Natalia has never been hiking before, and when her co worker Wyatt finds out he vows to remedy that. What Wyatt doesn’t know is that Natalia has spent nearly ten years avoiding any risk. That means dogs, sports, and anything remotely scary. Hiking has been on that list.

When Natalia was eleven, she survived a traumatic event that claimed her baby brother. She has blamed herself ever since, despite her young age at the time. Years of therapy has helped her function day to day and now she has to admit, the hike and time spent next to a waterfall has been a nice change. Until they begin to smell smoke.

Suddenly hyper aware to danger, Natalia can’t believe what she is looking at – a wall of flame where they had walked through hours earlier. Turning around they tell anyone left at the waterfall that they need to leave – now!

Now in a group of twelve people aged from one year old to a woman in her 70’s, they must flee. Luckily Wyatt is more than competent in the wilderness and quick to take the lead. As smoke swirls around them and the roar of the fire is a constant, Natalia goes back to that terrible time that defined her life so far. She has beaten fire once, she has the scars on her legs to prove it. Can she do it again?

Although looking perfectly healthy at the side of a picturesque waterfall only hours before, among the twelve hikers are a diabetic, a woman with dementia, a child allergic to bees and an asthmatic.

The raging fire is relentless, there is no cell phone service and no one knows they are there. What makes things even worse is the person who lit the fire in the first place is also among them and keen to escape more than the fire.

An exciting read from an accomplished and proven thriller writer, Playing With Fire switches back and forth in time as main character Natalia’s personal battles with loss, pain, guilt and blame are laid out for the reader.

The vulnerabilities among the group rachet up the tension, and it’s refreshing that there are no egos in the mix as they flee the flames. Lots of handy survival tips are scattered through the novel for anyone interested in bush lore.

Author – April Henry

Age – 12+

(2022,  Action, Wilderness, Adventure, Hike, Tramp, Bush, Fire, Flee, Escape, Arson, PTSD, Guilt, Blame, Loss, Dementia, Asthma, First Aid, Courage, Leadership, Walk, No Service, Epi pens, Diabetic, Allergic, Allergy, Memories)