Lamb was fired before her first day on the police force even began. She teams up with the police officer that she nearly got killed to solve a cold case. I have read and loved all of Candice Fox books but I have to say that this one is by far my favourite. It takes a look into the criminal cases that police solve and how they work it out. It's also the most heightened sense of suspense that I have ever felt. Lamb and Charlie are the most unusual police officers but somehow they work and make it look easy.

Ryan and Elsie Delaney's daughter was abducted and as far as they're concerned, the police didn't do enough to find her. They break into the forensic lab at the police station and hold everyone inside hostage. They will destroy a sample of evidence every two hours unless the police find their daughter. Meanwhile, Detective Charlie Hoskins has been undercover in a deadly motorcycle gang for five years. All the evidence he collected in numerous crimes is in that lab! He needs to find Tilly. He joins forces with Lynette Lamb, a young woman who finished her training, but was fired from the police department before her first day on the job. They follow the evidence, question the witnesses again and track down leads. Will they find Tilly, dead or alive?

I really enjoyed this crime thriller. It grabbed me right from the first page and held my interest until the end. I really liked both Hoskins and Lamb and thought they worked really well together. Lamb had great instincts as well as being able to piece things together that might not have been obvious to everyone else. She does have a short fuse and flies off the handle quickly, but Hoskins is able to calm her down. I am always in awe when a police officer puts his/her life on the line doing undercover work, and Charlie was good at it. He has a sarcastic personality and I often laughed at some of his comments to Lynette. This was a great mystery/cold case and I loved how they put things together. We were kept apprised as to what was happening at the lab at the same time and that kept me on the edge of my seat. As the case came to an end, I was pleased with the conclusion and am hoping there might be more books with Hoskins and Lamb. I definitely recommend this on to anyone who enjoys a good Crime Thriller.

In this pulse-pounding thriller, the lives of a desperate couple, a fugitive on the run, and a fired rookie cop collide in a high-stakes battle against the clock. With their daughter missing, Ryan and Elsie Delaney take drastic measures, holding the LAPD forensic lab hostage and demanding answers. Meanwhile, Detective Charlie Hoskins, a seasoned undercover agent, finds himself exposed and forced to locate the missing girl to protect his hard-earned career. Joining forces with the determined Lynette Lamb, recently ousted from the police force, they embark on a relentless pursuit of truth before the ticking time bomb of the next 24 hours explodes. With its heart-stopping pace, gripping suspense, and a cast of characters pushed to their limits, this thriller will leave you breathless until the final page.

Some of the best, most loved characters I’ve ever read about. I absolutely adored the main characters, so well done. They made this story extra. A real page turner. Thrills and chills throughout. I raced through this at breakneck speed it was that good. I was actually sad when I reached the end because I had to say good bye to these characters. This is a must read for all mystery and thrill lovers.
So many twists and jaw dropping moments.
Brilliant

Over the last few years or so, I have become a fan of this author. I always keep my eye out for any new releases she may have. I jumped into this one with gusto, and then I fell flat on my face.

This book starts out okay. I was into the whole plot. However, the book took a nose dive pretty quickly. None of the characters were truly likeable, not really. The storyline drug. Nothing notable really happens for most of the book. I found myself wondering if I should just give up.

I can admit, some of the elements in the story were pretty genius, but then adding in all the other things that just weren't working, it all just fell apart for me. This book didn't have any real WOW moments for me. It just didn't have the same intrigue as her past works.

Candice Fox's latest novel, Fire with Fire, is a winner! It has adventure, suspense, and heart! I found it hard to put down and finished it quickly. Charlie Hoss, an undercover police officer, joins forces with Lynette Lamb, a rookie fired on her first day on duty. They make a great team and set out to solve a cold case (unofficially) involving a missing child after the girl's parents take people hostage at a crime lab to demand her case be reopened. The parents, Ryan and Elsie threaten to destroy one lab sample every two hours if no steps are taken to find their daughter. Complications arise for Hoss and Lamb when the gang he had infiltrated discover he was undercover and tried to kill him. They try to steer clear of gang members while trying to find the missing girl. There are other support characters some endearing and some not so likable. I would recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley and Forge Books for the ARC!

