The Burnt House

Faye is the best of the Kellerman clan, and over the years, Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus have become very real characters, like old friend whose visits I look forward to every year or so to find out what is going on with the family.

This book is a solid police procedure piece. The strengths are the carefully woven plot, Peter's experiences with his compatriots on the police force, the technical aspects of the investigation and the gripping tension.

What I missed was spending more time with Rina and the kids whose life-cycle stresses seemed rather mundane. I also missed the intersection of the plot with interesting sub-cultures which have been such fascinating parts of FK's prior works. There is a brief interlude with a Hispanic-Indian family in Santa Fe, but it was rather contrived, and seemed like it was put there for FK to take a tax write-off on a trip to New Mexico. The plot resolution that links the two missing persons seems rather unlikely, but was still satisfying.

Unlike the previous reviewer, I am a big fan of George Guidall, though I have no idea how he gets the time to perform all of the books in his repertoire. He does his usual strong performance here

This story was B-O-R-I-N-G, especially for a crime novel/police procedural. It's hour after hour of interviews, no action or suspense whatsoever. No grit, no tough police work, just a bunch of uneccesary banter.
Honestly, I really dont really need to know how a certain detective is dressed, from head to toe. I do not care what sort of shirt she is wearing, the type of sandals she is wearing, or what her favorite food is. I dont care that she is watching her calories, or that her daughter is remodeling her house.
Enough already! I gave up this silly book with 5 hours left. I just couldnt finish it. It's more about interior decorating than police work.

This book was okay but it sure didn't match the publishers review of it. I use the publishers review to guide my decision in buying a book and would appreciate it if it would match the contents of the book a little closer.

I have not listened to any Kellerman books before. For a first try, I really liked it. The characters were well developed, there were two mysteries that intertwined and the overall development of the story had enough twists and turns to hold my interest. It was not as complex a story as Grisham or Conelley write, but nevertheless it was a good listen.

The bonus however, was George Guidall as the narrator. I discovered him when I listened to "Night" by Elie Wiesel. What a talented man. I have yet to be disappointed by any book which he has read. This was a pretty good choice, I will definitely try another Faye Kellerman novel.

This is a very pleasant detective novel. The characters are very likable people who follow clue after clue to solve the mystery. George Guidall is excellent in his interpretation of the various characters and I was sorry to see it end.

Always glad to see another title from this Kellerman. Her characters have become my friends. The plots are common and embraceable; a parallel universe right next door.

I made the purchase reluctantly, and only because of the author; I'm disappointed whenever I see this choice of narrator. I'm forced to constantly make the effort to overlook his delivery. His vocal characterizations are simply not believable and border on what seems to be subdued hystrionics.

This was my first Faye Kellerman novel (listening or reading). The story is engaging and the characters are realistic. As I listened to the excellent narration, I wondered if this book would be nearly as good to read as it is to listen to. My intuition is that the excellent narration adds a great deal to the experience. In any case, if you're a Michael Connelly fan and have run out of books to listen to (as I have), The Burnt House is a good substitute.

Having read many of the other Decker books, I stayed away for a while as they are very detailed and can be overwhelming. This book, however, was intriguing and entertaining. The details were there, but they didn't require such work to get through. The characters interact well and the even the religious overtones are treated with respect as they can be very educational. The performance on this book is excellent. Afterall, if the performer isn't entertaining, it is often hard to stay with even the best books. This is one of Kellerman's better works.

I was looking forward to a good thriller but instead got a mediocre thriller with a totally contrived and unbelievable plot twist. I kept waiting for an explanation but one never came.
The characters were interesting but the plot twist was just plain silly. Read something else.

I have listen to all my Faye Kellerman's books about 8 times now. The stories stays interesting. Ms. Kellerman has the capability to create the image of the characters in such a way that they are alive to me. Thanks for these books. I hope other books will soon follow. Lastly the Narrator is the best!