Nick Heller is at a funeral for a friend when he is asked by a woman to look into why his friend died of an overdose. The woman turns out to be the daughter of the Pharmaceutical king who came up with the drug that caused Sean's death. Wanting to be a whistleblower Nick is wondering at first if what is told is true or not the more he digs he begins to get his answer. A very good book that will keep you going until the end. A good book with good characters, very much worth the read.

Joseph Finder's electrifying thriller, House on Fire takes readers on a gripping ride as private investigator Nick Heller infiltrates a wealthy family hiding dark secrets and uncovers a web of lethal conspiracies.

This one, unfortunately, was a DNF for me. It didn’t hold my interest for very long and I didn’t connect with the story like I hoped I would.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Joseph Finder never fails to deliver an epic, timely, and compelling story driven by rich characters and action. This is the first of the Nick Heller books I've read but it worked as a stand-alone book. If you're a fan of mystery and want to read a fabulous mystery story teller, pick up House on Fire...you won't be disappointed!

I've read several books by Joseph Finder and have enjoyed them all. His books are easy to follow and very fast paced. Many times I had to stop reading and didn't want to. I highly recommend this book and anything else that he's written.

Having not read the previous books I was surprised how this read pretty good as a stand alone. This was my first Joseph Finder book and I really enjoyed the writing style. Quick to read and was super interesting

“We all get wounded, and we all take our scars with us. And if we don’t accept our scars, we haven’t really healed.” Author Joseph Finder delivers a heart-pounding thriller as private investigator Nick Heller takes on a billion-dollar family to uncover a deadly conspiracy and bring justice for the loved ones he’s lost in “House on Fire”.

After one of his closest friends dies of an opiate overdose, former Special Forces soldier turned private investigator, Nick Heller, is approached by the heiress of the pharmaceutical giant that fed his addiction. Susan Kimball hires Nick Heller to obtain a hidden document proving Kimball Pharmaceutical, specifically her father, knew about and concealed the truth behind the dangers of the drug. When his former flame is killed in connection to the investigation, the case become personal and Heller will stop at nothing to uncover the truth and deliver justice to the people responsible.

I’ve always held that the strength of any thriller lies in a terrific lead character. The greatest plot in the world, or the most creative prose, or the cleverest twists will always fall short of greatness without a dynamic lead to propel the story forward. Author Joseph Finder gives us that terrific lead in Nick Heller in a perfect blend of brains and brawn. Heller proves himself time and again as a perfectly balance of brilliant investigator and fierce fighter. Balancing the characterization as a capable investigator, Heller’s relationships with his nephew, as well as with the son of his close friend, dramatically humanizes the character as much more than a hard-nosed detective. His compassion and guidance for the young men that look to him as a father-figure fully develop him as a multi-dimensional and compelling character, and I look forward to exploring this character more in future installments.

Balancing the weight of a terrific protagonists is a full cast of supporting characters, one or more of which serve as the mystery antagonist to the story. Wonderful descriptions personify the different personalities making up the children of Kimball and establish them each in quirky and distinctive manners. Ranging from the ambitious businesswoman, to the rebellious artist, to the awkward academic, to the alcoholic ne’er-do-well, Heller’s interactions with each of them brilliantly shift suspicion from one to the next and propels the narrative forward. Joseph Finder’s police detective makes a tongue-in-cheek reference to an Agatha Christie style mystery with an isolated house where several guests are hiding a furtive murderer, but the reference is perfectly apropos as that is exactly the dynamic created.

The novel is told from the 1st person point-of-view from the perspective of Nick Heller. The choice for POV provides a wonderful intimacy with the narrator as readers experience the action through Heller’s eyes and receive an unfiltered account of his thoughts and fears. The POV choice makes the protagonist extremely relatable and endearing as the reader joins him on the emotional roller coaster of seeking justice for two people that meant a great deal to him. The authenticity of the character’s emotional responses is one of his most endearing qualities. Dialogue between Heller and the vast cast of characters is natural and crisp, and it provided a unique voice for each of the extremely diverse personalities making up the Kimball family.

The action takes place in Boston, New York City, and Anguilla, and descriptions of the various setting are both evocative and transportive. “It was a beautiful fall day, crisp and clear, almost cold. The trees were red and orange and gold, and leaves swirled around us. The wind was strong. My eyes watered.” Joseph Finder has filled his novel with vivid descriptions that allow us to hear and feel and see the world he has created.

No mystery-thriller is complete without strong action sequences. Joseph Finder delivered a healthy dose of action that escalated perfectly as the plot develops. Scenes of threats give way to hand-to-hand encounters which lead to dramatic gun fights. Tension is ratcheted perfectly throughout the narrative, and the element of suspense if used perfectly to elicit heart-pounding examples of Heller’s nerves of steel.

