While I've read and enjoyed all of Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware novels, I haven't read any of the books in this series until now. That said, I had no trouble feeling like I knew what was going on and quickly got into the story.

The backdrop of the wildfires is a current one and lends a breathless danger to the book, at least in my opinion. As with all Kellerman's books, these characters were well-drawn and sprang off the page, making me feel as if I'd recognize them on the street.

I definitely enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone that would like a good thriller or that has enjoyed Kellerman's previous work.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

I have honestly been a big fan of this family of writers for a long time. Jonathan Kellerman has been a favorite author of mine for at least 17 years. And having him co-write with his son, it is twice as amazing. They are both excellent writers, plotters, and story tellers. This series is quickly become a favorite of mine. When anyone wants a recommendation of great authors or books, I always recommend the Kellerman family! Never a bad book!!!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

What a great story with Clay Edison from the Coroner's Office, with a case that hits very close to home, keeping our Deputy Coroner on his toes and doing some things in ways he never has before! Arriving at the home of a dead man he has come to deal with, he spots his brother's car in the garage! His brother who recently got out of prison and is Supposed to be on the straight and narrow. And now Clay can not get him on the phone anywhere, no one knows where he is, what is Clay to do? He knows he can't let anyone find out that his brother's car is here, and he is forced to deal with his own suspicions, resentments and even loyalties...I mean, it is his Family,but he just can't turn his back on the job he loves, can he...For a brother he has had highs and the lowest of lows with...
Clay races to locate his brother before anyone else does, not knowing if he is hiding or hurt, victim or criminal. A complex story that we get to see from all sides of the problem. I enjoyed the inter-twining of these two authors and really liked this heart pounding story!
I received an ARC from NetGalley and PenguinRandomHouse, who I thank for a thrilling read, and I offer You my honest thoughts and feelings in this review.

The Burning is another book in the Clay Edison series. However, this book is more about Clay and his brother Luke than anything else. Clay is a deputy coroner and has been sent to a crime scene to pick up the body and do some investigation. However, while there he discovers his brother’s car. So starts Clay’s journey into the unknown. The fact that the hills are burning, the sky is smoky and overcast and the air is full of pollutants just adds to the creepiness factor.

The story is an interesting read. The start of Clay’s journey looking for his brother seems that he has already decided he is guilty of something, but as the book continues it becomes clearer that there is something foul afoot. I like how the book made Clay relook at his assumptions. I think that made the ending more powerful. The story line felt more original with the various turns it took, which I liked.

The Burning by Jesse and Jonathan Kellerman is a good read.

I normally enjoy anything Jonathan Kellerman writes. However, this book is a step up from his normal written adventures, providing interesting plot twists and character flaws that make it the next level.

I love the writing styles of the Kellermans. Jonathan and Jesse have solidified, once again, why they are among my top favorites. Having read everything they’ve written together and separately, I continue to be amazed at the quality of story they produce, especially together.

Clay Edison is not one of my favorite characters but I enjoy his stories. Clay had to grow on me as I couldn’t relate to him. Now that I’ve read all of his books, I understand him great deal more and look forward to what he’ll get into next.

The Kellermans are at it again! Buckle up for another book in the Clay Edison series. This one get s personal for him and I won't spoil anything for you, but you should definitely pick this one up to read and enjoy!

I love Jonathan Kellerman books, I also love Jesse Kellerman books. Put the two together and you have a recipe for something incredible! I enjoyed this book right from the beginning, it held my attention the entire time. Absolutely wonderful!

The Burning is 4th in the Clay Edison series. I have not read any of the previous stories in this series, but didn't have any trouble getting sucked into this story without knowing the character history.
At the start of the book until more than halfway through, I didn't feel like I liked Clay. His brother Luke is missing. The brothers are no longer close and most of that is due to mistakes Luke made when he was younger. He made bad choices, got hooked on drugs and that resulted in him involved in a DUI where he killed two people. Luke went to jail and served his time. Now he is out of jail and doing his best not to go back to that previous life.
Where Clay annoyed me is that he seems very judgemental of Luke and quick to assume that his brother has done the worst. As Clay goes along, investigating on his own, he begins to worry that maybe his brother is a victim instead of a killer.
Without giving too much away, Clay's actions at the end of the story and his change of perspective on his brother, does make me want to read more about him. It does a very good job of showing how complex family relationships can be.
Thank you to Ballantine and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC.

The Burning is the fourth thriller in the Clay Edison series. And it’s my least favorite so far, unfortunately.

Clay is a Deputy Coroner who investigates suspicious deaths. At one murder scene, he finds his brother’s classic car in the victim’s garage. His brother, Luke, had a rough start in life with addiction and prison marring it. But he had seemed to turn it around. Why won’t he answer Clay’s calls and texts? Where has he been since the murder? Clay decides to wipe his brother’s car to remove fingerprints. Then, he begins to investigate Luke’s disappearance using official resources. Clay will lose his job if anyone finds out he tampered with potential evidence.

