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Suspense doesn¡¯t burn any brighter and desire doesn¡¯t run any deeper than when Suzanne Brockmann takes the helm, opens the throttle, and takes readers along for a breathless ride as she breaks the thrill barrier¨Cagain and again. With Into the Fire, Brockmann lights the fuse on her most explosive story yet.

Vinh Murphy¨Cex-Marine and onetime operative for the elite security firm Troubleshooters Incorporated¨Chas been MIA ever since his wife, Angelina, was caught in a crossfire and killed during what should have been a routine bodyguard assignment. Overcome with grief, Murphy blames the neo-Nazi group known as the Freedom Network for her death. Now, years later, Freedom Network leader Tim Ebersole has been murdered¨Cand the FBI suspects Murphy may have pulled the trigger. To prevent further bloodshed, Murphy¡¯s friends at Troubleshooters scramble to find him and convince him to surrender peacefully.

Murphy himself can¡¯t be sure what he did or didn¡¯t do during the years he spent mourning and lost in an alcohol-induced fog. He does know he occasionally sought solace from Hannah Whitfield, a former police officer and the very friend who¡¯d introduced him to his beloved late wife.

But Hannah, still grappling with the deafness that resulted from an injury sustained while on duty, was fighting her own battles. For years Hannah had feelings for Murphy, and one painful night their suffering brought them together in a way neither expected¨Cand both regretted.

Murphy is ready to rejoin the living. As always, he finds himself knocking on Hannah¡¯s door, and as always, his longtime friend welcomes him back into her home. Yet even as Murphy slowly rebuilds his splintered life, he continues to fight his growing feelings for Hannah.

Then he learns of Ebersole¡¯s murder and comes to believe that the Freedom Network has targeted him¨Cand Hannah¨Cto avenge their leader¡¯s death to violence. Now Murphy must face the terrifying prospect of losing another woman he loves.

As the Troubleshooters desperately search for him, Murphy races toward a deadly confrontation with the Freedom Network and ultimate choice: surrender his life in hopes that Hannah will be spared, or risk everything to salvage whatever future they may have together.


From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

• Nothing Says Love Like Maroon 5
  Finally,more about Decker and Izzy...I couldn't be happier. I've been waiting,unpatiently,for a story that involves more of Decker and Izzy but I never expected to get even more about Dave,Sophia,Nash,and Tess. I've missed these characters so much and I'm so happy to have them back. I never expected Ms. Brockmann to throw Eden Gillman,Danny Gillman's sister,into the mix as well. The relationship between she and Izzy was just starting to grow but she just kept lying and acting like a whore. I mean,granted,she's always used sex as a weapon but I just wish you would've been honest...I always wish the same for Izzy.
  
  I enjoyed reading more about Murphy and I've been wondering about him since the end of Hot Target. I loved reading his and Hannah's story but I'll admit that I loved the sub plots more. I can't wait to read more about all the secondary characters. This series keeps getting better and better...I own every book so far and it's going to stay that way. ...more info
• Fair read but did not meet my expectations...
  Having started reading Suzanne Brockmann Troubleshooters and Tall, Dark, and Dangerous books mid-series, I quickly went to the first book and worked my way through them until I was caught up an impatiently waiting for the next. Suzanne created characters that I came to know and wonder how they were doing.
  
  I found this book somewhat lacking substance and detail I came to know. I found it jumped entirely too much from storyline to storyline to a point I was beginning to get a little confused. The ending did not seem to culminate into a a satisfactory ending and leave me anxious for the next book.
  
  I almost felt as if all of the characters were thrown into the book just so they had an appearance. Like Jules, he made an appearance but it would have been nice knowing how his life was going.
  
  I am hoping Suz isn't going the way of some authors when they become popular in that the storylines become too repetitive and it seems as if they are just in a hurry to get another book published.
  
  Overall, it was a decent read but did not reach the level of enjoyment I expected....more info
• Into the fire, inedeed!
  This next Trouble Shooters novel by Suzanne Brockman is definitely action-packed! It deals with Vinh Murphy who falls apart after the death of his wife Angelina at the hands of the Neo-Nazi Freedom Network. He thinks, in a drunken stupor, he may have killed Tim Ebersole, the leader of the NFN. He's wanted by everyone, including the Trouble Shooters, and turns to Hannah, his best friend,a former cop, who was injured in the line of duty and is now deaf. Hannah loves Vinh and refuses to give up on him, and their deepening relationship is an important part of the book.
  But there are sub plots a plenty and it will help immensely if you have read the previous Trouble Shooters series. Then you'll welcome Izzy Zannella and his poignant love story. And what of Decker and Dave and Sophia? As I said, it definitely helps to have read the previous books to know the inter-relationship of all these charaters. And do they all have personal issues to solve! Whew! You will feel like an exhausted Trouble Shooter yourself when you're done with this book! But if you like Brockman's books, you'll like this one, too. ...more info
• Action packed with a CAPITAL A
  Vinh Murphy, a former marine and past operative for Troubleshooter's Incorporated, lost his ability to cope with his job, his friends, or his life in general, when his wife was cruelly murdered during what should have been a simple bodyguard job. For the past few years he has dropped out of sight and wondered around drunk or drugged during most of that time.
  
