspective only a firefighter on the scene could write. Shawn gives you a glimpse of fire gone crazy; it's a horrifying, fascinating, terrible thing. The fire's sole desire is to consume everything in sight. It's surreal, chilling, and unbelievable.

This author pens a suspenseful, action packed story filled with intrigue as Aiden tries to track down the Arsonist that killed his father. Aiden's obsession to right a wrong and his self-destructive lifestyle has everyone worried. His dad was good at what he did. He had to make sense of this tragedy.

Aiden was angry at God letting his dad die. Aiden knew his father trusted God and now he was dead! Aiden wasn't going to go that route. He would stay far away from God. He would be in control of his own life, he didn't need anyone. It was just him and the fire. Firefighters are a strange breed. While anyone in their right mind runs from fires. Firefighters, on the other hand seem drawn into the flame. In Aiden's case, he got into the ring with the fire to win one more round. I learned how critical it was for a firefighter to be aware of his surroundings, use all of his senses and think quickly on his feet to save his life and the life of others.

What a fascinating, suspenseful, captivating story, with complex believable characters. I found myself rooting for them to save the victims and for both to live another day. I couldn't put this book down until the mystery was solved. Can't wait to read his new book Tomorrow We Die.

Nora St.Laurent
The Book Club Network www.bookfun.org
Finding Hope Through Fiction
www.psalm516.blogspot.com

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Great Thriller

Shawn Grady writes using his experiences and combining them with a great imagination. He tells of the struggle of a firefighter dealing with the murder of his father and his own inability to deal with it. He pushes everyone out of his life and almost loses his in the process. An old friend is able to get Aiden to look toward God for direction. Like most everyone, he is not interested in spiritual guidance but how to make it on his own. The religous theme is not pushed throughout the whole book but is appropriately interjected into the story. In the end, Aiden realizes that God has been with him the time and has kept him safe even as he rejected God. Something we all should realize.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

From Experience Comes a Great Book!

Through The Fire is a spell-binding, edge-of-your-seat read from page one to page 328. Written in first person from the view point of the main character, Aidan O'Neill, it is a book that you will not forget for a long time. This book is Shawn Grady's debut novel and he has "hit it out of the ballpark" on his first try. Mr. Grady is writing from experience - he has served over a decade as a firefighter and paramedic in Reno, Nevada, the setting for Through the Fire.
Here is the back cover summary:

"Firefighting burns in Aidan O'Neill's blood, but his innate gift for reading flames has
made him overconfident and sometimes puts lives in danger. When one call goes horribly
wrong and a rookie is hurt, Aidan ends up suspended and finds himself questioning everything.

It couldn't have happened at a worse time.

An arsonist is targeting Reno, leaving a scorched path of destruction. The department needs Aidan back, but his return is troubled. The gift he relied on for so long has gone silent.and it's as though the fires are coming for him, hunting him down. Teaming with a beguiling fire investigator who may know more than she's saying, Aidan must discover where his trust rests as the flames burn ever closer."

Ladies, you may think this sounds like a "guys" book - but I loved it!

Enjoy!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great Book

Great Book and Great Writer. Writer always pleases me with a little romance, mystery, and action all in one. Very well rounded.

great read for fire service personnel

the story in this book is wonderful. although if you are not a fire fighter or no anything about the fire service then you may question some of the tools used.it is hard to understand what the author was trying to get across. the story itself was so touching. it really gets down to the true feelings and what a firefighter faces everyday in life. it is a great read.

recommended for anyone in the fire service.

Through the Fire

Great Book. Kept you on your toes. Loved the essence of God with him throughout the book. So real to life Christian walk. Thank you Shawn Grady!

Realistic but really not my cup of tea

First off I was a firefighter once upon a time and as for the lingo, and images created by the writer they are very realistic. The book over all was good, but it just isn't one that could totally keep my interest. If you are in it for just the arison mystry then yes this is the book for you. If not that you might want to pass it up.

Kept me hooked!

Very good book... kept me interested the whole way through. Would definitely recommend this book and read this author again!

