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Firestorm by Solange Ritchie

 FBI forensic pathologist Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers and her young son, Joey, have been trying to cope with the emotional aftermath of life without Mark, Cat’s ex-husband and Joey’s father. Joey is especially vulnerable after his kidnapping by the “Burning Man” a year ago. But when a mysterious manila envelope arrives in Cat’s mailboxa “gift” from a serial killer from Cat’s pastshe realizes that she and Joey may never be safe again.

Once again, she teams up with police detective Jim McGregor, but as they methodically hunt down one serial killer, Southern California’s beautiful neighborhoods begin to burn, one by one. As powerful Santa Ana winds whip the flames, Cat knows she must catch another killera serial arsonist who is happy not only to burn buildings but to watch his infernos consume people’s lives. With the intensity and ferocity of the fires increasing, Cat knows time is running out. Will she pay the ultimate price? Or will she bring these killers to justice?

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Author’s Bio

Born on the beautiful tropical island of Jamaica of a Jamaican father and a French mother, Solange Ritchie immigrated to the United States at age eleven. Since then, she has been a dynamic force for change. Fed up with thrillers that start with a fizzle and longing to see more powerful women as lead characters, Solange decided to create her own characters. Despite the demands of a busy legal career, she accomplished her ambitious goal by rising each morning to write before work, dedicating her weekends to writing, and even spending her vacation time writing.

Words have always been Solange’s passion—now so more than ever.

Solange achieved a successful writing career while doing “last minute trials,” mostly in Southern California. Dubbed “the Case Saver,” Solange did the heavy lifting, handling intense legal motions that either make or break a case, especially in business, labor, and employment law areas. Once cases get beyond that point, they either settle or they go to trial.

Solange received the State Bar of California’s Solo and Small Firm Section’s highest award, the Myer J. Sankary Attorney of the Year Award for 2014. Only one attorney is selected for this honor each year. The award is given to an individual who has exercised notable leadership or contributed to the development of greater justice in a field of law. The award is presented annually to an individual who is a sole practitioner or a member of a small firm and who has devoted years of faithful service and leadership to the community or his or her fellow attorneys.

One of more than eleven thousand graduates of Western State University College of Law, Solange was recently inducted into the Western State University College of Law Alumni Hall of Fame. While in law school, Solange rose through the law review ranks to become editor in chief while working full time as a paralegal. When people told her it couldn’t be done, she did it anyway. Solange has always been tenacious. Her personal motto is “Don’t quit and never surrender.”

When Solange was just thirty-seven years old, her first husband, John, died due to gross medical negligence at a Southern California hospital. That life-altering experience helped shape her into the person she is today. She began writing creatively as a way to deal with the stress of his hospitalization and his death.

With a passion for philanthropic work (stemming from growing up with an older brother with Down’s syndrome and John’s death), Solange served on numerous charitable and legal boards, including the California Women Lawyers Association, the Orange County Bar Association, the Orange County Women Lawyers Association, the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, the Community Court’s Foundation, and El Viento.

Solange’s first psychological thriller, The Burning Man, featuring FBI forensic pathologist Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers was published in 2015. Her second novel, Firestorm, is due for release in May 2018.

She regularly publishes articles on a variety of legal and nonlegal issues and speaks to both attorneys and law students on topics such as punitive damages, civil procedure, and diversity and gender equality and how to find fulfillment and balance in the busy practice of law. Solange lives in South Florida. She enjoys traveling, writing, Pilates, and yoga, as well as good food and great conversation.

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My Review

5 stars

Cat Powers is back but her and Joey are still hurting a year later with the dead of Mark. But when she gets a mysterious “gift” in the mail from Eric when he had Joey. She knows that they are never going to be safe no matter what they do. But there is no time to feel sorry for herself and Joey. So she is off to team up with detective Jim McGregor to try and stop Eric for good.

But there is more to Eric’s story than we think. It seems an arsonist has started wild fires and he knows Eric for years earlier. Their story add many layers of aha and OMG to this story. All the while making things more tense as you hope that Cat and Jim can stop these two.

This is a fantastic story and marvelous sequel to The Burning Man. When Cat received Eric’s gift, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Creepy!! Then you find out about David and more about Eric’s past. Talk about true evil. But if they have survived this long, that just makes stopping them that much harder.

If you like psychological thrillers you need to get these two books. But if you are going to read them, make sure to make plans. Once you open the book, you will not willingly put either down until they are finished. You NEED to check them out.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

The Burning Man

It is a summer night in upscale Orange County, California. When young beautiful Consuelo Vargas turns up horribly mutilated and left for dead in a strawberry field, the Irvine Police Department call in top FBI Forensic pathologist/agent, Dr. Catherine (“Cat”) Powers solve a string of murders.

Charged with hunting down a twisted serial killer dubbed the “The Burning Man” as more bodies turn up, Cat embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Her actions will destroy the people she holds most dear. Her decisions will forever change the lives of those she loves.

Little does she know, The Burning Man waits for her, drawing her closer into his web of death, lies and deceit, so that he can take from her the ultimate prize. He waits for her in plain sight forcing her to make a choice no mother should ever have to make.

Suspenseful from the first page, this novel traces the painfully real struggles of a driven woman torn between her career demands and single motherhood, a family saga involving Cat’s young son and his loss of innocence at the hands of a madman and explores the bond shared by a mother and child as they combat pure evil. Cat knows only that she will do anything to catch this killer and keep those she loves alive. But will it be enough?

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My Review

5 stars

A serial killer dubbed The Burning Man, due to his use of acid, is on the loose. Dr. Catherine, Cat, Powers is called in to help catch him. With experience with pathological and behavioral forensics she is the perfect person to catch this killer. But she is divided right now. She is divorced and a single mom of her six year old. She has to leave her son with his father to concentrate on this killer. But The Burning Man has started to target Cat. He is playing cat and mouse with her. But then he crosses a line and involves her son.

This is an amazing, high tension story. Cat is good at her job but she is struggling as a single mom with her son. But as good as she is in her field, she is still human and some of her choices seem to cause more problems for her than helping her out. The Burning Man is an evil, genius killer type. I wanted more information about him. What happened to make him the way he was?

I think this is a killer psychological thriller that is well written and an amazing first book. There were twists and turns that threw me off and kept me in the story. I loved this book and recommend checking it out.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

I would like to thank Page-Turner Publicity for the opportunity to read and share this book.