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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
In her debut novel (2010) and first book in her Maeve Kerrigan series. Jane Casey takes readers to both the high and low life of London's parks where a young constable is trying to make a name for herself:
The Burning Man, is the name the London media has given it's latest serial killer. He is known for his randomness and his choice to burn the bodies of each of his victims. Detective Constable Maeve Kerrigan has been assigned to the task force and desperately wants to make a name for herself. However, being the youngest and the lowest in seniority plus being a woman means that she often gets the jobs no one else wants. When a fourth victim is found Maeve is assigned to dig into the victim's life and determine where she was the night of her murder. As Maeve digs more into the crime scene and the victim's past, she is more and more convinced that there is more than one killer now roaming free in London.
For the most part this book is not about the serial killer, The Burning Man, that the premise states it is and really as the title insinuates as well, I am not sure why the premise (not the one above, but the one on all the book sites) was written this way or why this title was chosen as it is very misleading. Mauve (love her name by the way) is tasked to investigate a murder that appears to be done by the Burning Man but might also have been used cover another killer's tracks. This means that she has to dig into the victim's life and try to figure out where the victim was the night of the murder and whether someone could have wanted her dead. I think this is what makes the book slower than most readers will want it to be or were expecting. There is not a large body count that occurs within the book (there are three previous victims before the reader enters into the story), there is no interaction with the serial killer but what this book has it the feel of what a real police investigation is like. It is not all guns blazing, kicking down doors and wild theory chasing; this book had more of a feel for how an investigation goes.. It can be slow, you need to follow all the leads you can and at times you really just need to follow your gut, which makes this book a who-done-it mystery with a small sub plot with a serial killer.
I'm on the fence with Maeve, there were times that I really liked her and her willingness to follow up all the leads that she has and really just wanting to go with her gut on certain things, which sometimes paid off and other time it did not. However, there were times when I felt like she wanted to please her boss too much, was looking for all kinds of praise or notes within his body language that she had done a good job (made me think she had a crush on him when it first happened) and tries too hard to prove that she is just one of the guys.
The format was different it changes chapter by chapter between Mauve and Louise and later on in the novel Rob. You will probably question why there is a point of view given by Louise in the book (I know I did), who is the latest victim's best friend but you understand why as the novel progresses, and you really get to see more into the newest victim's life through Louise and more of what her previous boyfriend was like as well.
This novel is a solid start to a series, but this book is not the thriller that the premise portrays it to be it really is more of a who-done-it mystery, so if you are looking for something more on that pace then this book is for you. I'm interested to see how Casey develops Maeve's character further and to see how she develops as a detective constable.
Enjoy!!
The Burning Man, is the name the London media has given it's latest serial killer. He is known for his randomness and his choice to burn the bodies of each of his victims. Detective Constable Maeve Kerrigan has been assigned to the task force and desperately wants to make a name for herself. However, being the youngest and the lowest in seniority plus being a woman means that she often gets the jobs no one else wants. When a fourth victim is found Maeve is assigned to dig into the victim's life and determine where she was the night of her murder. As Maeve digs more into the crime scene and the victim's past, she is more and more convinced that there is more than one killer now roaming free in London.
For the most part this book is not about the serial killer, The Burning Man, that the premise states it is and really as the title insinuates as well, I am not sure why the premise (not the one above, but the one on all the book sites) was written this way or why this title was chosen as it is very misleading. Mauve (love her name by the way) is tasked to investigate a murder that appears to be done by the Burning Man but might also have been used cover another killer's tracks. This means that she has to dig into the victim's life and try to figure out where the victim was the night of the murder and whether someone could have wanted her dead. I think this is what makes the book slower than most readers will want it to be or were expecting. There is not a large body count that occurs within the book (there are three previous victims before the reader enters into the story), there is no interaction with the serial killer but what this book has it the feel of what a real police investigation is like. It is not all guns blazing, kicking down doors and wild theory chasing; this book had more of a feel for how an investigation goes.. It can be slow, you need to follow all the leads you can and at times you really just need to follow your gut, which makes this book a who-done-it mystery with a small sub plot with a serial killer.
I'm on the fence with Maeve, there were times that I really liked her and her willingness to follow up all the leads that she has and really just wanting to go with her gut on certain things, which sometimes paid off and other time it did not. However, there were times when I felt like she wanted to please her boss too much, was looking for all kinds of praise or notes within his body language that she had done a good job (made me think she had a crush on him when it first happened) and tries too hard to prove that she is just one of the guys.
The format was different it changes chapter by chapter between Mauve and Louise and later on in the novel Rob. You will probably question why there is a point of view given by Louise in the book (I know I did), who is the latest victim's best friend but you understand why as the novel progresses, and you really get to see more into the newest victim's life through Louise and more of what her previous boyfriend was like as well.