Candice Fox quickly moved her way to the top ten of my TBR lists. It started with her co-written books with James Patterson, who wouldn't love Harriet Blue? But, Ms Fox's solo series and her stand alone books have more than proved she's earned her many, many 5 star reviews. Fire with Fire is the latest example of how her books are stellar thrillers. I'm really hoping this is the first book in a new series......
When a couple take hostage the entire LAPD forensic lab to force the police to find their missing daughter, it's the first thread in the story. You'll meet a rookie cop, fired on her first shift and an experienced undercover cop that almost lost his life. The story threads run back and forth as Ms Fox sews up this story. The BIG twist caught me completely by surprise, even though there were so many clues. I'm not giving any more away....you just need to join the fan club and read FIRE WITH FIRE.

Candice Fox is back with another roller coaster of a thriller. She certainly knows how to spin a creative and original plot filled with intriguing characters while at the same time turning the suspense and action up to high.

Chief Saskia Ferboden, Chief of the LAPD finds herself with a siege situation on her hands. Ryan and Elsie Delaney are unhappy that their five year old daughter Tilly, who disappeared on Santa Monica beach two years ago, has not yet been found. They don’t accept the police conclusion that she probably drowned as her body was never found and they don’t think the police did enough to rule out other possibilities. The only evidence found, a red swimsuit believed to be Tilly’s, was lost by the forensic lab, the Hertzberg-Davis Science Center.

Now Ryan and Elsie have taken possession of the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center along with three hostages and have given the police 24 hours to find their daughter or they will destroy the samples stored there for forensic testing. Although, the lab is surrounded by police and SWAT ready to storm in, the Chief is determined to end the siege without putting the lives of the hostages at risk.

Chief Ferboden is also determined not to give in to their demands, in case other frustrated relatives decide to carry out similar stunts of blackmail to get their cases reviewed. Detective Charlie Hoskins however has other ideas. After five years of being deep undercover which he barely escaped with his life, he has a personal investment at seeing the forensic samples he collected not destroyed by the Delaneys.

Charlie, however is not acting totally alone. He has some useful contacts and has also reluctantly acquired a partner, Lynette Lamb, a rookie cop fired on her first day on the job. She might be nerdy and insecure, but now she’s also very angry and determined to show the LAPD that she was made to be a cop. They certainly make an odd couple. Charlie is a bit of a maverick, used to working by himself, but there’s always a chance the rookie might have some new tricks up her sleeve to teach him. In the end, they’re a mis-match that works brilliantly and it would be great to see them together again in a sequel.

With non-stop action, this is a thriller that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. As we’ve come to expect from Candice Fox, the characters show great depth of personality to be original and distinctive, so that we really understand their flaws, their motives and what drives them. The pace and flow of the novel feels effortless and the plot unfolds with intelligence and a dry humour, keeping the reader fully engaged and thirsting to know how it will all pan out. However, the reader should expect the plot to veer off into the unexpected, whether we’re in the forensics lab with the Delaneys and the hostages or following Charlie and Lamb on their quest to find out what happened to Tilly. Masterfully pulled together, this is one thriller you won’t want to miss out on reading this year.

The Aussie Queen of Crime fiction, bestselling author Candice Fox (a favorite author), returns following The Chase with her latest and one of her best, FIRE WITH FIRE —a high adrenaline riveting crime thriller— parents of a missing child take matters into their own hands, issuing an ultimatum to LA law enforcement.

Justice and Revenge. Tick Tock.

A pair of desperate parents.
A man on the run.
A rookie cop.
Four people with everything on the line.
What will be left in the ashes of the next 24 hours?

Ryan and Elsie Delaney, parents of their young daughter, five-year-old Tilly that had disappeared two years ago. Law enforcement suspects she drowned on the Santa Monica beach. However, her body had never been recovered. The parents demand closure. They feel the LAPD had not tried hard enough and are now desperate.

No BODY. No CLOSURE.

Their pleas have not yielded anything from the authorities. Now, desperate, the parents have taken three hostages at the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center and have given LAPD an ultimatum.

