On a rare night out, Steve and Sarah, along with best friends Phil and Emma, have a lovely time. Fun and laughter, good food and far too much to drink, they are all in high spirits, and having a good giggle on their walk home. When Steve suddenly makes a dash across the road towards a house that is on fire, the others have no idea that he is about to do something that takes them aback. Without a thought for his own safety, Steve breaks down the front door and enters the burning building. What happens next takes Steve from local chap, family man and coffee hut owner to local hero, feted and applauded wherever he goes. But fame comes at a cost, and local hero soon becomes local pariah, a man who splits the opinions of a community.

I enjoyed this author’s debut, After The Storm, and at the outset I felt this was very much similar. Intriguing start, good characters and a well written plot. The book did lose its way in the middle, but picked up towards the end with a good, if abrupt, ending. A few unexplained threads could have been tied up that would have made more sense (where was Oscar? Why didn’t Emma answer her phone? Why no phone call to police? Plus others that would be spoilers here.)

My only disappointment is the amount of repetition and filler. A good edit would make this, an enjoyable ok read, into a very good one.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK.