Book Review: Falls Like Lightning by Shawn Grady

Publisher: Bethany House
Publication Date: July 1, 2011

Book Synopsis as provided by the publisher:

Smokejumper Silas Kent never expected to see pilot Elle Westmore again. In fact, reuniting makes him realize what a mistake he made all those years ago. But before he has a chance to try to make amends, he's called to lead a new crew into battle against a massive fire in the Sierra Nevadas.

And then things go very wrong, very quickly.

A suspicious engine explosion forces the crew to parachute early while Elle barely survives a crash landing. Silas reaches the ground safely, but in beginning a desperate race to reach the downed plane, he soon realizes he has more to fear than just a raging forest fire.

MY REVIEW: 

I plunged into this book with great anticipation, and what a wild ride it was! Grady clearly knows his stuff, and his books are great for the male audience, as my dad really liked this book. I find the author to be a solid suspense writer, and this book was no exception. I will say I didn't find it perfect, that some of the first half was a bit slow for my liking. However, I thought the latter half zinged along, and I really enjoyed the setting of the world of forest fighters, the hidden mine, the shady characters. All of the characters seemed to be well-developed, the diaglogue moved the story along, and the conclusion was satisfying.

All in all, a great read. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.