COMBUSTIBLE: A Fireman’s Road to Hell Hits a Detour at 9/11

“In the fast-paced, vivid story of faith and fire, sin and salvation, an Irish American New York City firefighter faces all the demons of his past and his profession. With the kind of ‘describe that bar’ detail, syncopated dialogue, and dark humor that would make Sam Spade proud, Conor Kilcullen is the rare, hard-bitten hero who is actually seeking a force greater than himself and hoping to actually find it, even among the ruins of one of this country’s greatest tragedies.”

“Combustible! is one howling firestorm of a novel. Riveting from the first page to the last, it explodes on the page like the fiery world it portrays. The emotional highs and lows of putting your life on the line, the value of friends who always have your back no matter what, and the desperate need for love, sex, and substances to shake it off — it’s all here! Be prepared for a roller coaster ride to a powerhouse finish and the redemption that only faith and love can bring you.”

“I have led a few rare men like Conor Kilcullen into the heart of fire. Conor’s character is complex — funny and flawed, yet tragically heroic. The book’s final scenes at Ground Zero rip the scars off the worst day in our county’s history. The smells, the chaos, and the heroism is all there. This novel could only have been written by someone who was at the site. Damn you, Billy O’Connor — and you too, Frank Pace!”

“In my thirty years on the FDNY, I have seen many failed attempts, in both print and film, to try and capture the essence of the NY city firefighter. By utilizing true acts of heroism, realistic dialogue, and clear, raw, and vivid phrases, this book succeeds by putting the reader right at the scene of the action. Combustible finally nails it. It is a remarkably riveting read through which you will discover that firefighters are ordinary men who are anything but ordinary.”