Day into Night
By Dave Hugelschaffer
Opening sentence: By the time I arrive, the fire has grown to
an area the size of a small city.
From this alarming
opening, and in breath-stealing smoke and ash that quickly feels all too real,
we follow forest fire investigator Porter Cassel through his preliminary search
for a point of origin. The fire is an arson, one of a string started in similar
fashion by someone who knows just how to take advantage of natural fluctuations
in wind and humidity, and the crews all know they are in for a long battle.
For Porter, the battle
quickly becomes personal. Not only do the arsonist’s signature materials match
those of the eco-terrorist known as the Lorax, but the fire boss is none other
than the father of Porter’s girlfriend, who died in a previous Lorax-engineered
explosion. As the smoke streamers turn black, blocking out the sun, Porter
searches among the locals, the tree huggers, and the fire crews for any
possible leads to the identity of the Lorax.
With one fire under
control, the long, hot summer looms ahead, providing endless opportunities for
another big blaze. Suspects are many, and another explosion costs another life.
Porter spends too many hours in his truck, too many more in meetings of an
inter-agency task force, and runs afoul of more than one disgruntled citizen in
his determination to solve the explosions and resolve his guilt over his
girlfriend’s death.
The author spent ten
years working for the Forest Service in Northern Alberta
as a Ranger, a timber cruiser, and a firefighter. He knows his terrain, tools
and crews, and the behavior of a forest fire, better than anyone writing
mysteries in Canada
today. “Day Into Night” is both a primer on forest fires and a gripping
personal quest for truth.
Day Into Night
Published by CormorantBooks
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