  Murphy's one anchor to normality has been his best friend Hannah Whitfield, a former police officer that was injured on the job and lost her hearing. Now Murphy is sober and finally showing signs of returning to life when he and Hannah discover that Tim Ebersole, the leader of the group Murphy holds responsible for his wife's death, has been murdered and the FBI's primary suspect is Murphy. Even Murphy doesn't know if he did it; his life was a series of bars and his memory is foggy so that he doesn't even know where he was during the time frame of the murder. Can Hannah and Murphy's friends at Troubleshooters find the truth in time to save Murphy or will someone kill him first?
  
  Into the Fire is the thirteenth book in Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooter's series. The book can be read stand alone but many of the characters in the story have appeared in the other books in the series and I am glad I had read them first. I have to admit my bias here: I love the very strong characters, extremely suspenseful situations, and the somewhat violent action that characterizes this series by Brockmann. Excessive violence, even death often occur in these books but it is a part of the story and used to illustrate the extreme and inhuman measures the bad guys will go to in order to get their way. She also uses it to demonstrate just how strong some characters can be and how far humans can be pushed before we break.
  
  _Into the Fire is every bit as exciting, emotional, action packed, and suspenseful as Brockmann's other books in this series, and I hated to put it down until I reached the end.
  
  Armchair Interviews says: Hold onto your reading hat--this is action packed....more info
• Into the Fire but not into the "Best of Brockmann"
  If you've not read Brockmann before, I strongly encourage you to do so. However, don't start with INTO THE FIRE.
  
  I am a long-time devoted fan of Ms. Brockmann's work so it pains me to say that this is not her best. Jumpy and disconnected multiple story lines combined with her trademark historical flash back approach made it difficult to get into - especially in the first part of the book. Most of her books give some time to various couples apart from but nestled within the primary h/h story. In this one, those sub-plots are given whole pieces of the book separately. The story line changed every couple of pages necessitating a font change to delineate the historical flashbacks (not an uncommon device surely but absolutely necessary for this book). Just as I was really getting into a storyline - boom - I was redirected to the next. I suspect that Ms. Brockmann was trying to line up all the scenes of each storyline so that they happened fairly concurrently in the time line. Unfortunately, all it did was give me a vague sense of disassociation - as if I never really knew where I was.
  
  First time readers of this series may find it even more difficult as one of the things that helped me through was knowing most of the characters really well from reading (all) the previous books in this truly excellent series. I understood the background for the various trials and tribulations of each couple's sub-story. New readers of the series might find that a little confusing. Ms. Brockmann pulled all the various pieces together in the end and created a few very nice cliff-hangers to drive further entries. This is a comfort because I was getting the impression as I progressed through the book that she was cleaning up loose threads in order to end the whole TS/Seals/FBI thing. Such doesn't appear to be the case as she has already named and tentatively scheduled the next entry.
  
  The book does however, for long time fans of this series, bring a lot of old familiar names back into play - some with speaking parts but others just as cameos.
  
  Heretofore, I would wait with panting excitement for a new Brockmann book. I can't imagine ever being sorry that I purchased one but INTO THE FIRE has caused me to feel less anticipation than I usually do for the next offering....more info
• non-stop action !
  Wow, what an amazing read. The action never stops, new relationships are explored and old ones are deepened. For a book with so much action, there is a lot of introspection into the far-reaching effects of one act of violence, the death of Vihn's wife Angeline in Hot Target (TS #8). Someone else commented that a lot of people get hurt, but this reflects a more realistic point of view than the one where the bad guys can't shoot straight. There is one new HEA and 2 more relationships that make substantial progress toward their own HEA. Suz is the best at stringing a complex relationship thru several books to show the reality of how they grow and change over time. I'm looking forward to more!...more info
• Glad I followed Brockmann to hardcover!
  I waffled back and forth a lot before picking up this title in hardcover, but I wanted to read Izzy's story that much that I took the plunge.
  
