Where There's Smoke - Hardcover

by Donald McClean (Author)

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE is a heist thriller in which four New York City firefighters attempt to bring some sort of karmic payback to a New York slumlord by relieving him of some valuable jewels.

Firefighter Pete Carson is dedicated to his job, but lately prey to feelings that he and his crew risk their lives saving the property of the undeserving-and sometimes criminally negligent-rich. One day a mass-casualty disaster, at a building owned by real estate mogul Alexander Bancroft, leaves Pete shaken and cynical. He openly expresses his anger at and contempt for Bancroft, and his lack of punishment (never mind remorse) over the sweat shop fire.
Two years later, Pete and his crew respond to a fire at a pharmaceutical company. In so doing, they interrupt an experiment involving five volunteers. As a result, the four firefighters and five civilians have to be quarantined together for a week. During this time, Pete learns about a pair of breathtaking (and mysterious) jewels owned by Alexander Bancroft himself. This inspires Pete to lead the group in a discussion-just "for fun"-about what it would take to rip off the mogul and come away with the jewels.
The weirdness of quarantine had created an environment for fantasizing about highly uncharacteristic things for an honest firefighter-things like, actually, really, no...really, staging a jewel heist.