A timely thriller dealing primarily with the opioid crisis and the role of powerful pharmaceutical companies involved.

Nick Heller is a private investigator. Despite the steady income his business provides, he refuses to handle petty divorce cases. Thus, his business isn’t exactly a booming success. But make no mistake… Nick is someone you’d always want on your side. Personally, I’d hire him in a minute! His ship may have just come in when the opportunity arises to locate a very troubling hidden memo from a very powerful drug company. One that may have prevented a highly addictive opioid from being released to the masses. Nick is all over this one! This case hits very close to home for Nick!

Nick Heller is a likable strong lead character about to take on the biggest of drug companies single handed! Go get ‘em Nick!
A quick and easy read with short chapters, I flew through this one in no time at all!

Even though this is the 4th installment in this series, it certainly can read well as a stand-alone. I’ve enjoyed Joseph Finder’s books in the past but in my opinion this is his best to date! Looking forward to his next release!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for granting my wish!

House on Fire byJoseph Finder has an intriguing plot and interesting major chracters. I started reading the book on Saturaday morning and finished it early Sunday.

I was really excited about this book. Sadly I just could not get into it at all. I couldn’t relate to a single character. I was bored. I finished the book, but barely.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Nick Heller is back in an action packed roller coaster ride to the end! Thank you Joseph Finder for another fantastic Heller adventure.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Joseph Finder and Penguin Group Dutton for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

As Joseph Finder returns with a fourth Nick Heller novel, the reader is pulled into the centre of a wonderful story with action that does not dissipate. When Nick Heller learns that an Army buddy of his has died from an overdose, he is stunned and rushes to help however he can. Learning that Oxydone, a nasal inhaler, is likely to blame, Heller heads to the funeral slightly upset that it was a VA prescription that ended his friend’s life so early. After the service, Heller is flagged down by a mysterious woman, Susan ‘Sukie’ Kimball, daughter of billionaire Conrad Kimball. It would seem that Kimball’s pharmaceutical company, which manufactures Oxydone, might have buried studies that showed the addictive nature of the drug, releasing it to an unsuspecting public. When Susan brings Heller to her father’s birthday party, he hopes to find a hard copy of the report and blow Kimball Pharma out of the water. It would seem others are looking for dirt on Kimball, but everything remains smoke and mirrors. Another birthday guest turns up dead and Heller can only wonder if there is a killer trying to silence any information leaks. Determined to find the report, Heller embarks on a mission behind high-security, unsure what else he will uncover. Inching ever close, Heller will have to put himself in harm’s way to get to the truth, but can never be sure it will yield the ultimate prize. Prepared to bring down the House of Kimball, Heller must ensure he is not a casualty in the larger scheme. A nail-biting thriller that will keep the reader enthralled until the final reveal. Recommended to those who love a good thriller, as well as the reader who enjoys plots pulled from the headlines.

I have long enjoyed the work of Joseph Finder, as it pushes the boundaries of the genre in new and exciting ways. Finder has been able to keep his readers intrigued as he touches on social issues in a relatable way with an exciting narrative. Nick Heller remains a great protagonist with this piece, his substantial backstory finding new ways to make it into the narrative. Heller is passionate about protecting the reputation of those close to him, even if he finds himself helpless to their foibles. A trained PI, Heller has numerous ways to get to the bottom of a situation, sometimes sacrificing his own well-being to get the needed information. Gritty and never afraid to rock the boat, Heller finds himself in many situations that push him to the brink. There are others who find themselves influencing the narrative in a variety of ways, helping to push the story along which enriching the overall reading experience. In a piece whose primary focus is drug addiction and overdose, Finder turns to Big Pharma and points the finger there, as many have found themselves hopelessly addicted. Another poignant social issue receives its due here as the reader is pulled to the centre and forced to decide for themselves. Finder has a knack of delivering just what is needed at the perfect moment.

Kudos, Mr. Finder, for another winner. I hope others find this one to be just as exciting.

The newest entry in Nick Heller series can be read as a stand-alone if like me, you are behind on the series.
This begins with a phone call in which Nick learns that his friend and a man who saved his life has lost his battle with opiod addiction. While he is at the funeral, he is approached by a young woman who wants to hire him. The twist ? Her family owns the Kimball Pharmeceuticals which makes the Oxydone that was the cause of the overdose. She wants Nick to help her prove that her father knew that the drug was highly addictive and hid the truth.
This was an okay read and I appreciated that the author acknowledged that there are people who have legitimate need for pain medication which often is left out of discussions. I think some of this stretches credulity- Nick is extremely smart but he missed clues that are obvious. We also know from previous books that he is very protective of his nephew Gabe and has every reason to distrust his father, but he blithely passes on the message from his dad to Gabe?
This book is very topical and a good entry to the series.
Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the free e-copy in return for my honest opinion.

