"On Fire and Under Water" A Climate Change Crime Fiction Anthology: Review/Giveaway

Review by Sharon Marchisello

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase it. 

On Fire and Under Water: A Climate Change Crime Fiction Anthology, edited by Curtis Ippolito, features a collection of excellent short stories written by fifteen seasoned crime fiction authors set against the backdrop of climate change. They present a world characterized by extreme heat, intense storms, mudslides, government overreach, and corporate greed. Some of the stories imagine a dystopian near-future, whereas others depict disasters that resemble actual events.

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Image Source Rock & a Hard Place Press

For example, “Poison is the Wind That Blows,” by C.W. Blackwell, could be taking place during the Palisades Fire of January 2025 (or one of countless other California wildfires that have, unfortunately, become almost commonplace). “What You Lost,” by Meagan Lucas, could be about the Asheville, North Carolina, floods that occurred in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in 2024 as residents struggle to salvage what is left of the community and the lives they once knew. “Hot Child in the City, 1995,” by Mary Thorson, documents a real heat wave that occurred in Chicago thirty years ago.

Some stories show how climate change is upsetting the balance of nature by addressing its impact on other species. For example, in “Long Night of the Polar Bear,” by C.E. McKenna, a bear falls victim to a landslide caused by melting permafrost in Svalbard. In “Bad Egg,” by Kendall Brunson, the protagonist hunts pythons, an invasive species destroying the ecosystem in the Everglades.

Since this is a crime fiction anthology, the stories all have a connection to crime. In some cases, the criminals thrive in the chaos. Sometimes, they think they’re getting away, until they don’t. (After all, no one can escape Mother Nature.) Sometimes, an opportunity arises for an otherwise “good” character to let go of someone who “needs killing,” such as in “The Place Where The Dead Things Go,” by Jim Ruland, or “Ice Out” by Priscilla Paton. As with any disaster, extreme conditions bring out the best and the worst of humanity.

This anthology is not an upbeat read. In fact, some of the stories are downright disturbing. It might make you feel uncomfortable, but I suspect it was intended to. Even the stories with somewhat “happy” endings, such as “Burn,” by Michael Downing (a David vs. Goliath triumph), or “The Origin And The Truth,” by Christian Emecheta, where the little guys expose insurance fraud, gave me the feeling of winning the battle but losing the war.

Despite its pessimistic tone, this book sends an important message. Even if you don’t believe things will get as bad as they are presented in some of these stories, it will make you think.

To enter to win a copy of On Fire and Under Water, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "on fire,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 1, 2025. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors! 

You can click here to purchase this book.

 

Sharon Marchisello (sharonmarchisello.com) is the author of the DeeLo Myer cat rescue mysteries published by Level Best Books, starting with Trap, Neuter, Die (2024). Book 2, Trapped and Tested, is scheduled for later in 2025. Her other mysteries were published by Sunbury Press: Going Home (2014), Secrets of the Galapagos (2019), and Murder at Leisure Dreams – Galapagos (2025). She has also written a nonfiction book (Live Well, Grow Wealth (2018), travel articles, and short stories. She earned a Master’s in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California, and is active in Sisters in Crime. Sharon lives in Peachtree City, GA, where she does volunteer work for the Fayette Humane Society, the Fayette County Master Gardeners, and the Friends of the Peachtree City Library.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.