By focusing on some of the most destructive fires of modern times, Nicholas Faith details the work of fire investigators as they put together causes of fire, observe how fire spreads and smoke flows, and attempt to understand the behavior of those victims caught in the blazing infernos. The work of these investigators can convict arsonists or make a case of making buildings safer for all of us. By including information about the fires at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Our Lady of the Angels School, the Dupont Plaza fire in San Juan Puerto Rico and the Kings Cross underground station fire in London, Blaze includes first hand accounts from people whose lives have been scarred by their encounters with fire. Faith examines the fire fighters who risk their lives tackling the blazes, and the investigators, safety engineers, and forensic scientists who look through burned ashes in the hope of understanding human kinds very useful natural resource-and its most dangerous enemy.

     The chapters in the book read like good short mystery novels examining where each fire started, how it started, if it was arson, who set it, and why the fire was set. Faith takes you step by step through each investigation until all the answers that can be found are found. The daring rescues, narrow escapes and tragic and unnecessary loss of life make the book read like a good mystery novel with many twists and turns.

     This is a must read book for firefighters, fire investigators, or anyone who enjoys reading a good mystery. It is a simple read because Faith does not use highly technical terms and his storytelling is breathtaking. As I read the book, I felt that I was enveloped in a blazing inferno on the 17th floor of the MGM Grand and that I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of a rescue crew to help me out. This pulse-pounding book is guaranteed to take you on a joyride of epic proportions.