Book Reviews

Book Blurb

FIRE ON THE ISLAND is a playful, romantic thriller set in contemporary Greece, with a gay Greek-American FBI agent, who is undercover on the island to investigate a series of mysterious fires. Set against the very real refugee crisis on the beautiful, sun-drenched Greek islands, this novel paints a loving portrait of a community in crisis. As the island residents grapple with declining tourism, poverty, refugees, family feuds, and a perilously damaged church, an arsonist invades their midst.
 
Nick Damigos, the FBI agent, arrives on the island just in time to witness the latest fire and save a beloved truffle-sniffing dog. Hailed as a hero and embraced by the community, Nick finds himself drawn to Takis, a young bartender who becomes his primary suspect, which is a problem because they’re having an affair. Theirs is not the only complicated romance in the community and Takis isn’t the only suspicious character on the island. The priest is an art forger, a young Albanian waiter harbors a secret, the captain of the coast guard station seems to have his own agenda, and the village itself hides a violent history. Nick has to unravel the truth in time to prevent catastrophe, as he comes to terms with his own past trauma. In saving the village, he will go a long way toward saving himself.
 
A long time devotee of the Greek islands, Smith paints the setting with gorgeous color and empathy, ushering in a new romantic thriller with the charm of  Zorba the Greek while shedding bright light on the very real challenges of life in contemporary Greece.

 

Book Review

‘Fire on the Island’ is not a conventional romance, in fact, I hesitate to quantify it as a romance at all. Fire on the Island was more a mystery with a sub-plot on relationships that explores the nuances of romance, specifically of being in love.

 

Set on a Greek island in the village of Vourvoulos, Nick, a Greek-American FBI agent stationed in Athens, has been sent to Vourvoulos to investigate a series of unsolved fires. He’s there under the pretense of writing a book, giving him the leeway to ask nosy questions. Vourvoulos, like many Greek cities and islands, is also coping with the influx of refugees making the crossing from Turkey to Greece, and with the exception of one person, everyone assumes the refugees are setting the fires.

 

The mystery is engaging and interesting enough to keep the overall story moving forward. The plot lines bounce between Nick investigating the arson and a handful of key village inhabitants. It’s here that the book explores relationships and love. There is: first love (Athina, Ridi), forbidden love (the island’s gay men; the island’s women and Stravos), lost love (Lukas and his destroyed eucalyptus trees), destroyed love (Vassoula) and Omar), familiar love (Shirley and Lukas), a mother’s love (Lydia for Athina), a son’s love for his mother (the priest). All of these individual stories weave together in only the way living in a small village can.

 

But what about Nick? Isn’t he supposed to find his one true love while investigating? In a more conventional romance, yes. In ‘Fire on the Island’? No. And I think that’s what I liked most about most this book – it wasn’t a conventional romance. Again, it’s a mystery that explores relationships.

 

And noting, not all these relationships are healthy or comfortable. There was definitely an “ew” moment that might be a trigger for some – questionable consensual sex between an of age young woman and a (non-Catholic) priest. Author/book clearly state the priest is allowed to have sex under the parameters of their particular religion, but… mmmm. Some discomfort here.

 

In closing, this is a different style of male/male romance (see notes above) and it might not be everyone’s cuppa tea. I appreciated this book all the more because it was unconventional and I may have to explore some of the author’s other works.

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review.

 

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 288 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	07-July-2020
Price	$10.61 ebook, $17.95 paperback
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Island-Timothy-Jay-Smith-ebook/dp/B084MN8Y4L