2026 Reader's Choice Award
Fire and Wrath has been selected as a contender in The Kindle Book Review's Mystery/Thriller category. It takes less than a minute, and every single vote genuinely counts.
“Carter brings a literary sensibility and an emotional depth to this fast-paced, memorable thriller.”Chris Mooney — #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
Arsonist Jack Coyle leads a complicated life. Trying to atone for his checkered past, he keeps getting drawn into situations where he is called upon to play the hero — risking life and limb while employing the deadly skills that made him famous in the underworld, and slowly transforming from a lifelong criminal into someone different… someone better.
Book One
Jack Coyle Thrillers • Book One
A serial arsonist is burning Plymouth County to the ground. The fires are calculated, personal, and escalating — and the deputy who has to stop them can only turn to one man: Jack Coyle, a professional arsonist on the run who recognizes the handwriting in the flames.
Book Two
Jack Coyle Thrillers • Book Two
The high-octane sequel to Fire and Wrath. The mob has finally caught up with Jack Coyle — and the local kingpin offers him one way out: torch a rival gang’s heavily fortified diesel refinery and walk away with money in his pocket. Miss the deadline, and it’s all over for him.
Print and eBook editions of Diesel and Ash arrive October 6, 2026 • Launch party & signing October 24 at a local bookstore — details coming soon.
“Some fires never go out. They just wait.”
Jack Coyle knows fire intimately. A career arsonist on the run, he understands its language, its seduction, the way it devours everything it touches and leaves only ash behind. When Deputy Vance Miller contacts him with a desperate request, Jack realizes the past he has spent years running from has been waiting for him all along.
A serial arsonist is burning Plymouth County to the ground. The fires are calculated, personal, and escalating. The deputy needs someone who thinks like the arsonist. He needs Jack. And despite every instinct telling him to walk away, Jack agrees. Because these are not random fires. They are messages. And Jack recognizes the handwriting.
Editorial Reviews
“Carter brings a literary sensibility and an emotional depth to this fast-paced, memorable thriller.”
Chris Mooney — #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
“A masterfully crafted novel that excels in compelling plot, deep character development, and immersive New England setting.”
Sadia Usman — Reedsy Discovery • ★★★★★
“A powerful and evocative thriller that combines intense action with profound emotional depth. Highly recommended.”
Books Paradise — ★★★★★
“One of the finest examples of the genre I have encountered this year.”
Book Buster
From the United States to India, from Amazon to Goodreads, Fire and Wrath has moved readers in ways that surprised even them.
Jim Ash
Verified Amazon Purchaser • United States
Reviewed November 2024
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“I had hoped this book would keep me occupied on a business trip. My expectations were dashed when I spent my entire 3-hour flight fully immersed, then stayed up until 2 AM finishing it in my hotel room.”
“Fire and Wrath is a novel about the kind of redemption that does not arrive with applause, but with ash under your fingernails. For those who love long shadows, broken men, and second chances that hurt worse than they heal.”
“Mr. Carter's writing style has shades of Nelson DeMille and yet is not at all derivative. I found the story absorbing and learned quite a bit about arson. Keep them coming, Mr. Carter.”
“With a complex, haunted central character who could anchor a series if Carter decides to continue. Either way, his literary career is about to catch fire.”
“Fire and Wrath transcends a simple whodunit, standing out as one of the finest examples of the genre I have encountered this year. The comparisons to Lehane are fully warranted.”
“William F. Carter delivers an exciting and well-written novel with plenty of mystery and emotion. The concept of using a former arsonist to hunt a serial firestarter is unique and handled brilliantly.”
“Fire and Wrath is much more than a typical thriller. Jack Coyle is a fascinating protagonist, and his personal journey adds real emotional weight to the investigation.”
William F. Carter holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Harvard University, the institution where the discipline, precision, and emotional honesty that define his fiction were forged. Before he ever typed the first line of Fire and Wrath, he had spent years studying what makes a story last. It shows.
Carter’s debut crime thriller has been praised by Chris Mooney, the number one New York Times bestselling author, as bringing a literary sensibility and an emotional depth to this fast-paced, memorable thriller. It has earned five-star editorial reviews from Reedsy Discovery, Books Paradise, and Book Buster, and has moved readers across four continents to comparisons with Dennis Lehane, Michael Connelly, Nelson DeMille, and Tana French.
The road to Fire and Wrath began at age twelve, when Carter received his first writing award and understood, with the particular certainty that only children can access, that stories were where he was meant to live. The Harvard MFA came later. Jack Coyle came later still. But the twelve-year-old who won that award is present on every page.
