Trial by Fire

August 1, 2020

In 2003 the Station nightclub, in West Warwick, RI, went up in flames during a concert by the heavy metal group Great White. Illegal pyrotechnics, improper flammable insulation, and high attendance resulted in tragedy, killing 100 and injuring more than 200. For journalist and novelist James (The Sower), everyone is a victim--including club owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian, who served less than three years in prison after a plea agreement to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter. The author, a friend and former colleague of Jeffrey Derderian, offers a compelling account of those who survived with horrific injuries, the anguish suffered by the families of the dead, and the impact on the prosecuted parties. VERDICT While James makes incisive points about the media, faulty fire codes, ambitious prosecutors, and sloppy commercial practice, his book is more defense brief than balanced recounting. To get the other side of the story, readers should turn first to John Barylick's Killer Show, an attorney who represented victims in wrongful death and personal injury suits related to the fire.--Harry Charles, St. Louis

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 24, 2020
Journalist James, the author of two novels under the pen name Kemble Scott, makes his nonfiction debut with this gripping, meticulously researched account of the 2003 Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, R.I., that killed 100 people. On February 20, 2003, pyrotechnics used by the band Great White ignited the walls and ceiling of the Station nightclub, and flammable acoustical foam spread the fire within minutes. In the aftermath, the public was incensed by the loss of life and furious that only three people were indicted. The Station’s owners, brothers Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, and band tour manager Daniel Biechele all made plea deals and received short sentences. Michael served four years in prison, Jeffrey had his sentence suspended, and Biechele served less than four years. But plenty of others shared the blame, notes James, including the fire marshal who certified the building as safe and the manufacturer of the acoustical foam. The only solace for many of the survivors would come from civil suits that were settled by the companies involved for tens of millions of dollars. 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. Agent: Michael Carlisle, Inkwell Management.

September 1, 2020
Exposition of a tangled tragedy about which it took "years before anyone knew what really happened--and who was truly to blame." It all happened in 90 seconds: a 2003 conflagration in a Rhode Island nightclub that killed 100 people and badly injured many more and that stands today, James notes, as "the nation's deadliest rock concert." Name a cause, though, and you enter Rashomon territory, with many contributing factors, ranging from a local culture in which "it was a badge of honor to figure out how to manipulate the system to one's advantage" to the installation of improper building materials and perhaps willful violations of building codes. Two brothers owned The Station nightclub but were preparing to sell it when the band Great White played there. When the band's road manager set off a pyrotechnic display, a foam-clad wall caught fire, and within that short span of time, nearly everyone who had been inside had died or been severely injured. The author's account is minutely detailed, its technical discussions punctuated by human-interest-story portraits of the victims; it is often repetitive, sometimes to emphasize a point, sometimes seemingly carelessly. What emerges from the story is a blend of cascading effects and unintended consequences: The flammable foam had been installed in an effort to deal with neighbors' complaints about noise, for instance, and the nightclub had no sprinkler system--though sprinklers weren't required by code and the "deadly danger was never noticed" during multiple fire inspections. Considering James' exhaustive examination of the facts and the back-and-forth argumentation regarding fault, it is surprising that the legal consequences were not more severe--the fire inspector, for example, received a raise from the town and then retired early on disability--or more broadly distributed. An unsettling history of horrific events whose memory is still fresh.

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2020
In 2003, Rhode Island rock nightclub the Station burned during a packed heavy metal show, and 100 people died. Sparks from the band's pyrotechnics ignited flammable foam that lined the ceiling and walls. Exits were inadequate, and people were trapped. Was it a horrific accident or criminal negligence? Who was to blame?the owners, the band's manager, who ignited the fiery effect, the foam company that supplied the wrong material, or the fire inspector who gave the building a pass? While most of this well-researched and well written account focuses on the aftermath of the devastating fire, the author begins with introductions to some of the people involved, including the club owners, with their personal stories carried throughout the book. The loss of loved ones and the incredible pain and complexity of recovery from severe burns are appropriately documented, as is the outrageously long time it took for people to be brought to trial. This is not an easy book, but it is well worth reading for true crime fans who are tired of serial killers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)