Good read!

Keeps you guessing throughout the story!

Debut novel demonstrates author's outstanding talent

Through the Fire by Shawn Grady is a powerful debut novel about the power of redemption and letting go of the past. Aidan O'Neill has firefighting in his blood. His grandfather, father, and uncle all served the Reno Fire Department with honor, but he blames himself for the death of his father in a fire several years ago. A.O. has become almost self-destructive in his quest to find the truth about his father's death and to prove himself as worthy. His recklessness leads to his dismissal from the department, but they are forced to bring him back when a series of fires are started by an arsonist that are unpredictable and frightening in their intensity. Working with fire investigator Julianne, the two of them create their own sparks while trying to bring down arsonist. Grady writes every scene involving the fires with frightening intensity. The reader can practically breathe in the smoke and feel the heat of the flames. The mystery isn't as tautly rendered. While the culprit makes perfect sense when all is revealed, it felt like there were a few too many loose ends. That said, Grady is fantastic with his characterization of a man who goes from living like there's nothing to live for to understanding the true value and Giver of his life. I look forward to more of Grady's writing.

Through the Fire by Shawn Grady

In Through the Fire by Shawn Grady Aidan O'Neill is a firefighter in Reno, Nevada who is chasing a firebug who he suspects set the fire that killed his father five years ago. The closer Aidan gets to finding out who the arsonist is, the more it seems the fires are chasing him. With the help of fire investigator Julianne, Aidan hopes to find the arsonist before the fire finds him.

Although, the basic storyline of this book is somewhat of a cliché - the overconfident firefighter seeking to avenge the death of his father - the story is very well told. The story moves very quickly and has a nice mix of action with the firefighting scenes, suspense and mystery as Aidan and Julianne search for clues, and a bit of romance. The Christian aspect of this book was very well done. Actually, I was quite impressed with how the author infused faith into the story without it feeling forced or out of place.

They say you should write what you know, so it only makes sense that Shawn Grady, being a firefighter and paramedic himself, would write a book like this. It helps the story feel more real, but I found that in Through the Fire, the author's expertise might cause the layperson reading this book some confusion. I wouldn't know a Nederman exhaust tube from a Halligan bar and I found that there was a little too much technical jargon for my liking.

Overall, this book is well written. There were some aspects of this book that did not suit my liking, but there were also many aspects that I really appreciate. Fans of action novels will enjoy this book and, I'm sure, future books by Shawn Grady.

Sometimes you can judge a book by it's cover

I have to admit that I haven't bought too many Christian fiction books because I think they could be too "preachy." That is not the case with this book. You know God is there, but the author does not force Him into the story (think the book of Esther in the Bible where God is not mentioned).

I noticed the book because of it's cover and picked up. The description on the back cover hooked me and I was certainly not disappointed. Because of the author's writing style, I found myself reading "just a few more pages." Because of this, I finished it in 2 days.

Not knowing anything about firefighters was not be a problem with this book. The author does a good job describing the day-to-day routines that goes on in a firehouse without being tedious.

The action scenes were excellent. I felt as if I were there fighting the fires myself. The twist at the end with the revelation of who the mystery arsonist is was something I did not see coming and just made the book even better.

What a Great Read!

Shawn Grady's first work is a smash as far as I'm concerned. His own experience as a fire-fighter comes shining through in this fast-paced, suspenseful novel. I loved every moment of my reading. My only regret was that I got through it so quickly.

Aidan O'Neill is the son of a fire-fighter. His father died under less than ordinary circumstances and Aidan, once he overcomes the demons that haunt him from that episode, hopes to be able to solve the mystery. His energy gets poured into sensing where, in the midst of a blazing inferno, the fire is lurking to cause the most damage. It's this amazing ability, however, that gets him into trouble right from the start.

While A-O, as he's known by his friends, is seeking some answer to the mess he's found himself in, an arsonist is wreaking havoc all around Reno. The fires grow progressively worse, and it appears there may be a pattern, one which, if Aidan can just piece together, along with the help of a beautiful Fire Prevention investigator, may just lead him to the answers he's seeking.

