Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts (2006, Paperback, Reprint)

I have become a recent devotee of Nora Roberts as an author. I really enjoyed "Blue Smoke". I thought the manner it was written, by taking Reena from her experience with fire as a child, through the impact it had on the rest of her life. I respect the amount of research the Nora must have to do to really develop her story lines properly. I enjoy a story, but I enjoy a story that is written with the facts associated with the environment the story is taken in, more. Making sure that consistancy is maintained, full character development, keeping facts straight, e. i., doing the research to make sure that technical references are...right on the money, and that final little plot twish that catches you from behind...each and every time. I have over 100 of her books, many I haven't read yet, but I wouldn't take $100.00 for any one of them. I think that reading is one thing, but having them available to re-read is definately in my future.

I love Nora Roberts as an author. She has never written a book I did not like. Each of her books and series are entirely different. You never know what you are going to get. I read every new book she comes out with as soon as I can.

This book about smoke, fire and fire fighters and inspectors was an eye opener in many ways. It gives a reader a very good idea of the strees and danger of firefighting and what the inspectors have to go through.

She weaves a story about this particular Italian family that makes you cry, laugh, and worry about them as the book unfolds. I did not want to put the book down until I found out what was going to happen on the next page. Excellent from the first page until the last. Very exciting book.

CTT

I enjoy the majority of Nora Roberts books. LMN turned this one into a TV movie, but we all know that somethings are usually changed and I wanted more.

I was not diappointed. It does cover the entire range, great characters, lots of suspense, romance, and of course good over evil.

Nora Roberts is a writer who devotes a lot of time to the details that make each story stand out as unique and different. She has an amazing ability to get into the mind of the bad guys and weave a mystery, always with a twist that keeps you guessing!

I especially enjoyed the detail that set the scene of family and neighborhood and made all the characters and places easy to picture in your mind. I literally didn't put this book down except to go to work! I read this in three evenings! It made me hungry for Italian food and the night I finished the book, my husband was so surprised when I asked him to meet me at our favorite pizza place after work.

The book was good in condition and what I'd expected for a Nora Roberts novel. This one took awhile to get to the point but I enjoyed it. The titles was not fitting

I enjoy Nora Roberts fiction that is less about cops and uniforms, so this novel wasn't my favorite. I prefer Roberts' works along the lines of "Irish Born", and "Villa". I passed the book along to my friend, also a Roberts fan, who liked the fast paced action and drama. With "Blue Smoke", I tired of the constant references to the big, congenial, always-there-for-you Italian family. The protagonist, Reena, wore on my nerves with her "I'm going to do it all myself, my way" attitude. This was the most sexually graphic and violent Roberts work I've read. The antagonist (won't spoil!) was disturbingly creepy.

I'm giving this book a "good" rating due to the quality of the story development, even though it wasn't so enjoyable to me. I read for relaxation!

This is one of many that I have not read. One of these days I will sit down and start reading this book. I have never been disapointed with any of her books.

As always, Nora Roberts delivers a very good read. Love her characters. Keeps you interested and involved all the way to the end.

Great book, It keeps you in suspence the whole time wondering who's the one that wants to hurt the main character. It has everything, Suspence, Romance, Comedy and Sadness, you will like it. I strongly recomend it.

When Catarina "Reena" Hale was eleven years old, she watched with her family--father Gib, mother Bianca, sister Francesca, sister Isabella, and brother Xander--as their family business, Sirico's, burned to the ground. The case came to a swift conclusion, when the father of a boy who had attempted to assault Reena is picked up for arson. The family rebuilds their business, their family ties stay strong, and their love and respect in the neighborhood grows.

We fast-forward to Reena in college, where she's finally decided to lose her virginity to Josh, a fellow student who yearns to be a writer. After her sister Bella's dream wedding, Reena has sex with her boyfriend, returns home, and later discovers that Josh has died during a horrific apartment fire--after supposedly falling asleep in bed with a lit cigarette.

Again, fast-forward. Reena is still in training to become an arson investigator, her life-long dream. She's a member of the police force, has worked actual fires with her fellow firefighters, and now needs to finish her training. A firefighter she was thinking of dating dies in an apparent robbery, shot and left in his burning truck.

Still farther into the future, Reena is a full-fledged arson investigator, and tragedy finds her once again. Only days after earning her gold shield, Luke, a boyfriend whose marriage proposal she turned down, has his Mercedes burned sky-high, and of course Reena is the main suspect. After she's cleared, she's only more determined than ever to make fire her job--to find out who sets it, and why, and to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Then she meets Bowen "Bo" Goodnight, her new next-door-neighbor, and feelings and emotions get jumbled up with the fires that seem to dog her every step. Because someone has made her their vendetta, and will stop at nothing to make sure that his own brand of justice is served.

I loved BLUE SMOKE! Although it took me four days to read, weighing in at 437 pages and spanning twenty years, the book is a wonderful mix of engaging family saga, taut police/arson procedural, and down and out thriller. I don't agree with the other reviewers who said this book was "horror" or that Ms. Roberts delved too deeply into the mind of the killer--most romantic suspense (and this is definitely one of those books) these days go more into the who, how, and why and less on the fluff. I commend Ms. Roberts for another winning story, one which I was sad to see end. I loved reading about the Hale family and their extended relations, and I'm sure you'll be as enthralled by them as I was.

**I have to also say that BLUE SMOKE reads a lot like Nora Robert's alter-ego, J.D. Robb, in a lot of instances. Some of the short sentences, rapid-pace dialogue, and out-loud ruminating are reminiscent of Eve Dallas, but that only adds to the allure of BLUE SMOKE, instead of taking away from it. Kudos on another winner!

I have read several Nora Roberts books.. probably about 20 at this point and I must say this one is one of the more memorable... I love the characters and how well they are developed. I've never been to Baltimore but the family pizzeria is just like the one i grew up around the corner from. Its interesting to watch Reena grow into the adult she becomes and to get a glimpse into her career. Nora definately went all out on this one when it came to showcasing some of the cases Reena was investigating. She also did such a good job developing the main villain that it was a bit disturbing to think that there are people out there who actually think this way. To any Nora fan or anyone considering picking up some of her work this one comes recommended... right along with The Villa and Honest Illusions.... Way to go!

Nora Roberts is my favorite author. I have a list of all her books and am in the process of collecting as many as I can find. I Love her writing. She is very descriptive. Makes you feel like you are standing right there in the middle of the action. She brings the characters to life for the reader. I get hooked on reading her books and usually do not put it down till I am done with it. I read it cover to cover if possible. Blue Smoke was a very intense read. I Loved it. I will read all of them again and again.

Great Book and very good writer. She keeps you in suspense. Good story and a must for fans of Nora Roberts.