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Macy Greeley Mystery #2
Burnt River
When Detective Macy Greeley is called to Wilmington Creek, a sleepy ranching community in northern Montana, she expects an open-and-shut, if high-profile, murder case. What greets her is anything but. John Dalton, a soldier returned home from serving in Afghanistan, has been shot dead in an alleyway outside a local bar.
Macy can’t see any obvious motive for the attack, but John’s closest friends and his twin sister, Jessie, have been keeping secrets. With a series of wildfires pushing the area’s resources to the limit and Darby Lake’s water level dropping to a record low, Jessie is becoming increasingly anxious about what may be uncovered if the rains don’t return to the valley soon.
Haunted by what’s hidden beneath the still waters, she doesn’t know whether to help or hinder Macy’s investigation. And Macy herself is increasingly uneasy about what she discovers as she navigates the politics of a small town and the Dalton family clan, as well as her own complicated relationship with the father of her young son.
Macy Greeley returns in another taut and intimate mystery from acclaimed Bone Dust White author Karin Salvalaggio.
Macy can’t see any obvious motive for the attack, but John’s closest friends and his twin sister, Jessie, have been keeping secrets. With a series of wildfires pushing the area’s resources to the limit and Darby Lake’s water level dropping to a record low, Jessie is becoming increasingly anxious about what may be uncovered if the rains don’t return to the valley soon.
Haunted by what’s hidden beneath the still waters, she doesn’t know whether to help or hinder Macy’s investigation. And Macy herself is increasingly uneasy about what she discovers as she navigates the politics of a small town and the Dalton family clan, as well as her own complicated relationship with the father of her young son.
Macy Greeley returns in another taut and intimate mystery from acclaimed Bone Dust White author Karin Salvalaggio.
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First published May 12, 2015
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445 people want to read
About the author
Karin Salvalaggio
10 books93 followersKarin Salvalaggio was born in West Virginia in the 1960s. Her father was career military and her mother was a homemaker. Karin has fond memories of her nomadic childhood. She’s lived in places as climatically diverse as Alaska and Florida and as culturally distinct as California and Iran. Early on, she found companionship in books. Karin attended the University of California Santa Cruz, graduating in 1989, but aside from two years in Italy, she has lived in London, England since 1994. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck, University of London. Her short story “Walleye Junction” was published in the Mechanics Institute Review 8 in 2011. Her debut novel, a thriller entitled Bone Dust White, has received critical praise. Burnt River, the follow up in the Macy Greeley Mystery Series, was published on May 12th 2015 and Walleye Junction came out in May 2016. Silent Rain, the fourth novel in the series, will be published in May 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
February 7, 2023
Es ist Sommer in Montana und eine Hitzewelle plagt das Land. Es gibt Waldbrände, und zu allem Überfluss geschieht ein Mord. Zur Unterstützung wird Detective Macy Greeley gerufen. Der Tote war als Soldat in Afghanistan und wurde nun in Montana auf offener Straße erschossen. Die Tat gleicht einer Hinrichtung. Noch während der laufenden Ermittlungen geschieht ein zweiter Mord. Die Zeit drängt!
**
Mein Leseeindruck:
"Brennender Fluss" ist bereits der zweite Band, in dem Macy Greeley ermittelt. Ich habe den Vorgänger "Eisiges Geheimnis" noch nicht gelesen, hatte aber dennoch keine Schwierigkeiten, mich zurechtzufinden. Die Handlung in diesem Band ist abgeschlossen, allerdings ist es für die Vorgeschichte der Figur Macy Greeley sicherlich von Vorteil, mit Band 1 zu beginnen.
"Brennender Fluss" hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Die Handlung ist spannend, nachvollziehbar und durchdacht. Die Auflösung des Falles ist nicht vorhersehbar und konnte mich überraschen.
Das Besondere an diesem Buch ist für mich die Atmosphäre. Von Beginn an ist die Geschichte irgendwie sehr stimmungsvoll, bedrückend, duster und ein wenig melancholisch. Obwohl die Geschichte im Hochsommer spielt, ist es für mich eher ein "Herbstbuch". Für einen Krimi passt die Atmosphäre einfach sehr gut!
Die Figuren haben mir auch gut gefallen. Sie wirken echt und authentisch. Der Schreibstil ist angenehm; das Buch lässt sich flüssig und leicht lesen und schenkt spannende Lesestunden.
