A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

Good morning, everyone! Today I’m a stop on the Random Things tour for Paula Hawkins’s latest, A Slow Fire Burning.

Daniel Sutherland is dead. When the body is found, there’s no question he’s been murdered. And the prime suspect is a woman who admits she spent the night with him. She has a temper and lashes out. She’s got a cut on her arm and the man’s watch in her possession. But, as it turns out, the case is most definitely not as clear cut as that. 

I think by now readers know that Paula Hawkins pens the twistiest of thrillers and this is no exception. 

From the start, the reader is introduced to a number of characters, but there are three standouts: Laura, the prime suspect; Miriam, the dead man’s neighbor; and Carla, the dead man’s aunt.

Laura is odd. Miriam notes that people call her Mad Laura, and the reason is explained soon enough. She works in a launderette, doesn’t get along with her step mother, and does act somewhat inappropriately depending on the circumstances. But is she a murderer? Could she have fallen into a rage and killed Daniel after they hooked up?

Miriam herself is someone who seems to be an acquired taste. She spies on the comings and goings of her neighbors—most of whom are temporary, and she’s sure to remind them if they overstay their welcome. She’s the one who found the body. And as it is soon revealed, she has a reason to relish in the attention and power the investigation gives her. But are her motives deeper? Maybe she killed Daniel. 

Carla is Daniel’s aunt. In fact, her own sister, Daniel’s mother, passed away shortly before the book begins. She was seen (by Miriam) visiting Daniel just before he was murdered. And her own story is complicated by a tragedy that could very well be a motive for murder. 

A Slow Fire Burning is somewhat true to its name in that the plot unfolds at a very deliberate pace. And while clues are certainly thrown our way, I found, true to Hawkins’s previous books, that I really couldn’t unravel the mystery on my own. 

I actually love a slow burn! There, I said it! I love to sink into a story and really get to know the characters. Slow burns can get a bit of a bad rap, but I think that’s mostly due to the author’s inability to create a fully rounded story. Careful plotting, excellent characters and world building, and pacing that feels natural, whether that be slow or fast, are all elements, regardless of genre or audience, that are part of the writing craft. Done well, a slow burn can be quite enjoyable. But if all of those pieces don’t come together, the pacing can absolutely feel plodding. 

So what’s the deal with A Slow Fire Burning? In my opinion, Hawkins gets all the pieces just right! (Though I do want to mention, really so many characters! It took me a bit to wrap my head around who was who in this story.)

A Slow Fire Burning is even more proof that Paula Hawkins is an exemplary talent!