First Degree Burn

Rating:
Summary: A must read
Review: "I was in L.A. last week and tried to post this review,but it never showed up. I am a native of Oklahoma and a Navyveteran. I now live in Newport, R.I. where I run a bed & breakfast inn and charter boat service. I don't have time to read many novels, but I recently found FIRST DEGREE BURN, which one of the guests had left. I have to say that it was a total page turner. One of the best novels I've read in years. I looked at your reviews and noted that most of the people have given it five stars, except for the last two. Oscar Davis and Mark Pierce. Are these guys for real? FIRST DEGREE BURN is outstanding. I learned so much from it about fire investigation and WPA art. The characters are great. I went to the author's website...and noticed that the book had received a starred review in Publisher's Weekly. What do they know that Davis and Pierce don't? All I can say is that I am a real person and I loved this book. I can't wait for the next Eddie Burke mystery. Feel free to contact me at [e-mail]"

Harlan Tyler Newport, R.I.

Rating:
Summary: A must read
Review: "I was in L.A. last week and tried to post this review,but it never showed up. I am a native of Oklahoma and a Navyveteran. I now live in Newport, R.I. where I run a bed & breakfast inn and charter boat service. I don't have time to read many novels, but I recently found FIRST DEGREE BURN, which one of the guests had left. I have to say that it was a total page turner. One of the best novels I've read in years. I looked at your reviews and noted that most of the people have given it five stars, except for the last two. Oscar Davis and Mark Pierce. Are these guys for real? FIRST DEGREE BURN is outstanding. I learned so much from it about fire investigation and WPA art. The characters are great. I went to the author's website...and noticed that the book had received a starred review in Publisher's Weekly. What do they know that Davis and Pierce don't? All I can say is that I am a real person and I loved this book. I can't wait for the next Eddie Burke mystery. Feel free to contact me at [e-mail]"

Harlan Tyler Newport, R.I.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Read: Take it with you to the lake
Review: As a firefighter and cause and origin investigator hopeful, I collect arson fiction. I was pleased to find this book by a new author, and began to read with interest. The story grabbed me, and kept me reading. Fire Marshal Eddie Burke is not perfect, and it is his weaknesses that make him a more believable hero. The historical angle, about WPA projects and the power of suspicion in that era, was educational and intriguing. Since finding this book last year, I have been looking for the next installment in what could be a wonderful series, and was pleased to hear that the next Eddie Burke mystery, and perhaps a trip to the big screen, is on the way. First Degree Burn is definately a book worth taking on vacation with you.

Rating:
Summary: The finest thriller on fire investigation ever.
Review: As an active duty fire fighter I've read a number of authors in the mystery field. I heard about FIRST DEGREE BURN through an ad last year in Firehouse magazine. A number of ff's have raved about it on various fire and ems websites. So I found a copy and checked it out. The research is absolutely bulletproof. So's the plot. And the dialogue, while a bit raw, is totally realistic. I figured the author, Lance had to be on the job, but I checked his sitexc and found out that he's an ex lawyer and ABC news reporter who once did an investigation on arson. Anyway, this book moves like a Seagrave pumper screaming through town. It's a total page turner. Don't be put off by some of the trash reviews it got here at Amazon. Whoever these guys are they don't know sh__ about firefighting. This is a great book. I hear it's almost out of print. If you find it, buy it. FIRST DEGREE BURN is a winner.

Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put it down.
Review: First Degree Burn is a great thriller that offers a good mystery combined with a string of characters that are believable and real. I am not a critic, nor am I a firefigher, so I have not reviewed this through the eyes of "an expert". However, as one that does not get through a novel very easily, I found myself flying through FDB wanting to see what would happen next and how things would "turn-out". This book was intriguing enough to keep this skeptic not only interested, but rivoted to the pages. I found myself feeling for the character and seeing the world through his eyes, trying to predict what would happen next. I finished this book in only a few nights reading. That was over a year ago. I'm embarking on a second pass through FDB in hopes of preparing for the follow-up installment; doing so despite knowing "the finale". This too is a rarity for me, which speaks volumes to this book (and its Author). I'm chomping at the bit wait! ing for the next undertaking in the Eddie Burke series.

And as one of those "I'll wait for the movie types" I'd gladly shell out the $10 to see this book on the screen. If the movie is as exciting and interesting as the book it would be highly entertaining and money well spent! I look forward to the next installment in the series and recommend this book to anyone who is looking for excitement, intrigue, realism and entertainment. Peter Lance may not be thought of in the same breath as James Patterson, we all know his Alex Cross series, but I'd rank him right up there as one of the handful of writers I'd look forward to reading! Kudos Peter!

Rating:
Summary: Compelling, Powerful Novel
Review: First Degree Burn is a riveting page turner. Lance is thorough in his historical and factual references about New York City, the WPA and fire investigation. As an ex-New Yorker and fellow journalist, Lance is right on the button. The Eddie Burke character is captivating and believeable. Lance is an excellent writer and story-teller. I strongly recommend this novel and look forward to reading the next Eddie Burke thriller...a movie would be sensational!

Rating:
Summary: Riveting
Review: First Degree Burn takes New York fire inspector Eddie Burke through a stunning, sizzling roller coaster of plot as he investigates fires set for money, for vengeance, and to cover up secrets of the past. Tensions build and explode, both inside and outside the investigation, as Eddie and art historian Caroline Drexel face the killers who hunt them and the memories that haunt them. I've recommended this book to many friends, all of whom loved it. Why? The smart plot, well-realized characters, and smoldering sex. Can't wait to see what Peter Lance comes up with next.

Rating:
Summary: First Degree Burn-- compels you to read it page to page!
Review: Lance captures the drama and the history of NY and the heros of the city as true to life as I have ever read. The book is one of the hardest books to put down. His writing and storytelling of arson is first rate. I strongly recommend this book and the read you will experience with it. I hope it is someday turned into a movie!

Rating:
Summary: First Degree Burn
Review: Loved that Eddie Burke Jr! I couldn't put the book down, and found myself at the last page 36 hours later. The story is intelligent with a huge amount of integrity. I found the characters to be fresh and crisp. Writer Peter Lance carefully leads you down each path with Eddie Burke, sometimes with such colorful detail that you can actually feel the heat of the fire. My only disappointment is that there isn't a sequel yet. Come on Mr Lance, what the heck are you waiting for? This book is a GREAT ride!

Rating:
Summary: Poor Plot and Writing Douse Burn
Review: This book was the subject of a September 2, 1997, Wall Street Journal article, which recounted how the author has spent some $34,000 to set fire to sales. Sadly, the book is not very good. The plot is silly beyond belief, the characters (except for one that gets killed off three-fifths of the way through) are not very likable--including the "hero," and the dialogue is mostly stilted. Touted as the first of a series starring Ed Burke, Fire Marshall, Peter Lance will be lucky if there is another. If there is, let's hope that his evident screen-writing skills (he's written a couple of TV scripts) will translate to the novel form. So far, at least, they have not. First Degree Burn is neither first-degree nor hot.