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A review by lilyrooke
The Burning Plain by Michael Nava
3.0
Falsely accused of murder, Henry Rios sets out to proves his innocence. But when two more gay men are brutally murdered, he is drawn into the hunt for a serial killer and soon finds himself up against an unsympathetic DA, a gay-bashing cop, reluctant witnesses, and a conspiracy among Hollywood's power elite.
I LOVE the trope of the good guy being falsely accused and needing to exonerate himself, so in terms of the plot, I found this instalment in the series gripping and exciting. I adore how Henry took absolutely no shit in this book, especially against the corrupt cop, and he has some fantastic lines particularly with regards to masculinity and sexuality that are so acerbic and vicious. With that said, a trope I really dislike is when there's a character who only exists to be raped, so I found the young boy's subplot particularly disturbing and somewhat gratuitous. Based on the horrific stories that have come out of Hollywood since the publication of this book, I wonder who certain characters were based on, and that added to the general disturbing aspect of the story.
cw: rape (multiple, graphic, including rape of a minor); homophobic violence; abduction
absolutely nothing *~*researchy*~* to see here; an ongoing reading list
1. A Study in Scarlet 2.5/5
2. The Hound of the Baskervilles 5/5
3. The Adventure of the Final Problem 4/5
4. Bath Haus 4.5/5
5. The Forest of Stolen Girls 4/5
6. The Red Palace 2/5
7. The Silence of Bones 1/5
8. Lay Your Sleeping Head 4/5
9. Carved in Bone 5/5
10. Lies with Man 3/5
11. Howtown 2/5
12. The Hidden Law 2/5
13. The Death of Friends 3/5
14. The Burning Plain 3.5/5
I LOVE the trope of the good guy being falsely accused and needing to exonerate himself, so in terms of the plot, I found this instalment in the series gripping and exciting. I adore how Henry took absolutely no shit in this book, especially against the corrupt cop, and he has some fantastic lines particularly with regards to masculinity and sexuality that are so acerbic and vicious. With that said, a trope I really dislike is when there's a character who only exists to be raped, so I found the young boy's subplot particularly disturbing and somewhat gratuitous. Based on the horrific stories that have come out of Hollywood since the publication of this book, I wonder who certain characters were based on, and that added to the general disturbing aspect of the story.
cw: rape (multiple, graphic, including rape of a minor); homophobic violence; abduction
absolutely nothing *~*researchy*~* to see here; an ongoing reading list
1. A Study in Scarlet 2.5/5
2. The Hound of the Baskervilles 5/5
3. The Adventure of the Final Problem 4/5
4. Bath Haus 4.5/5
5. The Forest of Stolen Girls 4/5
6. The Red Palace 2/5
7. The Silence of Bones 1/5
8. Lay Your Sleeping Head 4/5
9. Carved in Bone 5/5
10. Lies with Man 3/5
11. Howtown 2/5
12. The Hidden Law 2/5
13. The Death of Friends 3/5
14. The Burning Plain 3.5/5