BOOK REVIEW: The Burnings by Julian Lees
Crime, thriller and mystery books have been jostling for space among the many authors of these genres. My favorites growing up were Nancy Drew and classics like Sherlock Holmes. But I soon lost interest in this genre because I didn't like the gruesome crimes committed and the rough treatment that many of these novels encased.I was given a fresh feeling once again by Pansing Malaysia when they gave me an opportunity to review The Burnings by Julian Lees.
A killer hides in plain sight on the crowded streets of Jakarta. When Australian Jillian Parker's scorched remains are discovered in her burnt out car, Ruud Pujasumarta and his team are brought in to investigate what appears at first to be a routine homicide. But when Canadian citizen Anita Dalloway's charred body is found a few days later, Ruud finds a banner unfurled by the corpse's feet.
A verse from the Quran is scribbled across it, calling for unbelievers to be burned. The killer is targeting Christians. And the team's suspicions are confirmed when a third body, that if English backpacker Emily Grealish, turns up with the same M.O. (modus operandi).
But who is responsible? Is it the senior Australian diplomat who was obsessed with the first victim, the Imam who preaches Sharia law, the military general taking backhanders and living a life of luxury in Jakarta or the local drug dealer with a score to settle?
But Ruud is suspicious that the killer may be someone much closer to home, someone Ruud has trusted for many years. What unravels is a terrifying chain of events for Ruud. And what he discovers puts his life and those around him in danger.
Finally, the pig killer happens to be the son of the military general taking backhanders and living a life of luxury in Jakarta. Beware of the gruesome details though. It's not for the squeamish...I highly enjoyed this book with it's unexpected twists and turns. It also has plenty of Malay words that proved to be a fun addition to an English crime thriller novel.
Highly engaging, I personally give this tome an 8/10. It has personally opened up my thoughts of picking up a crime thriller the next time around. Happy reading my dear bookworms!
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