Dave Hugelschaffer-Porter Cassel Series

When a raging forest fire cannot suck in air quickly enough, smoke turns black, blotting out the sun and turning day into night. To a firefighter, this false dusk is a sign of conditions turning rapidly from bad to worse. But Porter Cassel has more than just fires to contend with—he is a man with a tragedy in his past, and the situation becomes more complex when he is framed for the murder of a suspect.

“It was the Forest Rangers’ equivalent of CSI. I liked the realistic descriptions of the work and an interesting plot. A good read.” Nevada Barr, author of the Anna Pigeon series.

"Compelling characters, intricate plotting, sly wit and, most of all, authentic details....you can smell the smoke and hear the flames crackle." Paul Steensland, USFS Senior Special Agent (Retired)

Read the first chapter

Porter Cassel, on loan from the Alberta Forest Service, is given command of a fire in Montana. The fire is in a canyon, rumoured by the locals to be haunted. Cassel’s discovery that the fire is arson does little to quell the nervousness of his firefighters. Resources are scarce, due to numerous higher-priority fires. Cassel, without a helicopter, is unable to conduct a preliminary reconnaissance. Taking what seems an insignificant risk, he and one of his men climb a ridge for an overview of the fire. Flames roar unexpectedly up the ridge and trap the two men, who frantically deploy their fire shelters. Only Cassel survives, scorched and stunned. Was his decision to climb the ridge a moment of carelessness? Or is there a more sinister explanation? Compelled by a sense of duty to the family of his fallen comrade, and determined to settle in his own mind the question of his guilt, Cassel conducts his own investigation.

Read the first chapter