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The Fourth Angel

The Fourth Angel

List Price: $6.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Awesome!!!!!
Review: Hey this book is awesome, I absolutley loved it. I could harldly put the book down. The book made me feel as if i was part of teh firehouse and was a charcter in the book. It is a must read

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Stunning Debut Novel
Review: I do not normally by hardback books by first time authors. But I have to say I am so glad I took the chance because The Fourth Angel is a stunning debut novel by Suzanne Chazin. It is loaded with chilling scenes and plot twisters that keep you guessing who is behind some of the worst fires to ever hit New York City.

Georgia Skehan is a rookie fire marshal. She is struggling to carve out her niche in a male orient field. Added to her struggle is old baggage following her around on whether she was responsible for the death of a fellow firefighter. Georgia is called to the scene of a deliberate fire that was so intense and severe that no one survived or even had a chance of making it out alive. An old friend in the department tips her off that this fire wasn't the first of its kind in recent months. In fact, there having been letters sent by someone calling himself the Fourth Angel sprouting Bible verses from Revelations justifying his actions. Protecting her friend's identity, she tries to tell the chief fire marshal her theories. However, the "good old boys' club" isn't interested in what a woman thinks and tries to ridicule her to the point she will drop the matter. But thanks to the top man, the fire commissioner, overhearing the conversation Georgia is assigned to the investigating team headed by Mac Marenko. Marenko tries to dissuade Georgia by assigning her the dirty jobs. Georgia still manages to uncover some impressive leads and soon Marenko begins to believe Georgia just might be on to something.

This book opens with one of the most frightening scenes I've ever read. You know what is coming, yet you keeping hoping you're wrong. There is no way you can read this book without developing a liking for the characters. Each in their own way, whether right or wrong, is trying to do what they think is for the good of the department. In Georgia, we get a strong single mom who comes from a family of firefighters. She is trying to do the job she loves while fighting discrimination from men who think women have no place fighting fires. Mac Marenko starts out as a complete jerk until we see the human side of him develop. There is sexual tension between the two that makes you hope both characters will be around in the next book. The villain, what can I say about the villain? He is pure evil and I hope I don't have nightmares about him tonight.

Ms. Chazin's next novel featuring Georgia Skehan is supposed to be out in 2002. Man, I hate having to wait that long after discovering this author. I am definitely hooked!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Good Read
Review: I enjoyed this first novel so much I've ordered her second one, "Flash Over". The heroine is a fire marshal new on the job, so we are dealing with sexism as well as a villian doing terrible things with fire. This is a thriller in the true sense of the word; from the first page to the last, you keep wanting to find out what happens next.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Very well-researched, but otherwise run-of-the-mill
Review: I have a strong interest in the FDNY, and am very much in favor of the idea of female firefighters, so I really wanted to like this book--but I didn't. The book was extremely well-researched; the author is married to a high-ranking member of the FDNY and clearly had access to information unavailable to most civilians. So, most of the fire-fighting aspects of the novel rang completely true. Unfortunately, as a novel, the book was very problematic for me. It is a standard thriller, at best, with the typical "Super Clever" psychotic villain, workmanlike prose, and so forth. The main character was so tentative and unsure of herself that one suspects that she might not even last a week as an actual member of the FDNY. All things being equal, I like an escapist thriller as much as anyone else, but I'm afraid this book uses its detailed research to substitute for entertainment and narrative voice. I kept waiting for a dash of humor, or a genuine spark of energy, but neither ever appeared. I bought the book purely because of the subject matter, but now I really wish I'd waited for a paperback edition, or--better yet--gotten it at the library.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A REMARKABLE NEW SUSPENSE WRITER
Review: I think Suzanne Chazin will go very far as a suspense writer. She has a great character in Georgia and very impressive knowledge of the FDNY (New York's Fire Department). She writes about the world of firefighters in a fresh and convincing way. I thought I bascially knew all I needed to know about how firefighters think and live but I had not read this novel yet! In addition, I do not think there are many suspense writers out there who can write about an actual fire the way Ms. Chazin has in this book. It might appear "easy" to write about a building in flames but the fire scenes in this novel are realistic and harrowing. Best of all, Ms. Chazin knows how to write about people and put them in an exciting story. I think any serious readers of tough female suspense fiction should take notice! She' s woth it.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Get Your Facts Right!
Review: I violated a basic rule of reading fiction - don't read a book about your profession written by an outsider.

