BEYOND THE FLAMES

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.