  First of all, as has been the case with some of Brockmann's recent stories, the "primary" relationship was of little interest to me when compared to finally getting some progress in Decker, Dave, Sophia, Team 16, so I skimmed through most of their scenes. However, I will reread them since I like both Hannah and Murphy (as opposed to Ric who I was neutral about and Annie who I hated of the previous book). I was skeptical of their story at first, but both of the characters really grew on me.
  
  Now, I think those people who are interested in seeing more of team from Flashpoint will be really pleased. Dave and Decker finally have character growth! We also get a little more info on Nash's shady past. Though I did get annoyed when Tess at one moment, I thought her scenes were extremely heart-felt.
  
  As for Izzy and Eden, some people are going to hate them. I don't think it's at all a rehash of Sam and MaryLou (though I will give you that Brockmann's characters sometimes seem to be excessively fertile). I think they were both well-written, Eden especially as the emotional, immature 18 year old. When she discusses her reasons for keeping the baby, it reminded me of the Gloucester girls. Yes she is young (emotionally more than physically), but Izzy and her do talk and bond beyond the initial spark of attraction. I really hope she does mature a little, but as for the 18-29 age difference, I don't have a problem with that.
  
  So, in conclusion: still really enjoying this series, waiting desperately for next spring's release, and planning to reread this book far too many times over the next year. :)...more info
• Lots of surprises!
  I enjoyed this book very much, but this is the darkest book to date of the Troubleshooters series. It delves into detail about how one event (Angelina's death) affected many different people, and how they've dealt with it since. Murphy and Hannah are the main couple, and both of them are coming to terms with that (Angelina was Murphy's wife and Hannah's best friend). There are some unexpected twists and turns, and lots of suspense. It will be interesting to see how the romantic entanglements will be resolved in later books, but Suzanne Brockmann hasn't disappointed me yet....more info
• Where Is the Real Suzanne Brockmann?
  I have faithfully read all of the Troubleshooters books. The last few haven't been as good as the first few, but I still found them to be fun escapism. This book, however, is the first book that was bad from the very first page. It's a total mess. Too many side stories, too little actual true character development. By page fifty I could care less about Hannah and Murphy. I could barely read the passages with them in it. After working REALLY hard to get past the idea that a major love story involves a barely legal girl and a 29 year old, the end was too stupid to warrant even the walking energy it would take to borrow this book from the library. Every one seemed to be learning the same stupid lesson over and over and over and over again (don't be afraid to love, show your feelings, yada yada yada). I truly wonder if Ms. Brockmann even wrote this book. It felt like a bunch of bad short stories pasted together from someone's freshman creative writing class. Where was the editor? I wish this review could reflect my complete hatred of this book. It was one of the worst I have read in years....more info
• Surprising and Engaging - Loved It!
  This book is the best I've read all summer! (I've read all the new JE, NR, LH, CC, LG, hardbacks and many paperbacks during this summer vac.) From the start I was interested in continuing (yes, continuing) reading about characters from other TS books. Vinh and Hannah must take on the Freedom Network (think Branch Davidians) and Tim Ebersole - the man responsible for killing Angelina - Vinh's wife and Hannah's bff - several years ago. The story line was complex and thrilling. Characters remained true to their appearances in other TS books. It was wonderful to read how some were evolving into more responsible people (Dave Malkoff, Izzy, et al) and how they adapted to some new problems. I'm sure that in future TS books some of these characters' problems will be resolved and others' will continue into other books. The reunion of characters from TS, FBI, and Seal Team 16 brought back many great memories of earlier TS books. I can't wait for the next book in this series! ...more info
• I personally loved it!
  Wow - very intense! 3 stories going on in this book, so you have to pay attention. I'm so glad I didn't have the chance to read this until right before Dark of Night came out (I was on the wait list with the library to read it). Because now I can go straight into reading DON to find out what happens. ITF really is part one of some of the characters stories - Murphy & Hannah have their HEA, but the story is definitely left open for Nash, Tess, Dave, Sophia, Decker, Izzy and Eden. Speaking of Eden, loved her with Izzy and I hope they get together. What she went through in this book I have also personally experienced (almost exactly - different cause, same outcome), so when I read about it my heart just stopped. Needless to say, I'm diving into DON now. I can't wait to see what happens!...more info
• Into the...Tedium
  Echoing previous reviews, I'd say that while it was good to catch up with these characters and get some closure on Vinh, the story was quite disjointed, had a ridiculous amount of profanity, was low on real romantic development, and went in some yucky directions.
  