**
Mein Leseeindruck:
"Brennender Fluss" ist bereits der zweite Band, in dem Macy Greeley ermittelt. Ich habe den Vorgänger "Eisiges Geheimnis" noch nicht gelesen, hatte aber dennoch keine Schwierigkeiten, mich zurechtzufinden. Die Handlung in diesem Band ist abgeschlossen, allerdings ist es für die Vorgeschichte der Figur Macy Greeley sicherlich von Vorteil, mit Band 1 zu beginnen.
"Brennender Fluss" hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Die Handlung ist spannend, nachvollziehbar und durchdacht. Die Auflösung des Falles ist nicht vorhersehbar und konnte mich überraschen.
Das Besondere an diesem Buch ist für mich die Atmosphäre. Von Beginn an ist die Geschichte irgendwie sehr stimmungsvoll, bedrückend, duster und ein wenig melancholisch. Obwohl die Geschichte im Hochsommer spielt, ist es für mich eher ein "Herbstbuch". Für einen Krimi passt die Atmosphäre einfach sehr gut!
Die Figuren haben mir auch gut gefallen. Sie wirken echt und authentisch. Der Schreibstil ist angenehm; das Buch lässt sich flüssig und leicht lesen und schenkt spannende Lesestunden.
March 10, 2018
In the last decade since I've been reviewing for various publications, it's become much rarer for me to read two books in a row from the same author (due to reviewing, features, festivals, awards judging, reading challenges, and other commitments that all encourage me to read lots of different authors).
But after reading Karin Salvalaggio's really terrific debut BONE DUST WHITE last week, I couldn't help myself from immediately picking up the second in her Macy Greeley series, BURNT RIVER. And I wasn't disappointed: this book may be even better, and really cements Salvalaggio as a must-read crime writer for me. Great characters that have a real authenticity to them, smooth writing with plenty of subtext and space for the reader to engage and work things out (rather that having them spelled out), a terrific sense of the small-town Montana setting, intriguing spiderwebs of plotlines.
Salvalaggio has a strong voice, a great style, and hits it out of the park on many fronts.
While BONE DUST WHITE occurred during the snowy chill of the Montana winter, BURNT RIVER is set against a scorching summer where wildfires rage and water levels tumble.
Macy Greeley is now a single mother, and relying on her own mother to help care for her baby while she continues to work hard in her career. Her issues with the baby's father remain unresolved and frustratingly complicated, threading through her personal and professional life. The Dalton murder takes her away from her son, and she's determined to quickly dig through the secrets kept by many in John Dalton's circle of family, friends, and townsfolk to uncover who murdered the Army veteran.
The storyline of BURNT RIVER is great, with plenty of intrigue and surprises along the way. There's multiple strands, depth, and layers. But where Salvalaggio really elevates herself into the upper echelons of crime writers is with her great touch for place and character.
I've spent several summers in small-town and rural areas of the United States, and travelled through northern Montana. The Wilmington Creek setting in BURNT RIVER just really 'rang true' for me, vibrantly coming to life off the page in all its mix of community and grit, blue collar jobs and expansive ranches, forest roads and grimy back alleys. The kind of place where most vote red no matter what, but aren't the caricature bigots that those from outside the States might believe.
BURNT RIVER has a great 'cast', and whether characters are main players or bit parts, they all come across as distinct, interesting and fully-formed. There's an authenticity to the people who populate Salvalaggio's world; their beliefs and emotions, hopes and despairs, challenges and triumphs all feel real. We can understand and empathise, and follow them through their choices (even the bad ones).
Alongside Greeley are plenty of people who'll get varying reactions from readers. John's sister Jessie is a recovering addict and young mother who seems to have turned her life around, but her past actions and long-kept secrets may be putting people at risk. John's friends Tyler and Dylan are both wounded veterans who are variably dealing with the horrors they've seen. Tyler is on leave, heading back for another deployment soon; Dylan is battling with crippling PTSD. Chief Aiden Marsh of the local police welcomes Macy's involvement and help rather than feeling territorial, but may prove a problem for Macy. Meanwhile her boss, State Police Captain Ray Davidson, is keeping a close eye.
It's an assortment of lives full of loves and losses, that interconnect and crash into each other in a variety of ways. There are so many layers, but Salvalaggio keeps the pages moving with flowing writing and lots of interesting happenings. BURNT RIVER never feels 'dense' despite its depth.
