Faye Snowden

Raven Burns is a small-town homicide detective in Louisiana. She’s a diligent, loyal, dedicated but also a hardhead who’s good at her job. Her father was the infamous Floyd “Fire” Burns, the serial killer who left victims on a multi-state years-long spree. The first time Raven witnessed one of his crimes, the victim was her mother. A few decades later, Raven’s reputation as a possible accomplice who might follow in her father’s footsteps still precedes her. As a result, she does everything she can to stop criminals like her father. But when a steadfast Raven-hater turns up dead, public opinion turns back on her again. I haven't read the first book, but I can see from this one that the tone of the books is ones that forces Raven to acknowledge who she is in order to protect herself and her community. Raven definitely has some powerful demons. Her father was executed for his crimes yet still "talks" to her. I’m pretty sure he’s one of her major demons. She is very reluctant to trust people...not even her own partner. One relationship she can maintain is with her foster brother Cameron. When he learns that he has a teenage son from his first relationship, Raven is reluctantly there for him. In the meantime, murder victims are turning up in strange ways and in public places. Raven is the best person to hunt down the killer since she feels this God-awful connection with him. ate deals another card upping the stakes 1000% when her nephew Noe and his friend Clyde go missing. Faye Snowden shows what a talented writer she is by developing this complex character of Raven and giving her a past that shouldn't be wished on anyone.… (lisätietoja)

What if the killer...is me? In A KILLING FIRE by Faye Snowden, we follow Raven Burns, a dogged police detective in Byrd’s Landing, Louisiana. She and her partner are investigating the murder of Hazel Westcott, a fancy socialite that has a rough history with Detective Burns. Through the use of flashbacks, we learn that Raven’s father was a notorious serial killer named Floyd ‘Fire’ Burns. As the case progresses and the murders continue, the evidence starts to mount that the killer is actually Raven. Throughout the story, we don’t know who to trust to the point that even Raven is unreliable. In order to solve the case and stop the murders, Raven will have to dig deep into the small-town secrets and shine a light into the dark corners of Byrd’s Landing.

This is a fast-paced crime procedural. The mystery is well crafted and I enjoyed getting to know Raven Burns and the town of Byrd’s Landing. I hope that this is the start of a series about Raven and Byrd’s Landing because there feels like there is more there to discover. I give it 4 stars and recommend it to any fan of mysteries, crime thrillers, and/or Louisiana.

I received this advanced reader book from Flame Tree Press in exchange for an honest review.
… (lisätietoja)