Burning Desire — Emmett K. Smelser

Burning Desire -- A Tale of Arson "What's happening to my town?" That's what Gwen Griffith wonders as the string of fires in abandoned factory buildings begins to mount in her home town of Madrid, Ohio, As managing editor of Madrid's small daily newspaper, The Messenger, Gwen and her tiny staff set out to investigate the blazes that have the local authorities baffled. Juggling daily deadlines along with guiding a lurid expose of a sex-for-sale "wellness" spa operated by a local pastor, Gwen fends off a vicious assault attempt. And then the arsons turn fatal as a harmless homeless man is overcome by smoke. In an unusual collaboration between police and press, Gwen joins forces with Brad Lassiter, a handsome and aggressive detective of the Madrid Police Department, to pursue the mystery to its shocking conclusion.