“The horror lies in the poisonous wake of an ego given to whim and caprice and possessed of the power to indulge itself” (One Day You’ll Burn, pg 152).
The first in a new series, Schneider’s powerful novel not only offers readers the thrill of a who dunnit, but also encourages readers to question the areas in human nature that lie between good and evil. Historian-turned-Detective Tully Jarsdel has been assigned to a bizarre case, one in which a badly burned body is left lying in the middle of the street. The excellent development of Tully as a character offers readers intimate understanding of how he thinks and works and what urged him to become an officer. Threaded throughout this investigation is the search for a person who is poisoning local dogs on their owner's wedding days. Tully's frequent tangents on human nature, though sometimes placed at odd intervals in the book, allow readers a chance to consider whether people can have the capacity for both good and bad.
My verdict: Beautifully fun to read (despite the horrible subject matter). I did feel that the ultimate reason for both crimes was a bit flimsy, but I still highly recommend this book for fans of literary crime fiction and readers of Jussi Adler Olsen's Department Q novels.
The first in a new series, Schneider’s powerful novel not only offers readers the thrill of a who dunnit, but also encourages readers to question the areas in human nature that lie between good and evil. Historian-turned-Detective Tully Jarsdel has been assigned to a bizarre case, one in which a badly burned body is left lying in the middle of the street. The excellent development of Tully as a character offers readers intimate understanding of how he thinks and works and what urged him to become an officer. Threaded throughout this investigation is the search for a person who is poisoning local dogs on their owner's wedding days. Tully's frequent tangents on human nature, though sometimes placed at odd intervals in the book, allow readers a chance to consider whether people can have the capacity for both good and bad.
My verdict: Beautifully fun to read (despite the horrible subject matter). I did feel that the ultimate reason for both crimes was a bit flimsy, but I still highly recommend this book for fans of literary crime fiction and readers of Jussi Adler Olsen's Department Q novels.