Balefire

by Ken Goddard

Book Overview

A series of police killings in a quiet Southern California suburb threatens to upset the entire nation and brings together the commander of a homicide unit, a dedicated investigator, a crime lab... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553050346
• ISBN13: 9780553050349
• Release Date: January 1983
• Publisher: Bantam Books
• Length: 337 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Stands the test of time

Most of the other reviewers say "pageturner" and "could not put it down". I totally echo those sentiments. When I first read this in about 1984, a buddy had given me this, and Red Dragon.....did I have eyestrain after a few days? You bet! As Balefire was reaching its conclusion, I was getting ready for a date where I was to make dinner for my lady & another couple, but I could not stop reading this book. I think I was like 90 minutes late. I walked in, tossed the book on the table, & said "Read this. You'll know why I'm late." Two of the three people ended up reading it, & loved it. Then I passed "Red Dragon" on to them. Uff da!! I recently picked up a copy at a Goodwill, and even though it was set 25 years ago, even though I knew the outcome and had read it a couple of times, this was the first time in the new millenium, and just like 25 years ago, it is still totally gripping

Incredibly good read

I first bought this book in 1985 in an airport during an unexpected layover - I recall reading it cover to cover between the wait and the flight. Remembering it, I recently bought another copy, and it is even better than I remembered. Written before the events that brought acts of terrorism to US soil, the book seems an eerie prediction of the world we now live in. Tom Clancyish in its unashamed hawkish patriotism, yet it still gives attention to the factors that produced, as the original cover said, "... a killer who is not afraid to die."

Should have been a made into a movie

I first read this book immediately after the 1984 Olympics, and now reading it again. Having been in Law Enforcement for 26 years now, the accuracy of tactics and how the police would respond to the scenarios in the book were amazing and made the book very chilling to read. The author did a great job in developing a story about a lone terrorist causing chaos in a west coast community just prior to the 1984 Olympics. It was a very easy and fun read.

john parham alive and kicking

this was the first book i read by ken goodard and enjoyed it very much, especially when i found my name in the book and getting killed off. mr gooddard was kind enough to reply to a letter that i wrote to him. the book will keep your interest, not wanting to put it down

A near-prefect thriller

What can one terrorist do against an entire police force? You'd be amazed... "Balefire" is a cuningly crafted look at what a well-planned, patient terrorist assault can do to the average American town. Predictably, the town circles the wagons -- but The Terrorist simply attacks from the middle and watches as the citizens turn and fire upon themselves. This novel is as well-crafted and well-paced as any I've ever read. It fixes itself on the mind and bores itself into that danger zone that says "My God, this could really happen..." Notably, this book was brought to my attention by a manual on terrorism prevention I was assigned to read while in the U.S. Navy. It was the only fiction book on the list, but it was included alongside the scholarly journals on terrorism for its unflinching look at the havoc a well-trained insurgent could wreak upon an unsuspecting city. This novel quickly transformed me into a page-turning automaton. Ignoring the car that needed to be washed and the lawn that needed to be mowed, I read "Balefire" from start to finish on a Saturday afternoon