True story about a man who was a captain in the Glendale, CA fire dept. & respected as one of Califonria's top arson investigators. He turned out to actually be the psychopath arsonist who was setting the fires he was "investigating". Fairly well written, scary, and interesting. Does contain more profanity than I care to read, though.
On an October evening in South Pasadena, a horrifying wave of flame swept through a large home improvement center, snuffing out the lives of four innocent people, including a two-year-old boy. Firefighters rushed to the scene, even as a pair of equally suspicious fires broke out in two nearby stores. Silently watching the raging inferno in the midst of the heat, smoke, and chaos was a man respected as one of California's foremost arson investigators, a captain in the Glendale Fire Department ...
From Joseph Wambaugh, the critically acclaimed, nationally bestselling author of The Onion Field, comes the astonishing true story of a nightmarish obsession -- and the hunt for a brilliant psychopath who lived a double life filled with professional tributes and terrifying secrets.
From Joseph Wambaugh, the critically acclaimed, nationally bestselling author of The Onion Field, comes the astonishing true story of a nightmarish obsession -- and the hunt for a brilliant psychopath who lived a double life filled with professional tributes and terrifying secrets.
This Edgar Award winner is a very good read of a true story by Joseph Wambaugh.
my husband loved this book sooooo much
This like almost every book Joseph Wambaugh wrote is so good in detail so that it can be precise but yet understandable by the general reader. This book starts and doesn't stop a must read for every police officer and fireman. Having done both I had a great deal of appreciation for the work that went into this writing. Like in Bloodwork Wambaugh has showed the hearts and soul of the characters in the book and wha they went through to capture and prove the evidence. A great read
This is a true story about a Glendale, ca. firefighter who turned arsonist. It was interesting to me because I am a firefighter who lives near the area, and I remember the fires he set, and followed the case closely.