Everything Burns

By: Vincent Zandri

Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor

When Reece Johnston was a boy, a fire destroyed his home, killing his mother and brothers while leaving him scarred for life. It also kindled something dark inside him: an irresistible attraction to flames in all their terrifying, tantalizing power. But after two failed arson attempts - and two trips to the mental ward - he was finally able to put down the matches and pick up the pieces.

With a career as a bestselling crime writer going strong, Reece is working to fix his broken marriage to Lisa and be there for their preteen daughter, Anna. He's not just dealing with his own demons; there's a world of deadly hurt bearing down on him in the form of the jealous rival he's bested in literature and love, who's determined to see Reece crash - and burn. But a guy like Reece knows how to take the heat. And thanks to his lifelong friendship with fire, he also knows how to bring it.

©2015 Vincent Zandri (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Fire, fire, fire

During the first half of the story there was a bit of over repetition of the verse regarding fire and his childhood 'fire' background/experiences, luckily it stopped just at the point of irritation. After that the story moved along at a quick pace with several twists and turns. The ending is well done, the wording was very descriptive evoking great imagery.
This was my first experience with this author, I will definitely try other novels.
The narrating was good.

Eh. Tolerable.

Finished this book only to finish. Don't recommend it. Felt like a supermarket checkout buy.

The book was okay.

Everything Burns was an okay novel. It's about a writer that has an obsession with fire stemmed from his childhood. I think it's ironic that the main character 'wrote' a book about a likable bad guy. Yet I didn't like the main character too much. I found myself frequently annoyed with his actions and almost stopping the book several times. It picked up a bit at the end. I probably will not reread this book nor any sequels if they were to follow .
The narrator was great though.

The narrator made me do it

Would you consider the audio edition of Everything Burns to be better than the print version?

The narrator adds excitement to the story so I would take audio over pulp

What did you like best about this story?

I was never certain where the story would go. I had no information in advance, did not know what to expect, and on multiple occasions expected the story to be a person's dream

Which character – as performed by Patrick Lawlor – was your favorite?

Reese and the dog

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No laughing, no crying involved.

Any additional comments?

This was the first book I have read by Vincent Zandri and I will read/listen to more of Vincent's stories. It was harsh, brutal, and real.
I did not develop a love or even like for any of the characters and I thought the ex-boyfriend was played satirically but not well. It was hard to imagine an adult speaking the lines the ex spoke but it sure made it easy to want him gone.

Boring, predictable plot, annoying narration

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Not sure - I really didn't care for any part of it - but was just curious enough to see if I had the ending right that I needed to finish it. I did have it right.

Would you ever listen to anything by Vincent Zandri again?

nope

How did the narrator detract from the book?

really annoying voice, semi hysterical. Should have listened before buying.

Good story amazing read performance!

I liked the story but thoroughly enjoyed listening to the guy that read it. He made the book come alive with his performance. I will be looking for more audio books read by him.

This story is just ok.

I got it for free on amazon and paid $1.99 to upgrade to audio. I'm glad I didn't pay more. The story was not the best, seemed fairly amature. The voices from the actor were really annoying. I struggled to finish the book, yet I stuck with it. ...hoping it would redeem itself.

Burn Burn Reecey Piecey,

The story was good.) except for the repetitious parts which were plenty. Overall good story.

A masterful story

Vincent Zandri is a masterful writer. The story Everything Burns will keep you on the edge of your seat chapter by chapter. It's a story full of excitement. Once you start reading it, you will find it hard to put down.

Intense read

Where does Everything Burns rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Oh wow. Hmm. Well, not as good as a Dianna Gabaldon saga story, but intense enough to rank it in the high 90th percentile.

What did you like best about this story?

I love how the author twisted everything in the setup against Reece. I knew the entire time what was going on, but the author kept me wondering what was up next.

What about Patrick Lawlor’s performance did you like?

I love Patrick Lawlor's intense passion. He seems to know exactly when to bring in the sarcasm, too.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I felt pity for Reece and anger toward Lisa, who seems to fuel Reece's jealousy throughout the story.

Any additional comments?

I just wanted to point out that reviews are difficult. If you read the reviews on this story, they are all over the chart. Some love it, some hate it. Some think it's unbelievable--and maybe it is. But isn't that what fiction is about. Sometimes an author has to step a little out there to deliver this kind of story --otherwise readers would be bored. In this story, Reece is facing not only his demons of the past, but the psychosis of a rival who is willing to go to any lengths to seek revenge, all the while making himself look the victim. Doesn't happen in real life? Maybe not, but then who would read it?