Duncan's cousin, Winnie, who is substituting as the pastor in a local church, is helping one of her church members, Fannie, who is suffering from Guillame Barre syndrome, by enlisting the aid of Gemma Jones to locate Fanny's missing housemate, Elaine. Elaine is a hospital administrator who has suddenly disappeared. Gemma in searching for clues in Elaine's room finds a cache of hidden clothes, which hint at another side of the staid Elaine.

Next to the warehouse is a woman's shelter for abused women. One of the members of the shelter is missing, as is her 9-year-old daughter. There is evidence that the warehouse fire is arson. Firefighter Rose Kearny researches in previous fire files and finds a connection between this fire and a series of others, which make a pattern for the Victorian Southwark fires.

Kincaid and Gemma must put their personal problems regarding the custody of Kincaid's son on hold while they try to identify the corpse from the warehouse and to search for the missing girl. Time is of the essence in both cases, which seem to be connected.

The intermingling of the various plots is an excellent one, holding the reader's interest. The insight into the mind of the arsonist is a terrifying one; the arsonist's identity an unexpected one when uncovered by young Rose. The scenes of the fires and the actions of the firefighters in combating the conflagrations are graphic and stirring. The continuing theme of Kincaid's battle with his ex-mother-in-law to keep the custody of his son which is still unresolved leaves the reader eager for the next book.

Another Duncan Kincaid/Gemma Jones mystery to be enjoyed....