When the Flames Ravaged is the second in a clever series from Barbour Fiction, exploring great tragedies. Thankfully, there is light and hope to be found and this book isn’t shy about revealing that.

The story centers on a devastating fire at a circus which in reality claimed 168 lives. Hank is a clown on the run after a fight left him in the frame for murder. He fights valiantly to save as many lives as possible but still blames himself for the ones who perished.

War Widow Evelyn Benson lives with her brother and sister in law and is left grieving with the couple’s daughter after the fire claims their lives. Her two year old nephew remains missing and she teams up with Hank to try and cope with the aftermath.

I liked that faith interspersed throughout this well crafted story. The events of the Big Top Disaster are forever etched into the psyche of Hartford, CT and are sensitively handled here. Events during the fire made for tough reading but the author handled these parts carefully with nothing gratuitous. The love that great between Hank and Evelyn was birthed in sorry but lead to joy and that is beautiful.

I received a copy of When the Flames Ravaged from the publisher, via NetGalley. The views are my own.