Fannin' the Flames

Parry Brown. One World/Strivers Row, $21.95 (332pp) ISBN 978-0-345-46907-6

Prejudice and personal problems dog an all-minority L.A. fire-fighting squad in Parry ""Ebonysatin"" Brown's hardcover debut, Fannin' the Flames. While coping with increasingly offensive pranks-equipment sabotage, dead rats-the members of the team must also deal with problems at home. Lloyd's wife is planning to ask him for a divorce; Jerome's wife is seriously injured in a car accident; Mychel is bent on seducing Jerome. Brown skillfully addresses workplace issues and creates a cast of appealing, believable characters.

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