A superb of piece of crime writing that has me thinking of leaping straight into the third Macy Greeley book very soon too. Salvalaggio is has quickly become a must-read author for me, and I certainly hope we'll see much more from her in future (currently there are four books in the series).
But after reading Karin Salvalaggio's really terrific debut BONE DUST WHITE last week, I couldn't help myself from immediately picking up the second in her Macy Greeley series, BURNT RIVER. And I wasn't disappointed: this book may be even better, and really cements Salvalaggio as a must-read crime writer for me. Great characters that have a real authenticity to them, smooth writing with plenty of subtext and space for the reader to engage and work things out (rather that having them spelled out), a terrific sense of the small-town Montana setting, intriguing spiderwebs of plotlines.
Salvalaggio has a strong voice, a great style, and hits it out of the park on many fronts.
While BONE DUST WHITE occurred during the snowy chill of the Montana winter, BURNT RIVER is set against a scorching summer where wildfires rage and water levels tumble.
Macy Greeley is now a single mother, and relying on her own mother to help care for her baby while she continues to work hard in her career. Her issues with the baby's father remain unresolved and frustratingly complicated, threading through her personal and professional life. The Dalton murder takes her away from her son, and she's determined to quickly dig through the secrets kept by many in John Dalton's circle of family, friends, and townsfolk to uncover who murdered the Army veteran.
The storyline of BURNT RIVER is great, with plenty of intrigue and surprises along the way. There's multiple strands, depth, and layers. But where Salvalaggio really elevates herself into the upper echelons of crime writers is with her great touch for place and character.
I've spent several summers in small-town and rural areas of the United States, and travelled through northern Montana. The Wilmington Creek setting in BURNT RIVER just really 'rang true' for me, vibrantly coming to life off the page in all its mix of community and grit, blue collar jobs and expansive ranches, forest roads and grimy back alleys. The kind of place where most vote red no matter what, but aren't the caricature bigots that those from outside the States might believe.
BURNT RIVER has a great 'cast', and whether characters are main players or bit parts, they all come across as distinct, interesting and fully-formed. There's an authenticity to the people who populate Salvalaggio's world; their beliefs and emotions, hopes and despairs, challenges and triumphs all feel real. We can understand and empathise, and follow them through their choices (even the bad ones).
Alongside Greeley are plenty of people who'll get varying reactions from readers. John's sister Jessie is a recovering addict and young mother who seems to have turned her life around, but her past actions and long-kept secrets may be putting people at risk. John's friends Tyler and Dylan are both wounded veterans who are variably dealing with the horrors they've seen. Tyler is on leave, heading back for another deployment soon; Dylan is battling with crippling PTSD. Chief Aiden Marsh of the local police welcomes Macy's involvement and help rather than feeling territorial, but may prove a problem for Macy. Meanwhile her boss, State Police Captain Ray Davidson, is keeping a close eye.
It's an assortment of lives full of loves and losses, that interconnect and crash into each other in a variety of ways. There are so many layers, but Salvalaggio keeps the pages moving with flowing writing and lots of interesting happenings. BURNT RIVER never feels 'dense' despite its depth.
A superb of piece of crime writing that has me thinking of leaping straight into the third Macy Greeley book very soon too. Salvalaggio is has quickly become a must-read author for me, and I certainly hope we'll see much more from her in future (currently there are four books in the series).
July 14, 2016
Burnt River is a mesmerising crime novel from accomplished author Karin Salvalaggio. Listening to it, I was right there in the vivid landscape of Montana, a compelling world of extreme weather, isolated ranches, lowlifes, drug pushers and private militia. This is the second in the series outing for detective Macy Greeley, a terrific female character who is funny, feisty and courageous. We get two main storylines, the investigation into a murder (and increasing body count) plus enjoyable but never soppy developments in Macy’s increasingly complicated personal life. As a murder mystery it was very satisfying and told at a driving pace that kept me returning whenever I had a few minutes spare. Though part of a series this book easily stands alone. I’ll be back for more from Macy
May 19, 2015
When you've read the first book in a series and loved it, there is great anticipation and some worry about the second book and its continued excellence. Last year, Bone Dust White by Karin Salvalaggio was the author's debut novel, a fact that I found extraordinary due to its complex array of story and characters. The main character, Detective Macy Greeley, is eight months pregnant and unmarried when the story begins. Who starts the story of someone when she's eight months pregnant? Well, Karin Salvalaggio does and does it brilliantly. I stated at the time that Macy Greeley is a promise of layers to come. So, we come to book #2, Burnt River, and Macy, with her flaws, strengths, and struggles becomes more whole, more solid, more fantastic to the readers. Second book jitters for the reader evaporate. Like its title suggests, this book (and this series) is on fire.