I am critical of one element of the novel, the execution of the final reveal. I had a strong feeling about the identity of the murderer, and my suspicions were confirmed in the climax. The identity of the murderer was telegraphed far too much for my preferences as the character was written in a pointedly specific manner that began to weigh down the narrative. When the reveal arrived, while certainly not obvious, I would have been surprised if it had been any of the other characters, and I generally prefer a bit more surprise with the final reveal. With that one exception, I felt the novel was tremendously successful, and I look forward to exploring more work by Joseph Finder.

“House on Fire” is an action-packed classically-styled murder mystery with a terrific lead character. Author Joseph Finder has created a tremendously endearing protagonist with Nick Heller that delivers on both brilliant investigative deductions and thrilling fight sequences. Fans of murder-mystery suspense-thrillers will be right at home with “House on Fire”. This is not one to be missed!

I really enjoyed this book. I decided to read this book because it sounded like it would be an exciting mystery thriller. I hadn't read anything written by Joseph Finder before picking up this book but I didn't let that deter me since I am always looking for new authors to try. This is the fourth book in the Nick Heller series but I read it as a stand-alone and it worked well. I thought that the book got off to a very good start and told a very entertaining and exciting story. I am so glad that I took a chance and decided to read this book.

Nick Heller is a private investigator and he once served in the military. When Nick learns of the death of a good friend who once saved his life while in action, he goes to help the family right away. At the funeral, he meets a woman with ties to the company that produces the highly addictive drug which his friend was addicted to and this woman enlists Nick's help in proving that the company knew just how dangerous these drugs really are. Nick is not only dealing with this new client but is also juggling the needs of his nephew and providing support to the family of the friend he lost. I found the mystery to be really well done and quite complex. There were a lot of twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout the book and I couldn't figure out how things would work out until it was revealed in the story. I liked that there was not only a lot of action to keep things interesting but also a lot of more thoughtful investigative work that went into solving this case.

I liked Nick a lot from the start. We learn early on that he is a man that has a strong moral code. He works hard to do a good job and to always do the right thing even when it might cost him money in the end. We get a few glimpses into his past and learn that he is a man that learns from his mistakes and tries to do better in the future. I loved the way that he was able to slip into almost any situation and handle himself in such a way that he was rarely questioned. He was almost always able to see things that others might miss and stayed focused on solving the mystery.

I would recommend this book to fans of mystery thrillers. I thought that this was a really well done and exciting story that kept me guessing until the end. I really enjoyed watching Nick in action and look forward to reading more of this series in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Penguin Group Dutton via NetGalley.

Loved this book by Joseph Finder. A fast paced, interesting read. The plot, characters, and setting were well thought out. Thank you for the chance to read it.

It is not necessary to read the other Nick Heller books in the series to enjoy this one. Its plays on current events. Investigating the death of a friend who died from an opioid overdose, Heller confronts the power of the pharmaceutical industry. There's lots of action in this well-thought out plot.

Unpopular opinion coming your way.

I didn't love this book. I didn't even like it much.

Nick Heller is your stereotypical comic book superhero come to life. He wins all his battles, easily gets himself out of jams, and always finds ways to obtain whatever information he needs. I could live with all that, if he had personality, some sort of spark. He doesn't. I found him one-dimensional, dull, and annoying.

The pacing is quite slow. We have a whole lot of subplots going on, with various relationship drama and an avalanche of backstories. All the side issues detracted from the plot.

The plot itself is predictable and already past its expiration date. An author taking on a current events hot topic runs the risk of offering stale, dated content by the time the book is published, and for me that's what happened here.

None of the characters are complex or surprising.

I was bored.

Another outstanding thriller from Joseph Finder, who continues to be the most consistantly entertaining thriller writer working today.

House on Fire by Joseph Finder is book number 4 in the Nick Heller series. I didn’t know this book was part of a series before I read it. Probably I would have liked it more if I had read the first three books first. I found this book quite boring even though I didn’t guess whodunnit. It was quite strange in the book to have a meme explained but then also reference Abloh Off White sneakers.

This was my first Nick Heller read by Joseph Finder. This series has popped up often, but I have never read any of them. Glad that I finally had the opportunity to read House on Fire.

Nick Heller is shaken by the overdose of his good friend and Army buddy who was addicted to Oxycodone, prescribed by the VA for his chronic pain. It is at Sean's funeral that he is approached by a stranger wanting answers almost as much as he does. Even more baffling, is that "Sukie" is the daughter of the pharmaceutical magnate whose manufacture of Oxy has enslaved millions of Americans and destroyed even more lives.

What ensues is a hunt to find out where the buried test results were done that concluded how addicting the drug is. Along the way they discover people that are afraid to speak, and many are victims of unfortunate accidents and are no longer around to speak with them.

This story delivered everything that I would expect from a best selling author. It is a quick paced story that tangled up all many players and left me wondering all along who was going to be "it". I seriously did not expect this ending, and look forward to another NIck Heller case to follow.

This was my first book by this author. I found the plot to be intriguing, but I never felt like the writing truly pulled me in. Not sure if I'd continue with other books by this author.

