by Terrance McArthur

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

Kate Myles is a private detective. She used to be an LAPD detective, but an accident, and a painkiller addiction, put an end to her job, her marriage, and custody of her daughter—and that’s all before Alex Kenna’s second mystery, Burn This Night, begins.

To complicate her life even more, Kate finds out that her late dad is not her real father, and her DNA is linked to a cold case. A sheriff’s detective she knew asks her for help, and he will help her make some money by having her investigate the arson murder of a young woman, whose meth-addict brother is jailed for the crime. Can she exonerate him, when his own lawyer says he’s guilty?

The two cases take her to the mountain town of Idlewood, California, where she deals with—among others—a cantankerous woman, an antiques dealer, and a handsome musician. Things happen at a lively pace, along multiple timelines, from different points of view. It sounds confusing, but Wonder of Wonders, it isn’t! It all makes horrible sense as she solves the cold case, brings justice to the burned woman, and finds family she didn’t know she had.

DNA, police procedural, and small-town romance all meet in Kenna’s mystery. The author is a Washington, D.C.-born prosecutor who lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and a 75-pound Schnauzer. I reviewed her first Kate Myles novel, What Meets the Eye, and wrote—

“This is gritty material, like an art exhibit viewed from the windows of a speeding subway train—about the time one picture registers fully and you get an understanding of it, another image takes its place. About the time you think you understand what this story is all about, another viewpoint or piece of information appears that contradicts the framework you thought you understood.”

I feel the same way about Burn This Night, with its damaged protagonist putting her life back together to regain custody of her daughter. Pieces of the victim’s world, the downward spiral of the accused man, and the other fragments of truth that come to light add to the story. It’s a book worth reading, and at 256 pages, it won’t take long . . . but it will stay with you.

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win a copy of Burn This Night, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “burn” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen January 11, 2025. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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Terrance V. Mc Arthur worked for the Fresno County Public Library for three decades. He is retired, but not retiring. A storyteller, puppeteer, writer, actor, magician, basketmaker, and all-around interesting person, his goal is to make life more unusual for everyone he meets.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.