Carter lives near Boston, Massachusetts, with his wife and two daughters. He plays guitar in the rock band Faded Halo, participates in community theater, and finds in both pursuits the same truth he finds in writing: that the best stories are the ones where the audience forgets they are watching. Diesel and Ash, Book 2 in the Jack Coyle series, is available for preorder now and arrives October 6, 2026.
The woods are old and they keep secrets. Plymouth County is not merely a backdrop in Fire and Wrath. It is a character in its own right, with its silences, its roads that go nowhere, its towns that hold what they know quietly and without apology. Carter has lived near Boston his entire life and writes the New England landscape with the intimacy of someone who has walked those roads alone at night.
The same tradition of place-driven crime fiction that made Dennis Lehane’s Boston unforgettable and Tana French’s Dublin necessary runs through every chapter of this book. These fires are Massachusetts fires. Jack Coyle is a Massachusetts man. And the truth they are chasing is buried somewhere deep in Plymouth County soil.
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Three signed paperback copies are up for grabs. Enter on Goodreads for your chance to win a personally signed copy of the Jack Coyle crime thriller that readers on four continents have called unforgettable.
“Some fires never go out. They just wait.”
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Fire and Wrath has been selected as an official contender in the Mystery and Thriller category. This is a reader-voted award, which means every vote genuinely counts. If you have read and enjoyed Fire and Wrath, casting a vote takes less than a minute and makes a real difference.
“Carter brings a literary sensibility and an emotional depth to this fast-paced, memorable thriller. A genuine achievement for a debut novelist.”Chris Mooney — #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
“A masterfully crafted novel that excels in compelling plot and deep character development”
Sadia Usman • Reedsy Discovery • ★★★★★
“A powerful and evocative thriller that combines intense action with profound emotional depth”
Books Paradise • ★★★★★
When is Book 2 in the Jack Coyle series releasing?
Book 2, Diesel and Ash, releases October 6, 2026 in eBook and print. The Kindle edition is available for preorder now. Sign up for the email list for launch party details and release news before anyone else.
Where can I buy Fire and Wrath?
Fire and Wrath is available on Amazon in both Kindle and Paperback editions. It is also available through Goodreads and wherever fine books are sold online.
How can I invite William to my book club?
William genuinely loves connecting with book clubs and would be delighted to participate in a discussion of Fire and Wrath. Use the contact form on this page to send your invitation.
What inspired the arson thriller premise?
Carter was drawn to fire as both a literal and literary device. Arson is one of the few crimes that destroys its own evidence, which made it the perfect entry point for a story about guilt, secrets, and redemption.
Is Jack Coyle based on a real person?
Jack Coyle is a fictional character, though Carter has described him as carrying the accumulated weight of every morally complicated man he has ever known or read about, which perhaps makes him more real than most.
Are speaking engagements available?
Yes. William is available for speaking engagements, library events, literary festivals, and school and university visits. Please reach out through the contact form with your details and dates.
William F. Carter has appeared at bookstores, libraries, and community events across Massachusetts and New England since the publication of Fire and Wrath in July 2024. Each appearance reflects his genuine love for connecting with readers and the communities that have embraced Jack Coyle's story. This October, the celebration continues with the Diesel and Ash launch party and book signing on October 24 at a local bookstore, plus local cable interview appearances to be announced.
Diesel and Ash Launch Party & Book Signing
Local bookstore • Boston area, Massachusetts • Details announced soon
Diesel and Ash Release Day — eBook & Print
Kindle preorder live now • Available everywhere books are sold online
Author Talk — Fairing Way Senior Center
Fairing Way Senior Center • Weymouth, Massachusetts
Local Author Day — Barnes & Noble Waltham
Barnes & Noble • Waltham, Massachusetts
Author Talk — Rockland Memorial Library
Rockland Memorial Library • Rockland, Massachusetts
Local Author Fair — Plymouth Public Library
Plymouth Public Library • Plymouth, Massachusetts
Author Talk — Bridgewater Public Library
Bridgewater Public Library • Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Local Author Day — Barnes & Noble Hingham
Barnes & Noble, Derby Street Shoppes • Hingham, Massachusetts
Book Club Meeting — New Hampshire
New Hampshire Book Club • New Hampshire
Meet and Greet — South Shore Health Book Group
South Shore Health Book Group • South Shore, Massachusetts
Local Author Day — Barnes & Noble Hingham
Barnes & Noble, Derby Street Shoppes • Hingham, Massachusetts
Meet the Author — Weymouth Public Library
Weymouth Public Library • Weymouth, Massachusetts
Local Author Day — Barnes & Noble Hingham Sold out within the first 30 minutes
Barnes & Noble, Derby Street Shoppes • Hingham, Massachusetts • Debut signing
Whether you are a reader with a question, a journalist working on a story, a book club organizer, or an event host, William would genuinely love to hear from you. He reads every message personally.