Children of the Fire

By Richard W. Shelton

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1413417396
• ISBN13: 9781413417395
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: Xlibris
• Length: 328 Pages
• Weight: 0.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.7" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

A Psychological thriller that leaves you wanting more.

Children of the Fire is an extremely well written pschological thriller. It explores questions like - "What makes a victim become a perpetrator?" "How will childhood trauma play out in later years of life?" "Why is it that two people can be exposed to the same early childhood upset, and one will be resilient and survive it and the other will be devastated and destroyed by it?" This book was truly intense and intricate and reminded me of the story telling style of Mosley, Patterson and Grisham. You are introduced to the characters, then somehow you get into their psyche's and you follow them through complex twist and turns to watch them play out their needs and motivations. The writing is detailed and vivid. This is not a book for someone who is adverse to graphic violence or sexuality. It is a book for someone who is adventuresome, curious and open to exploration in the dark.

A sequel PLEASE

I loved this riveting story of the survival and triumph of young people who witnessed and lived through dangerous and deadly situations in their childhood. It was hard to put this book down - I became very involved with the lives of these young people as they converged in Washington DC. Their journeys were exciting, and the twists and turns of the plot kept my attention every moment. All the necessary elements were there - murder, mystery, surprises, gratification, passion, love and intrigue written in an elegant voice. I am eager to read the sequel. Move over Pelecanos and Patterson - here comes Shelton!

Page Turner

'Children of the Fire' is a real page turner. The book reminds me of James Patterson and how he builds up the story so that you just can't put the book down. There are five main characters in the book and their lives all touch one another as they become adults. The story takes place in Washington, D.C. and New York. One of the characters and his siblings have suffered through a horrible family death. Although no one is left unscathed one of them cannot get a grip on reality and the only way that he could let out his anger is by killing. Another character and his sister have had to live with drugs, physical abuse and attempted rape dealing with their mother and her unsavory boyfriend. All of the characters come together at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, culimanating in a book rich in family life, street life, college life and a serial murderer.