I have two issues with the book. First, why would Clay wipe fingerprints off Luke’s car at a crime scene? It risks his job. It is ineffectual because the car is registered to Luke. Second, an armchair detective cannot use clues to solve the crime. When Clay figures it out, that is the first time the perps are mentioned in the book. Plus, the motive doesn’t ring true either.

While I will read the next book in this series, I didn’t like The Burning much. 3 stars.

Thanks to Ballantine Books, Random House and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The fire seems like the main character…

I had never read anything by Jesse Kellerman, so I was happy to receive an advance review copy of the latest title in his Clay Edison series, The Burning, written in partnership with his father, Jonathan Kellerman. And I’m glad I got the chance to read it.

As I mentioned, this is my first read in this series, so at first I had trouble putting some of the pieces of the story together - especially the relationship between Clay and his brother, who has been in prison, but is now out, and appears to be going straight. There weren’t a lot of details about Luke in the beginning, and I didn’t know if that was deliberate on the authors’ part, or if I just didn’t know background I was supposed to know, since I hadn’t read the earlier titles. Also, without being spoiler-ish, since it happened early on, I wasn’t sure if Clay’s behavior when he saw some evidence at a crime scene that might (or might not) point to his brother was reasonable. The lengths he went to and the risks he took seemed a little over the top to me, so I had to purposefully suspend disbelief a few times while getting into the book.

Regardless of my initial uncertainty, however, once things got going there were three intriguing story lines that danced around each other – the original crime, Luke’s possible involvement/subsequent disappearance, and of course, the eponymous wildfire that formed an amazing background to the entire tale. And they wrapped up at the end with quite a twist. I’m a fan of police procedurals, and I appreciated seeing the “procedures” in The Burning from a deputy coroner’s perspective, rather than a more typical detective’s viewpoint. Oddly though, perhaps because we’re in the middle of another hot, dry season in California right now, the fire itself turned out to be the thing I remember the most after finishing the book.

All-in-all, I enjoyed The Burning, and will keep an eye out for the other books in the series. Although the mystery itself was worthy of five-stars, my early confusion, together with the fact that I found some of the (non-bad-guy) characters to be a bit unlikeable, bumped it down to a four-star read for me. (Yes, I know it may be shallow to want the characters to be relatable, but I am usually reading for recreation, which is just easier with likeable characters…) Please keep in mind, though, that I tend not to give many five-star reviews anyway, and four-stars is a solid “read” recommendation from me. And finally, my thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the review copy!

I can always depend on the Kellerman's for solid writing and vivid descriptions. I've read the other books in this series and like those, I found this to be engaging but slow moving. I was also a bit puzzled that Clay seemed different than in previous books. Some of his actions here seemed out of character compared with how he was in the other books. Still, it's a good book and I'll be looking forward to the next one in the series.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

Having lived in California for a while I am fully aware of the burning that CA and the surrounding states can go through and having read the other three books from the father/son Kellerman team. So I was interested when this book was offered.

The problem is the story moves very slowly. Most certainly the slowest in the series so far. And some of the personalities from Clay didn’t mesh from the last three books.

While the book was slow, the writing was very palatable. You can practically feel the burning going on around Clay and his worry about his recently released from prison brother.

This was not my favorite in the series and I certainly do not think this can be a stand alone.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Jonathan and his son, Jesse Kellerman, are back with a new entry in their Clay Edison series. I've read them all. They're all extremely well-written, but I found this one lacking. I'm sure pure Kellerman fans will love it though.

In The Burning, Clay is deep in the throes of California's wildfire season. This one is so close that the Edisons, like many in the area, are without power. Clay sends his wife and young daughter off to spend time with relatives, but he's still needed in his role as deputy coroner so he's stuck in town. Called to the scene at a murder at a mansion, Clay finds a link to his reprobate brother, who was recently released from prison. Said brother is a former addict, known to steal from his family. He's on the straight and narrow now, married (to a very strange woman), working for a cannabis company, and living on the outskirts of town. He texted Clay recently, asking him to get in touch, but Clay's been busy and hasn't had a chance to connect. Clay is panicked about the possibility of his brother being involved in a murder and reacts rashly by tampering with evidence. The rest of the novel follows Clay as he tries to connect with his brother and discover what truly happened.

