This excellent debut novel reads like classic police procedural, and it reads as both meticulously researched and passionate about the genre. Los Angeles becomes a wonderful secondary character in this book- Detective Jarsdel is a native to the area, and can both wonder at a spectacular view and accept the gritty side of the city as well. It's been awhile since I read such a unusual and (though grotesque) set up as Jarsdel and his partner investigate a body that has been dumped, entirely, evenly burned, with very little evidence. The timeline in this story also seems very realistic, as weeks go by while waiting for DNA evidence and time lapses as they work on the investigation (unlike a television show with convenient "rushes" on evidence). This appears to be the first in a series, and I'm eager to read more.