LauraD’s review of Into the Fire (Troubleshooters, Book 13) by Suzanne Brockmann
Contemporary Romance hardcover released by Random House 22 Jul 08
I never thought I’d long for the good ol’ days, when the only part of a Brockmann novel that irritated me was the WWII flashback sequence. But I’ve got to admit, the hot mess that is Into the Fire had me wishing for something as simple as that to be disappointed in. Instead there were 4 different plot lines, one of which finally finished off a love triangle that probably has some fans howling with betrayal. Oh, and remember Sam’s ex-wife MaryAnne? She’s back, re-incarnated as Izzy’s new love interest. Kidding. Sorta.
There’s no use giving any sort of synopsis, there’s just waay too much going on. Ostensibly our main characters are Vinh Murphy and Hannah Whitfield. (He’s not a vampire, he’s half Vietnamese.) Vinh’s wife-who was also Hannah’s best friend-was murdered in a previous book. He is now suspected of killing the white supremacist who incited her murderer into action, but Vinh was so deep into drinking he doesn’t remember if he did it or not. He and Hannah are trying to figure out whether or not he’s guilty.
Hannah is a former police officer, injured in the line of duty. She is now deaf, and one of her legs is permanently disabled. After her injuries, she too took refuge in alcohol for a while. Despite this, she has no trouble lip-reading or speaking, or really communicating in any way. Unless the plot requires her to not hear something. She and Murphy realize they have always loved each other. Since she is a heroically injured ex-police officer with life altering permanent disabilities, it’s ok to not hate her for being alive. Every time they have sex, they cry, because Murphy’s wife-who was also Hannah’s best friend-is dead.
Next up, we have Tess and Jimmy/Nash/Diego. Things aren’t going well for these two; Jimmy is keeping secrets and Tess thinks he’s having an affair. Jimmy has been going off on all kinds of secret missions, and coming back with injuries that he shouldn’t have. Dave actually knows this as well, and thinks that maybe Jimmy is still working for the Agency, even though supposedly he and Decker quit the Agency years ago. Totally unnecessary side-story, and does anyone even really care about Tess and Jimmy?
Decker, Dave, and Sophia. Suz-o-philes have been waiting for about 5 books for the Decker/Sophia story to play out on the big stage. Sorry kids, it whimpers out in the background of this book. Decker’s been keeping a big, bad secret from everyone and it takes the psychiatrist/Agency spy that Tom Paoletti hires to help everyone finally deal with the death of Murphy’s wife-and Hannah’s best friend-to get that secret out of him.
Oh, wait. I almost forgot the SEALs! Can’t have a Brockmann book without a SEAL or three. Y’all remember Izzy? Izzy looks up one night, sees an underage girl in a bikini, and within the next few chapters is married to her. And she’s pregnant. Throw in internet porn, VD, and about 6 trips back and forth to Las Vegas. I found her more irritating than the infamous MaryAnne, and if Brockmann can redeem this girl I will bow to her.
I’ve got to say, I actually laughed towards the end of “Into the Fire”. Not only is there a large cast of active players, but the author name-checks almost every character who doesn’t have a participating role in this book. (It was nice to see Stan again, lol.) At the end of the climactic battle, all these characters are literally coming out of the woods, armed with fully automatic weapons, and it was so much that I had to giggle. I kept expecting to see the Team 10 guys.
Ultimately, Into the Fire suffers from Too Much. Too Much going on, Too Much drama. Too Many characters with Too Many problems. Makes me sad, because I have so many of her books on my keeper shelf.
Grade: D
Summary:
Vinh Murphy-ex-Marine and onetime operative for the elite security firm Troubleshooters Incorporated-has been MIA ever since his wife, Angelina, was caught in a crossfire and killed during what should have been a routine bodyguard assignment. Overcome with grief, Murphy blames the neo-Nazi group known as the Freedom Network for her death. Now, years later, Freedom Network leader Tim Ebersole has been murdered-and the FBI suspects Murphy may have pulled the trigger. To prevent further bloodshed, Murphy’s friends at Troubleshooters scramble to find him and convince him to surrender peacefully.
