Penal Fires

by William H. Fietzer and William H. Fietzer

Set in a midwestern city notorious for its history of violent Viet Nam war protests, Penal Fires is a psychological mystery of murder, reconciliation, romance and revenge. John Hartway, paroled after... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0595241107
• ISBN13: 9780595241101
• Release Date: November 2002
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Excellent first novel

The author writes from personal experience, and his descriptions of place and time are 'right on'. MAD town (Madison) of the seventies is brought to life, and the weaving of reality of time and place with the fiction of characters and relationships is well thought out and for the most part totally believable. As with most first novels (and far too many second through upteenth novels) character growth, relationships, and depth is not as complete as the reader would like it to be. Fun to read, especially if your experiences include the college campus scene of the late sixties and early seventies.

Good winter read

Penal Fires has twists and turns that keep the reader thinking.Threaded through this murder mystery is a unique look at the uneven balance of a community that prides itself on its public liberalism while refusing to look at its own discomfort in how it ignores the situation of its most vulnerable. The author, Fietzer, gives an inside look at the difficulty of remaining true to the ideals of a collaboratively run alternative newspaper while trying to survive in a society that no longer values those ideals. The cast of characters is diverse and represents the many different types involved in the local Madison scene. Hartway, the main character, finds a murder victim and along with the reader must try to figure out people who aren't what they seem. It is a thoughtful read that keeps the reader guessing.