Fade the Heat

Romantic suspense is a broad description-perhaps broader than it should be, considering some of the stories that carry this label-but if you want to read a book that's the very definition of "romantic suspense," then look no further than Colleen Thompson's FADE THE HEAT. Without sacrificing the action or the emotion, she masterfully weaves a suspense plot that never lets up with a tender, oh-so-believable romance between two satisfyingly original characters. Jack Montoya and Reagan Hurley are strong, larger-than-life heroes with touching vulnerabilities that make them seem so real that you'll root for them to the very end and keep a soft spot for them in your heart long after you finish the book. (OK, especially for Dr. Jack, a gorgeous physician who saves sick children, works at a small clinic in a dangerous neighborhood instead of at a fat-cat medical practice, and loves his mama and his sister. Could he be more scrumptious?!) You'll enjoy not only the twists and turns of the intricately-crafted plot and the sweet build-up of romantic tension, but also the vivid detail of the Houston setting. Just as in the enthralling FATAL ERROR, Thompson deftly uses the backdrop to make her story and the characters in it feel like very real people fighting real problems and finding, of course, real love-but make no mistake: it's a love that they'll have to fight for. I highly recommend this amazing book, and unless you want to go into work late and/or tired, I also recommend buying it now and saving it for the weekend because once you get started, it's impossible to put FADE THE HEAT down until you reach the very end!

Colleen Thompson's writing just gets better and better. FADE THE HEAT is a superb book: tightly plotted, full of finger-biting suspense, sizzling with romantic tension and hot love scenes, and stars two of the most interesting, fully realized characters it's ever been my pleasure to read: Jack Montoya and Reagan Hurley. Since others have summarized the story, I won't repeat. All I'll say is, if you love terrific romantic suspense, BUY THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW. Just go to the top of the page and CLICK. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I don't write many reviews, but felt compelled to share my thoughts on FADE THE HEAT. What a fantastic book! The writer grabbed my interest on the first page, and didn't let me go until the exciting end. Jack Montoya is a fantastic hero -- not afraid to step over the line to defend his principles. Reagan Hurley, a female firefighter, is all things brave and admirable, but softly feminine at all the right moments. There's some really fantastic secondary characters as well. I would recommend this novel to any fans of well-written suspense!

All he wanted to do was live up to the Hippocratic Oath by providing medical care to the children of illegal immigrants. Instead Dr. Jack Montoya has become pilloried on talk show radio for providing services that enable these outsiders to stay and becoming a hero worshipped by the Latino community for getting involved. He wants neither; he just wants to be recognized as a good doctor by his patients. Asthmatic firefighter Reagan Hurley turns to Jack her childhood friend to sign documents that would allow her to return to work, but instead he shows a siege mentality behaving nasty and cynical towards her. Jack refuses to sign anything as he warily has become a victim of a war on illegal aliens. When an arsonist tries to burn down Jack's apartment, but in the process kills Reagan's captain, they team up to bring this fiery killer to justice while trying to overcome being considered pariahs by everyone including her peers. This drives them close to each other as love blossoms between them. The arson homicide who-done-it is cleverly designed so that the audience never knows who committed the act until the climax. Yet as exhilarating as that key subplot is, the story line is owned by the lead couple as readers will commiserate with Reagan wanting to return to the front lines and with a beleaguered Jack tired of his fifteen minutes as a pawn. Colleen Thompson keeps the heat high with this strong thriller that also focuses on the issue of medical and other public assistance to the children of illegal immigrants. Harriet Klausner

Reagan Hurley is a tough, kick-ass sort of a girl. You have to be when you're a firefighter on Houston's urban streets. It's the only thing she's ever wanted to do, since her father died a hero fighting a fire when she was just a kid. Reagan works hard for her reputation of `matching male rookies axe-stroke for axe-stroke - despite her slender five-six frame'. But now her career is threatened by the damnable weakness in her own body, asthma. Not willing to give up her hard won position in suppression, she searches out a childhood friend, knowing he's now a doctor in a poor county sponsored clinic - a doctor who can sign the medical release she needs to return to the job. Dr. Jack Montoya's childhood taught him to survive by walking a narrow path between right and wrong in a tough neighborhood barrio. Now he uses that skill to manipulate social programs to get much needed medical help for illegal immigrant children. But someone blows the whistle on Jack, and has the city's `tell-all' talk radio host, one trying to steal the upcoming mayoral election with sensationalism, trying to feed Jack to the hungry crowd. When Jack doesn't sign Reagan's release, she knows her choices are limited. She can `cave in now or go down swinging, but Reagan Hurley is looking for Option C . . . some passage through this firestorm that would help her `fade the heat.' Even though she's angered at Jack's refusal to help her, the sparks ignited from their reunion burn bright. A series of incidents, which at first seem unrelated, draw the two together, deeper into a twisting tunnel of danger. Soon it becomes evident that they are the targets. As these two fight to solve the mystery that threatens their lives and the lives of their loved ones, both are forced to question truths they've always counted on. But sometimes enough heat can melt black and white into gray, blending the essence of their realities. Take a serving of political intrigue mixed with a portion of social fanaticism, throw in some petty jealousy and personal vendettas, and you have a complex story filled with non-stop action. Season it with a sprinkling of tasty secondary characters: Jack's sister Luz Maria, the Firebug, Reagan's neighbor Peaches, and a white greyhound named Frank Lee. Fire the oven with Jack and Reagan's torch for each other, and Colleen Thompson serves up a spicy treat of suspense along with a passion too hot to handle. If you enjoy page turning tension that never lets up, not to mention trying to figure out a whodunit, this book is for you. It'll keep you guessing until the very end.