zgonzale 's review for:

The Burn Palace by Stephen Dobyns

3.0

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I picked this book up two or three times before I was able to get into it. It just didn't hook me right away-I think my main issue was that Dobyn's writing is really descriptive and often verbose. Ultimately, that worked slightly in the novel's favor by elevating the prose beyond that of a typical small-town crime story, but it made getting into the book difficult. To be honest, I didn't like The Burn Palace much until I was about halfway through. It's not terribly engaging, and the many plot threads are pretty scattered and disparate, even up to the resolution. Not to mention the fact that I really hate it when police characters break the law or fudge their responsibilities, even in pursuit of criminals. It really freaks me out, and there was a lot of police bullying other people to get evidence and warrants in this book. It was supposed to come across as powerful and determined officers of the law seeking justice and capturing criminals, but to me it read as police brutality and aggression. Not to mention that there was a pretty heavy layer of misogyny over this entire book, which I hated. On the other hand, there are a few things the book has going for it: really unique, complex, and quirky characters that demonstrate very few stereotypes, a few really bizarre mysteries, and a really successful cultivation of that small-town feeling. In sum, The Burn Palace has many weaknesses which, in my view, simply weren't be offset by its strengths. If you want to read a good small-town crime or horror novel, there are many better authors who write them: Christopher Rice, Stephen King, & Nick Antosca are all good examples. While The Burn Palace provided some solid entertainment and certainly had its merits, I probably won't be looking to read anything else by Stephen Dobyns.