Slow Burn: A Marti Macalister Mystery

by Eleanor Taylor Bland

Book Overview

When a young woman and a little girl die in a fire at a women's clinic, Marti MacAlister must investigate whether they were accidentally caught in an insurance-related arson . . . or the victims of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312092377
• ISBN13: 9780312092375
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 212 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.7" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

A new favorite series for me

I have now read three of the Marti MacAlister novels and I am anxious to continue on. The characters are so strongly drawn that this is almost a cross between a police procedural and a cozy. One of the chief attractions of novels to me is good character development of people that I would like to know (well, mostly people that I would like to know). Bland does an excellent job of handling a fairly large cast of continuing characters, while making them distinct from one another. The characters have personal as well as professional lives, and this adds to the depth of the book and the intricacy of the plots. I am pleased to say that although they have their share of frustrations and struggles, the police are not all angst-ridden and alienated. The stories also perform the tough trick of dealing with the gritty side of life, and the reality that not everyone can be saved, without becoming despondent. The main characters never stop fighting the good fight, which I find rather inspiring.

BABY DOLLS

An abortion clinic is torched and there is no doubt in the minds of the police that an arsonist is on the loose. When a body of an unknown little girl is discovered and two other murders occur in the same neighborhood Marti and Vik are ready to do overtime and double time in a case which becomes bigger than they imagined. Join with Marti and Vik as they uncover a child pornography ring which takes young girls, makes them into "baby dolls" and pimp them to the highest bidder. A simple case of arson leads Marti into places where she never wanted to go and makes her unmask the evil behind the community's outstanding citizens. You will be put on pins and needles as you enter the sordid life of crime as viewed by Marti and her partner. Experience the anger of betrayal and the sadness of exploited young girls.

A fascinating mystery.

Eleanor Bland is one of the finest mystery writers alive today, and Slow Burn is just more proof of that. The characters are all vivid and fully drawn, and the plot is intricate and immensely interesting-- and the interplay between the two lead detectives is quite realistic. I've read three of Bland's books so far, and each one has not only been entertaining, but makes you think. There are no car-chases or shoot-outs here, just good solid writing that makes this a book for people who like to use their brains. Others need not apply!