The Burning

Starred review from July 18, 2011
Irish author Casey's impressive series debut, a taut serial killer thriller, delves deeply into the psyches of three women, each dealing with identity and self-esteem issues. Det. Constable Maeve Kerrigan is keen to prove her sleuthing skills to her male colleagues and bosses. In particular, she's anxious to join the task force investigating "the Burning Man," who has beaten four women to death, then set their bodies on fire in London parks. Maeve's investigation leads to Louise North, the best friend of Rebecca Haworth, the fifth victim. Casey expertly combines a perceptive crime drama with an insightful look at the women's overlapping problems. Maeve grapples at work with sexual harassment and prejudice against her Irish background, while the relationship with her banker boyfriend unravels at home. Frumpy Louise struggles with loneliness and an obsession with Rebecca, whose life was fraying before she was murdered. The strong, likable Maeve gives a power boost to a solid look at British police tactics.

August 1, 2011
Billed as starring a serial killer, a sadist who lures young women to out-of-the-way spots and after murdering them sets fire to the remains, this London-based story opens with a tipsy girl leaving a pub alone after dark. She accepts a ride from a shadowy stranger. She notices he's heading in the wrong direction, and you know what happens next, don't you? No, you don't. Red herrings are the genre's staple, but Casey is especially good at misdirection. Her approach involves multiple points of view: chapters narrated by a could-be victim alternate with accounts of detective work by the policewoman assigned to the case. The book is too long, the descriptions of police procedure are ponderous, and the policewoman has an infuriating way of stepping on the tension to examine her psychological state. But toward the end it becomes clear that the author has been patiently, craftily assembling a portrait of deprivation and resentment that almost makes murder seem just and reasonable. The final pages bear terrific emotional weight.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2011

A South London serial killer gets too much credit.

Between September and December of 2009, four vulnerable young women walking home alone at night are brutally savaged, then set alight. DC Maeve Kerrigan, the only lass assigned to Operation Mandrake to bring "the Burning Man" to justice, is tasked with following up on the murder of a fifth victim, Rebecca Haworth. Unfortunately, when Maeve arrives at Rebecca's digs, Louise North is already there scrubbing the rooms clean. Her oldest friend, she says, was a tad messy, and she's been picking up after her since their years at Oxford. She points Maeve toward Rebecca's former boyfriend, the abusive Gil Maddick, as a possible suspect. Her apparently surprising idea makes sense because not everything about Rebecca's murder jibes with the burning man's M.O. Chief Superintendent Godley encourages Maeve to delve into Rebecca's past, which includes a cocaine addiction, a touch of blackmail and an obsession with a young man who drowned at Oxford. But matters come to an abrupt halt when a stakeout lands Maeve in the hospital with a fractured skull, her death averted only by the quick action of DC Rob Langton. As she heals, her feelings for Rob deepen. So does her belief in what and who really caused Rebecca's demise.

Casey (The Missing, 2010) excels at precinct backbiting, sexism and romance. She's less surefooted at winding up her plot, resorting to a major and unlikely confession.

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Starred review from June 15, 2011

Maeve Kerrigan, an ambitious junior detective constable with the London police, works as part of the team investigating a serial killer dubbed the Burning Man because he torches the bodies of the young women he murders. When a fifth victim, Rebecca Haworth, who doesn't quite fit the Burning Man's MO, is found, Maeve is sidelined from the main investigation and assigned to look into the latest victim's background. She discovers that Rebecca's past hides many secrets, and the possibility of a copycat murderer seems more likely as Maeve gathers evidence. VERDICT Told from the perspective of both Maeve and the victim's enigmatic best friend, Casey's (The Missing) excellent series debut features sophisticated plot development and intriguing characters. Maeve is especially engaging as an attractive woman in a male-dominated world with real empathy for the people she encounters. Fans of British crime thrillers by S.J. Bolton, Val McDermid, or Elizabeth George will look forward to more adventures with her. [Minotaur First Edition selection; library marketing.]--Lisa O'Hara, Univ. of Manitoba Libs., Winnipeg

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