Smoke Eaters

by Christine Andreae

Matty McCullough, as the first woman to command a major fire site, has all of the above on her plate, not to mention political constraints, a band of nudist militias determined not to budge from their endangered land, and an only child stationed at the most perilous part of the conflagration.Andreae, whose first book was nominated for an Edgar, has taken a giant step and produced a stunning tale of a woman and a fire and an unexpected love. The story...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312252064
• ISBN13: 9780312252069
• Release Date: March 2000
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Length: 373 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Smoke Eaters is Fantastic!

Christine Andreae weaves a web of wonder in this her latest effort. I can honestly say that I literally could not put this book down. I laughed outloud at some points and found myself sobbing at others. I found that although I knew virtually nothing about firefighting, I could relate very strongly with the heroine in this book. I also have much more respect for the men and women who have been battling the summer blazes in the west. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates great writing, a compelling story, fabuloulous character developement and an overall fantastic read. I hope it gets made into a movie soon!

A Hard-to-put-down thriller

A plot crackling with excitement, a determined and likable protagonist, complex characters, an atmospheric setting, and a heart-stopping climax make this story about fire and those charged with containing it a great read. Mattie McCulloch becomes the first woman given overall command of a fire team. She has to deal not only with the life-threatening blaze but resentment from her male colleagues, a sexual predator with a penchant for arson, a firefighting son who has problems with a mother as boss, and an attraction to a married reporter. As the plot picks up steam, its hard to put down, and when you have raced through to the end, you wished you had slowed down and savored the prose of a writer at the top of her craft. Ranks right up there with Nevada Barr's "Firestorm." Another good book in this genre is Judith Van Gieson"s "Hotshots."

Tense, beautifully written

No detail of fire-fighting or human nature escapes the notice of Christine Andreae, the author of Smoke Eaters. Those who love her "Lee Squires" mysteries will love Smoke Eaters, the story of a woman leading a fire crew, dealing with loss and battling personal demons along with a major forest fire. For those who haven't read Andreae's earlier mysteries, this dramatic suspense story is a good place to start. Every word rings true. Along with the courage and strength of the female fire commander is the dark voice of a madman who comments through his journals on day to day life at the fire command post. He can only be someone that Mattie, our heroine, depends on. The slow unraveling of his mind keeps the internal action as tense as the fiery disaster. You will love Smoke Eaters.

Well researched and full of suspense

Whether the reader is a firefighter who loves to read books about a fire setting or an avid mystery reader, this book will not let you put it down until you reach the last page.

Very entertaining

The Justice Peak, Montana fire is raging out of control. In charge of putting out the conflagration out is Mattie McCullogh, the first female firefighter commanding a Forest service team. Already struggling with her male peers who demand the brass fire her and a hostile media expecting impossible miracles to occur, Mattie also worries about her son being in the front lines in the war with the inferno.When her son's team dies in what is obviously arson, her superiors sacrifice Mattie to the public howling and fire her. To her surprise, her son's body is not recovered. Unable to sit back and accept being a scapegoat, Mattie begins her own inquires into finding a serial arsonist. She also plans to find out exactly what has happened to her son. Along the way she finds some help, but is unaware that her foe is watching and waiting.SMOKE EATERS is a non-stop action filled plot that takes the readers on a wild ride from page one to the climax. The characters are fully developed and their reaction to the environment feels genuine to the point that the audience will swear they can smell, see, and hear the inferno. The taut story line will receive much acclaim from critics and fans as Christine Andreae has written one of the years top thrillers.Harriet Klausner