This is such a timely thriller that I enjoyed it on many levels. Nick Heller becomes involved in the machinations of a giant pharma company which produces a deadly, highly addictive opiate. The story fits in so well with the current news, especially about the anger toward a particular pharmaceutical giant.

There are endless twists and red herrings, making this an incredibly lively page turner. I am a big Finder fan and this lives up to his other novels. The characters are very interesting and engaging, though relying on cliched archetypes of the extremely wealthy.

Thank you Netgalley, for this great and exciting read.

There are commonalities about novels written by Joseph Finder that make him one of today's top authors. These are excellent plots, well defined principal characters, a writing style that allows his readers to dive into the story and reading it generally in one rewarding session. "House on Fire" is no exception and is easy to classify as a mesmerizing five star read.
Nick Heller, a private investigator used in previous novels by the author is front and center in this book. Nick receives the unwelcome news that a good friend of his has died from an overdose of opioids and he is invited to the funeral. Once there he meets the daughter of the man in charge of the pharmaceutical company that manufactures and distributes the drug that his friend was hooked on and which killed him. The woman tells Nick that she has made it her life's work to find evidence, indicated as suppressed, of the drug's becoming addictive and harmful to the taker. She hires Nick to help her find the derogation study, known to exist, and help victims of the opioid go against her family's company in order to collect funds which could help them financially in surviving their lives of drug dependency.
The story moves Nick through meeting the family at a dinner and than again while attending a corporate sales meeting as guest of the lady that hired him. Mr Finder takes the reader through the politics of the family owning the company and paints a realistic picture of what undoubtedly goes on in any situation where a great deal of money is involved. Who hates who, who loves who and what are the schemes to keep on the good side of the patriarch of the family who controls who gets what. Nick had lost his wife in a previous novel and while not actively searching for another has several instances of sexual activity in "House on Fire." This, in no surprise includes the woman that hired him to help find evidence against the company that she and her family have interest in. The addition of a little spice serves to make Nick a human being with normal needs rather than a superman.
The ending is one with an interesting twist, but becomes logical as the story unfolds. As stated it is a five star novel, and the only thing that is negative is that Joseph Finder does not dash off novels one after the other but takes his time and it is usually at least a year between them. But certainly it is well worth the wait.

Wow! I feel so fortunate to have my wish granted by the publisher allowing me to preview this fantastic novel—fantastic on so many levels. Nick Heller is back along with his special talents, friends, and dysfunctional family. When a vet friend who saved his life dies of a drug overdose, Nick promises the widow to get to the bottom of it, chasing the drug manufacturer, Kimball Pharmaceuticals, a family-owned business. Hired by a Kimball daughter who wants to expose her family’s misdeeds, he finds a family with even more issues than his own. Murders, international intrigue, arson, and betrayals abound in this fast-paced, excellent story.