Wow. Truly incredible. Rachel Howzell Hall expertly uses red herrings and bait & switch techniques that keep you guessing and always feeling off-kilter. Just when I ~thought~ I had a handle on what the hell is happening, Hall switched it up. There were multiple WTF moments that made me legit drop my jaw and stop moving from pure shock. Masterfully done.

This thriller was so intricately designed by Rachel Howzell Hall that I was lost and befuddled in the beginning. I've read Hall's previous work and I've enjoyed them. I think because I did not have a clear grasp on what was going on that it made it harder for me to be so engulfed and on edge like the other books.

The messages of missing persons, especially Black girls and women, is very important to me. However, the gaslighting and manipulation of people we trust is such a very clear RED FLAG that we don't sometimes take for granted. Women must be more vigilant in taking care of themselves and trusting a good network of people.

This book will definitely take you on a ride, a thrill, and full of I-know-you-didnts. I had no idea what the ending would be, but the last 20% of the book pulls in all the excitement after a long slow burn. If you like slow-burn thrillers, then you'll like this one.

While it's not Hall's best thriller, I still enjoyed it and wanted to finish.

3.5 stars

Book Rating: 3/5
Audiobook Rating: 5/5

What Fire Brings is my first time reading Rachel Howzell Hall and I am officially left with mixed feelings. I really enjoyed the premise of the book with Bailey integrating herself into Jack's life, but things got super weird and complicated from there. For the majority of the story, I was very confused about what was going on, and I found it hard to follow, especially once Bailey started having these weird episodes. After finishing that part makes way more sense, but just reading it I had no clue what was going on.

If I hadn't been listening to the audio this may have been a DNF for me, so props to Dara Brown for keeping me going. She was a great narrator and handled the parts with Bailey's 'episodes' (though I now hate to call them that but don't have a better term that isn't a spoiler) exceptionally well. Based on what I've seen about the book itself, I would say listening is the way to go with What Fire Brings. I really enjoyed the ending, and it is honestly what saved this from being lower than a 3/5 ⭐ for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Howzell Hall & Brilliance Audio for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own & may not be reproduced.

I’m a huge fan of RHH & I really enjoyed What Fire Brings.

We follow Bailey who poses as a writer so that she can infiltrate the home of author Jack Beckham. Her real goal is to find out what happened to her friend Sam who disappeared from around Jack’s property, which is known for its wildfires. Additionally, other women have disappeared in this same area & Bailey wants to get to the bottom of it. But, as she quickly learns, she’s playing with fire - - literally.

This was an extremely quick-paced thriller that delivered a twist ending that I did not see coming. My jaw dropped! RHH is an auto-read author for me because she consistently puts out quality work that is enjoyable to get lost in.

Book Review 🔥
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Summary- Bailey Meadows has just moved into the remote Topanga Canyon home of thriller author Jack Beckham. As his writer-in-residence, she’s supposed to help him once again reach the bestseller list. But she’s not there to write a thriller―she’s there to find Sam Morris, a community leader dedicated to finding missing people, who has disappeared in the canyon surrounding Beckham’s property.

The missing woman was last seen in the drought-stricken forest known for wildfires and mountain lions. Each new day, Bailey learns just how dangerous these canyons are―for the other women who have also gone missing here…and for her. Could these missing women be linked to strange events that occurred decades ago at the Beckham estate?

As fire season in the canyons approaches, Bailey must race to unravel the truth from fiction before she becomes the next woman lost in the forest.
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Rating- ⭐️⭐️💫
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My thoughts- oh this book was quite a disappointment… it followed a woman who was in training to be a private investigator but was terrified of everyone she met. She was an undercover writer at a writers retreat with literally no writing involved. For me the twists were really easy to spot except for the main one which I just didn’t enjoy. Overall I think this was a slow burn (pun intended) and was kind of choppy. It was hard to know what was past and present in the book. I didn’t love these toxic things and should have known I would feel the same way about the next book. It had potential but I found it a weird and confusing read.
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QOTD- what are your weekend plans ?! I have nothing wild going on and I’m quite excited about it !
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I enjoyed this one and thought that the narrator was excellent!

I enjoyed Baily, the main character, but I didn't feel as deep of a connection with her that I wanted. I liked that Bailey was a writer because I love books about books. The story was dark and twisty and I didn't see a lot of it coming.

There were some slower parts, but overall, I thought the book flowed nicely.

What Fire Brings by Rachel Howzell Hall
Narrated by Dara Brown

Thank you so much Brilliance Audio + NetGalley for the free ALC.

