This is Book 11 in the Detective Amanda Steele book series. I have enjoyed several other books in this series and I didn’t start at the beginning of the series. This one is my least favourite of the series to the point I found it such slog to get through and it really slowed me down. I found the storyline didn’t engage me and it was such a slow burn with not much in the way of suspense or thrills. I actually found it a little boring and it felt like it moved at a snails pace and went around in circles. I love the dynamic between Detective Steele and Stenson and there such likeable characters that I look forward to there next adventure.

2.5/5 🌟🌟/🌟

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review #TheWildfireGirl

The Wildfire Girl (Detective Amanda Steele Book 11) by Carolyn Arnold

Carolyn Arnold is always my favourite author, just like her characters Detective Amanda Steele and Trent are my top favourite people. The book comes in a series, but it can be read as a standalone. However, it is great to read what Amanda and Trent have come through.

Her story has a solid plot. Easy to read, easy to start with and easy to follow. However you will feel amazed when you realise the relationship between the characters. Carolyn Arnold is very clever in creating characters and building up the tension. These all make her story are such an enjoyable read.

The Wildfire Girl was about a burnt body was found. Trent noticed the wedding band on the body's finger was familiar. The body was his aunt's husband. Now, the evidence pointed towards his aunt...

I enjoy seeing how they solved the case together. Especially to see how Amanda tried hard to balance her work life and family life. It perfectly reflects nowadays reality. This also explained why the boo was so relatable and likeable. The twists and turns are fantastic and not make you hooked, but obsessed with her book.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and the author for my copy.

Pub date: Jun 20, 2024

Love this series and absolutely adore this author. This book was SO gripping. Just wow! loved it so much. Cannot wait for the enxt - this series just goes from strength to strength.

In book #11 of the Detective Amanda Steele series, Amanda and her long time partner Trent are called out to a grisly scene. The badly burned body of a man has been found down an alleyway, a place known to be visited by vagrants, drug users and sex workers.

At the scene Trent seems distracted and it's not until a while later he admits why. He recognised the wedding band on the victims finger, it belonged his his wife's abusive husband. While he's actually pleased about his demise, Amanda seems to be rooting for his Aunt, did she finally snap and kill him?

As the clues start stacking up against his estranged Aunt, can Trent separate his personal feelings from his actual job?

The tension of 'will they won't they' is still there, fizzing away in the background and this book seems to bring them that lottle bit closer!

As always an extremely well thought out and plotted solid storyline that had me hooked. I'll admit it wasn't my favourite of the bunch but that doesn't change how much I adore the series and am already eagerly awaiting book #12.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

4 1/2 STARS!

Exhilarating excitement! With the next book in the Detective Amanda Steele series we get quickly thrust into a new case that hits too close to home for Amanda's partner Trent and delivers twists and turns that have us reeling throughout. I enjoyed the case as a whole, but I'm still getting a little put-off by how long the will they or won't they cat and mouse attraction is dragging on with Amanda and Trent. Great characters and police procedural with ongoing drama and always an enjoyable read.

Amanda Steele remains one of my favourite detectives, and my heart hurts for her with the difficult decisions she has to make as a working mother, with the feeling she has to choose between her family and her job.

The book starts with a flash to the past and then jumps into the present, where a burnt male body is found in an alley. A male victim who has a connection to Trent and because of that, he has a connection to Amanda too!

The description of 'the edge of your seat tension' was spot on, And oh boy, the twists and turns and surprises that popped up, I kept going back and forth about who I thought the killer was.. So many seemed to have "good" reason to seek revenge and I can't say I'd blame them, but a victim's revenge is wrong- sometimes Karma will have their way, though.

And that cliffhanger ending - will they or won't they? I need to know her decision! When's the next book out? 🤪

*It's the 11th book in the series, it's not completely necessary to read the previous ones, but It is nice to have the back story.

