A debut novel chronicles the struggles of a troubled firefighter. 

Renz’s story centers on Mitch Garner, a farmer and volunteer firefighter in a town called Milroy in Wisconsin. Mitch starts showing signs of PTSD when he is unable to save a girl in a fire. That is compounded when he accidentally starts a blaze that almost destroys the family farm, which he works with his brother, Chris, and his unforgiving father, Sid. To redeem himself, Mitch applies to become a professional firefighter in nearby Milwaukee. His father kicks him out of the house, and the move drives a wedge between Mitch and his girlfriend, Jennie McAdams. In Milwaukee, Mitch sees how racism affects the fire department and the gang-controlled, rotting neighborhoods around him. He finds an apartment with Miss Bernie, the mother of fellow recruit Jamal Jackson. Driven by his personal tragedies and the recent 9/11 attacks, and guided by the wisdom of Miss Bernie and his crew of veteran firefighters, Mitch becomes a hero while the family farm and his personal relationships suffer. The Mitch-as-savior storyline starts to feel a bit overdone by the novel’s third act. But then the author turns it around and shows how everyone the firefighter assisted, including two girls named Jasmine and Alexus Richardson, returns the favor and helps him find the redemption he has been seeking. Renz draws on his years of experience as a firefighter to bring a hardscrabble authenticity to his novel. He packs the tale with plenty of action and a lot of heart. His firefighting sequences are detailed and thrilling, placing readers right in front of the flames. His prose is clean and, at times, poetic: “The bright moon still owned the sky, but the birds were already chirping in anticipation of another sunrise.” Mitch and Miss Bernie are well-drawn characters, and a lot of the minor players are infused with great personality, aside from Jennie, who seems to exist only as a foil for Mitch’s emotions. She also provides some surprise help in a pivotal scene that comes off as ridiculous and almost spoils the ending.

For readers looking for a book with an uplifting story and breathtaking action, this is a worthy read.

Two seasoned firefighters and a police captain try to save young girls from a dangerous gang.

Lee Garrison is merely 350 days away from retirement as a firefighter, but the job—and his elderly live-in father—are both weighing heavily on him. Lee also suffers from disturbing memories of his fiancee’s death, his years rushing into burning buildings, and the tragedies he saw in the Vietnam War. While seeking treatment for symptoms of PTSD, Lee meets Police Capt. Brigid O’Brien, a steely female cop determined to try to get help for him. By chance, or possibly divine intervention, Lee meets the foster family of a young girl named Alexus, whom he saved from a school fire, and their family friend Mitch Garner. Alexus comes from the troubled world of inner-city Milwaukee, where a dangerous gang known as the Disciples rules the criminal underworld. Mitch enlists Lee’s help in trying to save Alexus’ older sister, Jasmine, whom he believes is being trafficked by the Disciples. When Brigid confirms that corruption at the highest levels may prevent them from getting help through the proper channels, these three tough but vulnerable heroes set out to save a family. Renz builds each of his central characters with great care. Behind the hard-boiled, tough-talking cop and firefighter stereotypes, there are numerous layers of complexities that touch on real psychological and social issues. That level of depth requires a lot of exposition, and the book’s first third dumps so much information about missing teens and past traumas that it’s difficult to keep it all straight. When Renz gets into the action of his three crime fighters verbally sparring with each other or taking down the nefarious Disciples, however, readers will be glad to be along for the ride.

Complex, fast-talking characters add intensity to this action-laced thriller.