Nick Heller is enjoying his success, and the way his life is going, when he gets the devastating news thathis old army buddy Sean has died of an overdose.

At Sean's funeral, he is approached with an offer to get revenge on the company that supplied Sean's drugs, by proving that the family-owned business knew very well the dangers of the drug that made them wealthy. All he has to do is find the documents that prove that claim, but the family will do anything to protect their reputation and their wealth.

Joe Finder is at his best with this consuming tale of corporate greed and family dysfunction. Everyone has a secret to hide and and interest to protect, and Nick Heller has landed in the middle of this nest of snakes.

Nick Heller, investigator, hired by Suki, the daughter of Conrad Kimball, patriarch of the Kimball family fortunes. His mission is to find the hidden report highlighting early research results which demonstrate that Oxydone, which is an opiate used to treat chronic pain, was known to be addictive.

When someone dies on the family estate during Conrad Kimball’s 80th birthday party, everyone is a suspect. As Nick gets closer to finding the report, the risks to each member of the family mounts.

Who are the Kimball Family behind the public personas? How do the events of the past impact each of the heirs to the Kimball fortune? How far will each of them go to protect the family and their fortune?


Fast paced read. Written with a good mix of current and fictitious events surrounding the American opiod crisis. I found some of the characters hard to relate to. The hero, Nick Heller, while he follows a typical male superhero trope, you want him on your side and fighting against the forces of evil.

@duttonbooks @joseph_finder #netgalley #houseonfire
Thanks to #netgalley for an early read prior to publication in exchange for an honest review.

House on Fire
A novel by Joseph Finder

Dear Mr. Finder.
Thank you for keeping me awake all night. Again. Within minutes of reading the first page I was hopelessly hooked. You, dear sir, have done this to me 13 times already. Your latest novel, House of Fire, is the 14th. Despite my wife's wishes, please don't stop. Sleep is overrated and can wait. Explosive and intelligent novels of suspense are rare and worth morning yawns.

When private investigator Nick Heller attends the funeral of his good friend Sean, an army buddy who once saved Nick's life and had struggled with opioid addiction since returning wounded from war, he is drawn into the complicated dynamics of the the family that runs Kimball Pharmaceutical, the maker of a dangerously addictive drug directly responsible for thousands of overdoses and deaths (including Sean's). Nick, and another private investigator friend walk head on to deadly conspiracies, family intrigue and lethal corporate machinations.

I read Finder's latest book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. Penguin Group / Dutton. It is a 'ripped from the headlines' story of the tragedy of opioid addiction that is rampant throughout our cities. While timely, Finder's story is neither opportunistic nor hackneyed. It is a complex and enthralling thriller of greed, betrayal and murder with enough twists and nerve-wracking suspense to propel the reader into the 'just one more chapter and I will really stop this time' mode. It is a terrific read and highly recommended (but then again I feel this way about all of Finder's novels).

3.75 for House on Fire

I love Nick Heller -- as a character, the plot lines, the unseen hints, and twists that turn the reader upside down. The day I get the book I stay up until the last page is turned. This time was different -- even though I stuck with House on Fire to the very last word. . .it was out of a sense of tradition more so than being entangled.

This fourth Heller novel focuses on the supposed "opioid epidemic" we are constantly hearing about. As with any story, especially an 'epidemic,' there are two, often three sides before the truth is revealed. I realize Nick is hired by the daughter of the pharmaceutical giant that marketed an opioid responsible for many deaths. Nick searches for documents that will prove Conrad Kimball had information that was purposefully withheld from perscribing physicians. After breakng into Kimball's home office, he finds an old flame from his time in Afganistan -- Maggie Benson -- decked out in a wig, identifying herself as Hildy. She was hired by yet another Kimball sibling to locate daddy's will.

There's two story lines and Finder works them beautifully. There are some unexpected twists -- they just didn't reach the level I've come to expect from a Heller novel. A good book, but as the series continues this will be the easiest one to forget. I would read it no matter what because it's a Heller novel and I don't want to miss a single one.

This is a Nick Heller story that could be read as a stand alone. Nick is a former Special Forces Operative who is now a private detective. He is approached by a family member of the biggest producer of opiates. She wants him to find a document proving that the company hid a study that showed the opiate to be highly addictive. The trail he follows has all sorts of twists and you don’t know who to trust. I saw some of the twists but there were a few that caught me completely off guard. This is a fast paced twisty thriller that will keep you glued to your seat til the end. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

So famous former Special Forces Operative, wounded soldier and now private detective Nick Heller is back. After returning from war, he had fought against his opioid addiction and lost his close friend Sean. Now he is hired by the heir of Kimball family, a woman who decides to be whistleblower about her family’s business secrets and she claims that her father secretly makes huge profits from oxy and he hid this from regulators. Now it’s time for him to be exposed and she needs help of Nick to solve the problem for opening Pandora’s box.

