One Day You'll Burn
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3.8 • 62 Ratings
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
"A brilliant first novel. Joseph Schneider's contemporary writing evokes some of Hollywood's most classic crime stories, from Chinatown to LA Confidential."—Dick Wolf, creator of Law & Order
An incredible debut from up-and-coming author Joseph Schneider. Detective Tully Jarsdel may not be a typical Los Angeles cop—but he's the only one who can solve this case
A body so badly burned that it could be mistaken for a movie prop... except for the smell. That's not something California law enforcement finds lying on the street every day. And when Detective Tully Jarsdel is called to the scene, it's clear to him that something about the placement of the corpse is intentional, even ritualistic. Jarsdel isn't a classic noir detective, but his former career in academia seems to finally be coming in handy, rather than serving as material for jokes from his partner, Morales.
But nothing Jarsdel learned in school can prepare him for the deep evil behind this case, which appears to be as hopeless as it is violent. As Jarsdel and Morales attempt to settle their differences and uncover the motive behind the horrendous crime, they find themselves dragged into the underbelly of a city notorious for chewing up and spitting out anyone dumb enough to turn their back on survival.
One Day You'll Burn is a shimmering debut that captures the glitz and squalor of Los Angeles while introducing an unforgettable detective readers will rank among the best in the genre.
The first in the LAPD Detective Jarsdel series, this detective mystery is:
• For readers who love murder mysteries and police procedurals
• Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly and Lawrence Block
• For fans of the T.V. series Bones and C.S.I
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
LAPD rookie detective and former history PhD candidate Marcus Tullius Jarsdel, the hero of Schneider's uneven first novel, is called to Thailand Plaza, a restaurant-market complex, where a burned corpse is curiously posed in front of a pagoda. One clue is a 1996 quarter painted red and glued to the hand of the victim, later identified as Grant Wolin. Aided by his veteran, wise-cracking partner, Detective Morales, Jarsdel learns that Wolin worked several odd jobs in Hollywood and had few friends but apparently no enemies. A subplot, which involves the pursuit of a serial dog killer, serves mainly to introduce Aleena Andreotti, an inquisitive and irritating love interest for Jarsdel. Though readers will be intrigued by the atypical detective (he's half Iranian and was raised by two professor fathers who disapprove of his career change), the book is filled with unrelated philosophical tangents. The parts of the plot that involve real detective work lead to an utterly terrifying conclusion. Hopefully, any sequel will have fewer detours.
Customer Reviews
Very original
This was a great read. It was very original. The characters were well developed and I could picture the story playing out like a movie in my head. One thing I enjoyed the most was how we get a look at LA. Living in a small town with only a few red lights all my life, it’s hard for me to picture what LA life would be like. I would love to go there some day. The cover of the book is gorgeous and is great for a book set in LA.
The two detectives in the book have seen their fair share of heartache and the bad side some humans can have. They’ve also experienced some bad stuff personally in life. This makes them all the better at their job. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read suspenseful crime novels.
3.5 Debut Crime Author Stars
If you like shows like Law & Order: SVU or Criminal Minds, then I would pick One Day You’ll Burn up. There are a few POV’s throughout the novel, but the main lead, Detective Tully Jarsdel is a scholar turned detective and he brings a unique analytical edge to the cases he and his partner, Morales, are trying to solve. This one is a bit graphic and violent, in many ways. But the graphic nature of the crimes and the empathy you have for the victims lends to the emotions that make the reader care and want these detectives to solve the case and catch the bad guys. It took a bit for me to truly invest in this story, but once I did I could not stop turning pages. Mystery, thrills, a dash of romance. This was a great first novel, and I can’t wait to read more from this author!