  I'm all for therapy but did not catch on to the point of introducing the shrink character. It was 100% expected that most of the characters would resist a real connection with her. Presumably in future books we will learn why this shrink was important, but that will be too late for it to have been worth reading all about it in this book. I love a mystery but at some point, it is just downright annoying not to know why something is important when it's threaded throughout a book.
  
  Who knows what will happen with Dave/Decker/Sophia, but the triangle and Deck's self-torture has gotten OLD. I'm hoping for Deck/Sophia, but it looks as if that's currently disfavored by the author.
  
  One of the things I do really like about SB is her handling of real issues (homosexuality, bad childhoods, etc.), however I just did not care for the Izzy/Eden storyline. Between his foul mouth and her sad background and being JUST TOO YOUNG for a modern romance novel, I cringed through their scenes. The question of who the father of the baby is, etc., was a mess and I found myself being turned off by the whole subplot.
  
  Unfortunately, I think this series has (perhaps inevitably) gotten to the point where the author has to recycle too much from previous installments (hence boring us), and then where she does get creative, loyal fans of the earlier books either feel "betrayed" or just not interested in how the new developments are going....more info
• Troubleshooter series is the best
  I have most of the troubleshooter series and like them all. The ones I don't have I am looking for and will get asap. This book was good. Decker needed to have someone and Nash is getting more mellow. Just takes a good woman!! I really enjoyed this read. Would recommend this to anyone who likes Suzanne Brockman and the troubleshooters. Just need more books faster....more info
• Tons of Action and Surprises-- A Little Disappointing Overall
  Suzanne Brockmann is definitely one of the best romance writers out there. Her dialogue is snappy, her plots truly suspenseful and her characters expertly drawn. Plus, her books are very witty and laugh-out-loud funny in places. So there's no denying that on a fundamental level, ITF is a very good book that's worth reading. It's engaging, fast-paced, and full of surprises.
  
  Like Into the Storm, Into the Fire is dark in tone. As it opens, Vinh and Hannah are both suffering and in great emotional pain. Seeing them come together and heal is very gratifying.
  
  In fact, the theme of healing runs throughout the book, especially as it pertains to Dave, Sophia, and Decker. The flip-side of all this healing is that there's also a fair amount of suffering in the book, not much of it rectified by the end of the novel. Izzy's subplot, certainly, is just beginning and destined to follow the lead of Sam/Alyssa and Max/Gina and take many books (and thus, many years) to resolve.
  
  And maybe that sense of having to wait is what made this book a trifle disappointing for me. I don't want to give too much away, but the Dave/Sophia/Decker triangle took a turn in this book that I suspected might occur after reading Into the Storm. Yet despite predicting what Brockmann was up to (a classic bait-and-switch whereby the couple you think is a given is not a given at all) I felt somewhat betrayed as a reader who has been waiting for the slow-moving Sophia/Decker arc to culminate in these two really hashing things out and loving each other.
  
  And Izzy's new romance is intriguing (although I would say that some readers might be put off by the age difference), but I couldn't help but flash back to all the books that Sam/Alyssa had to suffer through before they had their happy ending. I guess for some readers and Brockmann fans, it's all about that delicious anticipation of sticking by your faves as you wait for that magical book when they FINALLY get together. As for me, I couldn't help but feel just a little bit put-out and tired of the constant waiting, only to then have the rug pulled out beneath me (and again, to be fair, this may simply be a personal reaction borne out of my frustration over where Brockmann appears to be going in the Sophia/Decker/Dave thing).
  
  New characters are introduced in this novel (I predict the female doctor is destined to hook up with a key male character who's likely about to lose the girl) and a few former main characters have cameos, which makes the book a fun read.
  
  Would I recommend ITF? Yes.
  
  Am I feeling just a tad bitter about how it all played out, though? YES.
  
  Grade: B...more info
• Not really worth the wait ...
  I usually love Susanne Brockmann's books but this book was a disappointment.
  I main characters Hannah and Murphy love story was kind of boring. I don't think the author gave the characters the time and depth that they deserved. I love all the SEALS and the troubleshooters crew but at time i had to keep reminding myself who was who, there were too many characters running around at once and they all had their own thing going on. I am glad that Sophia is finally seeing the light and i cant wait to read her story. I would love to see Tracy the receptionist get her own story as well, it seemed to be hinted at in the book. Izzy and his wife is a mess but what happened to them was really sad, I hope they get their happy ending soon. ...more info
• "Into the Fire" is a sort of prequel to the upcoming "Into the Dark"
  I checked the author's website yesterday and came upon the statement that the cliffhanger will be picked up in the next book, "Into the Dark", so readers might want to keep that in mind. My husband and I read books together; he's really had trouble with the amount of "chick stuff" in this book, as he calls it - lots of "interior" character introspection - along with less action, less humor, and more confusing frequent locale/action shifts than the previous books.
  
