Into The Fire is the first book in Rick Mofina’s Ray Wyatt trilogy. When hikers find a young traumatized boy wandering the remote Adirondacks in New York they retrace his steps in an attempt to find his family. What they actually find launches a national investigation led by FBI Special Agent Jill McDade. Ray Wyatt is a crime reporter trying to find information about what may have happened to his son when he is assigned to the case. In their attempt to find the killer they discover their investigation has now become a race against the clock as the little boy’s sister is also missing, presumed kidnapped. Even as McDade works to piece together the truth she must face the fear that it may be related to a previous serial killer case that went dormant several years prior. McDade must juggle her quest to find the answers with her fear about the previous case and her current struggles as a single mother. At the same time Wyatt struggles with telling the truth without actually compromising the investigation by doing so. Though somewhat reluctant they end working together in order to bring the little girl home safely.
This was a pretty good story and I did enjoy reading it because it did a great job of keeping you on the edge of your seat as they raced to find the answers. At the same time it also left you wanting more with several unsolved or unresolved issues lingering in the background. I have to admit I really enjoyed reading it but I am also going to admit that it did not feel all that original and felt as a whole way too similar to other similar books I have read. It didn’t stand out too much if that makes sense which is almost expected with how flooded the genre has become. The plot was mildly complex but mostly because of the multiple layers caused by two competing investigators with different amounts of information and because of the background insights into their regular life. I did like the characters as you don’t typically see a lot of reporters in the role of investigator but I feel like the FBI agent role is way overdone anymore even if I liked this particular version. In terms of their personality and background there wasn’t anything that really stood out there either. Their emotions and actions did feel realistic and their actual portrayal was well done even if the characters were not well thought out. Overall it was a good story but not necessarily a great one, at least in my opinion. I am happy giving it four out of five stars.
I would consider this book to be a blend of the mystery and thriller genres so it would probably hold the most appeal for those who tend to enjoy those genres. Unlike a lot of those genres there is little in the way of graphic descriptions that would potentially make it hard for some readers. I would still recommend younger readers be careful and nobody younger than about fifteen or sixteen should read this. It was still pretty good even if it didn’t stand out very much from the rest of the genre so consider trying it if it sounds interesting. As always feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.