Book Review: A Slow Burning Fire by Paula Hawkins

A Slow Burning Fire is a book filled with unreliable characters and interlocking complex situations that unfold in slow, clever fashion. Something only Paula Hawkins could accomplish and write a novel I had a hard time putting down.

The story revolves around the murder of a young man who has a nosy neighbor, a girlfriend he treats terribly, an alcoholic mother, and an aunt and uncle who have never forgiven him for the death of their son that he may or may not have been directly responsible for. Like I said, a complex tapestry of deceit and mental health issues. Even the police don’t know what to think of these characters as they try to solve the murder.

This novel keeps you guessing. Just when you have it figured out, one of the characters reveals new information that sends your best hypotheses tumbling into the trash. It’s a great summer mystery. Highest of recommendations from this reader.