The Burn

by Kathleen Kent

First published 2020

Detective Betty Rhyzyk sits in mandatory therapy, struggling to readjust after her brutal encounter with an apocalyptic cult. The department has stuck her behind a desk while someone systematically murders confidential informants across Dallas. Her partner grows increasingly dependent on painkillers from injuries he sustained saving her life. At home, Betty can barely connect with Jackie, her loving wife. The combination of desk duty, failed therapy sessions, and watching her partner spiral pushes Betty to her breaking point. She decides to abandon protocol and investigate the assassinations on her own. Her rogue investigation leads her into the violent heart of a drug cartel that terrorizes Dallas. Betty discovers the murders connect to corrupt cops planning to profit from cartel operations. She must navigate this dangerous underworld while battling her own trauma and the fear of losing everything she values most.

Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective

Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful

Tropes: rogue-investigation, underdog-hero

Setting: Dallas

337 pages · Hardcover · Mulholland Books

Content warnings: violence

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