5-STAR REVIEW: TEMPERATURE RISING by Joel Burcat

About The Book

Publication Date: June 16, 2026

A deadly secret. A dangerous game. How much is she willing to sacrifice to expose the truth?
Anna Freeman never expected a routine errand to change everything. But when the ambitious law student and environmental activist retrieves a harmless videotape on energy policy, she unknowingly steps into the heart of a ruthless conspiracy. Powerful lobbyists, corrupt politicians, and billion-dollar interests will do whatever it takes to keep their secrets buried—and now, Anna is in their crosshairs.

Before she realizes it, she’s pulled deep into the very system she once despised, embraced and seduced by those orchestrating the cover-up. They think she’s one of them. But Anna has other plans. Working undercover for The New York Times, she’s determined to expose the truth—no matter the cost. The only problem—she falls in love with the industry’s most trusted lobbyist.

With every step she takes, the danger intensifies. Lies mount. The deeper she infiltrates, the harder it becomes to save herself and her friends from the ultimate outcome. When the threats turn personal, Anna faces an impossible Will she risk everything—her career, her relationships, her friendships, even her life—to bring the truth to light? Or will she be silenced before she has the chance?

Temperature Rising is an electrifying political thriller packed with pulse-pounding suspense, forbidden romance, and high-stakes deception. As Anna races against time, one thing becomes clear—some secrets are worth killing for.

Excerpt

The Review

Getting caught up in the middle of a conspiracy tied to global warming is the last thing law student Anna Freeman has on her to-do list.

Her inadvertent actions serve as the catalyst for an intriguing environmental thriller by author Joel Burcat. From the opening scene, Temperature Rising focuses on the high stakes involved with energy policies and the political climate.

Although this is a work of fiction set in the late 1980s, the author leverages his own expertise to highlight the relevance of climate change on the national scale. The fast pace works well and includes a satisfying conclusion.

Exposing the corruption may seem like an easy decision, but it is complicated by Anna falling in love with a lobbyist on the other side. She must weigh the personal consequences against a moral duty for the greater good.

Temperature Rising builds a solid thriller connected by webs of deception.

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About The Author Joel Burcat is an award-winning novelist and retired environmental lawyer whose thrillers blend high-stakes suspense with real-world issues. He is the author of Drink to Every Beast, Amid Rage, Strange Fire, Reap the Wind, and Temperature Rising, as well as the historical novel Whiz Kid, co-written with his late father, David S. Burcat. His books have earned multiple honors, including Readers’ Favorite Gold and Silver Medals, a Kindle Book Reviews Semi-Finalist award, and recognition from PennWriters and the Next Generation Indie Book Awards (Finalist). Drawing on more than forty years of environmental law practice, Burcat now writes full-time from central Pennsylvania.