Review: The Burning

The Burning by Jonathan Kellerman
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I would definitely recommend this book to those who love the male Kellerman's writing. But, unfortunately, it just wasn't my cup of coffee!

I have only read one or two books by Mr. Kellerman, but I do love his wife's writing, so I thought I would take a chance with this new series by him and his son.

It was an interesting premise and very up-to-date, what with all the wildfires burning out west right this minute.

I did not have a problem with not having read the previous novels in this series. However, I did have several issues with this particular book. One of them is that the storyline is extremely similar to a book by David Baldacci. A missing brother who had been in jail...The other issue I have is that the twist was so out in the left-field that I just couldn't believe it. No matter how I tried to suspend my disbelief, I just couldn't make it work.

Most of the characters are unlikeable for various reasons, and that just didn't add to my reading pleasure at all.

Again as I said with the first line in this review--I would definitely recommend this book to those who love the male Kellerman's writing.

*ARC supplied by the publisher, the authors, and NetGalley.

View all my reviews

SYNOPSIS: "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?

This is Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman at their most affecting and page-turning--a harrowing collision of family, revenge, and murder.