The Burning
Overview: Things get personal for Deputy Coroner Clay Edison when a murder hits close to home in this riveting, emotional thriller from the bestselling father-son team who write “brilliant, page-turning fiction” (Stephen King).
A raging wildfire. A massive blackout. A wealthy man shot to death in his palatial hilltop home.
For Clay Edison, it’s all in a day’s work. As a deputy coroner, caring for the dead, he speaks for those who cannot speak for themselves. He prides himself on an unflinching commitment to the truth. Even when it gets him into trouble.
Then, while working the murder scene, Clay is horrified to discover a link to his brother, Luke. Horrified. But not surprised. Luke is fresh out of prison and struggling to stay on the straight and narrow.
And now he’s gone AWOL.
The race is on for Clay to find him before anyone else can. Confronted with Luke’s legacy of violence, Clay is forced to reckon with his own suspicions, resentments, and loyalties. Is his brother a killer? Or could he be the victim in all of this, too?
Pages: 304 Pages
Writer: Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman
Recommendations:
I must confess, I made the mistake of diving into these books out of order. When I stumbled upon this particular book, there was no indication whatsoever that it was part of a series. No hints in the back description, no clues on the cover – nada. So, perhaps I would have appreciated it more if I had read it as the third installment, but alas, that ship has sailed.
The story unfolds during a raging fire in California. The ironic and slightly eerie part? As I was engrossed in the book, a real-life fire was wreaking havoc in California, causing destruction and tragedy. Talk about life imitating art!
When Clay spots a car at a crime scene that he recognizes as his brother’s, he is thrust into a whirlwind of questions about his brother’s whereabouts and the mysterious circumstances surrounding the car’s presence. As a coroner, Clay embarks on a mission to unravel the case, leading to all sorts of unexpected twists and turns.
Overall, it was a brisk read. If only I had realized it was the third book in the series beforehand, I would have taken the time to start from the beginning. Live and learn, right?