Great historical fiction, with a warm (pun intended) sense about it. Fits right into the current trend a la UPRIGHT WOMEN WANTED and OUTLAWED and LUCKY RED of new and better takes on the Western.

Most of “Fire Season” is set in 1889 Spokane Falls, Washington Territory, and like so many western towns of the time, it has caught fire. This is both a tragedy and an opportunity for the characters in the novel, and each will make the most of it in their own way.

The first POV is that of Barton Haydale, bank manager, universally disliked in town. Since the perspective is his he doesn’t seem that bad a fellow, certainly not bad enough to warrant such feelings among the populace. The only person he has any sort of relationship with is Roslyn the drunken prostitute who sometimes nods off during their twice-weekly meetings. The fire brings him the opportunity to make a load of money by giving people fake scrip as they take out loans to rebuild. He plans to grab Roslyn and scarper somewhere when he has enough cash.

The town unwittingly hires conman Quake Aushenbaucher to investigate the fire and he should be making a pile, but his underhanded tactics are curbed by the Territory’s quest for statehood.

And then there’s Roslyn, whose reason to drink is that she can see the future. She can also levitate, pass through walls and invisibly follow people, none of which she wants to do. She is not interested in love, so naturally both men fall for her.

“Fire Season” struggles to find balance between being a historical novel and a supernatural one. Barton’s section is the longest and most straight-forward. It slogs, probably because we never quite understand what it is about him that repels others. We see it later, but not while we are experiencing his take on the fire. Quake’s skill in the con comes from his ability to read others. Roslyn sees the future but doesn’t know how to interpret it or know what to do with that knowledge, which sometimes make her long to dive into the bottle. Leyna Krow writes very well and her characters are complex and interesting. Her description of 1889 Portland is filled with the wonderful details Roslyn would notice in the biggest town she’s ever visited. At the end of the book everyone remains a mystery to themselves and each other.

I’m going with three and a half stars for “Fire Season.” The opening section takes too long to get going, but if you stick with it the story will catch fire. There is a lot to like—you just need to get there.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for digital access to “Fire Season” in exchange for an honest review.