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Now that really doesn’t sound like my kind of book, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt, because I had read, and very much enjoyed, Jane Casey’s previous book, The Missing. I’m very glad that I did, because The Burning is a very good psychological crime novel, and a wonderful step forward from Jane Casey’s first book: that was good, but this one is better.
Born and brought up in Ireland, Jane read English at Jesus College, Oxford before going on to study for an MPhil in Anglo-Irish literature at Trinity College, Dublin. After working in publishing for nine years, commissioning bestselling children’s books, Jane decided to start writing herself, both in the crime genre and for young adults. Being married to a criminal barrister provides Jane with unique insights into the brutal underbelly of urban life, from the smell of a police cell to the darkest motives of a serial killer – experience that give her work a true sense of realism. Maeve Kerrigan is an ambitious young DC, determined to prove her competency in the misogynistic world of the Metropolitan CID. She and her colleagues are working on a horrifying serial murder case. Several young women have been beaten to death, their bodies taken to quiet corners of local parks and then set alight. For me the book's appeal was mostly Maeve herself, and I loved her character enough that she could probably have carried a much weaker mystery plot. She didn't have to, though, and while one aspect of the mystery wasn't difficult to figure out (as a reader), there were many that weren't as obvious and the procedural aspect was quite solid. Maeve's struggles as the only female detective in her team were sadly believable, and the sexist jerks who made her life harder than it should have been also got a lot of digs in at her for being Irish. Although, as she says, she was born in England, the name is immediately recognisable and that's all it takes for the tired old "jokes" to be leveled at her. Painful as it would be in reality, I loved seeing the way she tries to find a balance between standing up for herself when it's really too much, and not being seen as just "over-sensitive". And then with Rob sometimes it's just fun banter! I really liked Rob a lot as well, although he's no more perfect than Maeve, and the head of the team, Godley, is an intelligent detective and a fair boss. When Maeve suspects that the woman who seems to be the fifth victim of "The Burning Man" might really have been killed by a copy-cat, Godley lets her follow that possibility up, despite some skepticism from others in the team. The way she respects him greatly as a detective and also has a bit of a crush on him is fun, and occasionally leads her to -- awkwardness. Amusing awkwardness, though, rather than the too painfully embarrassing sort.I'm looking forward to the next to see Maeve's growth. No need to wait if so inclined as the series, set in London, have all been released in the US. Internationally bestselling writer Jane Casey is perhaps best known for her crime series featuring Maeve Kerrigan. Maeve, a DC constable in London is determined to solve the case of the Burning Man. Someone is brutally beating these women and setting them on fire. Rebecca is the latest victim but something is off, different about her death, she was not beaten. Rebecca's ouders hadden de politie niet uitgenodigd voor de herdenkingsdienst. Maar ze waren zo vriendelijk geweest me toe te staan toch te komen. -
The media call him The Burning Man, a brutal murderer who has beaten four young women to death, before setting their bodies ablaze in secluded areas of London's parks. And now the fifth victim has been found. The plot is solid, but there were several times in the book when the author spent too much time in one place and the momentum slowed to a crawl and the story became dull and lifeless. If you are paying even moderate attention, it will become clear who the killer is, so it's not much of a mystery, but still falls into the police procedural category. I thought the characterization was splendid though, and painted a realistic look at what a female investigator has to cope with in a male dominated field.A thrilling murder mystery and British police drama, The Burning Man is a captivating novel centered on a London serial killer with a nasty habit of burning his victims after he kills them. Though up against several policemen who are as ambitious as she is, Detective Constable Kerrigan is determined to catch the villain. When Rebecca Haworth is murdered, however, the hunt for said serial killer takes on a whole new dimension. Delving into real human emotion whilst being a fantastic crime read, I cannot recommend this series highly enough to crime lovers. It's well written, the plot is tight and exciting, the pace is steady but really hold your attention and before you know it you are at the end and ready for another in this great series. Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival.
Summary: A serial killer's on the loose in London. Young women are not safe out at night but the latest victim, Rebecca, leaves a very interesting tale behind and it's up to energetic and ambitious police detective Maeve Kerrigan to fit the pieces of the jig-saw together - with some surprising results along the way. I was only halfway through the book when I did a little research on Jane Casey, (she is a new author to me.) I was delighted to learn that she had a long body of work and was thrilled to see that the Meave Kerrington series contained many more stories after this first one! Anyway before I go off on a Derwent love tangent, After the Fire is the 6th book in the Maeve Kerrigan series, but can easily be read on its own merits – in this instalment Maeve is attempting to deal with a problem from her past when she is thrown into a new and traumatic case. A fire has taken lives – but was it arson or accident? As Maeve and co investigate it seems as if everyone has something to hide..
Jane Casey’s Maeve Kerrigan books in order:
I am converted and these are now on the must-read list. I finished this instalment in one day, gripped by the pacing and plot line. It was only recently that I read The Burning, which was an excellent start to a detective series. This was mainly due to Jane Casey's skill with her characters, something which has improved to mastery in book 6. But how do you catch a killer no one has ever seen? And when so much of the evidence they leave behind has gone up in smoke. . .? Read more Look Inside Details Maeve is new to the murder squad and eager to prove herself. Her family didn’t care for her choice of career but she loves her job, despite the anti-social hours, casual sexism, and ribbing about her Irish roots.
As ever, what I enjoyed about this is the combination of an engaging plotline, realistic characters and dialogue, and the relationships/tensions within the investigating team. The relationship between Maeve and her boss Derwent is as ambiguous and compelling as ever, and I'm sure I'm not the only one that hopes/believes that something will develop between the two. Despite the sexism and machismo that Derwent exhibits, there is a sense that much of it is role play as his actions also display an underlying care and tenderness. Either way, the relationship between the two is an integral part of the series. Added to the great characters, a complex but not confusing plot, there are a few contemporary issues to explore and finally, there is no mistaking the setting, a North London council estate. I recommend this series to anyone who says they like crime novels, there isn’t another series quite like it!
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But how do you catch a killer no one has seen? And when so much of the evidence they leave behind has gone up in smoke? It wasn’t surprising, but that wasn’t important. You see, I was hooked by those three women and their stories, and so the how and the why, completing their stories, was just as important as the who. Maeve Kerrigan is even better conceptualised. She faces challenges and is battered by them, for most of this novel she is struggling with her past relationships, current case, and being stalked by Swain (who is from a previous book that I hadn't read). She is not a superwoman, things affect her. She is intelligent and dedicated, her hard work helps solve cases. She's someone I want to know about, read about, and support. Staring at my Kindle screen, i'm cheering her all the way. DC Maeve Kerrigan is part of a team working on the case a murder case: the case of a serial killer who is preying upon young women who venture out late at night in south London, killing them and then burning their bodies.
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