This one hits close to home for Trent and by default Amanda. Twists, turns and family. I appreciate the way Carolyn Arnold shows how work and family are strained and can also coexist. I was surprised by the culprit, and then I wasn't. Oxymoron I know, yet I think that is one of the great underlying threads, You are immersed in this book, you become Amanda and that is a win. I do need Amanda to make a decision, though with the way this book ended, I think its too late. Thank you so much for the free book, the opportunity to read with no expectations. I was not asked to do anything, but enjoy. I freely, willingly volunteer my thoughts and opinions. #TheWildfireGirl #DetectiveAmandaSteele #CarolynArnold #Bookouture #NetGalley

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Whoop whoop I love this author!! This book grabs you from the first page and just sucks you Into its terrifying twisty turny plot! Amazing characters that we know and love! A great, horrifying storyline that had me literally gasping at times. This was a rush through and through I could not put it down. What a wild ride. It got crazier with every single chapter.
Absolutely brilliant

This one hits close to home for our favorite detectives and it's an unputdownable read! I raced through the pages. It will keep you guessing right up to the reveal. I don't want to spoil anything so I will just say there is a development with Trent that I hate! The end left me wondering if certain things are going to continue over several books. But that's the hallmark of an excellent read. This series has me completely invested in the characters.

The Wildfire Girl is book 11 in the Detective Amanda Steele series by Carolyn Arnold.
I have had the best time reading this police procedural thriller. The entire series has been amazing.
This was such a compelling read, and I relished every moment.

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

I’m still really enjoying this detective series, and continue to look forward to the next installment. There’s a certain formula of the plot line that may border on predictable, but I see it as a comfort read. I know what to expect overall and I enjoy the interplay between all the characters. I do wish that Amanda and Trent’s personal storylines would move along at a bit quicker if a pace, but I still enjoy this plot line. Overall a comforting, enjoyable police procedural. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

When human remains are discovered behind a dumpster in Woodbridge, Virginia, Detective Amanda Steele rushes to the scene. With only an engraved gold wedding band surviving the blaze, Amanda knows it could be days before they have a confirmed ID. But when her partner Detective Trent Stenson arrives, he pales at the sight of the ring, recognizing it as belonging to his Aunt Gertrude’s husband, Don. Trent is convinced his aunt isn’t involved, but as more is unearthed about her troubled relationship with her husband, and she fails to provide an alibi, Amanda isn’t so sure. Desperate to prove his aunt’s innocence, Trent soon discovers someone from Don’s past is back in Woodbridge—someone who wants revenge. But Amanda and Trent are shaken to their core when that person is discovered brutally murdered.
The eleventh outing for Amanda & Trent & another well written page turner. This case is close to home & I found myself drawn in from the start. I love Amanda & Trent & love how the author handles both their professional & personal lives. An engrossing thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

The beginning was a little slow, but the suspense quickly picked up! Amanda and Trent are a wonderful crime-fighting duo. It was interesting to see some of their history. The storyline of Trent's aunt adds a lot of suspense to the story. The family storyline and seeing the characters' personal lives made the story seem more realistic. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved this book and I am looking forward to seeing other adventures that Amanda goes on!

When a burned body is discovered, Detective Amanda Steele wonders how long it might take to identify the body. However, when her partner Detective Trent Stenson takes a look, he knows exactly who the body belongs to. Identification of the remains might have been immediately difficult to see, if not for a ring the victim was wearing. In fact, the ring unmistakably belongs to his Aunt Gertrude’s husband, Don. And, since marriage mates are fairly well looked at as possible suspects, Trent immediately fights for his aunt’s innocence.

Meanwhile, another murder has taken place, and the cases could possibly be linked. But there is something that Trent must work out. Trent’s Aunt Gertrude was a victim of domestic violence, and there is more about Don’s past that is revealed. This connection might indeed prove the innocence of Gertrude, but the fact that her alibi proves weak creates more work for Amanda and Trent. There is also something else going on when it comes to Amanda. Work has been interfering her home life, and there is something deeper affecting Amanda that plays into both work and home.