  I don't think SB laid the foundation for Hannah & Murphy's romance, nor did I feel the emotional connection with them that I have with her other couples.
  
  I did enjoy Izzy & Eden and hope more will develop with them in future books. There's potential there for a great story arc. But had I known this was sort of a two-book story going in, I probably would have waited until "Into the Dark" was published and bought them both at once.
  
  And, Suzanne, if you're reading this: please include more about SEAL ops & culture in your novels if your characters will let you. ...more info
• Okay but Not My Favorite
  (Some of this review may have some "Spoilers" but several reviews have already done that) It was interesting to catch up with some of the characters from other books. Izzy is hilarious, though I didn't care for the romance (if you call it that) between him and the teeny bopper. She's so immature and I can't see her waiting around whenever Izzy would be on a mission for weeks at a time. She comes on to every guy and the author could have her grow up down the road I guess but Izzy deserves better.
  
  It was good to see Murphy get it together and to see him find someone to fall in love with after his wife's tragic death, though it took him long enough. I'm guessing we won't hear more about him and Hannah since he has left Troubleshooters.
  
  In one way the book was difficult for me to read and found myself skimming a lot. I hated the whole thing with Dr. Heissman. I did not like her character at all. She was arrogant and full of herself and played with everyone's head. I hated the chapters where each one has to talk to her. I'm all for therapy for people when needed but her questions (and how did that make you feel geesh!) and observations were just arrogant. (I skimmed a lot here) I have a feeling that our author plans on hooking her up with Decker and I'm going to hate that. I still like Decker (I think Suzanne is slowly changing his character to being more likable) Watch and see!!
  
  I thought the book was a little long-some of the conversations went on and on about nothing. I would think okay we get it-move on!
  
  I thought the profanity and vulgarity was a little over the top in this latest book. (I'm not a prude but this one was over kill)I feel like I need to go wash my brain. There has always been profanity but don't remember quite so much except when Sam was in the story.
  
  Some didn't like the idea of Sophia finally turning to Dave but I think the thing with Decker had gone on long enough. So it was time for her to move on to someone who did love her. Actually, I don't care much for Sophie. At first she seemed a sympathetic figure but several books later she seems very full of herself and telling everyone what to do and how to feel. One segment when they are at some eating place, they had to make special food for her. Good Grief! I've grown tired of how beautiful and thin she is. I really think Dave deserves better.
  
  It seemed like the book had so much conflict between the characters that it got on my nerves a bit. Most of her books have had the Troubleshooters on a misson and most of the book would be about that. Only the last few chapters of this book does it really move. Otherwise it seemed to bog down with the dramatics of some of the characters.
  
  I have read all the series and I find I really like the earlier books better. I'm not liking the new characters the author is bringing in to the newer books. For me I think the series has run it's course. (The story I would like to see is Lopez-he's a great character)I have liked this series but not as much as Catherine Coulter's FBI series.
  
  
  ...more info
• SB's Books are Great, but . . .
  this isn't one of them. It's more like 5 short stories poorly webbed together and back and forth in time. I love most of her other books however, and will look forward to more....more info
• Another Brockmann hit!
  This is an excellent book. The issues that Vinh Murphy deals with trying to rebuild his life after his wife Andelina's death makes a great story line. I always hate for a Brockmann book to end. I have even started one over because I hate for them to end!!...more info
• Could NOT Put This Down
  I picked this book up last night at the bookstore and less than twenty-four hours later, put it down after holding it while cooking dinner, sitting in the car waiting for kids, and staying up until the wee hours. I simply could not put it down. Readers who prefer a traditional HEA may be very disappointed, as will those who like a focus on two main characters with maybe only a single secondary subplot. But the complexity of the narrative (lots - LOTS - of POVs) and the not-always-perfect endings fit the story well. Anything else would have been cheating the characters.
  
  SPOILERS!!
  
  While I'll admit that the romance between Hannah and Vinh was the weakest in the book for me (the reason I didn't go for 5 stars) because these characters were unknown entities, I so much love the character of Izzi that he alone kept me riveted. I do have my reservations about the idea of him with a barely-18 year old girl (kind of ew!). I was disappointed in his inability to control himself, but the mistakes he makes in this book make him incredibly real as a character. Flawed but forgivable. He's turned out to be such an unexpected hero I almost didn't mind. I was particularly impressed with his reaction upon being accused of something any young man would find worrisome, yet he mans up despite his innocence. Truthfully, the way the book ended almost had to be if there's any hope of Eden and Izzi ever having a mature, lasting relationship. So I'm willing to stick around for a few books and see what happens.
  
