The Burning: The gripping detective crime thriller from the Top 10 Sunday Times bestselling author (Maeve Kerrigan, Book 1)

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DC Maeve Kerrigan is on the team working the case of a serial killer who is preying upon young women in South London, killing them and then burning their bodies. Maeve is a complicated character and has her own issues which will add to the series interest and give her a lot more depth as a character. The Burning, is an excellent follow up, with a psychologically interesting plot and complex, well-drawn characters Irish Independent

I think the main problem this book has, at least for me, is the very odd alternate points of view. One part of the book is a first person account told by the victim's friend, Louise. The other part of the book is the first person account of the investigation into the murder featuring Maeve Kerrigan, with her partner Rob getting a meatier role further on into the book. Another sweltering month in Charlotte, another boatload of mysteries past and present for overworked, overstressed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. My reasons for feeling this way about this story are somewhat difficult to put into words as so often I’m pulled in by stories that make me feel a certain way. But if I were pressed to choose a practical reason, I would say that I took joy in immersing myself in the world Jane Casey created. For example, I could literally feel the stifling heat of the overheated police detachment, as I could actually see myself sitting in any one of the living environments that this story took me into. Maeva Kerrigan maakt deel uit van het team wat op de moordenaar jaagt. Maar is het laatste slachtoffer wel een van de seriemoordenaar of maakt een slimme killer gebruik van de situatie om zijn slachtoffer "uit de weg te werken". My only regret is that I missed book 5, and without realizing it, went ahead and read After the Fire. To make up for my carelessness, I now have The Kill (#5 in the series) heading this way.

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There are multiple strands to the story, but at no time is there any hint of confusion as these are expertly handled, including the reappearance of Chris Swain the man who is stalking Maeve. This is a great story arc which despite being an extreme example accurately portrays the absolute single-minded nature of this kind of perpetrator. Maeve is such a hugely warm character with just the right mix of vulnerable and feisty. Will definitely be looking out more in the series’ Tammy Cohen, author of When She Was Bad I love Maeve Kerrigan - what a terrific series Jane Casey has created' Sarah Hilary, bestselling of author Someone Else's Skin The media call him The Burning Man, a brutal murderer who has beaten four young women to death, before setting their bodies ablaze in secluded areas of London's parks. And now the fifth victim has been found... But how do you catch a killer no one has seen? And when so much of the evidence they leave behind has gone up in smoke?

The Burning is not the story of a serial killer but the story of one woman’s experience as that serial killer is sought. A human drama set around a murder investigation.

The plot is solid, but there were several times in the book when the author spent too much time in one place and the momentum slowed to a crawl and the story became dull and lifeless. This is one of the more cleverly plotted murder mysteries I have read. Throughout the book the reader is led on numerous trails of who the suspect may be. When the killer is revealed, however, it comes as a bit of a surprise. Most of the book is told from Maeve’s point of view, but there are also shorter chapters from the point of view of Louise, an old friend of the old woman. A contemporary of Maeve, but a very different woman, with a very different life. That gave the book another dimension, and helped to paint a better, clearer picture.

But how do you catch a killer no one has ever seen? And when so much of the evidence they leave behind has gone up in smoke. . .? Read more Look Inside Details The news breaks in the early hours of the morning that The Burning Man has claimed his fifth victim. But there are doubts. Yes a woman lies dead, yes her body has been burned, but there are differences from the first four murders. I thoroughly enjoyed this book; far more than I was expecting in fact, as it turned out to be more of a psychological thriller than a straight forward serial killer crime read. I found it fast-paced and I cared about the characters. If you are looking for a hard-boiled thrills-and-blood-spills book then you won’t find it here: The Burning Man is almost a side plot from what is really going on.Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent (somewhat to their surprise) are once again partnered by their superior officer. Once the fire is determined to have been arson, the police begin investigating whether or not one of the victims was specifically targeted. While their boss favors one theory, Derwent has another one that he wants to pursue, and both theories have some twists. But those two theories are not the only ones that might have an impact on the investigation. Maeve is new to the murder squad and eager to prove herself. Her family didn’t care for her choice of career but she loves her job, despite the anti-social hours, casual sexism, and ribbing about her Irish roots. And I say au revoir to Maeve and her odd collection of colleagues, all of whom seem to desire her and be hot. It started in the last book, where she began to veer strangely off course into co-dependency on both Derwint AND Rob has only gotten worse in this book. Derwint isnt a desirable "bad-boy" in my opinion, hes a bully. He likes to make people feel stupid and that he begrudgingly needs them- for sex or help at work or both. He was 100% correct about Rob though.

But how do you catch a killer no one has ever seen? And when so much of the evidence they leave behind has gone up in smoke. . .?Loved it. 5 paw prints from Booklover Catlady for this one. Add it to your list, in fact add the whole series to your list. The book opens with a bunch of young women enjoying a drink-fuelled night out in the capital. And as often happens, there's always one absolutely paralytic - with drastic consequences. Casey gives her readers a sharp taste of danger early on as we accompany the unfortunate Kelly on a terrifying taxi ride. The media is stirring up a right old frenzy and calling this local serial killer The Burning Man. And yes, it's a suitably horrible title and we hear it time and time again throughout the book. I love Maeve Kerrigan – what a terrific series Jane Casey has created’ Sarah Hilary, bestselling of author Someone Else’s Skin