Heaven’s Rage is the first novel by Tiffany Craig Brown.
When retired helicopter pilot Richard Tate is found murdered in his apartment, his three ex-wives and an old college lover become the primary suspects. Homicide detective Ian Buchanan is assigned to the case, and when interviews all four women, he finds himself sympathizing more for them and less for the victim.
The story opens onto the gruesome details of the crime scene, where a clue has been left behind in the form of mysterious vomit—presumed to have come from someone other than the victim. How intriguing, and what a fun clue! The police procedural parts here at the beginning are well written and thoroughly researched.
After that, Heaven’s Rage is divided into four main sections—each of which showcases the horrendous relationships Richard had with each of the four women. Horrendous, because Richard is a terrible person.
Richard aptly goes by Dick for short. My jaw fell open while reading the following excerpt from Jordan, one of his ex-wives. Here, she recounts an experience she had going on a road trip with Dick and their kids:
“I’m really sore and uncomfortable, Dick,” she lamented. “Did you forget your promise to the doctor? You were supposed to let me get out and walk around every couple of hours…”
“Oh, quit your bitchin’,” he interrupted. “You’ve done nothing but complain through the whole damn trip. Stop being such a baby!”
Tears stung her eyes. Her lips trembled and her voice wavered as she responded, “I gave birth six days ago! I shouldn’t even be on this trip!” She swiped at her eyes furiously but the more she tried to stop crying, the harder the tears fell.
And that’s just one of many injustices and harsh treatments Dick imposes on his wives. It’s so easy to sympathize with the suspects.
I had just one main gripe with Heaven’s Rage—I feel like it didn’t give us enough clues to figure out the mystery on our own. Maybe it did, and I missed it.
Overall, Heaven’s Rage was a great read, and I loved all the military bits in it. I’m a military brat and lived in many of the places mentioned in this book.
Did you read Heaven’s Rage, and what did you think about it? I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts.
Last Updated on February 11, 2026 by Sarah Ann
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