We catch up with Macy eighteen months after the birth of her son, Luke. She has been sent by her boss, State Police Captain Ray Davidson, to Wilmington Creek in northern Montana where a veteran of the Afghanistan wars has been murdered. Macy isn't happy to be leaving her home in Helena and her son, and her personal relationship with Davidson continues to be a tangled web of promises and let downs. However, if Maggie is confused about her personal life, she is the consummate state police detective, dedicated to uncovering the intricacies of murder. John Dalton, the recently returned Afghanistan veteran, seems an unlikely victim of a dark alley homicide, but secrets can obscure motives, and John had secrets that his sister Jessie and friends Dylan and Tyler are desperately trying keep hidden. With the area experiencing an especially harsh heat wave and wildfires flaming, Police Chief Aiden Marsh already has his hands full, but he proves invaluable to Macy in her pursuit of local knowledge and connections. As the heat intensifies from the temperature, the wildfires, and the investigation, Macy starts piecing together confusion into answers, but will she arrive at those answers in time to prevent more loss.
Thank you, Karin Salvalaggio for providing me with a book that I didn't want to end and ensuring that the Macy Greeley series is the real thing in outstanding mystery fiction. The only request I have now is to please write book #3 like a bat out of hell. Please!
We catch up with Macy eighteen months after the birth of her son, Luke. She has been sent by her boss, State Police Captain Ray Davidson, to Wilmington Creek in northern Montana where a veteran of the Afghanistan wars has been murdered. Macy isn't happy to be leaving her home in Helena and her son, and her personal relationship with Davidson continues to be a tangled web of promises and let downs. However, if Maggie is confused about her personal life, she is the consummate state police detective, dedicated to uncovering the intricacies of murder. John Dalton, the recently returned Afghanistan veteran, seems an unlikely victim of a dark alley homicide, but secrets can obscure motives, and John had secrets that his sister Jessie and friends Dylan and Tyler are desperately trying keep hidden. With the area experiencing an especially harsh heat wave and wildfires flaming, Police Chief Aiden Marsh already has his hands full, but he proves invaluable to Macy in her pursuit of local knowledge and connections. As the heat intensifies from the temperature, the wildfires, and the investigation, Macy starts piecing together confusion into answers, but will she arrive at those answers in time to prevent more loss.
Thank you, Karin Salvalaggio for providing me with a book that I didn't want to end and ensuring that the Macy Greeley series is the real thing in outstanding mystery fiction. The only request I have now is to please write book #3 like a bat out of hell. Please!
June 24, 2015
Set in the atmospheric landscape of northern Montana, Burnt River is the second ‘Macy Greeley’ book, and while I did enjoy Bone Dust White, I do think that Burnt River is an even better book. There is a literary tradition of detectives who have good instincts and terrible personal lives but Macy Greeley is a slightly more nuanced flawed character and she comes into her own in this book. The plotting is tight and tense and grips you right up until the last page - a complex web of deception that is very satisfying to unravel.
September 20, 2017
Die Reihe ist echt was entspanntes für zwischendurch.
April 27, 2015
An intriguing opening, with evocative and descriptive language choices and sometimes blunt, almost staccato, sentences to reflect the mysterious atmosphere ensures the reader is hooked from the very first page. The craft of the writer is evident in the weaving of the lives of different characters and the constant shift of suspicion to different suspects; the reader is left in a permanent state of wonder about events, motives and the ultimate culprit, or culprits, and it is due to the authorial skills that this becomes an engaging page-turner which you will find hard to put down until you reach the end and discover the answers to the many questions chasing around your mind.
The reader is lulled into the plot thoroughly through the impressively detailed and atmospheric descriptions and the range of characters are well-developed and fully credible. There is a wealth of detail in the presentation of setting and throughout it feels as if we are there alongside the characters, living through their ordeals and experiences, such is the amount of detail provided and the quality of the language choices.
