 Author: Lynette Eason Genre: Thriller/Suspense Series: Lake City Heroes #3 Pages: 320 Release Date: January 21, 2025 Publisher: Revell When Jesslyn McCormick was just seven years old, a devastating house fire killed her parents and two younger sisters. Now the fire marshal of Lake City, Jesslyn is determined to find the person who started the fire that robbed her of her family. As the 25th anniversary of her family's deaths approaches, a string of fires--including at Jesslyn's church--brings up all those old feelings and offers new evidence. Because church fires are considered a hate crime, FBI Special Agent Nathan Carlisle is called in to work with local law enforcement. Nathan has his own past--one he'd prefer not to revisit. And focusing on helping Jesslyn track down the arsonist is a great distraction. As both the case and the chemistry between Jesslyn and Nathan heat up, memories will come flooding in from the past to bump up against hopes for the future. And when Jesslyn comes face-to-face with her worst nightmare, she'll have to confront her fears and rely on Nathan and her community of friends in order to survive.
 Reviewer: Tammy Lunsford Sometimes forgiveness is the hardest thing to swallow, and forgiveness plays a big part in the story within these pages. Forgiveness of self and others is hard to swallow for the main characters. Lynette Eason is a master puzzle maker with her writing style as she weaves a story with many pieces at the beginning and slowly brings them together in the end. Fire marshal Jesslyn McCormick is a lady on a mission. When she was young, her entire family died when their family home burned. She is determined, now more than ever, to find the person responsible for the devastation. When a fire breaks out at Jesslyn’s church, this starts a chain reaction of more fires, each with a strange clue left behind. FBI Special Agent Nathan Carlisle is working on the arson cases with Jesslyn. Both Nathan and Jesslyn have some past hurts that have carried over into their adult life. Nathan has bitterness in his heart and Jesslyn is focused so much on finding the person responsible for her loss that she cannot even see what is around her anymore. These two have their issues, but they also have a common thread and that is to seek justice. This was a complex mystery that will grab your attention from the beginning pages as each puzzle piece falls neatly into place. There will be pain as the past comes roaring back to haunt our two main characters, but there will also be joy and release. The twisty ending was quite a surprise for me. You can never go wrong with a Lake City Heroes book. This is book #3 in this series, which spotlights the heroes of Lake City. This one deserves more than five stars. This was inspirational romantic suspense at its finest. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion.  Reviewer: Beverly Laude “We all have a purpose for being here. Some of us just take longer to figure out what that is.” Jesslyn McCormick’s world was turned upside down 25 years ago when her parents and two younger sisters were killed in a tragic house fire. She is now the Fire Marshall in Lake City and she is determined to find the person who started the fire. She also wants to honor her family’s memory by starting the youth organization her father planned. Soon, there are several fires in places frequented by Jesslyn, including her church. Since a fire in a church is considered a hate crime, the FBI becomes involved. When Special Agent Nathan Carlisle arrives, Jesslyn is surprised at the feelings she begins to feel in his presence. Her whole goal in life is to find the arsonist who killed her family. She just doesn’t have time for romance! Nathan is also dealing with his own tragic loss, which he just wants to forget. However, his older brother, Eli, just won’t leave it alone. He hopes that the distraction of these fires will give him the space he needs. The story moves at a fairly quick pace as Jesslyn’s life is threatened more than once. As more fires are set, she uncovers things about her father that would have been better left alone. Is the person who is setting these current fires the arsonist that killed her family? Or is there something else going on? Throughout the book, the character’s faith in God is evident. The book touches on grief, death, suicide, and forgiveness. “All forgiveness comes from God. The need to find a way to forgive ourselves comes from the need to be released from the guilt we feel.” The ending was a bit unexpected but satisfying, which I appreciate in a romantic suspense book. My only complaint about this book is the number of characters involved in Jesslyn’s group of friends. It became confusing trying to figure out who these people were and how they fit into the story. I know this book is part of a series and that the author includes these people to tie the series together. However, to me, it just didn’t seem realistic to have a cadre of people get involved in every aspect of the case. All in all, this was a good book with plenty of thoughtful insight into forgiveness, family and purpose, all with God’s intervention. