MRC Recommends: Into The Fire by Bert Robbens

MRC RECOMMENDS: Into the Fire
by Bert Robbens

“I love it when an author can surprise me, leaving me thinking…” – The Mystery Review Crew

Into The Fire

When Joe Polito was a kid growing up in Somerville, it was a blue collar, family oriented and insular kind of town. It had it’s own set of values – some good, some not so good. But if you were brought up here, for better or worse, they became part of you.

In high school Danny Donohue had been one of Joe Polito’s best friends, but Joe hadn’t seen him or spoken to him in 15 years – not since an arson fire killed Danny’s mother and he ran from the horror to a new life in California. When Danny walks into the Old Town Tavern and asks Joe to help him find whoever set that fire, Joe cannot say no. But, even after 15 years, Joe knows Danny. He can tell that Danny’s not right; he’s hiding something. Danny says that solving the 15 year-old mystery will free him from his tragic past, but Joe knows that’s only part of it. Solving the crime will mean nothing unless Joe can uncover Danny’s secrets and help him redeem his future. In Somerville, that’s what friends do.

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Review of Into the Fire by Bert Robbens

We’re back with Joe Polito, an ex-cop, roofer, and private investigator. A man of many talents. He is loyal to his friends, so when they come asking for his help, he won’t deny them. Sometimes he sticks his nose in where others feel it doesn’t belong, but that’s the way Joe is, doing what he feels is right. He makes me think of Jim Rockford of The Rockford Files.

Into The Fire by Bert Robbens is about what happened to his friend, Danny, who had left town after his mother died in a fire. The arsonist was never caught. Now, Danny’s back in town and wants answers…or does he? Is there more going on than meets the eye? If so, Joe will figure it out, as he looks into the fifteen-year-old mystery.

I love his romance with Eileen. As their romance deepens, her son, Jack takes an interest in Joe, and vice versa. I love how their relationships read like real life.

Into The Fire by Bert Robbens is a glimpse into life and the choices we make. It’s as much character-driven as a police procedural. The mystery is complex, and even though I thought I knew what the deal was, I didn’t. How Bert wrapped up the mystery of the arsonist, I sure didn’t see that coming. I love it when an author can surprise me, leaving me thinking, well done.

Bert Robbens doesn’t leave us hanging after the mystery is solved, he shows us how the characters’ lives continue after the danger is over. I was very impressed with how he tied up the loose ends. There are many small moments in the characters’ lives that show their personalities and it’s those small moments that give meat to the story, and make me become involved with the characters, wanting to know they are going to be okay after I leave them.

Though I believe each book can stand alone, I think you will enjoy them more by reading from the beginning. It all centers around Somerville and I can hardly wait to see what Bert Robbens has in store for him next.

About Bert Robbens

I was born in North Dakota and moved around a lot – Chicago, Portland Oregon, Sweet Home Oregon, San Francisco, Eugene Oregon, Needham Massachusetts, all by the time I was 15. Since then, I’ve been pretty much East Coast, with a year out, trying to go back home to Eugene. It didn’t take, so I’ve lived in the Boston area ever since.

I graduated from high school just in time for the Summer of Love (1967) and gravitated to the anti-establishment counter culture that defined my generation and changed the world. I also got married the next year. Consequently, it took me nearly 8 years to graduate from college with a B.A. in English Lit. I worked in construction and then as a bureaucrat for the state of Massachusetts. That wasn’t going anywhere, so I got an MBA and went into high tech, where I spent the next eighteen and a half years. I retired at the ripe old age of 53 to do what I had wanted to do all along – write fiction.

I live in Somerville, Mass. with my wife and dog. Two daughters, who grew up while I was at work, stop by frequently. I do my share of the housework, walk the dog, and write.