BookenDeX — Better Discovery eXperience
Cover of Playing with fire
Book details

Playing with fire

a Sarah Fortune mystery

by Frances Fyfield

Published 2014269 pagesISBN 978-0-0623-0497-1

There's no place like home. When Sarah Fortune inherits an apartment from one of her many lovers, she moves in and begins to receive letters from someone claiming the apartment belongs to him instead. At first she believes the letters to be harmless, but as they grow more threatening, she can no longer ignore the fact that she is being hounded by a psychopath. Then Sarah meets Henry, a timid, lonely man whose racketeering landlord is trying to force him to break his lease: litter in the shared hallway, continual noise, poison set out for his cat. Confident that they'll be able to deal with one another's problems, Sarah suggests a house swap. But it soon becomes clear that the two acquaintances are connected by far more than shared frustration, and they will discover that "home" may not be as safe as they thought ... Fans of Patricia Highsmith will devour this domestic twist on Strangers on a Train.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Fiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Full BookenDeX details

What the reading experience may hold

A fuller profile for choosing with more confidence—not just another copy of the preview.

Themes to notice

Fiction

Use these as starting points rather than limits; the most memorable books often stretch beyond their catalog labels.

Content notes

No specific content concerns can be confirmed from the available English catalog information. Consult a publisher or reader-supplied guide when detailed warnings matter.

These notes are inferred from available catalog information and may not be complete. Check a publisher or reader-supplied guide if you need comprehensive warnings.

Reading experience

Shadowed tone · Urgent pace

A comfortable full-length choice for steady daily reading.

Who it may suit

A good fit if…

Readers who want a thoughtful experience and enjoy noticing the connections beneath a book’s surface story.

At a glance

This book's DNA

A visual estimate based on this edition's categories, description, and length. Select a star to explore the signals.

ToneShadowed
LuminousDark

This signal is descriptive, not a rating. It helps compare the kind of reading experience this edition may offer.

No plot details

Spoiler-Free Emotional Arc

A broad estimate of the book’s emotional rhythm, shown without story events or outcomes.

Spoiler-free
12345
PeakRelative emotional intensity
Playing with fireFrances Fyfield
Heightened4.2/5

This visualization is an interpretive estimate based on catalog description, categories, tone, pace, and content signals. It does not describe specific scenes.

Before you choose

A quick reading snapshot

Edition facts and catalog signals to help you decide whether this book fits what you want to read next.

Reading lengthA standard-length read269 pages in this edition
Publication eraModernFirst published or edition dated 2014
Primary categoryFictionExplore similar books below
ISBN-13
978-0-0623-0497-1
Language
English
Edition record
OL30836273M
BookenDeX editorial lens

A more thoughtful way into this book

This guide uses the edition details and category signals above to help you choose deliberately. It does not replace the author's work or a full review.

Good to know

A comfortable full-length choice for steady daily reading.

Begin with its place in Fiction, then notice where the book resists that label.

Try this reading approach

Read for connection, not completion.

Mark one passage that sharpens the book's central concern and one that complicates it. That tension often reveals more than a quick summary.

Three questions to carry with you

  1. What does the central character want, and what do they misunderstand about that desire?
  2. Which detail or relationship changes how you interpret the story?
  3. What feeling or question does the book leave with you after the plot moves on?

Editorial framework by Wesley Bryan, BookenDeX Founder and Editor.