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion. Reviewer: Amy Smelser This was an intense and thrilling read concerning a stalker, one that likes to play with fire. Fire Marshal Jesslyn has had her fair share of trauma since she was a child. Losing both her parents and sisters to an arsonist fire has haunted her every step she has taken. Now she has just upped the ante of catching the evil person responsible for their deaths. This has marked her as a wanted woman, and one to get eliminated as quickly as possible. Why? Is she close to finding out the culprit? Something seems to have set off all the fires that are in some way or another connected to her. Jesslyn needs help, and she gets her best help from her friends, who all rally around to help and protect her. Especially FBI agent Nathan. Not only do they have an undeniable attraction to one another, but Nathan is ready to lay down his life to protect Jesslyn. He also has a past relating to a tragic fire, one he is too ashamed to think or talk about. The author pulled me into this story and made me feel especially for Jesslyn and the loss of her family and innocence at such a young age. She had to reach out and adopt her own family, so to speak, and she had a great circle of friends who just happened to be heroes in their own right. With pulse pounding thrills and a thread of romance, not to mention their friendship, Jesslyn and Nathan are going to need all the help they can get to catch this arsonist who continues to stalk and endanger Jesslyn and to unravel the mystery of her family’s deaths. I was provided a copy of this novel from Revell through Interviews & Reviews. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own. Reviewer: Elisha Varela Serial Burn was a fun, thrilling, and exciting experience. It showed us the two sides of a coin. I love how the author revealed their suffering while also showing us redemption and grace. It was a beautifully portrayed and well-written story. I love how both Jess and Nathan could grow past their childhood hurt and show a picture of second chances, whether it be with their lives or happiness. It was amazing to see how they both were constantly turning to God through their adversity and times of trouble. It displayed their faith and true love for God. I also really enjoyed seeing the updates from the past books. I think the friendships that they have played a vital point in making this book series so likable (enjoyable). I’m super excited about Kristine and Andrew’s story. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through Interviews and Reviews. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own. Reviewer: Paula Shreckhise “There are a lot of questions that only God can answer.” Jesslyn definitely has a lot of questions when an arsonist keeps targeting her and the buildings she is connected with. Ms. Eason takes us on a thrilling and puzzling ride to find the person behind these crimes. Fire Marshal Jesslyn digs deep into her personal tragedy of 20 years ago to ferret out clues. FBI agent Nathan is along to protect her. But he has secrets of his own that may quench any romantic sparks about to ignite. Full of excitement, danger and family drama, this story focuses on two hurting people who try to keep their eyes on God and His purposes. There is an excellent explanation of forgiveness which ties into the reason Jesus came to redeem us. Do not miss this wonderfully human story of loss, love, and faith. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Revell Publishing through Interviews & Reviews and via NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone. Reviewer: Rebecca Maney "He took a deep breath and went to implement the first step in his plan." Her church had been burnt to the ground. Deputy State Fire Marshal Jesslyn McCormick wondered what could possibly motivate a person to intentionally set fire to a church, and yes, she was almost certain it was an act of arson based on the color and pattern of the burn marks. What was totally outside her field of certainty was the piece of fine jewelry that someone had dropped at the scene intentionally. Even stranger was the fact that the brooch triggered a very faint memory. Could it be? Maybe it was. FBI Special Agent Nathan Carlisle is called in to assist in what was considered a hate crime, burning down a church. He'd met and admired Jesslyn before, but these circumstances were a little different, maybe even a lot different, since it quickly became obvious that someone was settling a personal vendetta against Jesslyn. Had the person or persons who had destroyed her entire family come back to finish her off? Why now? As the heat builds in both the investigation and between Nathan and Jesslyn, what will it take to cool things off in either direction? One determines her survival and the other, their future, (which quite honestly, they may want to keep warm!). Another fast-paced, cleverly plotted romantic suspense filled with "Lake City Heroes"! I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through Interviews & Reviews. The opinions stated above are entirely my own. Reviewer: Rick Norris Intrigue, mystery, action-adventure, dysfunctional families, and a struggling romance characterize Serial Burn by Lynette Eason. Lake City Fire Marshal, Jesslyn McCormick is determined to find the person who started the fire that robbed her of her family when she was just seven years old. As the twentieth anniversary of the tragedy approaches, a string of fires—including at Jesslyn’s church—brings up old feelings and offers new evidence. Because church fires are considered to be hate crimes, FBI Special Agent Nathan Carlisle is called in to work with local law enforcement. Nathan has his own tragic family past but focuses on helping Jesslyn, who acts as local law enforcement in her role, to track down the arsonist. Both the case and the chemistry heat up between Jesslyn and Nathan, though both are haunted by tragic childhood memories involving fire. Jesslyn comes face-to-face with her worst nightmare, which forces her to confront her fears and rely on Nathan and her community of friends to survive. The author does a great job pacing the story with subplots. She also peppers the dialogue with childhood trauma, and how it can develop into adult mental illness. Nice prose catches the reader’s attention like, “The engagement ring on her left hand winked under the fluorescent light, and Jesslyn smiled, glad the woman had found her happily ever after.” Though this may be categorized as Christian Fiction, the story inserts religious underpinnings at only several stressful scenes. An example is, “He patted her shoulder, then narrowed his eyes. ‘You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. God knew what was going to happen.’” The story has great introspection with which readers may identify. For example, “…The question that she’d not been brave enough to ask herself. Was it possible for her to simply be Jesslyn? A woman in love? Could she leave what had become her mission? Her very identity?” For those who love mystery, action, and a struggling romance, Serial Burn will leave you on fire. I received a review copy courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews for an unbiased and objective review. Reviewer: Charity Henico I absolutely despise love triangles. Imagine my surprise then, to discover that I was reading about one and actually not hating it. Actually, I was loving it. I think the difference is that I could see Yates ending up with either lady and would have been happy with it. Now don’t get me wrong, it ended exactly as it should have. But I wouldn’t have been mad either way, though I did get mildly stressed about things. This is a book with HARD topics. This is one where I found myself fervently praying for the characters. Humans do ugly things sometimes, you know? Thankfully, there is always hope. This one had a slower start, but it was a wonderful book. And I highly recommend reading the author’s note. Maybe that’s why that love triangle would have been fine either way. I was given a complimentary copy of this book by Bethany House through Interviews & Reviews. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own. Reviewer: Demetria Head
Lynette Eason delivers a compelling blend of faith, suspense, and raw emotion in her Christian thriller, Serial Burn. The novel captures readers from the first page, immersing them in the tumultuous world of Jesslyn McCormick, a fire marshal whose life has been shaped by a tragedy that still burns in her memory. At just seven years old, Jesslyn lost her entire family to a devastating house fire. Now, on the cusp of the tragedy’s 25th anniversary, a string of suspicious fires—including one at her church—forces her to confront not only her past but also a dangerous present. Eason creates a rich tale of suspense as Jesslyn’s determination to uncover the truth collides with new evidence that changes everything she thought she knew. FBI Special Agent Nathan Carlisle, brought in to investigate the arson attacks, is a character as layered as Jesslyn. Haunted by his own demons, Nathan is drawn to Jesslyn’s tenacity and vulnerability. Their partnership is charged with chemistry, but it’s the exploration of their faith, resilience, and the meaning of trust that sets this thriller apart. Eason’s writing really shines in her ability to balance edge-of-your-seat tension with deeply human moments of reflection and grace. The fires in Serial Burn are not just physical but metaphorical, igniting buried emotions and revealing hard truths. Readers will be captivated by the twists and turns, as well as the poignant moments of healing and hope that underscore the narrative. For fans of Christian thrillers that blend fast-paced action with heartfelt spiritual themes, Serial Burn is an unmissable read. It’s a story of confronting fears, uncovering truths, and finding redemption amid life’s most fiery trials. I received a complimentary copy from Revell via NetGalley and Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion of this book. Leave a Reply. |
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