Smoke

“A fiery, suspenseful story… McKenzie’s fifth novel assesses the flame resistance of bonds shared by family, friends, and community. Pages keep on turning, questions keep on burning, as Smoke wafts up from between the covers to consume readers.” —Booklist

“A raging fire in a small town in the northern Rockies deeply affects the lives of two old friends who are no longer speaking: Elizabeth, an arson investigator, and Mindy, whose son is suspected of setting the fire. With a deft, sure hand, Catherine McKenzie explores the complicated and sometimes conflicting ties of friendship and family. Immensely readable and emotionally resonant.” —Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train

“Coupled with strained relationships and family dynamics, Catherine McKenzie captivates the reader with her fluent writing, which is vivid and evocative, yet effortless to read. Smoke will have readers turning the pages with haste, consumed with burning questions as to how this page-turner ends.” —Mary Kubica, bestselling author of The Good Girl and Pretty Baby

“Catherine McKenzie's Smoke is a marvel, a mystery that portrays relationships with subtlety, small town life with precision, and reveals the world of the fire obsessed - for evil and for good. Smoke smolders with tension, sizzles with intelligence, and you won't put it down until the air has been cleared and the last page turned.” —Robin Black, author of Life Drawing

“Smoke is an exquisitely composed portrait of people in an extreme situation, navigating the metaphorical fires they’ve created and a literal one they need to contain. I fell in love with these shades-of-gray characters and their authentically portrayed need for change and relief. Commercial fiction at its finest.” —Therese Walsh, author of The Last Will of Moira Leahy and The Moon Sisters

“Catherine McKenzie's Smoke is as hot as the wildfire that serves as the novel’s backdrop. As one couple tries to sort through their issues, temperatures rise until the air is clouded with mistrust, and blame runs amok through an entire community, leaving her characters no choice but to fight for what—and whom—they love. This is domestic drama at its best!” —Kathryn Craft, author of The Art of Falling and The Far End of Happy

“Smoke is a sizzling page-turner with wonderfully flawed and human characters and a riveting plot portraying both the terror and attraction of playing with fire. So engrossing and real it will leave the reader smelling smoke on their clothes, this is Catherine McKenzie’s best book yet.” —Kathleen McCleary, author of Leaving Haven

“McKenzie’s mesmerizing page-turner about a raging forest fire that may—or may not—conceal a crime will keep you up way past bedtime. Part mystery, part roller-coaster read about secrets and trust, and the complexities of marriage and friendship, Smoke is guaranteed to stimulate lively book club discussion.” —Barbara Claypole White, award-winning author of The In-Between Hour and The Perfect Son

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