Liz & Lisa's Book Club: Smoke by Catherine McKenzie

Catherine McKenzie's, SMOKE, is one of the hottest books this year. (See what we did there?) So, of course, we chose it as our book club pick this month. #duh #nobrainer #welovecatherine If you leave a comment on this post or on our Facebook page, you'll be entered to #win a copy! Contest closes on Wednesday, November 11th at 8pm PST.

The scoop: From the internationally bestselling author Catherine McKenzie comes an evocative tale of two women navigating the secrets and lies at the heart of a wildfire threatening their town.

After a decadelong career combating wildfires, Elizabeth has traded in her former life for a quieter one with her husband. Now she works as the local arson investigator in a beautiful, quaint town in the Rockies. But that tranquil life vanishes when she and her husband agree to divorce and a fire in nearby Cooper Basin begins to spread rapidly. For Elizabeth, containing a raging wildfire is easier than accepting that her marriage has failed.

For Elizabeth’s ex-friend Mindy, who feels disconnected from her husband and teenage children, the fire represents a chance to find a new purpose: helping a man who has lost his home to the blaze. But her faith is shattered by a shocking accusation.

As the encroaching inferno threatens the town’s residents, Elizabeth and Mindy must discover what will be lost in the fire, and what will be saved.

Our thoughts: We couldn't put it down. It was engaging and nuanced and kept us up at night as we raced to finish.

Liz & Lisa's Book Club: Smoke by Catherine Mckenzie

We loved SMOKE! Tell us, what was your inspiration for this story?

I've spent a lot of time in a small town in the Rockies and a few years ago it was threatened by a wildfire. I have several friends who live there and it was interesting to me how they each had a very different experience of the fire. That was the genesis of the idea.

There is great detail about fire-fighting--how much research did you have to do?

My sister worked in search and rescue in a national park for many years and she helped me a lot with the details. I also read a lot on the internet, watched videos etc.

You also work as an attorney. When do you squeeze in time to write? Where is your favorite place to scribe?

I usually write at night and on the weekends. More on the weekends these days. I have this nice desk to write at, but I usually end up writing on my laptop with the TV on in the background. Which I may be doing as I write this ...

What are you reading right now?

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell.

What's up next for you? We can't wait!

I can't say yet unfortunately, but I'm close to finishing my sixth novel and it will hopefully be out next October! Crazy.