The book I'm reviewing today is The Burning by Jane Casey.
I really enjoyed this mystery. Detective Maeve Kerrigan and her partner Rob are on the case trying to catch the "burning man." The burning man is a serial killer who has bludgeoned then burned 4 (possibly 5) young women. However, there is some question about the 5th victim, Rebecca Haworth, being an actual victim of the burning man.
Maeve is a dedicated detective who has to deal with a work environment which is sexist and less than friendly. Also, her workaholic tendencies are killing her relationship. Therefore, she concentrates on trying to solve this case.
As Maeve interviews Rebecca's family and friends, it becomes increasingly clear to Maeve that Rebecca's life was not what it seemed at first glance.
The story is told from the points of view of Maeve and Rebecca's best friend, Louise. Sometimes alternating points of view can be distracting, but the author makes it work in this case. The burning man is actually only a small part of the story. As Maeve begins to discover that there is so much more to Rebecca's death, she is not convinced it is the work of the burning man. She fears it may actually be a copycat murder... and that becomes the focus of the story.
I really liked the way that Rebecca's true story was gradually revealed. Her relationships with her ex-boyfriend and her friends were also intriguing. Maeve and Rob were the most likeable characters in this story and I wanted to know more about them.
All in all, this was a pretty solid mystery. The writing was good and it kept me wanting to know what happened next. There was no overuse of red herrings (which I dislike.) I did guess who the killer was only partway into the book but it didn't keep me from continuing to read...I still enjoyed the journey. I look forward to reading the next installment in the series. This was my first book by this author and I would definitely pick up something else by her.
***I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest review. The opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are mine.***
