It all started at a funeral. Heller, like many others, went to pay his respects to Sean Lenehan, a former Army Ranger who battled an addiction to Oxycodone before accidentally overdosing, leaving behind a wife and two young children. But for Heller, Lenehan was more than just a former teammate and brother-in-arms. Years back, Sean saved Nick’s life. Now, following his tragic death, Heller is left wishing he could have returned the favor.
Still mourning the loss of his friend, Heller is approached by Sukie Kimball, whose father, Conrad, owns Kimball Pharma—one of the leading producers of Oxycodone in the country. Sukie explains to Heller that she’s gone to multiple funerals, seeing first-hand how the drug that has made her family rich has taken so man lives and ruined so many others. In an effort to do something about it and help ease her own guilt, Sukie claims that a study had been conducted years ago warning of Oxycodone’s addictive nature, a study she claims her father helped make sure never saw the light of day. Now, she wants Heller to help prove it, taking down her father’s empire once and for all.
Heller agrees, but as always, nothing is ever quite that straightforward, and here, things take a turn when Nick, posing as Sukie’s lover to gain access to Conrad’s New York mansion, bumps into a blast from the past who threatens to blow his cover. The more Heller learns about the Kimball family, the more he realizes that they’ll do anything to protect their dynasty—and when someone is killed on Kimball grounds, Nick finds himself racing to figure out who the killer is before they come after him too.
Joseph Finder pulls out all the stops for this one, delivering another heart-stopping thriller that’s not to be missed. Heller, one of the genre’s best characters, has always thrived under pressure—but his ability to stay calm, cool, and one step ahead of the bad guys is suddenly tested like never before. That tension drives the story early, setting the table for a knockout final act that will certainly leave readers hoping Finder doesn’t take four more years to release the series’ fifth book.
House on Fire is another must-read from Joseph Finder, who proves yet again that his series is of the best things going right now.
Book Details
Author: Joseph Finder
Series: Nick Heller #4
Pages: 384 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 1101985844
Publisher: Dutton
Release Date: January 21, 2020
Book Spy Rating: 9.0/10
Praised as “One of the hardest working, most thoughtful, and fairest reviewers out there” by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Ryan Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). Steck also works full-time as a freelance editor and pens a monthly thriller column for CrimeReads. For more information, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He currently lives in Southwest Michigan with his wife and their six children.