Murphy himself can’t be sure what he did or didn’t do during the years he spent mourning and lost in an alcohol-induced fog. He does know he occasionally sought solace from Hannah Whitfield, a former police officer and the very friend who’d introduced him to his beloved late wife.
But Hannah, still grappling with the deafness that resulted from an injury sustained while on duty, was fighting her own battles. For years Hannah had feelings for Murphy, and one painful night their suffering brought them together in a way neither expected-and both regretted.
Murphy is ready to rejoin the living. As always, he finds himself knocking on Hannah’s door, and as always, his longtime friend welcomes him back into her home. Yet even as Murphy slowly rebuilds his splintered life, hecontinues to fight his growing feelings for Hannah.
Then he learns of Ebersole’s murder and comes to believe that the Freedom Network has targeted him-and Hannah-to avenge their leader’s death to violence. Now Murphy must face the terrifying prospect of losing another woman he loves.
As the Troubleshooters desperately search for him, Murphy races toward a deadly confrontation with the Freedom Network and ultimate choice: surrender his life in hopes that Hannah will be spared, or risk everything to salvage whatever future they may have together.
Read an excerpt.
Ho-boy! I think I have to approach Brockmann with whole new set of expectations. I’ve taken about a three year break from her so maybe I can shake my way too high expectations from her.
CindyS
While there were several storylines and many characters, I LOVED the book. Sorry to see that it wasn’t to your liking. One of the reasons I stay away from reviews until after I read a book so I can get an unbiased read. Spoilers, reviews and the like can shade the way one looks at a book – setting expectations too high or too low.
As a friend how is a bookseller says if we all liked the same thing we’d have need for only one author.
I loved the Nash/Tess stuff, but Decker is an idiot. She really screwed over long-time fans with letting that storyline go on too long. Sophia should have ended up with him a long time ago, but he’s so stupid I don’t even want to see that now.
And what she did to Izzy I’ll never understand. I found Eden to be shallow and ickily too young. I not only don’t want them to be together eventually (what, 8 books from now, if she follows her pattern) but I am actively rooting against them. She developed nothing there. Izzy is attracted to her because she’s hot, and she named him as the father of her baby, even though he wasn’t. GREAT basis for a relationship there.
I liked some parts, but this book wasn’t like her older ones, IMO. That’s why I only borrow her books now.
I agree with Ann! I haven’t loved a Suzanne Brockmann book since Wild Card’s story, but I LOVED this one! I liked Eden and thought Danny was a butthead. I loved Vinh and Hannah. I don’t remember Izzy much from other books, but I thought he turned out to be a great hero. And I guess I was never that invested in Decker and Sophia. This is in my top ten books that I’ve read this year.
This was my first Troubleshooters… and I liked it. I LOVED the Izzy/Eden stuff ;).
I have been thinking on reading the series just for Izzy. Damn there are a lot of them. I LOVED her tall, dark and dangerous books. So does that mean I will like or not like the TS you think?
Ann M I hear that a lot but personally can’t see how I would let someone else’s opinion ‘shape’ my read. But I am hardheaded like that.
I do think I can set my expectations too high from WANTING a book and thinking it will be omg fab. I was scared to death to read Devil in Winter once I had it in my hands because no way would it live up to my lust for it. Same with Never Romance a Rake and Seduce Me at Sunrise. With all of those I have been flat out over joyed at the books.
But there have been reads where I wondered if I disliked it so much because I was expecting so much. hmmm good post idea to think on…
Very smart of you to avoid reviews before hand if you know it will influence your reading.
MJ… what was Wild Card’s book?
I can’t comment on INTO THE FIRE because I haven’t read it yet. I’m next on my library list. I used to buy EVERY Suz book the day it came out, but not anymore. There are many reasons for that, but I won’t get into it here LOL
Sybil~ Wild Card’s book is OUT OF CONTROL, which is my personal FAVORITE Suzanne Brockmann book ever. It rocks. Oh, if you like Izzy, he is only in 2 or 3 of the books so start with INTO THE STORM, I think that is the first book he had a significant role.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!! (from the book INTO THE STORM, not this one)
One thing I’ve noticed about Suzanne Brockmann’s books is that if you get a POV sex scene~where you are right there with the characters~that couple will get their HEA eventually. In INTO THE STORM we get a POV sex scene with Izzy and Tracy. So, if Suz follows her pattern, Eden is not Izzy’s HEA. Eden is another Mary Lou (Sam’s wife) and I feel like BTDT.