As a thriller this novel really works - there are the ultimate whodunnit features and the sense of credibility created through the characters and events ensures it grabs the attention due to its realism. The main character, Macy Greeley, a tough, but flawed, detective, with a gritty approach to her job and a car-crash of a personal life, is so well portrayed that she feels like someone we all know. She is admirable with regard to her professional skills and infuriating in the way she lives her life and finds herself manipulated by a man not worthy of her in her personal life. But it is her professionalism that pervades this novel and it is this that impresses the reader - will this lead to the discovery of the mystery and ensure her success? We can only cheer her on from the sidelines and hope so, right until the last page is turned.
For those who like a mystery thriller, one which would make an excellent and powerful film, this is a must read. Make sure you pick it up and give it a go, you won't be disappointed.
The reader is lulled into the plot thoroughly through the impressively detailed and atmospheric descriptions and the range of characters are well-developed and fully credible. There is a wealth of detail in the presentation of setting and throughout it feels as if we are there alongside the characters, living through their ordeals and experiences, such is the amount of detail provided and the quality of the language choices.
As a thriller this novel really works - there are the ultimate whodunnit features and the sense of credibility created through the characters and events ensures it grabs the attention due to its realism. The main character, Macy Greeley, a tough, but flawed, detective, with a gritty approach to her job and a car-crash of a personal life, is so well portrayed that she feels like someone we all know. She is admirable with regard to her professional skills and infuriating in the way she lives her life and finds herself manipulated by a man not worthy of her in her personal life. But it is her professionalism that pervades this novel and it is this that impresses the reader - will this lead to the discovery of the mystery and ensure her success? We can only cheer her on from the sidelines and hope so, right until the last page is turned.
For those who like a mystery thriller, one which would make an excellent and powerful film, this is a must read. Make sure you pick it up and give it a go, you won't be disappointed.
September 11, 2015
Als Detective Macy Greeley wegen Mord an einem Ex-Soldaten ins Flathead Valley gerufen wird, ahnt sie noch nicht das hinter dieser Tat noch so viel mehr steckt. Während der Ermittlungen tauchen immer mehr ungelöste Probleme und dunkle Vergangenheitsbekentnisse der Talbewohner auf. Außerdem terrorisiert ein Brandstifter die Farmer und Ray, der Vater ihres Sohnes und gleichzeitig ihr Chef, taucht auf und sorgen für Probleme.
Der Klappentext des Buches versprach mir eine spannende Geschichte und da ich zuvor von Karin Salvalaggio noch nichts gelesen habe war ich sehr gespannt darauf ihren Schreibstil kennen zu lernen. Allerdings muss ich sagen, das er sehr durchschnittlich ist und mich zwar unterhalten aber nicht immer mitreißen konnte. Stellenweise ging die Geschichte bedeutungslos an mir vorrüber, das änderte sich aber an dem Zeitpunkt in dem Macy selbst ins Visier des Täters gerät und auch um ihre eigene Sicherheit bangen muss. Als Ermittlerin hat sie mir sehr gut gefallen, besonders da sie einen guten Draht zu den Personen im Flathead aufbauen konnte und eine bodenständige Person ist. Im Laufe der Geschichte kommt es auch zu einer Liebesgeschichte, die ich nicht unbedingt als nötig erachte aber ganz interessant war.
Besonders gut gefiel mir das Beziehungsnetz, das zwischen den Bewohnern gespannt wurde. Man bekam als Leser einen guten Eindruck über die Gemeinschaft im Tal und da es immer kurze, spannende Einblicke in die Gespräche und Gedanken von ausgewählten Bewohnern gibt, wird meine Neugier immer mehr geweckt. Ich begann in meinem Kopf Verdächtige auszumachen und Theorien zu spinnen. Das fand ich wirklich toll! Die Ermittlungen waren dann auch sehr fesselnd und es machte mir Spaß an Macy's Seite den Täter ausfindig zu machen. Leider wurde der Fall viel zu 'einfach' gelöst. Ich hätte mir gerade am Schluss noch mehr Nervenkitzel erwartet.
~ FAZIT ~
Mit dem Buch 'Brennender Fluss' ist Karin Salvalaggio ein fesselnder Kriminalroman mit Höhen und Tiefen gelungen, allerdings wurde die Geschichte etwas zu schnell und ohne letzten großen Höhepunkt beendet. Ich vergebe vier gute Sterne!
