A Killing Breath
Published on 14. April 2026
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-1-78758-972-8 (ISBN)
Description
"Full-bodied and dynamic characters carry this one along a mystery, tying a brutal past with a bloody present that will keep you guessing right up to the finale." - Unnerving Magazine on Book 1 in the series.
Raven Burns owes her life to the kind souls who looked after her while her father, unbeknownst to them, sowed a path of blood and bodies from California to Louisiana as one of the most notorious serial killers ever known, Floyd "Fire" Burns. When Raven was a girl, Floyd brutally murdered one of those kind souls, Miss Ruth Jefferson, when the woman made the fatal decision to open the door to him on a pitch-black 4th of July night. As Raven learned of her father's crimes, she vowed to do everything in her power to put men like him away. Decades later Raven's hunt for a serial killer terrorizing the town leads her right back to that 4th of July night, and a memory that will make her question how much Floyd's evil has settled in her bones.
FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. Learn more about Flame Tree Press at www.flametreepress.com and connect on social media @FlameTreePress
Raven Burns owes her life to the kind souls who looked after her while her father, unbeknownst to them, sowed a path of blood and bodies from California to Louisiana as one of the most notorious serial killers ever known, Floyd "Fire" Burns. When Raven was a girl, Floyd brutally murdered one of those kind souls, Miss Ruth Jefferson, when the woman made the fatal decision to open the door to him on a pitch-black 4th of July night. As Raven learned of her father's crimes, she vowed to do everything in her power to put men like him away. Decades later Raven's hunt for a serial killer terrorizing the town leads her right back to that 4th of July night, and a memory that will make her question how much Floyd's evil has settled in her bones.
FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. Learn more about Flame Tree Press at www.flametreepress.com and connect on social media @FlameTreePress
Reviews / Votes
"Snowden excels at conjuring a swampy Southern atmosphere. Attica Locke fans should check this out." -- Publishers Weekly "Faye Snowden's A KILLING BREATH took my breath away. This brutal and beautiful story about secrets and survival, and the legacies that fathers leave their daughters haunted me in a way good books do. Snowden's best work!" -- Rachel Howzell Hall, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author "Snowden effectively combines the swampy Southern atmosphere with psychological gothic noir...I sincerely look forward to the further tales of Raven Burns, as she fights against the legacy of violence." -- Deadly Pleasures Magazine "A Killing Breath is an interesting, compelling, heart-breaking and believable look at life for poor communities as well as exploring how the actions of a parent can leave scars long after they are dead. This book has left an impression on me, that's for sure. If you like dark crime mystery novels, I recommend this one." -- Novel Kicks "A Killing Rain by Faye Snowden is a polished gem of a crime novel, replete with deftly crafted characters, unexpected but riveting plot twists, and a memorable finale." -- Midwest Book Review Praise for A Killing Fire, Book 1 in the series:"If you like dark and atmospheric and a strong-willed but damaged protagonist, then someone should wrap up this book for you, sneak into your bedroom in the dead of night, and leave it for you to read. The Prologue alone sent chills up my spine, and that was just the beginning. This is a book that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until you reach THE END..." - Ann Parker, award-winning author of the Silver Rush historical mystery series
"Full-bodied and dynamic characters carry this one along a mystery, tying a brutal past with a bloody present that will keep you guessing right up to the finale." - Unnerving Magazine
"A solid contribution to a genre lacking in Black women authors [with] a strong sense of place, good character development, and a storyline that keeps you reading. Also, I will never get over this cover." - Black Girl Reading
"I enjoyed the ride and hope that we get to see more of Raven in future novels. I would recommend [A Killing Fire] to crime fiction and mystery lovers and fans of Ruth Ware and Gillian Flynn." - Black Girls Lit
"What a rush! A Killing Fire is a page turning psychological thriller that will keep you guessing to the end." - Never Without A Book
"Faye Snowden has created a pulse pounding and intense story that looks at both family relationships and how our lives are influenced by our pasts." - The Nerdy Girl Express
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Flame Tree Publishing
Dimensions
Height: 161 mm
Width: 237 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
496 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78758-972-8 (9781787589728)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Faye Snowden is the author of noir mysteries, poems and several short stories. Her novels include Spiral of Guilt, The Savior, Fatal Justice, and A Killing Fire, a dark, southern Gothic tale featuring homicide detective Raven Burns. A Killing Fire is first in a four-part series. Faye's short story, 'One Bullet. One Vote' was selected as one of the best American mystery and suspense stories of 2021. The story will be anthologized in the book, The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021. Her work has been called 'intense', 'pulse-pounding' and a 'solid contribution to a genre lacking in Black women authors'.
Faye has a master's in English literature. She has been awarded writing fellowships from Djerassi and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime (SinC) where she serves as Board Secretary for SinC National. She has participated on many writing panels, appeared as a guest lecture in several university writing classes, and taught information technology courses at the university level. Today, Faye works and writes from her home in Northern California. Aside from her publications, she has managed two boys, a husband, five dogs and three writing fellowships over the years. Learn more about her work at fayesnowden.com.
Faye has a master's in English literature. She has been awarded writing fellowships from Djerassi and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime (SinC) where she serves as Board Secretary for SinC National. She has participated on many writing panels, appeared as a guest lecture in several university writing classes, and taught information technology courses at the university level. Today, Faye works and writes from her home in Northern California. Aside from her publications, she has managed two boys, a husband, five dogs and three writing fellowships over the years. Learn more about her work at fayesnowden.com.