The Burning by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman is a fast paced, exciting book. These authors always give readers a great thriller and this one is no exception.

Clay finds his brothers beloved car at a murder seen, but can't contact his bother, luke. Like has a criminal background. Is he guilty of this murder or is he in trouble himself. It is Clays new mission to find out before the police do. Thanks netgally.

I have read all of the Clay Edison books in this series and the first was by far my favorite.
The ploy in this book was just…eh. Kellerman spent too much time painting pictures of what could have happened with Clay’s brother before actually getting into it.
The scenes were well drawn out- Kellerman is a master at that. I feel like I am there in the middle. I like the loose ends at the ends as well…leads to a next in the series.

It’s a Kellerman book — of course, I would read it. Kellerman books might be mysteries, but not mind-numbing twisted stories or cozy mysteries. They are pure straight up entertainment. Like catching a rerun of CSI— you can comfortably ease into one at any time.

This is the fourth Clay Edison book. I’ve read the others and I can’t say I remember the plots (I do remember Jesse Kellerman’s GOLEM series), but like Jonathan’s Alex Delaware books, Clay is solid literary friend. There is a reference to a previous plot in an earlier book in the series, but this can be read as a standalone.

Anyway, regarding Clay, he’s a good guy. Someone you’d like to know. After 3 books, I trusted he’ll make the right decisions even when the plot makes it difficult for him. He did surprise me with some questionable actions in this book. But I know there will be a 5th Clay Edison —I’ll be reading it next autumn, too.

The novel is set in Alameda County, CA and there’s a huge wildfire burning nearby — the power is out, everyone is sweaty, the sky is smoky and the air is acrid enough to taste. Clay is a coroner, so, of course, death is his business. You know there will be smells, but the constant reminder of the horrible climate makes every mentioned scent seem more vivid. The plot concerns Clay’s missing brother — someone he’s not close to, but Clay recognizes something at a murder scene that definitely ties his brother to a potential crime. Clay’s job gives him some peripheral police power, but not officially enough to go full detective. We then see how he’s trying to make sense of his brother’s involvement with the limits imposed on him.

A solid 4 stars from me — exactly what I expected from a Kellerman book. My thanks to the publisher via NetGalley for allowing me to review this book in advance.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4152422923

Clay, a coroner, is called to the home of a wealthy man who has been murdered. As Clay documents contents of the home and surrounding buildings, he finds his brother Luke’s prized Camaro parked in the garage. Since his brother served time in prison, Clay believes he needs to find his brother and try to solve this murder on his own without the police department. There has been a power outage and smoke from wildfires is extreme. Clay sends his wife and daughter to stay with relatives. The search for Luke involves shady characters that make this book exciting. Clay’s discourse with his wife and daughter each day shows the caring family man. The reader can feel the stench of the burning fires, the heat from lack of air-conditioning, and the panic as Clay searches for his brother and the killer. Lots of action.

It's important to read the prior books. I've read a few of them, but not all, and I was a bit lost at times. I also had a hard time staying engaged. The book is written by a father/son duo, and it's very clear at times that there are two separate authors. The mystery angle was okay, though the motivation was a bit out there. Overall, the characters and plot aren't as developed as I'd expect from Kellerman.

Clay Edison is a deputy corner. When he arrives at the scene of a wealthy murder victim he discovers evidence indicating Luke, his ex con brother, might be connected to the victim. Clay has to find his brother before law enforcement zeros in on him as the culprit. You don’t get much of a feel for the character Luke. The motivation for the killings seems a little far fetched, but the book was entertaining enough for me to keep reading. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Ebook/Thriller: I wanted to like this book, and I did,... until the last 20% or so of the book. Why? Well, I haven't read but one other Clay Edison book and there was a lot of backstory from another book, that was key to understanding what was going on.
I do remember Luke and Andrea from the last book I read. I love how shallow & selfish Andrea is, but you do feel for her in this one.
This book reminded me of some Virgil Flowers books where there is always some kind of natural disaster that helps the hero in the long run. Again, the plot is good and sucked me in, but I didn't like how it ended. It was kind of like the authors got bored and picked a quick fix.
I want to thank NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in lieu of an honest review.

I’ve been a long time fan of Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware/ Milo Sturgis series, which remains solid after so many installments. As such, I really looked forward to the opportunity to read The Burning, which is the 4th book in a newer series written by Jonathan Kellerman with his son Jesse, that involves a new protagonist, Clay Edison. A big thank you to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read an uncorrected galley in exchange for an honest review.

Clay Edison works for the Alameda coroner’s office and gets called to death scenes. Since in most instances, coroners pronounce death and the medical examiner conducts autopsies, it feels as if Edison’s role is artificially enhanced to create a pseudo detective. In this episode Edison is called to the scene of the murder of a wealthy collector who may have something to do with the disappearance of Edison’s brother, who has an unsavory history.

