Hi friend! Today’s book review is for the book Trial By Fire by Scott James.

*Disclaimer : I received a copy of this ebook for free from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Below you will find the description of the book provided by NetGalley, followed by my personal review and star rating.

As always, I appreciate you taking the time to read. 💛

Description :

In only 90 seconds, a fire in the Station nightclub killed 100 people and injured hundreds more. It would take nearly 20 years to find out why—and who was really at fault. 

All it took for a hundred people to die during a show by the hair metal band Great White was a sudden burst from two giant sparklers that ignited the acoustical foam lining the Station nightclub. But who was at fault? And who would pay? This being Rhode Island, the two questions wouldn’t necessarily have the same answer.

Within 24 hours the governor of Rhode Island and the local police commissioner were calling for criminal charges, although the investigation had barely begun, no real evidence had been gathered, and many of the victims hadn’t been identified. Though many parties could be held responsible, fingers pointed quickly at the two brothers who owned the club. But were they really to blame?

Bestselling author and three-time Emmy Award-winning reporter Scott James investigates all the central figures, including the band’s manager and lead singer, the fire inspector, the maker of the acoustical foam, as well as the brothers. Drawing on firsthand accounts, interviews with many involved, and court documents, James explores the rush to judgment about what happened that left the victims and their families, whose stories he also tells, desperate for justice.

Trial By Fire is the heart-wrenching story of the fire’s aftermath because while the fire, one of America’s deadliest, lasted fewer than two minutes, the search for the truth would take twenty years.

Trial By Fire – My Review :

I was about 18 when the tragedy of this book took place, so I don’t remember a whole lot – but there are certain headlines that I remember seeing.

I did not even come close to understanding the horrific fire that took place at that time. So many lives lost, families broken apart and injuries that I cannot even imagine.

This truly was the “perfect storm” of events that led up to such a horrible fire.

The best part of this book though is those who’s stories we hear about how they overcame and continue to tell their stories. They survived pain and suffering and are using that to fuel their future. Those are the stories that I find the most uplifting.

Trial by Fire is informative and really paints a picture of how The Station fire came to happen.

Star Rating :

4 Stars
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