L.A. Burning by D.C. Taylor was an impulse download back in 2022 and this one started out like a house on fire. There is nothing that will hook me faster in a suspense novel quite like Los Angeles sleaze, and this book ups the ante by giving me a dynamite heroine.

Cody Bonner is the daughter of a celebrated actress, turned LA street kid, turned addict, turned bank robber. It's those last two that land her in prison at the tender age of twenty. At the start of our story she's leaving prison with one thing on her mind, find the scum responsible for her twin sister's murder. A year ago Julie's body was found on a Malibu beach and to find her killer Cody has to go back into her mother's world of Hollywood glitz, power brokers, high priced hookers misogynistic men with violent tendencies, and old high school friends swimming with the sharks.

The world-building is great and the heroine even better (an excon bank robber!). When the author works this as a amateur sleuth story featuring a street savvy heroine, I was hooked. But then he chooses to morph it into a thriller, with Cody planning to murder the man she feels is responsible for Julie's death - and it kind of took the shine off a bit more me. On top of that, while the ending is action packed and very exciting, the resolution to the mystery is a bit of a no brainer. The minute all the players were introduced I immediately pegged who was swimming up to their eyeballs in muck.

That said, even though the mystery wasn't a brain-teaser, and I wasn't in love with the thriller aspects, this still was an enjoyable read for me. L.A. sleaze as a setting for suspense novels is catnip for me and this delivered. I also think this would make a dynamite series, but alas, so far this is a one off.

Grade = B

As Cody Bonner checked out of the women’s prison after five years of incarceration, she vowed never to return. She needed to return to Los Angeles, to her hometown, and find the person who murdered Julie, her identical twin sister. Their mother was a famous movie star, so there were plenty of people in their orbit – both good and bad. And she knew drugs were rife, corruption was spread through everything a person touched, and the cruelty and depravity were widespread. Where would Cody start?

Julie’s body had been discovered on a Malibu beach a year ago and it was likely any evidence was long gone. But she had a journalist friend who might help her. She also had old school friends who were now high up in the movie industry – she would talk to them. But it was when she picked up Julie’s laptop from the cops and paid another friend to break the encryption code for her, that her worst fears were realized. What on earth had Julie been involved in? The danger was high, the threat of prison again, even higher – but Cody was determined…

L.A. Burning is a chilling thriller by D.C. Taylor which took me to a Los Angeles that I really hope isn’t like its portrayed in this book! From the homeless and starving to the rich and famous, and many in between, the inhumanity and harshness filled every corner. I admired Cody; her determination and positivity, the learning she’d taken from prison, her ability to look after herself – she was one tough customer! L.A. Burning is my first by this author and I have no hesitation in recommending it.

With thanks to Crooked Lane via NetGalley for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is a page turner! Cody, a child of Hollywood privilege, has just been released from prison after serving five years for bank robbery and she wants to know who killed Julie, her twin. Julie was "the good one," the Stanford/Boalt grad who was working as an attorney when she was found washed up on a Malibu beach. Their mother, an actress, doesn't want to know any more but Cody, she's determined. She makes the most of the unusual skills and contacts she gained in prison to delve into the darkness of Hollywood, starting with her mother's agent, Harry Groban. There's violence against women here. A lot of it. Cody's reunion with old school peers helps but....Oh and an LAPD detective is also hoping to finally get Cody for two bank robberies in LA. This one kept me guessing and Taylor does a great job of maintaining the suspense. I found myself rooting for Cody, an unusual heroine with both serious fighting skills and a heart. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Great read.

Cody Bonner has just been released from prison. She's the daughter of an Oscar-winning movie star, identical twin sister to Julie, street kid, and bank robber. While she was in prison, her sister Julie, an up-and-coming lawyer, was murdered and her nude body found on a beach in Malibu.

Cody is determined to find out who killed Julie and why. Between catching up with former classmates who are now in the movie business and learning about the dark underside of LA with its kinky sex, Cody is also dealing with a cop who is convinced that she committed some bank robberies in LA before the one she was caught for in the Midwest. Stckley was in one of the banks moments before it was robbed and is now obsessed with proving that Cody was the robber. She was but is hoping to keep him distracted the few months until the statute of limitations for those crimes kicks in.

This was a fast-paced and engaging story about a young woman determined to find justice for her twin. I really liked Cody who had matured from an aimless youth to a strong woman while she was in prison. Of course, learning Muay Tai and being educated by the prison librarian who was in for murder did help Cody become the person she was meant to be.

The story had lots of twists and turns and was filled with gritty realism.

Such a complex story but I could not enjoy it. It was so different but I wanted to try. And I belive that for many people that need a lot of actions this is a perfect read. Go ahead.

This book differs from most of the books that I read so it took me a bit to get into it.
I feel like maybe there are points where there is too much going on and I don’t like that per se. Overall the story is decent and refreshing but I found it to be lacking in some parts.
Or it just wasn’t for me if you go by other reviews, which I will advice you to do.

This book was different than most books I read but I found it really intriguing. This is about Cody, a beautiful young female who just got out of prison for something she did in her teens. Her mother is a famous movie star and her identical twin sister, Julie, was murdered while Cody was in prison. She comes out with the burning desire to find out who killed her sister. This is a thought-provoking look into the life of Hollywood moguls, stars, and their families. It is also full of suspense and action. I would recommend it to anyone who wants an exciting read.

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

D C Taylor has written a fast paced mystery set in LA. Cody Bonner uses what she has learned in prison to search for her identical twin’s killer. I was so enthralled I read and finished this book over two days. A good story, enough threads to keep you guessing, an entertaining lead character search for answers and some redemption. If you are into modern based mystery/secretive stories you will love this book.

I looked at the two other reviews from people who read this and they were not that good. This confuses me because I really enjoyed this book! Did we read the same book?

A woman gets out of prison for robbery. Her twin sister had been murdered while she was in prison and she wants to solve it.

This book had so many unexpected things:
You got to see a little behind the scene at a prison
You got some more behind the scene of Hollywood. How it works more, and things you suspected were true..

I really liked the main character, so much so that I am hoping another book is written about her. She is sympathetic and really interesting. She is strong, funny and likeable.

I thought the writing was really good. I could picture the characters and I could picture the action. Now I do admit I am fascinated by Hollywood, so I could just picture real people as these characters.

Was some of the book pretty implausible? Sure but who cares. It read like a movie waiting to be made. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. I mean come on, have you read a Tom Clancy or James Patterson - do they seem realistic to you??

This was a fun, easy read and I was swept up.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

This was a different book for me. I didn't love it as much as I had thought. The characters and story line seemed to be all over the place and hard to follow. I tried with this book but it just fell flat for me.

This book didn't hook me. The storyline was weak and I didn't feel any empathy with the characters. It was a bit wishy washy. I wanted to like it, but I didn't. I can't recommend this book