The cops think the parents are lunatics for holding them hostage, but they are serious. There are many critical samples with four decades of work in the lab.

With careful planning, they are on the ground floor in the forensic biology and DNA lab. They have secured all doors. They are using CCTV to track movements. They cannot cut the power due to the temperature-controlled sample storage. They have 24 hrs. The clock is ticking.

If Tilly isn't located within the next 24 hours, they will destroy all the unprocessed evidence samples of other cold cases. One sample from the lab every two hours until their daughter is found. Everything is going up in FLAMES.

Was she abducted? A cover-up, or what? She was not a strong swimmer. A swimsuit disappeared from the evidence before being tested. She was afraid of the big waves.

But if the cops said drowning, they could close the case in ten days. But an abduction was a much longer case with task forces, media, and pressure. Soloversas was a month out from retirement. Were they too lazy in the investigation? This is not good.

A lot of blame is being passed around, and they might kill five people in the lab, plus all the LAPD's case evidence.

The parents do not want to accept drowning as a verdict. Now they are blackmailing the LAPD into reopening her case while at the same time seeking vengeance by threatening to destroy key evidence in other critical cold cases. They are now kidnappers and terrorists.

Detective Charlie Hoskins (Hoss-seasoned) and Lynette Lamb (Lamb Chop-rookie) are on the case. Both have baggage and are a blast together! Almost like a father/daughter team.- they are highly motivated!

Ironically, a swimmer is saving a drowning man. That man is an undercover cop, Charlie, and has been left for dead. Meet Lynette, only 21, a newly graduated police recruit responsible for blowing his cover.

Detective Charlie Hoskins has been undercover in a deadly motorcycle gang for five years. With his cover blown, he has no choice but to find Tilly himself or lose everything he's worked for as the lab burns.

Lynette Lamb was a police officer—until yesterday when she was fired before her first beat. Figuring out what happened to Tilly is her only chance at rejoining the career she's prepared her whole life for. Will Charlie help her get back into the LAPD? She has to prove herself.

What if this tactic makes all other victim families try the same hostage situation? They cannot give in to their demands.

However, Hoss and Lamb start their own investigation. They must re-interview the two witnesses and all the sex offenders and pedophiles in the area. But most of the time most child abduction cases, it's not a stranger but a family member of someone the child knows.

Charlie and Lamb's investigation parallels the drama in the crime lab— told through the eyes of one of the lab's directors who's being held hostage and Charlie's boss, Chief of Police Saskia Ferboden.

This is one INTENSE book! Action-packed, Hoss and Lamb are a total riot! As usual, this intricately woven multi-layered complex investigation fully displays Fox's mad skills. There are so many thrilling parts from Charlie's former gang buddies wanting revenge and Lamb trying desperately to keep up with her older cynical partner.

All the while, they are trying to find a girl who went missing two years ago and a ticking time bomb. No pressure, right?

No one does crime thrillers better! Fox's writing and the suspense are riveting. The character development of especially the two leads, Hoss and Lamb, is excellent as the author cleverly unravels their past so readers can get an inside glimpse into these complex personalities. Charlie's past undercover work, his family, and Lynette, young, book smart more than street smart, but she has excellent instincts.

One of my favorites! I hope we see more of Hoskins and Lamb and a new series. Do not miss this one.

If you have read not Candice Fox, US fans, I highly recommend it. I discovered her in 2014 when I started my blog with her Hades: Archer and Bennett series, and I have been an avid fan since. Of course, she also co-writes with James Patterson and all kinds of hit bestsellers.

Trust me, read one Candice Fox book, and you will become a Foxfan!

In the US, if you like Karin Slaughter and Michael Connelly, you will enjoy Candice Fox's crime thrillers and readers who like thoughtful, intelligent written thrillers with strong cop procedurals and forensics.

FIRE WITH FIRE features a stunning cover, reflecting the overall book and a fitting title. Well- done!

