Trial by Ice and Fire (Burnes Brothers)

I have to admit it, I was surprised by Clinton McKinzle. I picked up his first book, The Edge of Justice, thinking it was another lawyer turned writer yarn, when I realized it was just another cop novel, with the added twist of this cop being an avid mountain climber, I was kind of disappointed. I am not much of an outdoorsy type, I'm happy if I find a way to climb into my pants everyday, and didn't think I would enjoy stories about a cop chasing people around a mountain. Then I read the book and he hooked me in (I guess that's a pun). McKinzle has created a great character in Wyoming Special DCI Agent Antonio Burns. In his latest novel, Trial by Ice and Fire, McKinzle continues to develop his hard luck protagonist. With his reputation being picked apart by an unscrupulous defense attorney and his girlfriend becoming distant, Burns takes on a case involving the stalking of a beautiful actress's daughter, who also happens to be a local prosecutor. While the twist and turns aren't particularly surprising, McKinzle whips together a highly readable and exciting tale ending with a true trial by fire. While enjoyed this book, it was the weakest of the three Burns novels, specifically for one reason. The first book had some truely hate-able, despicable, obvious bad guys that just had you salivating for the page where they finally get there just deserts. Here McKinzle trades off some of this blunt evil for an attempt to make a more surprising ending. He took the risk, but the payoff just wasn't there. I really don't need to be surprised if I hate the bad guy enough. McKinzle even missed a few opportunities to develop some peripheral bad guy characters, especially the Hollywood hotshot Danny Gorgon character, who had the potential to be a real pest.

McKinzie's first book on SA Antonio Burns was enough to get me hooked, then the second was still good but not as good as the first, and this third book is the best yet. You like Antonio as he is an adventurous but grounded 30-yr old cop who is reevaluating his life and work after a series of mishaps that erroneously puts his reputation in a bad light. He fights for what he believes in but he's no superhero. Anton is given the task of protecting a prosecutor who is being stalked, and he is also dealing with his own personal issues: trying to figure out why his girlfriend has been cold and distant lately plus worrying about his drug-addicted fugitive brother. The prosecutor, the daughter of a famous movie star, is being stalked by someone, possibly her cop ex-boyfriend. The adventure starts with an icy mountain ascent and ends with a dangerous rescue operation on a mountain being consumed by a raging fire. I love reading about Antonio and his brother Roberto's climbing adventures, and I really like the romantic sub-plot. I look forward to seeing Clinton McKinzie's name in the spotlight again.

Trial by Ice and Fire hooks you from the very first page and doesn't really let you go till you finish. I tried to slow down my reading, savor the time I was spending with these characters but couldn't---I had to finish it and then go back and reread it again. This was an outstanding follow-up to last year's The Edge of Justice. Anton and his brother Roberto are back as are Anton's boss, McGee Ross and his lover, Rebecca. In this installment, Anton is bodyguarding a prosecuter from a stalker who seems to want to hurt her very badly. There are other subplots including his brother 'Berto who shows up to offer escape the only way the Burns brothers know how: climbing. Also, there is the trouble between Rebecca and Anton that in end seems a bit rushed to me;everything between them resolved a little too quickly. McKinzie will go very far with his writing and I look forward to his next novel. Run to get this book. If you enjoyed the first one, you'll love the second one. I read this book in a day if that says anything---wonderful page-turner. Highly recommend and my grade would be A-. New fans, the book does stand alone quite well but do read the first one, The Edge of Justice when you get the chance. It was a great debut.

Wyoming Special Agent Antonio Burns once killed three people in an incident that went so bad that he still wonders what else he could have done. Though his reputation thanks to the media pounding is that of "QuickDraw," his superiors assign Burns to protect state prosecutor Cali Morrow from a stalker.The job seems easy on the surface or perhaps more descriptive the side of a cliff, but Antonio finds his personal life interceding. He is attracted to his charge while he has trouble with the woman he loves. His brother, an escaped con, is also climbing the Grand Tetons. Finally the stalker may even be a fellow law enforcement person. With all this closing in on him, Antonio plays mountainside chicken against Cali as his only escape.The game of chicken is an incredibly written subplot that will leave the audience in either awe or debate the sanity of the two participants. The stalker plot is typical of the genre, but on the other hand his sibling in many ways steals the show with a fresh perspective on family values. Readers will appreciate this delightful suspense thriller that slyly gives new meaning to cliff hanging especially as Antonio goes over The EDGE OF JUSTICE.Harriet Klausner