  Back to Hannah and Vinh, I wasn't thrilled with what I saw as a bit of a copout on Brockmann's part at the end of the story. Vinh's devastation over having lost his beloved wife, Angelina, was a bit weakened when his relationship with Hannah was ultimately resolved because there was a bit of backpedaling going on. I would have preferred if Brockmann would have let Vinh simply find a second chance at love, cleanly and honestly.
  
  Count me one who is a bit disappointed in how the Decker/Sophia/Dave triangle seems to be working out. I really want Decker and Sophia to figure out how to work around their issues, and even though Dave is a great guy who deserves his own HEA, there's a lingering sense that Sophia is settling that leaves me feeling hollow.
  
  Overall, the main action plot was well done. At one point, I had a bit of trouble following exactly who was where since the characters all move around quite a bit, and the whole story is super-compacted into a fairly short time period. Brockmann has definitely shifted her focus away from the old crew (Sam, Alyssa, Kenny, Nils, Cosmo, etc.) and onto the newer characters, which keeps things interesting. Nothing worse than reading a constant parade of past heroes and heroines who show up for a cameo and serve nothing to the story.
  
  One final thing - if Brockmann ever plans to make a hero out of Danny Gillman, she's going to have a Herculean task on her hands. The kid was a complete punk in this book, completely unlikeable and honestly, I wouldn't mind if he ended up the next casualty. The character is borderline irredeemable.
  
  Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's a page turner....more info
• action-packed romantic suspense thriller
  Vinh Murphy lived the Marine value of never leaving behind a brother or sister in arms. He took that ethic with him when he left the military and joined Troubleshooters Incorporated as a top gun operative. However, on what was an alleged simple and safe mission, his beloved wife Angelina died in a crossfire. Filled with grief and guilt over her death, he simply vanishes, but holds culpable the neo-Nazi Freedom Network especially its leader Tim Ebersole; everyone who knows him knows he deeply blames Ebersole.
  
  When someone cleverly kills Ebersole, the FBI and even his associates at Troubleshooters assume Murphy is the prime suspect as he has a gut wrenching motive and his skills give him means and opportunities few could achieve to murder the highly protected Ebersole. Fearing a lethal shootout his Troubleshooter friends search for Murphy to persuade him to come in peacefully. Angelina's best friend former police officer Hannah Whitfield has always loved Vinh, but hid her deep regard from him and from Angelina when she was alive. He seeks her help as he is unsure whether he pulled the trigger or not as he was in an alcoholic stupor; they seek the truth by going INTO THE FIRE of the Freedom Network.
  
  Hannah and Vinh are an interesting pairing because both grieve the loss of Angelina and the guilt of one night of solace together after the woman died. In some ways Hannah is the more complete character as she was forced to retire due to an on the job injury leading to deafness and has hid her love for Vinh; whereas Murphy remains grief stricken although the murder has awakened him from his drunken stupor. With other subplots also in the fire, fans will appreciate this action-packed romantic suspense thriller starring two walking wounded and the rest of the troubleshooters willingly going INTO THE FIRE to prove the innocence of one of them; for once you join this team you remain part of them even after you leave.
  
  Harriet Klausner
  ...more info
• Two stars for providing a deeper glimpse of Decker... an unfocused effort otherwise
  I fell in love with Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters right off the bat with The Unsung Hero (Troubleshooters, Book 1) and enjoyed reading about each new couple (or two) introduced in the subsequent books of the series up to and including Hot Target (Troubleshooters, Book 8). Since then, unfortunately, the proverbial wheels appear to have fallen off of this well-oiled machine.
  
  With her latest effort, "Into the Fire", SB once again fails to focus on developing the relationship between the main romantic leads and chooses to leave not just one but three relationships "to be continued". I may have gotten into Hannah and Murphy's story had SB not so often shifted away from it to the myriad story lines she had going on in this book. It surprises me that SB's plotting has become so scatterbrained, considering that in the first three or four book of the series she was able to almost seamlessly weave her patented WWII-flashback, secondary romances into the main plot. She abandoned this plot device in Flashpoint (Troubleshooters, Book 7) and also in "Hot Target", both successfully, I might add, so it's not like SB needed the flashback crutch at all.
  