oh, man! I loved the first 5 books in this series (at least, I think – all the way through Mike Muldoon’s story, and I loved Out of Control!), and I’m so fiercely loyal, I keep buying, even though I’ve been disappointed more than I’ve enjoyed them. I think this will be the first one I don’t buy. Sorry Suz (but hey, not like she needs my money :))
And call me shallow, but please please pretty please can we have an attractive heroine in the next book (sorry, still scarred from the last book where everyone, including the hero, assumed the heroine was a lesbian. not that there’s anything wrong with that…)?
“Same with Never Romance a Rake and Seduce Me at Sunrise. With all of those I have been flat out over joyed at the books.”
Nice, Sybil keep taunting us that you already got to read Seduce Me at Sunrise. Wench.
Actually my not reading reviews comes from the fact too many reviews have SPOILERS that shade the book. Not the reviews themselves. I never know if the reviewer can talk about the book without giving away too much.
Heh.
I love love love this book. Would have its babies if I could.
Ann M, I get what you are saying completely–I’m very very careful these days about whose reviews I read *prior* to my own reading of any given book, and more so when it’s a book I’ve waited for (such as this one).
Sybil, I think that whether any one readers enjoys Ms Brockmann’s TDD and not the Troubleshooters (or viceversa) has more to do with the reasons that one reader enjoys anything than with the books themselves.
But I’m crazy like that 😉
Jami, Lawson sez to tell you she has read SM@S too….
wenches! all of you!
No hon that is Whores or Sybil and her hencewomen.
Or you know both….
syb (2 lazy to sign in herself)
This was your first Troubleshooters book, Sybil? What’s up with that? 😉
TracyS thanks, dangit, Sam’s ex is named Mary Lou! I’m totally embarassed. I even have “Gone Too Far” on my bookshelf to refer to.
What? huh… crap
Tracy will end up with Izzy? Really? damn it to hell
What is the point behind musical bed hopping where you don’t know who is going to end up the h/h when the music stops? Is that fun? Cuz it seems to nothing more than a way to annoy your readers.
::pouts:; I am thinking this must be why I haven’t read the troubleshooters before. I mean really I stopped watching soap operas when Santa Barabara went off the air.
le sigh I might pull down Into the Storm and just check it out. But I am one of those odd readers that do not like to be fucked with just for the authors amusement. And that is what this sounds like.
Saddness…
Sybil~I’m not guaranteeing that Izzy will be with Tracy, I’m just saying what has been Suz Brockmann’s past pattern. However, we talked about that on her Bulletin Board so she may be changing it up. Who knows. Just something I have noticed.
I still recommend OUT OF CONTROL. No soap opera there. :o)
Crap, double post. Sorry!
Out of Control? oh damn it you people are sooooooooo not good for me
I have Books to read! I think I have that one…. first to get food and than I look and grab OoF and ItS off the shelf. And omg you will be in big trouble if I don’t have it.
Then I will have to go to the store or something. Sheeze
Oy vey, the post-coital tears would drive me nuts.
I went on an SB glom awhile ago, but I found myself unable to finish some of the more recent books. I just didn’t give a shit about the characters. The main ones anyway, wanted to see what happened with Jules.
I’m curious about this one.
Ding ding ding… Devon, you are a winner of an ARC of Into the Fire! You can do another review too. That will be tres fun yes?
Woot! I knew I had somewhere I was suppose to send that too. 🙂
I’m a horrible person, but I had to come back and comment on TracyS’ comment above:
I have never seen how that can be inferred, so I asked Suz herself (she’s visiting her (scrolling-posts are gone in a few days) message board for a Q&A today), and she pointed out that…
SPOILERS AHEAD for Hot Target and books thereafter!
Patty and Robin had sex, on screen, yet they are not a couple, and Robin ends up with Jules.
end SPOILERS
If anyone wants to ask Suz questions today, just make sure you read both the spoilers rules and the BB Q&A posts at the top of the board.