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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN num: 9780425219225
ISBN number: 0425219224
Label: Berkley Hardcover
Manufacturer: Berkley Hardcover
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 304
Printing Date: February 05, 2008
Publishing house: Berkley Hardcover
Sale Popularity Level: 308807
Studio: Berkley Hardcover
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
Wild Indigo introduced rough and ready Bureau of Land Management agent Jamaica Wild. Now she returns-deployed to a wildfire on the Southern Ute reservation, where a puzzling plea whispered by a burning man points to a mystery more menacing than murder.
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Rated by buyers 
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I generally really enjoy the southwestern mystery genre that Hillerman, Jance, and McGaritty preside over and I was looking forward to trying out Sandi Ault's take on this niche of mystery storytelling.
While Wild Inferno is not a bad book, it's a little lackluster in what I was hoping for.
First, I will commend the author on her originality on the main character, Jamaica. In a setting usually dominated by rough and gruff or detective inspired men, it was refreshing to see a female lead with a rather ordinary background take center stage.
Second, Jamaica's adopted wolf, Mountain, may play into a 'gimmick'-like sidekick at very first glance, Sandi writes the bond between the two as something very believable and not too far fetched. I'd like to see more of this relationship in future installments and help breaks up the standard equation of these type of books.
Thirdly, Sandi has a skill of painting a vivid descriptive picture of the American Southwest. She has created a wonderful universe for her stories to take place and does a fine job for getting a feel for the land.
However, I felt the book wasn't as strong as it could have been. I'm wrestling to consider these subsequent few points actually negatives, but perhaps just didn't gel for me.
The time frame of the book takes place in a matter of days. From the opening page to approx 3/4 of the way through, the events seem to transpire almost 'too quickly' if possible, as only a few days have gone by. It seems a tad of a stretch to have the main character be exposed to so much and be in so many places nonstop over the course of 72-96 hours. I kept thinking...how does she travel so quickly between events and how does she fit in her 4-5 hours of mentioned sleep?
Also, the main character, Jamaica really isn't a detective at all. She actually works for the BLM, and the 'mystery' seems to unfold almost too coincidentally and conveniently in Jamaica's lap with very little investigative work on her part at all. Sure, there's the FBI involved and the local police, but it just seems Jamaica lands into the thick of things and revelations by pure luck. This doesn't make the story bad, it just breaks the convention of a typical 'mystery' novel, and maybe some may find this actually refreshing.
The book is written in the very first person narrative as well. It took me a few chapters to get used to, but works out just fine. The whole novel unfolds from the viewpoint of Jamaica. There is a lot of "I's", and everything the reader is exposed to happens from Jamaica's eyes.
There were a few secondary characters that I just didn't understand their motivations or backgrounds. They show up, interact, and then leave you slightly puzzled as to what their exact purpose was or will be. Hopefully they will be fleshed out in in future installments, but in this setting they appeared to be just window dressing to once again conveniently explain something that Jamaica just 'falls into by chance'...not because she's an actual detective.
I hope my concerns don't dissuade you from reading this novel. It was a pleasant and fast read. Not overly complicated yet entertaining. There was some nice Native American lore and ceremonies described within, but again, seemed to just come shy of hitting the mark to make this feel like a true Southwestern novel. I'm sure this will only improve with forthcoming titles.
Rated by buyers 
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Throughout Wild Inferno, the haunting message that someone, or something must be saved shows clearly. But who is the grandmother mentioned by the burning man ("Save the grandmother"), and why did he risk his life to get the message out before slipping into a coma?
In this second book of the series featuring BLM agent Jamaica Wild, a wildfire erupts on the Southern Ute Reservation. We learn the dramatic stories of wildland fire fighters who give their all to save the forest and the native people. This glimpse into the life of firefighter teams is an amazing tribute to these unsung heroes. As liaison between the Native Americans and the fire fighting command center, Jamaica finds herself once again embroiled in a tug of war and a mystery. Honoring the ancient rituals and people of the various tribes can be trying when you have flames roaring at your back and people who don't want to leave a ceremony that onlys happen about once every eighteen and a half years.
Murder seems to be afoot, and Jamaica must find the grandmother mentioned in the cryptic message before more people are hurt. As if that and her duties of fighting an inferno were not enough, add Jamaica's wolf, Mountain, who makes his way into the fray with her adoptive Ute grandmother and adds delightful distractions. The frustration of learning things "the Indun Way" doesn't make it any easier when battling nature, investigating murder, dodging political bullets, evading an armed stalker, and trying to keep herself and her loved ones sane and alive.
This book has plenty of action and thrills laced with great background details, well developed characters, and a really fun who-dun-it to solve.
by Rhonda Esakov
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
Rated by buyers -
WILD INDIGO introduced the Bureau of Land management agent Jamaica Wild to the investigative mystery world: she returns here with a new set of challenges; but no prior familiarity is needed to appreciate her routine and focus. A wildfire on an Indian reservation leads Jamaica on a chase after a killer - compounded by an out-of-control fire and clues which lead her to a troubled past. Intrigue and mystery make for a fast-paced mystery perfect for any solid mystery collection.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Rated by buyers -
Wildland firefighters are truly heroes. There isn't a station house where they show up for work or all hang out every day. They could be your neighbor, someone you wouldn't ever recognize as a hero. Wildland firefighters come from all over the country to help when an area is rampant with wildfires. They put their lives on the line for little or no recognition. Wild Inferno tells a great mysterious story but also showcases some of America's unknown heroes. You can tell that author Sandi Ault is the real deal. She knows all to well from the inside out what life as a wildland firefighter is all about.
Thank you wildland firefighters for saving our forests!
Rated by buyers -
She is a resource protection agent for the Bureau of Land Management and acts as a liaison to one of the local Indian Pueblos. When a wildfire blazes out of control on the southern Ute Reservation, on of Jamaica Wild's very first assignment is to locate Grandpa Ned who snuck behind the barracks. She finds a burned firefighter who tells her to "save the Grandmother". W hen she finds Grandpa Ned, he is dead and it is later determined he was murdered.
To make matters worse a sacred Indian ceremony is being carried out at Chimney Rock and it happens every eighteen and a half years. They won't evacuate because they fear they won't be let back in to complete the rite. Jamaica starts asking questions re Ned and the injured fireman. Her tires are slashed, a bullet is fired through her windshield and her brake lines are cut. Jamaica's life is in danger if she doesn't stop trying to figure out why Grandpa Ned risked his life to dig behind the fire lines.
Readers will be awed at how firefighters risk their lives to protect civilians and the camaraderie that exists between them despite tribal affiliation. The heroine is a strong willed woman, close to her wolf who is her best friend and a warrior who is not afraid to go into battle against the enemy even an inferno. She is the perfect role model for today's woman because even though she is working in what some assume is a man's world she is not afraid to be feminine.
Harriet Klausner
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