This fine line is evident in Evan Durand, a serial arsonist once again on the run but not before relishing the fire, destruction and death he just created. His latest creation followed his well thought-out, precise plan -- his script -- starring himself in one of his many roles "aliases." He is nothing short of diabolical and cunning in his selection of arson sites and victims. He is as monstrous as the fires he sets as we learn that he has finely honed his craft over several years. The rage of his fires doesn't come close to the rage harbored by this man for his mother and father and this rage is what fuels his actions. His latest series of fires targeted women living alone and while confident that he confounded the experts there was a witness -- albeit a rather questionable source -- but one that might be able to provide a description.

Evan decides to retreat to Vermillion, a sleepy little lumber town and for a brief moment you think he will use his time there to calm his rage. But once there he sees a perfect setting for what might just be his masterpiece. The townspeople realize there is a monster in hiding but their best efforts to find or trap him come up short. And time is running out. The land is parched and the wind is picking up, the worst possible scenario with the ongoing threat of an arsonist. Evan's script is nearing completion and he is set with act one starring Lauren Taylor and her son Nicky. Lauren has been working diligently with the FBI to ferret out Evan ever since she realized, to her horror, that she had inadvertently flown him to their little town. But the stage is set and the curtain is about to rise and all they can hope for is that he is stopped before the final curtain.

Karen Harper in INFERNO takes us deep into the mind of a seriously deranged man who fights his demons by creating death and destruction and his weapon of choice is fire. We are allowed a clear view of what created this lost soul and how he became an arsonist. Harper does a great job of chronicling the development of a monster whose crimes become more serious and devastating as he becomes more cocky and self-assured in his ability to outsmart his foes, the experts. Her descriptions of a living and breathing fire and what measures fire fighters take to halt these fires and at the same time come out alive are well written and researched.

Book Summary

Bush pilot Lauren Taylor knows better than most the devastation fire can leave in its wake: two years ago she lost her husband to a raging wildfire. But when she flies a stranger into her isolated hometown of Vermillion, Montana, her actions may be the spark that starts an inferno. Because the mysterious passenger bears an undeniable resemblance to a serial arsonist wanted by the FBI--and he's disappeared into the tinder-dry woods….

FBI agent Brad Hale doesn't have time to fly into picturesque towns based on one woman's vague suspicions, but Lauren Taylor seems desperate.

And when her young son goes missing, he realizes the little boy may hold the key to his investigation. Hot on the stranger's trail, Lauren and Brad will do anything to stop a man bent on destruction…even if that means rushing headlong into the flames.