Der Klappentext des Buches versprach mir eine spannende Geschichte und da ich zuvor von Karin Salvalaggio noch nichts gelesen habe war ich sehr gespannt darauf ihren Schreibstil kennen zu lernen. Allerdings muss ich sagen, das er sehr durchschnittlich ist und mich zwar unterhalten aber nicht immer mitreißen konnte. Stellenweise ging die Geschichte bedeutungslos an mir vorrüber, das änderte sich aber an dem Zeitpunkt in dem Macy selbst ins Visier des Täters gerät und auch um ihre eigene Sicherheit bangen muss. Als Ermittlerin hat sie mir sehr gut gefallen, besonders da sie einen guten Draht zu den Personen im Flathead aufbauen konnte und eine bodenständige Person ist. Im Laufe der Geschichte kommt es auch zu einer Liebesgeschichte, die ich nicht unbedingt als nötig erachte aber ganz interessant war.
Besonders gut gefiel mir das Beziehungsnetz, das zwischen den Bewohnern gespannt wurde. Man bekam als Leser einen guten Eindruck über die Gemeinschaft im Tal und da es immer kurze, spannende Einblicke in die Gespräche und Gedanken von ausgewählten Bewohnern gibt, wird meine Neugier immer mehr geweckt. Ich begann in meinem Kopf Verdächtige auszumachen und Theorien zu spinnen. Das fand ich wirklich toll! Die Ermittlungen waren dann auch sehr fesselnd und es machte mir Spaß an Macy's Seite den Täter ausfindig zu machen. Leider wurde der Fall viel zu 'einfach' gelöst. Ich hätte mir gerade am Schluss noch mehr Nervenkitzel erwartet.
~ FAZIT ~
Mit dem Buch 'Brennender Fluss' ist Karin Salvalaggio ein fesselnder Kriminalroman mit Höhen und Tiefen gelungen, allerdings wurde die Geschichte etwas zu schnell und ohne letzten großen Höhepunkt beendet. Ich vergebe vier gute Sterne!
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May 28, 2015Burnt River is Karin Salvalaggio's follow up to her first novel, Bone Dust White, which was a huge success. In this second novel, Detective Macy Greely is called to Wilmington Creek in northern Montana to investigate the murder of John Dalton, a soldier who has just returned from serving in Afghanistan. He was shot once in the back of the head in execution style in an alleyway outside a local bar. At first, Macy can't see any motive, but soon realizes that many people, including his twin sister, Jessie, are hiding desperate secrets. Jesse has been an addict of drugs and alcohol and hiding a secret that may come to light if rain doesn't return to the valley soon. Haunted by what lies hidden beneath the lake's water, she is hesitant to help or hinder Macy's investigation.
Karin deftly delineates her characters so finely that the reader feels they know them intimately. Macy is in love with Ray, her superior in the police force, but begins to doubt that he will ever leave his wife for her. She has a son, Luke, and Ray is the father.
The description of the brutalizing heat makes the reader wish to open a window or turn on air conditioning. I was shocked that temperatures could reach into the hundreds so far north. I have been to Montana, or, as it is called, Big Sky country, which is close to the Canadian border. But, Karin successfully makes a believer out of the reader. Many characters make up the cast, including men who have recently returned from the war and all its horrors.
As the waters recede Jessie and two of her friends, who shoved the body of Ethan Green into the lake, begin to realize that his body will be recovered.
This is a stark and chilling story of flawed people who have committed terrible acts and the murder of John Dalton brings all the evil out into the open.
Karin deftly delineates her characters so finely that the reader feels they know them intimately. Macy is in love with Ray, her superior in the police force, but begins to doubt that he will ever leave his wife for her. She has a son, Luke, and Ray is the father.
The description of the brutalizing heat makes the reader wish to open a window or turn on air conditioning. I was shocked that temperatures could reach into the hundreds so far north. I have been to Montana, or, as it is called, Big Sky country, which is close to the Canadian border. But, Karin successfully makes a believer out of the reader. Many characters make up the cast, including men who have recently returned from the war and all its horrors.
As the waters recede Jessie and two of her friends, who shoved the body of Ethan Green into the lake, begin to realize that his body will be recovered.
This is a stark and chilling story of flawed people who have committed terrible acts and the murder of John Dalton brings all the evil out into the open.
