Book Review: Burn

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Burn     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Sean Doolittle
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Uglytown, Oct 2003, $25.95, 384 pp.

In the Mandeville Canyon just outside Los Angeles the forest fire burns much of the area. The courageous firefighters however find something different among the ruins due to some luck (bad for the killer). An Alfa Romeo convertible and the corpse of Lomax Enterprise celebrity fitness expert Gregor Tavlin lies in nearby Topanga Canyon. The police are immediately are called to take charge of the crime scene.

Detectives Adrian Timms and Drea Munoz lead the investigation into the homicide starting with retired arsonist Andrew Kindler. As the cops dig deeper, they find no suspects as no one seemed to have a motive to murder the popular former decathlete. With no leads, the two detectives turn to David Lomax, heir to a fortune, but he is missing. This case appears is going up in smoke as Adrian and Drea have no other avenue to BURN.

BURN is a dark exhilarating police procedural that shows how difficult an inquiry can go when no suspects surface. The lead detectives struggle with few clues, a missing key player, and a media expecting an instant gratification arrest since a celebrity is involved. Fans will appreciate Sean Doolittle’s terse thriller that never eases up until the final page is burned.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner

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