A special thanks to #ForgeBooks for a gifted e-ARC via #NetGalley for review purposes. I also purchased the audiobook narrated by Jay Aaseng for a gripping, engaging performance.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins |#JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: May 9, 2023
My Rating: 5 🌟 STARS
May 2023 Must-Read Books

MOVIE:
If you have not seen the movie Troppo, based on Candice's Crimson Lake novel, check out the trailer. Season One is available on Amazon Prime Video, Freeve Original.

Amanda Pharrell, an eccentric private investigator with a disturbing criminal past, recruits disgraced ex-cop Ted Conkaffey, to help her solve her first real case: the disappearance of a Korean family man and tech pioneer. Troppo is based on the best-selling novel, 'Crimson Lake,' by Candice Fox. The novel was also bloody good!

Fire With Fire is a highly unorthodox police thriller set in Los Angeles that immediately grabs your attention and then places layers of intrigue on top of full blooded action to create a compelling drama from start to finish.

When parents of a missing 5 year old girl are completely dissatisfied with the efforts of the LAPD in looking for their daughter they take over a forensics lab, holding 3 people hostage. The lab happens to be used by the LAPD to process DNA tests on evidence collected in important cases. The couple threaten to destroy one piece of evidence for every 2 hours their daughter remains missing. Effectively, they’re potentially holding every outstanding police case involving DNA evidence hostage.

Meanwhile, Detective Charlie Hoskins is in the process of recovering from working undercover after his cover was blown in spectacular style. He’s got evidence tied up in that lab and decides that he’s going to work the missing girl case himself - off the books, so to speak. In a very strange situation, the person he works the case with is the very person who inadvertently blew his cover, Lynette Lamb. Lamb had earlier suffered the ignominy of being fired from the LAPD on her first day on the job.

Together, Hoskins and Lamb form a fascinating partnership as they work through what appears to be a challenging cold case. Lamb displays a great flair for deductive reasoning, time and again proving that she has great powers of observation that translate into insightful conclusions. Hoskins is more your brute force type of detective who, with years of experience behind him, knows how to direct an investigation to make the greatest progress.

What works very well is the heightened tension created by the pressure of time constraints on two fronts. On one hand is the evidence being destroyed by the hostage takers in the lab at an increasingly rapid rate. On the other is a cold case investigation that feels as though is being performed in fast-forward. To make things even more interesting, the biker gang that Hoskins had infiltrated whilst undercover is on his trail, bent on retribution.

Where this really works for me is the depth given to each of the main characters. We’re given just enough of a background of each to help us understand their motives, their drives and their weaknesses without distracting or robbing the momentum from the plot.

There is great frenetic energy surrounding the entire story and Candice Fox works wonders in holding it all together. The static site of the hostage situation is a powder keg just waiting for a spark to set it off while the more dynamic investigation run by Lamb and Hoskins is a breathless race against time. By running both locations over the top of each other, switching from one to the other in alternate chapters the high pace is maintained throughout.

Some cold case investigations can be long drawn out slogs as old evidence is pawed over and rechecked carefully. This is a cold case investigation on steroids. Altogether, Fire With Fire is a fully entertaining ride that kept me completely engaged from first page to last. I strongly recommend this to anyone who loves a fast-paced, hectic thriller packed with numerous high points and boasting one of the more unusual pairings I've come across.

(I would fully expect to see more of Lamb and Hoskins in the future, I’d be disappointed if I don’t).

My thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book for the opportunity to read, enjoy and review.

Tilly Delaney vanished from the beach two years ago and her parents, Ryan and Elsie have had enough of the police and their lack of progress. There are so much stored DNA evidence waiting to be tested that it's a veritable mountain to work through. After reaching a breaking point they take matters into their own hands and act. They take the LAPD lab hostage and demand action. If not, DNA evidence will be destroyed every hour. Move it or lose it. They want answers for Tilly.
Enter Det. Charlie Hoskins, a cop who had his cover blown and who has evidence waiting in the lab - he wants this case. He teams up with an unlikely partner, Lynette Lamb. Her police career lasted just one day. Together they mount a search for the answers that will bring closure to Tilly's parents and rescue the lab from further destruction. The tension builds and I'm glad I had started this awesome book on a weekend so I could read way past bedtime. Hoskins and Lamb are a formidable team.
After reading Fire with Fire, the first book I have read by Candice Fox, I plan to get my hands on more of her books and catch up on what I have been missing. She is now on my 'must be read' list.
My thanks to the publisher Forge and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. It was an entertaining read that had moments of seriousness and then moments where you would be smiling at the banter between Charlie and Lamb. It was jam packed with action. I very much connected to Charlie and Lambs friendship. Especially how Charlie took her under his wing. I love a missing person, cold case and forensic and this book had it all for me. I hope we might see a series .