September 12, 2015
Burnt River is the second in the Macy Greeley Mysteries, the first being Bone Dust White. Macy is a detective in the state police and is based in Helena, the capital city of Montana. She's been called up to the small town of Wilmington Creek to investigate the murder of a young war veteran, John Dalton, who has been shot in the back of the head outside of a bar in the middle of the night.
From the atmospheric prologue onwards, this is a book oozing with the sense of place. The Flathead River, surrounded by pines and cliffs, the sweeping cattle-land, the horses: it's all built up with deft ease to surround the reader, appealing to every sense. There's a slowness to the prose, mirroring the pace of life in this remote community. And the tensions of that community are layered throughout. The connections and histories of the friends and neighbours - joined as they are by love and war and deception - build to to an explosive climax, but they don't explain the death of a young woman, found with a gunshot wound in her shoulder and ligature marks on her wrists.
I love crime novels, especially with a female lead. Some of my favourites are from US writers: Jane Rizzoli, V.I. Warshawski, Kinsey Millhone. Salvalaggio is still waiting for a UK publishing deal, and I hope it happens soon. She's right up there with my favourites, and I'd love her to be more widely read over here.
From the atmospheric prologue onwards, this is a book oozing with the sense of place. The Flathead River, surrounded by pines and cliffs, the sweeping cattle-land, the horses: it's all built up with deft ease to surround the reader, appealing to every sense. There's a slowness to the prose, mirroring the pace of life in this remote community. And the tensions of that community are layered throughout. The connections and histories of the friends and neighbours - joined as they are by love and war and deception - build to to an explosive climax, but they don't explain the death of a young woman, found with a gunshot wound in her shoulder and ligature marks on her wrists.
I love crime novels, especially with a female lead. Some of my favourites are from US writers: Jane Rizzoli, V.I. Warshawski, Kinsey Millhone. Salvalaggio is still waiting for a UK publishing deal, and I hope it happens soon. She's right up there with my favourites, and I'd love her to be more widely read over here.
August 20, 2015
This book is the second in the Macy Greeley series and a first for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery full of secrets and misdirection as Macy investigates the murder of a local rancher's son in Montana. In a small town where everyone is suppose to know everyone's business, Macy finds it difficult at first to connect the dots in her probe of the death of this young man and also the disappearance of a young woman who happens to be an undercover police officer whom Macy was not aware of. Dealing with personal difficulties that will have repercussions in her professional life, Macy races to find answers to the goings on in this town and what is real and what is not to bring a devious killer to justice.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
June 8, 2015
Really enjoyed this book!! Detective Macy Greeley is at it again! This time she's sent to Wilmington Creek, Montana, to help solve the murder of a veteran of the War in Afghanistan. This story is full of complex characters who all have lots of problems, secrets and lies in their lives. Macy, as well has a complicated life, which she begins to sort out with the help of the Chief of Police, Aiden Marsh, while she's hunting a killer. I love the way the author, Karin Salvalaggio, weaves the characters lives together, connecting them in ways they don't even know exist. I see lots of adventures ahead in the Macy Greely Mystery series!!!
June 30, 2015
She did it again. I enjoyed Karin Salvalaggio's debut mystery so much, I was really looking forward to this one. Once again, she writes an interesting mystery. This one takes place in the heat of the summer, and you almost feel the sweat on yourself as Macy Greeley hikes through the forest trails. I like the decision Macy made in her personal life--not sure about another choice she made. I hope Salvalaggio writes more of this protagonist or another one. I just like her writing and very readable books.
December 23, 2016
In this second book in the Macy Greeley series, I found a novel that drew me in much more than the first. Macy is more engaging in this addition, even as the complexities of her personal life seem to broaden. The story is tightly plotted, as Macy is sent to a small Montana town to investigate the murder of a local rancher. The victim, whose family has deep roots in this Montana area, also has a complicated personal life, with a damaged family, and links to a military unit in Afghanistan. The story was full of twists and turns. I will look forward to the next in this series.
September 2, 2015
I loved Karin Salvalaggio's debut novel and the sequel, with the same immensely appealing main character is, I think, even better. The story is well-paced, brilliantly crafted and keeps you hanging on to every twist and turn. Salvalaggio has succeeded in creating not just a story or a character but a world of interesting and vulnerable people - I hope she's planning to write more because I think she is well on the way to becoming my new favourite crime writer.