Blurb:
Bailey Meadows has just moved into the remote Topanga Canyon home of thriller author Jack Beckham. As his writer-in-residence, she’s supposed to help him once again reach the bestseller list. But she’s not there to write a thriller—she’s there to find Sam Morris, a community leader dedicated to finding missing people, who has disappeared in the canyon surrounding Beckham’s property.

✨ My thoughts:
Here is another book I read/listened to as part of @booksparks #SRC2024 #GameSetRead summer reading challenge. I love a remote setting and the premise is so good. I thought the narrator Dara Brown did a wonderful job telling this story. I will see that ultimately this story landing right in the middle for me at a three star read. The set up was good but something didn’t quite work for me. I found myself confused at times and some of it felt all over the place. This could definitely just be a me problem and maybe it’s better enjoyed as a physical book. Overall, I still enjoyed this story, it just wasn’t a complete hit for me. I’d say, if this one is on your TBR you should probably read it for yourself and see how you feel about it. What Fire Brings us out now!

Happy reading 📖

Thank you so much Brilliance Audio for the free audiobook!

I loved the concept of this one and it started out with a great hook!

While the narrator did a great job, I struggled with the storyline and it failed to keep me engaged.

I hope the author has great success, but this one wasn't for me!

I will say that when I understood what was going on, I did enjoy the narrator in this book. I had a very hard time following this book. It would switch between different stories and the past without warning so I found myself confused a lot. This book was not for me.

Holy unreliable narrator, bat man! I spent half the book trying to tell who was telling the truth. Suspense, thrills, danger, and a twisty mystery. On top of that a likable, damaged protagonist and interesting support characters.

This was a deliciously twisty serial murder mystery that has an undercover Black female detective, Bailey Meadows, impersonating an aspiring writer to get mentored and co-author a new book with a best-selling James Patterson type reclusive writer living in a remote Topanga Canyon home.

Cut off from the internet, Bailey's search for her missing friend quickly has her own life being put in jeopardy and things get really interesting when events from the past to do with her mother come into play later on in the book.

Great on audio narrated by Dara Brown, this latest from Rachel Howzell Hall had me on the edge of my seat and I didn't want the book to end (and what an ending it was!). Highly recommended for fans of books like Who is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews or The plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review! I can't wait to read more books by this new to me author soon!

Thank you MacMillan audio for the review copy of What Fire Brings. I admit, I was a fan of this for the solid voice acting and production that the audiobook has, My notes below are general to avoid spoilers.
Dara Brown did a great job creating mood, disorientation, and setting the tone for a slow burn suspense story that moved into an expected, even standard, complex and chaotic climax (this is what I expect with a slow burn unreliable narrator book and it works here for me).

Dara Brown convincingly brought me into the main character's mindset unease, even dread, as did Hall's writing, and I appreciated the stylish writing even if at times the plot became a little overburdened with many characters and possible, and then real, motives for what was happening. I thought the secondary characters at the writing retreat, along with the wooded setting, along with the examination of writing itself as art/immersive, made the story interesting to talk about even if at times the plot was murkier than needed.

Finally, I think the book offers a persistent insight into fears that women uniquely navigate, particularly marginalized women and women traveling alone. This book also brings in themes on white male writers and their role in developing stories that involve women/non white characters and I think that these points are worth thinking about. I admit at times the ideas gave me reason to think about books I have read in the past and what I will select in the future.

So go in thinking less intense thriller, more thought provoking story that has ideas worth reflecting on. The narration was great!

What Fire Brings had an interesting plot and I enjoyed it overall. My only negative is that it started slower than I like. I prefer fast-paced stories.

Many thanks to Brilliance Audio for my gifted copy!!

Narrator was great, kept me engaged in the story and little nuances of those tiny moments that could mean more.

Story overall is good, this eery ambiance to it. Staying in the wilderness/mountains is already spooky now add a missing woman case and forest fires, it was very engaging.
The only thing is and this happens with all the books I read when there are substances to skew the reliability of the narrator, there is the climax portion. Everything hits the fan, new names are introduced, things are hazy. I understand why those scenes are there, I just personally wish I had a ledge to hold on to and observe the haze safely instead I get caught up trying to remember who is who. It takes me out of the story a bit.
Other than that. it is a solid and harrowing story. I love the talks on representation in media, more so books. Since we are working with an author in the book.

This was my first book from this author. The story started off good and promising but then it began to feel repetitive and dragged on. However, I really enjoyed the narrator. The narrator did a great job with her voice and tone, switching it up when needed to empathize various emotions.

3.5 stars.

I am torn with this one because the overall story and set of events surrounding Bailey Meadows is fascinating. However, the unreliable narrator execution just didn't work for me in certain parts of the story because things just got too confusing.

While I wasn't necessarily surprised with the final reveal, I really did enjoy the shenanigans that unfolded in the last 15% of the book.