The Kellermans are exceptional writers, and what I liked most about this novel was their ability to paint a scene for the reader of what it's like to live in the center of wildfire country. You can really see the haze and smell the burning. Thankfully, while I've lived close enough to major Arizona and California fires to have smelled the fires and seen the ash, I've never experienced them close up. The Burning was descriptive enough that I hope I never will. What I didn't love though was that this was the slowest read in the series. Also, I didn't buy into the idea that Clay would risk so much and act so recklessly on behalf of his brother based on very circumstantial evidence. It just didn't ring true to Clay's character development over four books. The plots in the first three novels in the series were much more engrossing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Burning is sure to be loved by the Kellermans' many fans.

This is the 4th book in the Clay Edison series, writing by Jonathan Kellerman and his son Jesse. I’m a fan and have read all his books. The writing is very solid and the character development is outstanding. I love the spot on descriptions of the area and of the effects of wildfire smoke and ash.

Clay Edison is a coroner’s investigator in Oakland CA. His job takes him to crime scenes, and at the latest one, a rich man with impressive collections, he finds his brother Luke’s car. His brother would never have sold it, he rebuilt it and it’s his baby.
Clay is disturbed, Luke has a history and spent time in prison. When he calls Luke’s wife, he discovers Luke is missing. Was he involved in the murder? Why is his car part of a collection? The solution was a complete surprise. I really enjoyed this book, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Burning, by Jonathan Kellerman, is a “killer” mystery/thriller. Kellerman has a long track record of writing what he knows about, aberrant behavior. For many years he was a practicing clinical psychologist, and his lauded series of Alex Delaware novels featured a child psychologist who consults for the Los Angeles Police Department.
The title of this book, and the context, are ripped from the headlines, reflective of the new norm for California. The Bay Area is burning; there are wildfires everywhere, the heat is oppressive, and the air smells like a campfire. In the midst of this natural horror, there is a man made one as well. The local coroner, Clay Edison, has been called in to investigate a shooting death. Edison was a college basketball star who gave up sports and settled into his job investigating deaths. As an adult he has had a rocky relationship with his brother, an ex-con with an unstable relationship girlfriend and a drug habit.
The murder victim, Rory Vandervelde, is a wealthy man who lived in a mansion surrounded security fencing. The fires have knocked out power to the area, complicating Edison’s investigation. He initially suspects that Vandervelde’s son and/or girlfriend may have been involved but must face the fact that there is evidence that his brother Luke had some involvement. Hiding the information he has recovered regarding his brother, who has disappeared, Edison must investigate not only Vandervelde’s life and relationships, but he must also conduct a similar but off the books investigation of his brother. This conflict between family love and the ethical and professional requirements of his job cause Edison significant emotional despair, which escalates the longer his brother remains missing. To solve either case requires him to solve the other, and it is going to get personal and messy.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND The Burning to anyone who loves a good murder mystery. There are enough clues sprinkled throughout the story to point you in the right direction but I guarantee you won’t figure it out until near the end. Plus, the final scenes are so exciting, you will be reading at breakneck speed to see how Edison wraps everything up.

The Burning is a gripping novel which kept me turning pages into the early hours as I could not put it down. The characters are well-developed and believable and the story-line is exciting, with a number of heart stopping moments. Highly recommended. Thanks to the authors, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

Fans of the Kellermans know that nothing is what it seems and this complex novel is no exception. Clay Edison is a deputy coroner, his brother Luke an ex-con who has remade himself. Clay, called to the murder of a wealthy man, is shocked to find Luke's precious Camaro in the man's elaborate garage. He can't imagine Luke selling it but then he can't reach Luke, who no one has seen or heard from for several days. Luke's wife doesn't have any answers but they've spent a lot (a lot) on IVF. his colleagues are baffled. Clay steps over the legal and professional line multiple times in his search for answers but then one of Luke's colleagues mentions that Luke thought he was being followed and everything changes. Soooo hard to review without spoilers. I'm a huge fan of this series but know that it will be possible to read and enjoy this as a standalone. The characters are terrific and this time the Kellermans have used the California fires to add to the atmospherics- the power is off everywhere and the sky is alight. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Great storytelling makes for a page turning read.

As always a wonderful read by these authors. I always enjoy reading these books and this was no exception. Thanks to Publisher for allowing me access to this ARC.

How far would you go to save your brother? Luke and Clay were close growing up, but Luke took a wrong turn causing a tragedy, Clay was embarrassed and distanced himself as Luke went to jail. That’s been years ago, but their relationship is still troubled. When Clay is called to a murder scene, he sees remnants of his brother there. With Luke now missing he doesn’t know what to think. Going rogue, he starts his own investigation in the midst of a wildfire and a blackout. As he digs deeper and things start to add up, Clay realizes that he might just have to risk it all to save his brother, but did he wait too long? Once again the Kellermans write an intriguing police procedural. A slow burn of a book with an action packed ending and while it says that it’s book 4 of 4, I personally think there’s room for more Clay Edison!