Trial by Fire

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What to expect

In only ninety seconds, a fire in The Station nightclub left one hundred people dead or dying and injured hundreds more. It would take years to find out why—and who was really at fault.

All it took for a hundred people to die during a show by the hair metal band Great White was a sudden burst from four giant sparklers that ignited the acoustical foam lining the Station nightclub. But who was at fault? And who would pay? This being Rhode Island, the two questions wouldn’t necessarily have the same answer.

Within twenty-four hours, the governor of Rhode Island and the local police chief were calling for criminal charges, although the investigation had barely begun, key evidence still needed to be gathered, and many of the victims hadn’t been identified. Though many parties could be held responsible, fingers pointed quickly at the two brothers who owned the club. But were they really to blame?

Bestselling author and three-time Emmy Award–winning journalist Scott James investigates all the central figures, including the band’s manager and lead singer, the fire inspector, the maker of the acoustical foam, as well as the brothers. Drawing on firsthand accounts, interviews with many involved, and court documents, James explores the rush to judgment about what happened that left the victims and their families, whose stories he also tells, desperate for justice.

Trial By Fire is the heart-wrenching story of the fire’s aftermath because while the fire, one of America’s deadliest, lasted minutes, the search for the truth would take years.

Critics Review

  • “James examines the harrowing incident by talking to those who were there and directly impacted―augmented with previously unseen documentation that really puts the tragedy into perspective fifteen years later.”

    Forbes

  • “Details the many misconceptions about the blaze.This is not a book simply about uncovering truths. This is about the people whose lives were changed forever by the blaze.”

    Attleboro Sun Chronicle (Massachusetts)

  • “An unsettling history of horrific events whose memory is still fresh.”

    Kirkus Reviews

  • “James draws on his knowledge of the state’s politics and interviews with the principal players to present a complete, affecting picture of the tragedy’s terrible human cost. This is essential reading for true crime fans.”

    Publishers Weekly

  • “In James’s new investigation, none are spared. From the judicial system to the media to the club owners and vendors, each is subjected to a reporter’s skepticism and an insider’s unflinching compassion. This is journalism as it is meant to be.”

    Raj Patel, New York Times bestselling author

  • “Trial by Fire sucks you in…Scott James’ investigative journalism reads like an Agatha Christie whodunit.”

    Alex Storozynski, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist

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