This is the first book in the series I've read. It's not necessary to read the others and the story was ok. The characters were kind of flat and predictable. Nick is a PI who is pretty easily manipulated. He gets involved with a shady rich family. No one can be trusted. It was a fun book.

HEDE: Find the right dose for you: Joseph Finder's 'House on Fire' burns through the pages but blazes credibility along the way

Maybe I’ve been jaded by the intricacies of Michael Connelly or Don Winslow, but I’ve got to side with the 7 percent of the three-star Amazon reviewers who place Joseph Finder’s “House on Fire” squarely in the middle between “I read until my eyes wouldn’t stay open any longer” and “definitely not up to Finder’s standards.”

Finder is a bonafide New York Times best-selling author, and so the nearly 70 percent five-star reviews for “House on Fire” are likely legit and fiercely earned.

Admittedly, they’re probably also deserved if you’re looking for the literary equivalent of a popcorn movie. But even at that, fast-pacing, cool spy toys and a topical subject — bringing down Big Pharma for engineering the opioid crisis — bounce against too many deus ex machina solutions, characters that shy from full development and a plot that plods on predictable terrain.

What it comes down to with this fourth-in-the-series Nick Heller novel is how you’re feeling to be medicated at the moment — a page-turner that requires a healthy suspension of disbelief, or a plot that gets to the end with plausibility firmly intact.

If the former, you’re in good company. Reviewers ranging from The Times of London to the Cleveland Plain Dealer lit up their literary abodes for “House on Fire” with glowing accolades.

If the latter, try Bosch or Keller. Those two Heller contemporaries will not only have the right prescription for what ails you, you won't feel like you just ate a jumbo-sized cup of kernels with extra butter after turning the final page.

Another great installment in the Nick Heller series, House on Fire is full of action and suspense. Set aside a block of time to read this one because once you start it will be hard to put down. I can't wait to see what adventure Nick Heller will take us on next.

About a year ago, I read and reviewed Judgment by Joseph Finder, a standalone novel featuring Judge Juliana Brody, a happily married up-and-coming judicial star who goes to a legal conference and does something out of character: she has a one-night stand. All kinds of legal (and other) wrangling went on as a result, and I totally enjoyed the character and the book. When I saw that Finder’s latest, House on Fire, was coming out, I hoped it would feature Juliana Brody again, because I think Finder did a good job with a female protagonist, and I was curious if he would do it again. Although it turns out that House On Fire is #4 in the series featuring private security specialist Nick Heller rather than Judge Brody, I was happy to receive a copy from Thomas & Mercer in exchange for this honest review.

Nick is devastated by the opioid-related death of his old army buddy Sean. After saving Nick’s life in Afghanistan, Sean became addicted to the pills he used to treat the chronic pain from his war-related injuries. It seems that the powerful drug Oxydone was too addictive, and he OD’ed on an Oxydone inhaler. Nick soon has a new client, who he meets at Sean’s funeral: she happens to be part of the multi-billionaire Kimball family, the owners of the pharmaceutical company that makes Oxydone, and she wants Nick to help her with her whistleblower efforts, saying her family has been responsible for enough deaths. She claims that the company knew the drug was overly addictive, but buried the study that showed it in order to get the drug to market. Things get a little complicated between Nick and his client, and being kind of a sensitive and introspective guy, he realizes it: ”I’ve always taken on other people’s battles, even when I shouldn’t. It’s a lesson I still haven’t really learned.” As his investigation gets underway, he encounters his old flame Maggie, who has apparently been hired by another family member, and all the Kimballs seems to want the 80-something year old patriarch to move on and let them take over.

It’s a fairly quick read, but has an engrossing plot with well-drawn characters and just the right amount of non-gratuitous violence and surprises (I did NOT see the end coming, but then, I usually don’t). I really like Finder: five stars.

"And the snake says, 'Yeah, but you knew what I was when you picked me up.'"

This fourth installment of the Nick Heller series has the elite private investigator taking on the rich Kimball family. They own a pharmaceutical company whose main product is an opiate, Oxydone, a nasal inhaler that quickly delivers a powerful dose of the substance. Result - almost instant addiction. In addition, lots of deaths due to overdoses. Nick is hired by one of the Kimball daughters to find evidence to take her family business down -- the hidden clinical study that shows how addictive the drug is and she feels that it should be taken off the market and all the victims compensated. So he's off...NO SPOILERS.

Lots of action and nonstop fight scenes with clever Nick finding all sorts of ways to get the information he wants. He soon has a personal stake in the hunt and ramps up his investigation to even higher levels. It's all quite predictable and a fast read. The narrative is told in the first person POV with Nick integrating himself into the Kimball family and using all sorts of cool spy toys to find out what he wants to know. It gave me a couple of hours of entertainment. I've read two of the other books in the series. I'm sure fans of this type of character and story line will enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this e-book ARC to read and review.