Smoke

Smoke is quite a page turner as several burning (sorry) questions are apparent from the first chapter: Why are Elizabeth and Ben talking about getting a divorce? What is the reason for Elizabeth's estrangement from her former BFF Mindy? And of course, who set the fire that resulted in a devastating wildfire that is threatening the entire community? McKenzie supplies lots of red herrings along the way, and provides a fascinating glimpse into modern firefighting and arson investigation techniques. I found it very realistic that Elizabeth and Ben's problems were not the result of one big blowup or one-sided action, but rather the product of lots of misunderstandings, mistrust and poor communication on both sides. Made the resolution less clean but more believable.

I did feel a little bit shortchanged in the Elizabeth/Mindy subplot; McKenzie portrays the bitter argument that destroyed their friendship but gives short shrift to showing how and why the relationship flourished in the first place.

I was not a big fan of McKenzie's previous book, Hidden but I thoroughly enjoyed her earlier efforts. She is firmly back on track with Smoke.