Madeline
A Slow Fire Burning starts with the dead body of Daniel. The body was found on a house boat in a canal in London. The story then highlights the life and the interactions with three women he has interacted with, his neighbor, his aunt, and a girl he had a one night stand with. Although it appears to be obvious which one of these women killed Daniel, the stories make each one a suspect in their own way.
Premise of A Slow Fire Burning
Daniel was not necessarily someone who was missed when he is found dead. But that does not mean the police should not look for the person who murdered him. When a women Daniel’s age is seen in the area the night Daniel was killed with blood all over her, it appears to be clear who did it. But then there are some other strange behaviors that point to two other women. Which one is to blame?
The Three Women
Laura is the first women we meet who we follow. She tends to get into trouble and has horrible relationships with her parents. She has a deformity which is due to an accident in her childhood which changed her life forever and may be to blame for her misfortunes.
Carla is Daniel’s aunt. Although her husband blames Daniel’s mother for the death of their son, Carla has continued the relationship with her sister secretly. Life has been tough after the death of their son as she continues to grieve now him and her nephew.
Miriam is the final women in the story and the strange neighbor. She never tells the police the whole truth, but expects them to tell her everything. Her run in with Laura points to Laura being the murderer but then a turn of events spins it back to Miriam.
Final Thoughts
I am always down for a good murder mystery. And A Slow Fire Burning did deliver on that. The back and forth and ins and outs of this book is what made this book worth the read. I hope to read many more murder mysteries this year and this is just the first.