This novel is a solid start to a series, but this book is not the thriller that the premise portrays it to be it really is more of a who-done-it mystery, so if you are looking for something more on that pace then this book is for you. I'm interested to see how Casey develops Maeve's character further and to see how she develops as a detective constable.
Enjoy!!
This had a lot of potential, but on reflection, I'm thinking it's more of a 3.5. At its best, it was reminiscent of Tana French, Sophia Hannah, and even Elizabeth George (though never that complex). My quibbles are pretty minor, but the kept cropping up.
1. Ian. Why? I always think of this as the Sleepless in Seattle syndrome, where one of the romance interests has a pleasant but boring significant other.Actually, Ian was not portrayed as remotely pleasant until the break-up. Couldn't Maeve have just been single?
2. Everyone was beautiful. The cops, the victims, the suspects. Everyone except Rachel's unpleasant boss and Detective Tom Judd. (Whose name kept reminding me of Grapes of Wrath, which was also kind of annoying.) The world is not really full of that many beautiful people. It's a book, not a Hollywood movie, so there was really no reason for EVERYONE to be gorgeous.
3. I would have appreciated more about the Burning murderer, and why he was so out of sync with the profile they were expecting. It was just too random to have him not make any kind of sense.
4. When what's-his-face Langton makes some seriously crude remarks about Maeve to a group of coworkers, it seemed either out of character or a sign that his character is not all that great after all.
Still, lots of layers to the plot, and lots of interesting twists and turns to the character development. I'll be looking for more by her.
1. Ian. Why? I always think of this as the Sleepless in Seattle syndrome, where one of the romance interests has a pleasant but boring significant other.
2. Everyone was beautiful. The cops, the victims, the suspects. Everyone except Rachel's unpleasant boss and Detective Tom Judd. (Whose name kept reminding me of Grapes of Wrath, which was also kind of annoying.) The world is not really full of that many beautiful people. It's a book, not a Hollywood movie, so there was really no reason for EVERYONE to be gorgeous.
3.
4. When what's-his-face Langton makes some seriously crude remarks about Maeve to a group of coworkers, it seemed either out of character or a sign that his character is not all that great after all.
Still, lots of layers to the plot, and lots of interesting twists and turns to the character development. I'll be looking for more by her.
I will likely read more in this series because I found Maeve Kerrigan to be an interesting detective.
The character of Maeve Kerrigan is easy to like. She is hard-working, trying to be accepted in an all male British police squad while dealing with the continual teasing about being female and from an Irish family. Her personal relationships are another source of pressure; her mother doesn't understand why she wants to be a detective and her boyfriend thinks she spend too much time on work and not enough on him. But on top of that, she is part of the task force trying to catch a serial killer that preys on young women and so far they have no leads on his identity. Since the story is told from Maeve's point of view alternated with that of Louise (the best friend of one of the murder victims), we see the other characters as Maeve sees them. And we only get to see Maeve through Louise's eyes and briefly through the eyes of a fellow detective, Rob. The murder investigation itself is very complex. There are the victims, the evidence, the personalities of the various constables and inspectors, press coverage, interviews with family/friends/witnesses, and the gruesome nature of the attacks.
For those readers who enjoy British murder mysteries with a bit of romantic tension woven in, this is an excellent chance to get in at the beginning of a series and follow it as it develops. I am curious as to how Maeve's character will mature, both professionally and in her personal life. She's very different from Barbara Havers in the Inspector Lynley books, since Havers seems so socially awkward, but there is that same sense of needing to prove her worth as a detective. Try out this book and you'll also be looking forward to more from Maeve, Rob, and the rest of the squad.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
For those readers who enjoy British murder mysteries with a bit of romantic tension woven in, this is an excellent chance to get in at the beginning of a series and follow it as it develops. I am curious as to how Maeve's character will mature, both professionally and in her personal life. She's very different from Barbara Havers in the Inspector Lynley books, since Havers seems so socially awkward, but there is that same sense of needing to prove her worth as a detective. Try out this book and you'll also be looking forward to more from Maeve, Rob, and the rest of the squad.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
easy to guess 'who did it' but still enjoyable read! well drawn characters, rollicking plot, well worth the read
Great crime/detective novel. Maeve,a smart, committed detective based in London, is the heroine of the novel. Jane Casey has created a wonderful, well-rounded main character and delightful true-to-life supporting characters. The plot and pacing of the book pulls the reader into the book from the beginning and does not let go. I really have a difficult time putting Jane Casey's books down once I begin them. I highly recommend her book if you like mysteries or detective novels about strong women.
Parts of this book were really good but there were several times I almost stopped reading.
2,5. Not a badly written detective story at all, but the main character could have been much more interesting. Entertaining enough if you're looking for an in-between read though :)
3.5. I thought the plot was kind of easy to figure out, and the romance was weirdly thrown in. I did like it enough to check out the next book in the series, because I've heard they get better.
I enjoyed this enormously - a police procedural that was thoughtfully written and had a great sense of place. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.