Review: Burn

Sean Doolittle’s second book, Burn, has been born. Call your neighbors, call your friends, call those people you’ve always meant to call but you’re not quite sure what to say. Tell them to buy this book. Why?

Anyone familiar with Doolittle’s first novel, Dirt, already knows that his writing style is smooth, tight, fast-paced, addictive and completely original. He is a part of a growing movement of crime writers that feature protagonists that are fallible, engaging and that live more on the wrong side of right and wrong with only their sardonic humor to keep them company. This humor is twisted in with brutal humanness in a black comedy of errors. Yet, a strident moral code is held throughout and the reader can’t help but like these sometime do rights.

First lines can tell you a hell of a lot about what a book is going to be like. The first chapter of Burn is a classic. "The morgue felt nice."

Considering the current 103.6-degree heat in Los Angeles that Detective Adrian Timms is contending with, this is not an odd statement. He has the pleasure of looking on as the autopsy of Gregor Tavlin, L.A. fitness guru, is stitched up. The chance discovery of his body touches off a series of events that coincide with the presence of Andrew Kindler on the West Coast.

Kindler has traveled to the beach home of his cousin Caroline to recover physically and mentally from wounds exacted by his former mob pal, Larry "Eyebrow" Tomiczek. A visit from Detective Timms unwittingly draws him into the chaos surrounding the Lomax family, proprietors of a chain of Club Maximum health clubs that has spawned the Abominator. Tavlin’s association cost him his life and not long into his involvement, Kindler’s life is up for grabs as well.

As the cast of characters expands, so does the list of suspects. Kindler finds his name at the top of the list. With the questionable help of a local P.I., he is determined to find out what the hell is going on and how his name got in the mix. As more visitors head for Kindler’s beach house with increasingly violent intentions, it seems his life depends on it.

Doolittle’s extensive short story background has honed his writing skill to a razor sharpness that cuts through pedantic filler to the pure, strong story underneath. The title portends a subtle theme that plays though out the book, adding to an already rich story line. UglyTown has re-established the practice of pages dedicated to a list of characters and events in the front of their books. The lists at the beginning of Burn whet readers’ appetites for the scorching meal before them.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Jennifer Jordan

Please Note: Books reviewed are usually provided by the publisher, author, or an agent. Reviewers usually get to keep the book.

Book Review: Burn

Please Note: Books reviewed are usually provided by the publisher, author, or an agent. Reviewers usually get to keep the book.