This is a fun read following alternating perspectives and locations based on a tense hostage situation that can ruin many cases for the LAPD. It’s a smart crime, one that can get people moving. Because it can feel hopeless pleading for law enforcement to do their jobs when you just want answers, and they’ve declared you got answers, and it’s not their fault you don’t like them. But you just know there’s more. It almost makes you sympathetic to Ryan and Elsie.

This one was tense. I liked that you got comfortable reading at the lab, then Fox threw you in the car with Lamb and Hoskins. And when you were so deep in with what they were doing, Fox tossed you back to the lab. It’s smart storytelling that keeps it fast-paced and on the edge of your seat.

I was hoping for an update at the end with Janie and her boyfriend. It would have been nice to know if she did what we all hoped she did. I also would have liked an update regarding the SWAT team.

Fire with Fire is another super fun read from one of my favorite authors. It’s a tense unfolding mystery that keeps the reader hooked. I would love to see this turn into a series like the Crimson Lake series (*cough*, which we still need more of.) Thank you, Tor/Forge, for sending along an ARC.

What lengths would you go to to find your daughter?

This was a fast paced book with a couple of overlapping stories. The characters were easy to relate to and the dynamic between the two main characters was great.

I have read books co-authored by Candice a Fox, but never one of her own. I look forward to reading more!

Thank you to #Netgalley, Candice Fox and Tor Publishing group for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. #FirewithFire.

Fire with Fire by Candice Fox was gripping, compelling, well written, with a great storyline and compelling characters.
This was totally impossible to put this down. An entertaining and fun crime fiction that I devoured.
A cleverly constructed tale and will keep you reading long after bedtime.
Thrilling and totally engrossing Candice Fox is amazing at what she does.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Forge Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

There was just something about the blurb of Fire With Fire that had me hooked immediately. I love a good action-packed and fast-paced thriller, and this story seemed to be offering exactly that. Add the fact that I've been meaning to try more Australian crime authors, and there was just no way I was going to be able to resist reading this book. And wow, what a rollercoaster ride it turned out to be! I'm definitely kicking myself now for not trying the work of Candice Fox sooner, and I've become an instant fan. This is exactly my kind of thriller, and I enjoyed every single exhilarating minute of it.

This is one of those stories where it's best to go in blind and just sit back and enjoy the ride. Fire With Fire basically reads like a Hollywood action movie, and the pace is lightning fast. I simply couldn't stop turning those pages; a true pageturner indeed! Things can be said about the credibility of it all and certain parts of the plot being farfetched and over the top, but I personally didn't mind at all. Sometimes I just want to read a thriller that keeps me entertained and on my toes, and the entertainment level in Fire With Fire is through the roof.

The whole situation with the Delaney couple taking the forensic lab hostage might seem ridiculous, but somehow it just works and there is no doubt that it makes for some very riveting reading. There is so much potential for plot twists, suspense and danger, and you keep wondering why they would think their actions would help their cause... Fire With Fire isn't just about the hostage situation though, as there is a lot of focus on the former undercover cop Charlie Hoskins and fired rookie cop Lynette Lamb and their unofficial investigation into the disappearance of Tilly Delaney. It's a race against the clock and there is no time for following the rules, if you get what I mean... Their banter makes for some very entertaining reading.

The main focus is on chief of police Saskia Ferboden as well as Charlie Hoskins and Lynette Lamb, but the story uses a multiple POV structure and there are also other POVs popping up including one inside the forensic lab. The multiple POV structure makes the plot feel more dynamic, and the switches felt fluid and didn't slow down the pace at all. I liked how the hostage situation and the unofficial investigation complemented each other, and there was plenty of room for twists along the way. The whole gang angle made things even more intense!