  Going back to "Into The Fire", at this point it's clear (to me, at least) that SB is using the Decker/Sophia/Dave and Nash/Tess situations to string us along through the next couple of books in the series. Some may say that she did this with Alyssa and Sam back in the early books of the series, but I would disagree. In those books, the main and secondary romantic couples were the primary focus, well-developed, and got their due HEAs (happily ever afters), while Alyssa and Sam's relationship chugged along at a snail's pace, but was always firmly in the background such that you would've enjoyed the books even if their "sections" had been excluded.
  
  In "Into the Fire", however, SB appears to be focused on maintaining not just one ongoing, longer-term, romantic arc, but three, which leaves hardly any time to devote to the main romantic couple. I found myself literally flipping through the "main" plot and reading only the Decker/Sophia/Dave and Nash/Tess sections, when it should be the other way around. However, I actually really like where SB is going with both of these situations and hope that her next book is devoted primarily to them and their resolution, with Izzy/Tracy serving as the ongoing, background romantic arc....more info
• Into the What?
  Brockmann's titles for the Troubleshooters series ceased making sense to me a while back, not to mention, they all sound a like to me. "Into the Night", "Into the Fire", "Into the Storm", "Over the Edge", "Gone Too Far"... whatever!
  
  I had a hard time getting into this story because not only did the story lines keep changing but the time frames did as well. Very confusing... I hung with it, and things sorted themselves out, but I have to say I had to go back and check the synopsis to make sure I knew who the story was about. Yeah, it's supposed to be about Murphy since Angelina was killed, and his hooking up with Hannah, his old friend. But, I was much more drawn to the story about Izzy and Eden. And, I was glad to hear more about Tess and Nash, about whom I feel like we have read precious little since their story - just that they're still not married.
  
  I've read some of the other reviews, and I can see where people seem to be in one of two camps: either "Max and Gina" or "Izzy and Eden". I never 'got' Max and Gina - never understood how he was so "hot", nor how their relationship wasn't totally weird. I endured their story for the sake of moving forward the stories of the whole everyone else.
  
  I did like the story line of Izzy and Eden. I liked seeing what a great guy he could be - being the hero, but having his insecurities. It could have been the frustrating story line of constant misunderstanding, etc. Instead, they each reached out at certain moments and let it be real, and that kept me interested. I liked Eden. Yeah, she's got baggage, but she's not deluded about it and she's making the effort to come clear of it. I can't wait to read more about them, and I hope they get their HEA. To me, this was nothing like Mary Lou and Sam, which was doomed from the start. For one thing, Sam was in love with Alyssa, and another, Mary Lou very intentionally got pregnant to snag him. Totally different scenario, to me, than Izzy and Eden.
  
  As to the story of Murphy and Hannah... It was a lot of cutting in and out of the action (also, with Brockmann shifting the story from that line to Izzy and Eden, and then to Nash and Tess, and Decker, etc, etc). I feel like the book wasn't so much about them (Murphy and Hannah) as it was about the whole group, dealing with a bunch of issues going all the way back to Kazbekistan (I giggle every time I see that name!). So, the actual storyline of Ebersole getting killed and did Murphy do it just felt so peripheral and kind of moot.
  
  Funny, when I started writing this review I was going to give it a 4, because I liked the "Izzy and Eden" storyline and I was glad to read about Tess and Nash, and finally see Decker clear the woods of his ridiculous behavior through the last few books. But, then I realized I had a hard time finishing it and was disappointed at the end. Part of it, is I'm tired of all those loose threads that Brockmann leaves us with. I can't help feeling like some of it is just a ploy to get us to buy the next book. I like the series, but each book should stand on its own and I don't feel like this one does. Still, if you've been following the series, this book does a good job of including a lot of the old characters in a realistic (not gratuitous) way. But, as its own story, it doesn't stand well. I can only recommend this with great qualifications....more info
• "I prefer to think of myself as Captain America..."
  Wisecracking SEAL Izzy Zanella is settling down for a drink at his favorite watering hole when an underage gal pops in and he feels an instant attraction. When he learns she's not only a fellow SEAL's sister but also 17 with nowhere to go, rather than say tah tah, he invites her to his place, where despite all the best intentions, the two become intimate. When she turns up pregnant with another man's baby six months later naming Izzy as the baby daddy, his friend Gillman is out for blood. Izzy takes responsibility for Eden because he fears she'll be further traumatized by her cruel stepfather. A shotgun marriage between two people who barely know each other (but thanks to lots of introspection, really like each other) will take the former ladies man off the market.
  