This family drama and exposing their big secret could help Nick avenge Sean’s death and give him closure he needed for a long time so he accepts the offer, finding himself in a house full of interesting dysfunctional family members. (this reminded me of Knives Out and I wished we had a former Captain America villain, wearing beautiful sweaters and telling people to eat sh**t!) but not only the family members confuse Nick’s mind, but also he finds out there is another investigator involved in this case, his ex-lover Maggie from his Pentagon years they’ve worked together. It’s getting interesting, isn’t it?

Buckle your seat belts and get ready a twisty, head spinning, heart throbbing, exciting journey takes place at the mountains. Fast paced, entertaining page turner including so much Agatha Christie vibes!

I have to admit, this is my first book of Joseph Finder and my first introduction to his famous character Nick Heller. David Baldacci’s Amos Decker was one of my favorite crime thriller characters but now Nick earned a place in my heart. (Interestingly he reminded me of Karin Slaughter’s Will Trent) I enjoyed moving, stick to the point, neat story-telling and character building. I saw some of the twists before coming but some of them hit me hard. So I guess I have to read the previous books if I don’t get drawn under my tbr torrent.

This book is at my wish list and my second favorite fairy godmother Netgalley team made my wish come true.

So special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton to share this fantastic thriller ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review. I enjoyed it and looking forward to read the next adventures of Nick Heller.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of House on Fire.

This was good! I haven't read any other Nick Hellar books, but this was a good detective mystery. It's kind of like Clue, everyone a suspect in the house in the mountains. I like the take on Big Pharma, and the family basically being Big Pharma. Good, quick paced read.

Joseph Finder at his best. In House on Fire, we even more about Nick Heller. The page turner is fast paced, current and keeps the reader guessing. Nick Heller fans will not be disappointed and new readers will love this character.

In this latest Nick Heller detective story, House on Fire (Penguin 2020), Nick, a former Special Forces operative who is now a private investigator, is hired by the heir to a pharmaceutical fortune to expose her father (the owner of the company) as knowing their most popular drug. Oxydone, as a massively addictive opioide pain killer--worse than heroine--and that he hid this from regulators because of the huge profits he would make from its release. Her intention is to blackmail her father into setting up rehab centers for those addicted and help them recover. She tracks Nick down by following him to the funeral of a Special Forces friend who died from an overdose of Oxydone, leaving behind a wife and two children. Nick agrees to take the case and does such a brilliant job of unraveling the clues, he finds out details the daughter had hoped to keep hidden. 
xx
As usual with a Joseph Finder novel, the story starts at a speed that requires a seat belt, a shoulder harness, and probably a prayer and never quits. Nick is a moral, hard-working PI who is also extremely clever. It's a joy to watch him uncover clues and then stitch them together to reveal the whole picture. He reminds me a lot of gumshoe detectives like McDonald's Travis McGee and Crais' Elvis Cole. For me, that's huge. I don't love every novel Finder writes but I did love this book as well as every one in the series. 

--reviewed on my blog, WordDreams, 2/20

I received House On Fire by a Joseph Finder, free from Net Gallery, in exchange for. an honest review
First of all, Joseph Finder is one of the best writers out there today.
This book is about a private detective who is hired to find out what is really going on in a wealthy family.
This book has everything.
Drugs, murders, conspiracies and so much more
A great book

Nick Heller is a tough as nails private eye, asked by a rebellious family member to investigate and find hidden test data showing oxycodone is addictive. The family runs Big Pharma, lives in a big mansion, and when there's a murder, it's like the murder mystery weekend in the mountains with everyone and their guests a suspect. Well-written, absorbing, with just enough action to keep it interesting.

A new novel from one of my favorite authors makes me a happy girl. Nick Heller is a protagonist I love following, and House on Fire is another terrific entry in the series. Timely topic with some surprising twists.

A timely take on Big Pharma. In his unique style, Mr. Finder uses his flawed hero to get to the truth over the overdose deaths of people in his world. Hard to put down. Set aside a block of time for this one.

I personally really enjoyed this book. I thought that the story was well-written and that the plot line was well thought-out. There were times where the sheer number of facts were overwhelming and the perspective changed quite often, which caused some confusion when reading (hence the loss of a star). However, I did NOT see the ending coming.

Overall, this book was one of the better suspense books I have read this year and can't wait until others have the pleasure of reading it as well!