The writing is less fluid than in the Delaware series. The characters are less fleshed out. The motivation of the ‘bad guys’ didn’t resonate with me. I didn’t ‘care’ about the peripheral characters. The phone conversations with Edison’s wife and daughter were repetitive and boring.
I truly felt as if Jonathan Kellerman lent his co-writer status to his son to help him sell books that are okay, but nothing close to the original.

An extremely wealthy man is murdered in his home. Deputy Coroner Clay Edison goes to the scene and find links to his brother Luke, recently released from prison. Luke then goes missing, and Clay begins to wonder if his brother could be a murderer. Battling wildfires and blackouts, Clay is desperate to find his brother and learn the truth. This is another winner from the father and son writing team Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. You don't need to read the other books in the series to enjoy this one. This one actually fills in a lot about the main character that we didn't know from other books since the suspect of the murder could be his brother. With a current setting of black outs and fires in CA, the pandemic is not mentioned.

I love Jonathan Kellerman's books and have read him for over 20 years. I started this series when the first book was released and really like Clay and the way the plot moved, but this one just didn't hold my interest. I struggle with the fact that Clay continually investigates when and where he should not given his job. It just stretches the boundaries of what I can believe. This was very fast paced in parts, but also very slow in conversations. It may be due to the two writers; it may be just how this story needed to be told. It just wasn't for me. I flipped through a lot of it. Always strong characters, I just couldn't get invested in the family drama in this book.

Clay Edison is a Deputy in the Coroner’s office. He is called out to the murder scene of a very wealthy man, there, in the garage where he kept his many cars, Clay finds his brother Luke’s Camaro. Along with performing his duties as a Deputy, he begins a search for his brother who has a difficult past. Clay is also living in the East Bay which is not only having fire problems but also suffering a power outage. His pregnant wife and young daughter are safely in Los Angeles. The story starts slowly and meticulously but moves into a totally unexpected direction. Like everything by the Kellermans, it is extremely well written and comes to a memorable conclusion. Thanks to Net Galley and Ballantine for an ARC for an honest review.

A great read, I loved this story. Action packed, fast moving with a great storyline. Family drama woven in along with family loyalty. I was sorry when this one ended, I felt like I could have gone on reading forever, I enjoyed it that much.

I am an avid Kellerman fan and usually devour their books. However, I am not impressed with the shift from his old characters and Clay Edison coroner investigator. The character lacks depth and the plot is weak. Hopefully, the author will bring back his old characters.

A massive blackout has left Alameda County, CA in the dark as wildfires rage. Clay Edison has sent his wife and daughter to her family while he stays on the job as Deputy Coroner. When the body of a wealthy man is found stabbed to death in his megamansion, Clay follows standard procedures until he finds his brother Luke’s car in the victim’s garage. Because Clay has had a troubled relationship with Luke, he suspects him of involvement in the murder. He begins a side investigation hoping to clear Luke. This is complicated by Luke’s disappearance. Will Clay be able to find his brother before the police realize what he is doing? Is Luke a killer or a victim? And just how close are the fires?

The team of Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman has delivered another thriller in The Burning, fourth in the Clay Edison series. Its strengths are characterization, plot and description of locations. The weakness here is the conclusion which relies heavily on the previous in the series, Half Moon Bay. All three earlier books worked as standalone thrillers, this one does not. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman for this ARC.

I have read every book by Jonathan Kellerman, I am really not impressed with the books he has written with his Son. This book is like reading a book where the person is all alone. Yes there are other characters but not one stands out. You spend so much time with Clay there just isn't a good storyline. I really wish Jesse Kellerman would write his own books. We could see his style and maybe it's the collaboration that doesn't go well together. Also hopefully there is still a lot of proofreading to be completed, it needs it. This book leaves a lot to be desired. Really disappointed.

A good mystery and a terrific protagonist. We see inside his head and the story flows well entirely from this perspective. I would wish that Jessie would author his books under his name to see his full writing style instead of with his father who I have been reading for years.

The Burning by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman is the latest of the Clay Edison novels. Clay Edison is a Deputy Coroner who during a particularly bad fire season in the Bay area of California responds to a murder at which he sees indications of his brother’s recent presence. While enduring a time during which the electricity has been shut off due to the fires, Clay looks for ways to protect his brother. As the book progresses, the Kellermans reflect on the strong bonds that exist among siblings even if they grow apart and life moves them in different directions. An intense page-turner, I highly recommend it to mystery lovers!

Th collaboration of the Kellermans has again, brought a combination of drama and compassion. Edison, the protagonist, is a character who is focused on finding out the truth as opposed to revenge. Thank you #netgalley