The Protector

The fourth book in Dee Henderson's O'Malley series is called The Protector, featuring Jack O'Malley and one of his former coworkers Cassie Ellis.

Jack is a firefighter, and a good one too. Sadly, a certain firebug doesn't seem to think so. At least, that's the assumption when several fires attributed to a single arsonist are all set during Jack's shifts at the fire station.

Cassie also used to be a firefighter, until a nearly fatal accident at The Fire cost her her career. Now that she's been released from the hospital for good, she's opening up a bookstore.

And then... Cassie sees the man who set a fire, and she instantly feels betrayed and traitorous simultaneously as she thinks she recognizes the man.

A whole mess of plotline ensues, in which Cassie rejoins the fire department, Jack pursues the relationship he had wanted for years, Jennifer's condition is a constant background plot, and more than just one O'Malley is targeted by Christianity in this book.

From what I can remember, I have two complaints about this book. One of them, I already mentioned about another book. Cassie is a Christian, and Jack is not; but romance pops up anyways. Not cool.

Another complaint I have is probably only because, being used more than once in the series, it's now overused. Lisa's conversion to Christianity was right as she was dying of suffocation, and Jack was in a similar (though more firey) situation when he accepted Christ.

I'm not in any way saying God doesn't save people when they call out to Him on their deathbeds, because He most certainly does. I'm just saying that Henderson, as an author, should probably use something that dramatic only once in a series.