While the story was interesting, many of the facts were dead wrong. Starting with the description of a fire giving off carbon monoxide when it first ignites (it doesn't), the "flashpoint" of the radiator (flashpoint is only applicable to flammable and combustible materials), the concern over being electrocuted in the burned out building (if the fire doesn't kill the power to the building, the firefighters certaily will), to the scene where one character dies and the EMT's just cover him with a sheet (EMT's would certainly be doing CPR), and ending with the desription of the power supply to the arc welder (arc welders produce 250 amps, they do not require 250 amps!)

The lesson is that if you are going to write a book which requires technical accuracy, have it read by someone who knows the subject well before publishing.

This book might be a good read for someone who doesn't know the firefighting and investigation business, despite the rather melodramatic ending.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: ...the power of fire...
Review: I've read many novels where the main character is not only female, but in a career usually reserved for men, such as forensic pathology, forensic anthropology, criminology or medicine. It was only a matter of time before I came across one where the protagonist is a female fire marshall. Despite adhering to a standard and, at times, tired formula, Suzanne Chazin has put forth a solid effort with her first novel The Fourth Angel.

Centering on fire marshall Georgia Skeehan's efforts to solve several intense fires caused by an unknown arsonist, this novel certainly doesn't fail to deliver when it comes to the intricacies of fire investigative techniques. Chazin's descriptive voice is put to it's most effective use when she is detailing the destructive power of fire and its aftermath. She lets the reader know that being a firefighter is definitely a dangerous profession and that there is nothing glamorous about it.

Although her understanding of the inner workings of the FDNY is very well illustrated, the novel would have been better served had Chazin chosen to place the sexism and misogyny that Skeehan faces within her own ranks on the back burner. As well, several of the more minor characters seemed to do nothing more than to further illustrate the difficulties of being female in a male dominated profession. With a bit more depth and polish, Chazin could very well have a smashing series on her hands. One that this reader could very well get hooked on.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I LOVED THIS BOOK!
Review: It has been a while since I have picked up a book that was so completely engaging. The characters, the plot, the dialog all hung together and made a very fun, satisfying read. The technical details were interesting and the twists and turns served up made this a can't-put-it-down read. There is something for everyone in this one and I cannot wait to see what this new series produces next. If I could give this one more than 5 stars I would.....you won't be disappointed!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great book
Review: Just finished this book, it was great.... Took me by surprise all the different twists, and great accuracy on her story line

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Accurate and Impressive
Review: Ms. Chazin has successfully composed a first rate novel which illustrates a clear understanding of the work performed by NYC Fire Marshals, both in front of and behind the scenes. She has accurately depicted the gritty underside of Fire Investigation in the BIG APPLE - at times rotten to the core. Initially, I was skeptical, after all how could this outsider portray New Yorks BRAVEST conducting some of their best investigative work. As a retired New York City Fire Marshal and the participant in over a thousand investigations I was especially cynical of an outsiders ability to tell such a story. I took the opportunity to read "The Fourth Angel" on a recent lengthy flight and would put the book down reluctantly. Her knowledge of forensics and fire science is quite clear. I was suprised by her appreciation of the legitimate fear of electrocution at a fire scene. Building occupants, both legal and illegal are notorious for diverting electrical service from unauthorized sources bereft of any over current protection. Shutting power at the main breaker or a disconnect at the service entrance is no sure bet that "the power is off". Ms. Chazin's work although fiction is full of true NY characters, very much like it's firehouses and fire investigation base operations. I read "The Fourth Angel" in two sittings, I enjoyed it and encourage readers, inside and ouside the field of fire investigation to read this book. I look forward to the sequel and re-visiting "The Fourth Angel" in theaters.


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