As a whole, I ended up having a fantastic time reading Fire With Fire, and I will definitely be looking forward to read another Candice Fox book ASAP. If you like your thrillers fast, extremely engaging and packed with action, Fire With Fire is a must-read.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Candice Fox, Tor Publishing Group, and Forge Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Candice Fox has long been a strong crime writer and is proving herself once more with this latest novel. The story is strong, unique, and moves effectively, keeping the reader engaged until the final pages. There is something about her style that pushes me to want to read more and get deeper into the case at hand. Fox is able to use some of her Australian background and superimpose it on an American setting, providing something that stands out, and creating a stellar reading experience.

Ryan and Elsie Delaney are at the end of their rope. After their daughter, Tilly, disappeared two years ago, they received no help from the police and the forensics remained tied up in a pile of ever-growing cases that had not been processed. They have taken matters into their own hands, holding those in the lab hostage until Tilly is found. To add something to the mix, they will destroy one sample an hour until a resolution is found.

While the LAPD is scrambling to put it all together. Detective Charlie Hoskins decides to take on the case himself. Having been undercover for years before his cover was blown, Hoskins has something to prove and takes the Tilly Delaney case for himself, working with Lynette Lamb, a police officer for a day until something horrific happened, which she still says is not her fault.

As Hoskins and Lamb join forces, albeit awkwardly, they begin to see that there is more to the case than meets the eye. Who was watching Tilly the day of her disappearance at the beach? Why are stories not matching up and who could have been planning something from the start? While hostages are in danger and LAPD resources are spread thin, Hoskins and Lamb find their own path towards the truth, away from the chaos that is the forensics lab.

As tensions mount and time ticks on, Hoskins and Lamb cobble together a theory on this cold case. Their working together has its bumps, but both have
something to prove to themselves, to others, and to the LAPD. It will surely be something to behold and Tilly Delaney’s case deserves answers, even if the little girl will never make her way home. Candice Fox does a wonderful job putting this piece together and leaves fans itching for more in this explosive novel.

I have long enjoyed the writing of Candice Fox, who always seems to have something to say. Her stories are on point and she has an acerbic wit that keeps the reader from falling into anything too predictable. Strong narrative guidance provides the reader with direction and keeps them wanting to learn a little more, all while feeling as though they are part of the action. The characters emerge throughout with their own perspectives and keep things light when needed, while also digging deeper into the case at hand. The plot derives from well-founded ideas and moves on from there, offering twists and turns at just the right times. I can only wonder how things might have gone had Fox not been so adamant about advancing the many storylines as well as she did. I admire the hard work and dedication that went into the book and applaud Fox, who has shown a propensity for nailing a strong crime thriller both in her native Australia and using an American setting. she is also keenly aware of police procedures, bringing the reader in for a strong police procedural. It proved to be a wonderful reading experience and I hope others will take the time to acquaint themselves with one of the best in the genre! Only question remaining, is this the start to a series?

Kudos, Madam Fox, for another great piece of writing!

Another fabulous read by Candice Fox. I first discovered her when I read the Hades series and she hasn't disappointed me yet. This book is set in Los Angeles and has a crazy cast of characters. Charlie Hoskins and Lynette Lamb are the two main characters. This involves a missing child and a hostage situation. One of the perks of this book is Surge!

I've been a big fan of Candice Fox's previous work, so I was expecting this latest not to let me down. And it didn't. Despite an extended cast of characters, Fox's book keeps them all balanced within the story. And what a story it is--like, not to sound like a commercial blurb, but this is a propulsive thriller that will keep you guessing. Further, while I've dinged a few books lately for incomplete characterization, that's not an issue with this book. The characters are rich and well-developed, making them feel real, and adding to the addictive quality of this story.

I really Love that i was immediately hooked from the first page with Fire With Fire. Ryan and Elise have taken the forensic lab hostage and have given the FBI an ultimatum, find their daughter or they will destroy all the evidence!⁣
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I really think this would be a great novel any detective book lovers out there. It has just the perfect amount of mystery and thrilling parts. Just for me personally I’m not a big fan of police or detective stories.