Book Review: Crash & Brun

A few weeks ago a buddy of mine asked me to help be involved in a convention he was helping to plan called the Writers Police Academy. At first I was unsure of helping at this event so he sent me links to news stories and blog posts about past Writers Academy events. One blog was from Author Lisa Gardner talking about her new release Crash & Burn.

This Author Academy is an event a lot like a citizen academy many cities put on for public relations value. However it is limited to authors of fiction that deal with public safety issues. Mainly novelist, but also some movie screen writers attend.

Lisa Gardner was at a past Author Academy and in her blog described how the idea for Crash & Burn came to her when viewing a demonstration of car crash response. The sights, sounds and smells of a simulated rescue triggered an idea. That idea is opening chapter to this novel and set the stage for the events of the book.

As you can guess the novel opens with a car crash. In the final book the FD does not need to use JAWS to free anyone, but the descriptions of the crash obviously did come from some first hand exposure to a scene, even if only a simulated cash scene.

The driver in this single vehicle crash reports a child is missing from her vehicle. This quickly sets off a search for the missing kid. Quickly there are questions if the child is actually missing or if the patient has a child. As the story unfolds it seems maybe the patient has information on a real missing person case from thirty years ago.

Problem is the patient has a head injury and an alcohol abuse problem. So her memory is a jumbled mess of what is real and what is imagination. There is also a jumble of what is going on now versus what happened many years ago.

There are some good twists to keep the pages turning. From a missing person, to child sex trafficking ring, murders, and even an arson all keep the investigation moving until the final pages. These twists also keep the reader a little off base for the full book. Just as you think you have figured it all out, some new information in the case changes the dynamics.

So next time you are looking for a thrilling mystery to read make sure to give Cash & Burn a try.