Someone wants to see LA County burn.  His name is Niteheat and he is unmatched at what he does: set fires. Jim Kendall is an arson investigator and he is determined to find the arsonist serial bring him or her to account for his crimes.  Niteheat considers the fires to be an art form and wants to be given credit for the fires. He believes he’s doing a public service by giving the land a chance to be reborn. He’s very clever and wants to give each fire his unique signature. He believes he’s too clever to be caught but Kendall is more than a match. As he examines the clues left by the arsonist, he comes to realize that the truth may hit very close to home. Can he find the arsonist and stop him before it’s too late?

 Red Flag Warning by Kurt Kamm is a great read. Fires are a fact of life in Southern California and Kamm has captured that atmosphere with astonishing realism.  His research for this book was quite extensive, having spent time with firefighters on the front line. As a resident of Malibu, he knows firsthand what it feels like for your heart to skip a beat each time you hear that a fire has started.  The characters Kamm has created are very realistic and believable, from Fred Ott, the pseudo-priest to Mikey, survivor of an abusive home that finds refuge in an obsession with fires and firefighting.  I read this novel in less than a day and was unable to put it down for very long. The character of Jim Kendall, the arson investigator, definitely has potential  to be the focus for a series and I hope to see more of him in future novels. I would give this book five of five stars.