Meet Henry Hyde - the best arson investigator the Boston Fire Department has. Henry grew up in Boston, went to the city schools, went on the job, got married, raised a family and got divorced in Boston. He knows the city's avenues, streets, and back alleys. He loves Boston...and someone is trying to burn down his town. His investigation is tough because whoever is trying to torch the city has created an impenetrable maze of professional torches and hired thugs who seem to end up dead. Henry Hyde is getting a little nervous about solving the case. He's also getting pissed, very pissed. Especially when Boston firefighters start dying.
The mastermind behind this assault on Boston is a vicious psychopath who hides behind a persona of respectability and wealth. He has a score to settle with the mayor...and apparently with Hyde. He remains completely removed, never actually setting the fires himself. He remains invisible while instilling fear and making incredible, perhaps impossible demands.
Igniter's action spirals seemingly beyond hope during the frantic final thirty-six hours. The mayor's wife is horribly burned by a car bomb. More Boston landmarks are ablaze. And Henry Hyde's girlfriend - TV reporter Nomi Cramm - is kidnapped.
In the end, Henry is a desperate man, a dangerous man who will let nothing stop him from saving his city, the woman he loves...and, ultimately, himself. Igniter is a truly terrific book by a masterful writer.