  For the last four years, Vinh Murphy has mourned the senseless murder of his wife (see "Hot target"). As he medicates himself in copious amounts of alcohol and plots revenge on the Freedom Network militia leader responsible for her death, he manages to experience black outs. He seeks solace in the arms (and bed) of his best friend Hannah, a former cop who had to retire due to an accident which caused deafness. When they discover that the leader has been murdered and Vinh is wanted for questioning, the two go on the run to try to determine whether or not Vinh is guilty of murdering his nemesis. As an assortment of SEALs and Troubleshooters work to bring in Murph, who went AWOL from the group after his wife's death, there's plenty of downtime to discuss at length who likes who and why so and so is so distant.
  
  This book is all over the place and there is just way too much going on. I don't think that either romance (Hannah and Murph; Izzy and Eden) were fully developed, and I hate the plot device of the best friend who stands aside while letting her best friend marry the guy she loves (or noble guys who stand by and to marry a woman pregnant with someone else's kid). It's just too trite. Hannah was an intriguing character, but had me wondering why she'd wait around for an idiot like Murph. Izzy and Eden were only a bit more interesting. While her age did not creep me out (until Izzy thought she looked like she was 12 when she removed her make up and still wanted to jump her pregnant bones), I think that despite a 12 year age gap, the two are intellectually the same age. Both romances are completely overshadowed by the Decker/Sophia/Dave triangle which has gone on far toooooo looooong, and the new angle Brockmann is exploring with Nash and Tess (which I actually liked).
  
  Murph was a throwaway character and I never really cared if he showed up in another book; I also didn't really care for the character of Izzy initially, but he's grown on me. I thought he was annoying, particularly his constant breaking into song. No - actually it's the constant breaking into songs that someone his age would probably not know the words to. Is it just me, or does he sings songs from oh, I don't know, Brockmann's youth? Not a single current song (until the end when he sang Eden's fave song by Maroon 5). It just doesn't ring true to me. At least he has not sung "Hooked on a Feeling" yet - that would really gross me out since it is Jules and Robin's song.
  
  And speaking of Jules, where the heck was he? Yeah he was "in" the storyline, but instead of the witty and engaging presence we are used to, we get Joe Friday meets the Stepford Husband. Where were the "sweeties" he's so known for using with his colleagues? This was not the Jules those of us who have grown with the SEAL 16/Troubleshooter series are used to - literally Brockmann could have inserted any name in there as head of the case. It seems like once they get their HEA, the characters are no longer in... character. They become neutered and interchangeable. She did the same thing with Max. He was unrecognizable after "Breaking Point."
  
  While I liked "Into the Fire" more than "Storm," Brockmann is still off my auto-buy list and has become a definite library loan. Her books continue to travel a downward spiral in quality. It seems like once she went hardbound, she really stopped caring about developing and maintaining her characters. Her writing has gotten so pedestrian and childish. While I can appreciate that she likes to provide introspection into her characters to give them depth, come on, enough is enough. She also makes up all kinds of stupid words - it's like she's trying to relate to the younger folks and failing miserably. And there is always way too much going on. She needs to limit her storylines to two instead of the four+ she has going here. It is confusing (especially how it jumps around) and just not developed like her earlier novels. And I wish she'd end some of these freaking arcs already!! But despite the criticism and the lack of direction of late, she has created characters that I really care about and want to know what happens in their lives.
  
  ? Tracy Vest, September 2008...more info
• Into the Fire has renewed my interest.
  I have read every book in this series. The last few have been good but, this book was great. I burned right through the story. I really cared about Murphy and Hannah. Adding in the trouble with Tess and Jimmy, and new levels to Decker and Dave, it kept everything interesting.Izzy and Eden was interesting and I'm curious to see how that will all work out. The fast pace and multiple story lines kept me guessing.They added spice that wouldn't be there in a one couple story. Now I can't wait to see who gets the next story.
  If you haven't read this series you would miss a lot of the history.It is an excellent read all by itself. Try it you will like it. ...more info
• Chaotic and disorganized
  I was a fan of the early works of Suzanne Brockman, but this book was too frenetic. There were too many subplots, and the constant switching back and forth I found confusing. Even though I have read some of her books, I had trouble keeping everyone straight. Not one of her better books....more info
• Can't get much better -- wonderful read!
  The best summer read yet for me!! (and I read ALOT) This continuing saga just gets better and better and each book leaves me craving more. I read ITF in one day and my interest never slipped. The book offered new characters and new trials and tribulations, along with some interesting surprises for former characters. ITF was thoroughly entertaining and that's why I buy books. Ms. Brockmann has created such an exciting and moving series (and yes, the Troubleshooter books are a continuing saga -- not a complete "HEA" for each character in each book). ITF is a fabulous read and I can't wait for #14! ...more info