The seriousness of the recent crimes never loses traction. Then, considering Trent’s personal involvement in the case, and a growing tenous involvement between him and Amanda, these things all play veery well in this eleventh book in the Detective Amanda Steele series.. Carolyn Arnold flawlessly weaves in both professional and personal aspects of the lives of her both Amanda and Trent. They are excellently written characters and this goes a long way when it comes to Ms. Arnold creating a compelling story in each book of this series. I have loved each and every book in this series, and this latest installment definitely does not disappoint.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I was immediately sucked into this book from the first mysterious chapter where a woman is trapped in a burning room. You are left wondering what just happened. Never fear. It will make sense later on.

When Detective Amanda Steele and her partner, Detective Trent Stenson, are called to a gruesome scene in an alley, they find human remains that have been burned beyond recognition. They realize that identifying this individual will be difficult. That is until Trent recognizes the wedding ring. He is fairly certain the ring belongs to his aunt's husband, Don. They always say that the spouse is the first suspect, and this is certainly true in this case. Trent does not believe his aunt is capable of murder, but he knows that their marriage was troubled and turbulent, which does not look good for her.

As they dig deeper into the investigation, they realize that Don had many enemies, which means the suspect pool just got a little deeper. The stakes are higher than ever as Trent tries to remain objective in this investigation. He is fighting his professionalism as an investigator following the clues and loving his aunt.

This was a masterpiece of intrigue, suspense and mystery with many layers. As each layer was peeled back, my jaw dropped a little further to the floor. I was shocked to my core when I realized what was going on. The entire book was intense and completely addictive. I was burning the midnight oil to finish it. This is another great police procedural/crime thriller starring one of my favorite fictional detective duos. I also enjoy that the author shows us a personal side to the characters. They are more than just detectives. They have a home life. This makes the characters more realistic for me. I would give this book more than five stars if possible. It is that good.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I'm a huge fan of this series! So thankful that we keep getting more of Amanda and Trent! This one started out a little slow for me but it was still engaging and interesting and once it started going, keep me on the edge of my seat! Carolyn Arnold has struck gold in this series and I'm so excited to see what she comes up with next.

Detectives Steele and Stensons's latest homicide is anything but just another case. To start with, the cause of death is horrific. And then, it turns out that the victim is known to Trent, although he doesn't immediately bring this up. This is a challenging case for both Amanda and Trent as they walk the fine line of following the clues while at the same time remaining as objective as possible when his aunt becomes a potential suspect. Also interwoven in the story is a look at Amanda's personal life and the continuing attraction between her and Trent. This story is a great addition to the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Amanda and Trent are investigating the death of a man who has been set on fire in a bad part of town who ends up being the abusive husband of Trent's aunt and she becomes the number one suspect for the crime. Searching for the reasons why he was murdered, they discover a past of gambling and crime putting even more pressure on the aunt as the culprit. The story will have many twists and turns till they'll be able to put the whole case to rest. Amanda is also very aware of her relationship with both Trent and Logan and that she'll have to make choices and move on. The Wildfire Girl is fast-paced, has a great plot, is well-written and entertaining!
I thank Ms. Arnold, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Who torched Don Lambert, married to Trent’s aunt Gertrude and who is a first class scumbag??
Amanda and Trent seemed to chase their tails a bit as they work the case and track down clues. It was nice to have some of the heat off Amanda and thrown onto Trent.
Honestly, I laid more attention to the friction between the partners as they struggle to keep their feelings for each other under control.
This is life speciation but I don’t see Logan as a long run keeper. He is tiring of their domestic situation and I’m Team Trent all the way!!!

Another twisted mystery for Detectives Amanda Steele and Trent Stenson. The remains of a man who was set on fire is found in the alley behind a dumpster. Amanda and Trent are called to the horrific scene. A gold wedding band on the man’s hand draws Trent’s attention, but he refuses to believe that the dead man could be his aunt’s abusive husband. He can’t believe that his aunt would have anything to do with the death, but inconsistencies in her statement continues to be troubling. Digging into the murdered man’s past brings up the possibility of revenge by someone who may have decided that revenge was best served not cold, but very, very hot. When another murder victim is found, Amanda and Trent must look further for their killer. Before it is too late, will Amanda realize that quality time with her family is as important as finding justice for the dead? What an interesting twist at the end! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)