Skies of Ash, Rachel Howzell Hall
Skies of Ash, Rachel Howzell Hall
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Skies of Ash
A Detective Elouise Norton Novel

Author: Rachel Howzell Hall

Narrator: Je Nie Fleming

Unabridged: 11 hr 10 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/16/2019


Synopsis

Skies of Ash is the second thrilling read in the Detective Elouise Norton series from beloved crime author Rachel Howzell Hall.

Los Angeles homicide detective Elouise "Lou" Norton and her partner, Colin Taggert, arrive at the scene of a tragic house fire. Juliet Chatman perished in the blaze, along with her two children. Left behind is grieving husband and father Christopher Chatman, hospitalized after trying to rescue his family. Chatman is devastated that he couldn't save them.

Unless, of course, he's the one who killed them.

Neighbors and family friends insist the Chatmans were living the dream. But Lou quickly discovers the reality was very different. The flames of adultery, jealousy, scandal, fraud, and disease had all but consumed the Chatmans' marriage before it went up in smoke.

Lou's own marriage hangs by a thread. Soured by the men in her life, Lou is convinced that Chatman started the fire. Her colleagues worry that her personal issues are obscuring her judgment. With very little evidence regarding the fire—and rising doubts about her husband's commitment to monogamy—Lou feels played by all sides.

Was the fire sparked by a serial arsonist known as The Burning Man? Or by the Chatmans' son, who regularly burned his father's property?

Searching for justice through the ashes of a picture-perfect family, Lou doesn't know if she will catch an arsonist or be burned in the process.

About Rachel Howzell Hall

Rachel Howzell Hall is the critically acclaimed author of the Amazon Charts bestseller We Lie Here, the Anthony, Strand, and International Thriller Award—nominated These Toxic Things, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize—nominated And Now She’s Gone, which was also nominated for the Lefty, Barry, Shamus, and Anthony Awards. Rachel is a former member of the board of directors for Mystery Writers of America and was a featured writer on NPR’s acclaimed Crime in the City series and the National Endowment for the Arts weekly podcast. Rachel lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter. rachelhowzell.com


Reviews

Goodreads review by James on May 26, 2016

L.A. Homicide detective Elouise "Lou" Norton returns here in her second outing, following her debut in 2014's Land of Shadows. As the book opens, Lou and her still relatively new partner, Collin Taggert, are called to the scene of a raging house fire. A woman named Julia Chatman and two of her child......more

Goodreads review by Mark on May 25, 2017

I dug "Land of Shadows." "Skies of Ash" might be better. This one quickly took me back to Norton’s sharply-barbed worldview and her grinding sense of determination when put on the scent of a murder. If fellow L.A. detective Harry Bosch gets a TV show, certainly Elouise Norton deserves one, too. Mayb......more

Goodreads review by Nakia on December 27, 2017

I’m not a huge “series” reader but Rachel Howzell Hall definitely makes me step out of my comfort zone. In this second installment of her Detective Elouise Norton series, Lou is charged with finding the culprit behind the fire that killed Juliet Chatman and her son and daughter in their home, while......more

Goodreads review by ColumbusReads on April 24, 2018

Detective Elouise Norton is a tough sister investigating crime on the streets of Los Angeles. I love this series cause she’s tough, smart, quick with a bon mot and can wear a mean pair of Jimmy Choo’s. Yes, I’m all in for this series, Lulu. Bring on book #3!......more

Goodreads review by Eric on January 31, 2016

For those that enjoy Michael Connelly and the Harry Bosch books, the Elouise Norton series would most likely interest you. In some ways the two series are similar, but in other ways vastly different. Of course, Rachel Howzell Hall tells her stories through the eyes of her created black, female detect......more


Quotes

"Lou . . . is a formidable fighter--someone you want on your side." --New York Times Book Review

"A fresh voice in crime fiction." --Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author

"Hall..has a true gift.”—Crimespree Magazine

“Another smart LA procedural…this determined African American protagonist makes a wonderful addition to the genre.”--Booklist on Trail of Echoes

“Hall outdoes her stellar debut in an exploration of vile secrets that pays homage to that earlier master of complex California homicide, Raymond Chandler.”—Kirkus Reviews on Skies of Ash

“Rachel Howzell has written another riveting thriller starring her favorite (and mine!) female sleuth, the fabulous when furious and even better when behaving Lou Norton…one of the summer's best.”—Huffington Post on Skies of Ash

"A racially explosive Los Angeles provides the backdrop for this exceptional crime novel...Dead-on dialogue and atmospheric details help propel a tale full of tormenting moral issues. Lou, a brave lady in a brave book, does the best she can." —Publishers Weekly, starred review on Land of Shadows