I found this book riveting. If it weren't for the fact that I had other work to do, I would have easily finished it off in a single day. The pace is marvelous, reaching right out and grabbing you by the front of your shirt and not letting go until the climax. The characters are very real and totally believable. Since you don't know who the villain is until the end, Grady has avoided making his antagonist too easy to hate. I found myself trying to predict just who the "bad guy" (or girl) would be, only to be foiled again and again. The ending revelation was quite excellent.

If I have any negative critique about this book, it would be in the way Aidan finds his way back to faith. I only wish that Christ would have played a more central role. Instead, Grady uses "God in general" to be the focus of O'Neill's faith, which is not necessarily bad, but biblically, it falls short just a bit. Nevertheless, the prodigal moment was good, natural and fitting, not contrived at all.

Well done, Mr. Grady. Well done.

Check out Shawn's web site.

Sizzling Debut Novel

Firefighters are a strange breed. Anyone in their right mind flees from fires. Firefighters, however, seemed drawn to the flame. Shawn Grady-Reno firefighter and novelist-gives readers a glimpse into this fiery beast in his debut novel Through the Fire. This story burns from page one to the climax as protagonist Aidan O'Neill joins a search for a deadly arsonist plaguing his city. Arson, murder and intrigue-set in Nevada's glittering gambling empire of Reno-keeps the reader turning pages. A recommended read.

Very Intriguing

Through the Fire starts and ends with action. In between, a riveting story unfolds of a firefighter battling not only criminal forces, but also himself, to uncover a shocking crime and to free himself from holding on to circumstances he cannot change. This book kept me enthralled, as I blew through the final 15-chapters on a Sunday afternoon. Great suspense and story line!

Enter the Flames

Well, as you might already see I've given this book quite a high rating. Why would I do so? Well that's a dumb thing to ask. It's just that great of a book.

Or should I rather say that Shawn Grady is just that great an author? "Through the Fire" is a first person novel and after I discovered this I was surprised to find that the book was hot as fire and engaging. I'm not one for realistic fiction, as I still in part deem this novel, but Shawn Grady sucked me into the story. And to be honest, I'm glad he did.

Aidan is a firefighter in Reno, and he has been given a gift. He can read flames. You've probably read this in the book's description by now, but since that confused ME....I'm going to try and explain what this means.

Aidan has this innate ability to sense where the fire is going, it's like he has the force. Of course, after a fire that went horribly wrong Aidan losses this ability. He flees to Mexico on what should have been a relaxing two weeks. As it turned out, everything went from bad, to worse.

Aidan's life begins to crumble, like the walls of the buildings set aflame. His personal life, work life, it all falls. Aidan turns into a broken, lost, man.

An arsonist is targeting Reno, burning and burning everything in sight with flames that just don't go out. And it is Aidan's duty to stop him.

Buy this book, I mean it. It's well worth your money.

"Through the Fire" is just that, a read that feels like it's taking you through the fire. At each moment where I thought I'd figured the story out, Shawn Grady turned things upside down again. This book had more twists than I ever expected.

A marvelous book meant to start an even better career.
Check this book out, it's good stuff!

Sizzling Suspense

Through the Fire is an intriguing suspense novel about a series of arson fires, written by an author who knows his business. Shawn Grady draws on his firefighting experience to weave a tale that keeps you turning the pages and guessing till the very end. The story is plot-driven for sure, but Grady skillfully creates characters that are multi-dimensional. I highly recommend this novel.

Promising Debut Novel

Shawn Grady, with more than a decade's experience as a firefighter and paramedic, brings authenticity to every page of this debut novel about a troubled firefighter, seeking to solve the puzzle of his father's death while battling his own personal demons. Grady has a great ability to paint word pictures, and although the technical language and details seem a bit daunting at first, I soon found myself caught up in the struggle between man and that most primitive and powerful of forces: fire.
Unapologetically Christian in its viewpoint and message, the novel marks a promising start to a writing career for which I predict significant success. I'll certainly be waiting to read Grady's next book.