Review: Fire Triangle by Iyana Jenna

About the Book

Title: Fire Triangle

Author: Iyana Jenna

Length: 25,821 words

Release Date: January 7, 2017

Publisher: JMS Books

Language: English

ISBN: 9781634862974

ASIN:  B01MU72AWS

Categories: Contemporary, crime/suspense, MM, bisexual

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33636050-fire-triangle

Synopsis

While investigating a house fire, Detective Miles Tucker uncovers a similar case twenty years prior. Digging deeper, Miles learns that a survivor from the earlier fire might have some answers to his questions.

As a boy, Devin Treadwell survived a fire that wiped out his entire family. The trauma he suffered left him in a mental institution, but he has since made a full recovery and, though partially deaf and mute, now lives an independent life as a music teacher.

Devin’s life is disrupted when the handsome Miles suspects him of being a serial arsonist. But he wasn’t the only survivor. A boy named Sebastian who had been adopted by Devon’s family also survived the blaze.
Then an attempt is made on Devin’s life. Can Miles keep Devin safe from an arsonist who will stop at nothing to silence him? Or will the attraction between them jeopardize the investigation?

Review

This is a quick read with a suspenseful plot and intriguing characters. I really liked how we got to see into the minds of all three main characters. The opening scene is a great hook and sets the pace nicely.

Due to the length, readers should suspend some disbelief. The resolution felt like it was a bit over the top to me. However, if it’s read as though it were an episode of a crime drama, it’s perfect. It has exactly the same flow as a police procedural, and when viewed through that lens, it works brilliantly.

Because it’s short, we get the sweet, almost instant-love version of a romance between Miles and Devin. That was fine for me, as I was much more interested and invested in the suspense/mystery. I liked that Miles is very clearly bisexual, though I don’t think the word is used specifically. He doesn’t spend pages of internal drama over it, either. His relationships are what they are, and it’s simply not a big deal who he dates or loves.

I’d have liked to know more about Devin, if only because he’s such an intriguing character. A deaf hero is rare, and while I can’t speak to the authenticity of that, I did think he was well-rounded. There are a number of small details, and the fact that he’s deaf isn’t mentioned once and then forgotten. It’s important to the story without seeming preachy.

I can’t decide how I feel about the plot twist, and there’s nothing I can say without spoilers. I did find some aspects of it troubling, but I’m not sure whether that’s my own discomfort or not. I appreciate that the resolution of the crime addresses the most disturbing aspects of Sebastian’s character, however.

Overall, I liked this. Mostly I’d love to see this as a series because I love Miles and I’m fascinated by his work. But that might be asking  too much from a single short story. Maybe we can at least see more of Miles’ world in other crime dramas.

For excellent characters, an interesting story, and a nice, short diversion, this gets 8/10 fountain pens.

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About the Author

Reading, watching movies, and being unable to find exactly the thing she wanted to read have led Iyana to write her own stories, mostly about man-on-man romance that has fascinated her since as early as the Starsky and Hutch era. Teaching and writing English course books during the day, Iyana spends her nights mostly dreaming of love stories between two men who are protective toward each other.

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