May 29, 2015
Macy Greeley is an outstanding mother and detective. Would choose her to solve my case or be my friend. How she solves the crime ('s) will keep you reading. Will definitely be reading another Karin Salvalaggio book.
May 19, 2015
I really enjoyed this second book in the Macy Greeley series. Karen Salvalaggio is able to convey the summer atmosphere in Montana, write realistic characters, and keep the story line moving. I'm looking forward to hearing more.
May 14, 2015
Amazing read. Couldn't put it down!
May 31, 2015
even better than her first book----can't wait for the next one--hope Macy doesn't take too much time off
June 25, 2015
Oh my God this was better than the first book! Damn I loved it and don't want to give anything away!!! But damn!!!
April 15, 2018
Il est vraiment agréable de retrouver la flegmatique Macy Greeley, dix-huit mois après l’enquête dans les montagnes enneigées et glaciales du Montana. Ici, on peut parler de contraste… toujours le Montana, certes, mais dans les plaines caniculaires de l’été… ranch, cow-boys, désert, anciens combattants dans une petite ville amorphe où rien ne bouge, rien n’évolue, avec l’alcool et la drogue pour seuls dérivatifs : l’Amérique profonde, quoi ! Macy, empêtrée dans les méandres « compliquées » de sa vie sentimentale, trouve de quoi s’occuper l’esprit. Toute une galerie de personnages vont défiler avec leurs histoires entremêlées qui viennent contrecarrer ou dévoiler l’intrigue.
Comme dans la première histoire, se dégage un personnage féminin où les faiblesses semblent avoir pris possession de son existence. Mais peu à peu, nous assistons à sa rédemption. Se dessinent également quelques vétérans, traumatisés, un peu déphasés avec leurs lourds secrets, leurs amitiés, leurs amours… des colosses aux pieds d’argile. L’air de rien, par petites touches, comme dans la première enquête, derrière l’énigme, il y a aussi la peinture d’une certaine Amérique où le mal être prédomine sur les grands espaces. Si l’on étouffait sous le froid glacial, ici, on suffoque sous une chaleur pesante qui rend fou…
Excellent !
Comme dans la première histoire, se dégage un personnage féminin où les faiblesses semblent avoir pris possession de son existence. Mais peu à peu, nous assistons à sa rédemption. Se dessinent également quelques vétérans, traumatisés, un peu déphasés avec leurs lourds secrets, leurs amitiés, leurs amours… des colosses aux pieds d’argile. L’air de rien, par petites touches, comme dans la première enquête, derrière l’énigme, il y a aussi la peinture d’une certaine Amérique où le mal être prédomine sur les grands espaces. Si l’on étouffait sous le froid glacial, ici, on suffoque sous une chaleur pesante qui rend fou…
Excellent !
Read
May 6, 2023Macy’s child is a toddler as this second book opens. Her boss and the father of her child as dispatched her to another small Montana town to deal with a murder. This looks cut and dried even though it’s perhaps high profile.
Jim Dalton served valiantly in the military, and he came home to a demented mother and the usual spate of family problems. So, who murdered Jim that night in front of the white Fish bar?
As Macy digs into the investigation, she learns there are layers and layers of secrets she must expose. Jim’s twin sister, Jessie, knows things about the murder that she may or may not decide to talk about.
I needed to be in a good mood before going to Costco today to spend money I didn’t really have. This book put me there. Again, the characters are memorable, and while Macy isn’t always angelic, you’ll applaud her efforts at personal improvement, which manifest themselves well at the end of the book. Enjoy this; I did.
Jim Dalton served valiantly in the military, and he came home to a demented mother and the usual spate of family problems. So, who murdered Jim that night in front of the white Fish bar?
As Macy digs into the investigation, she learns there are layers and layers of secrets she must expose. Jim’s twin sister, Jessie, knows things about the murder that she may or may not decide to talk about.
I needed to be in a good mood before going to Costco today to spend money I didn’t really have. This book put me there. Again, the characters are memorable, and while Macy isn’t always angelic, you’ll applaud her efforts at personal improvement, which manifest themselves well at the end of the book. Enjoy this; I did.
February 4, 2017
This second entry in the detective Macy Greeley series was a more intelligible and cohesive novel. I listened to the audio version and the reader was good at accents and at emotions; however, I wish she would have paused a bit longer between sections. The sections ran together and often made me pause to try to understand where I was. I am not a fan of lavish descriptions of nature, but if you are you won't be disappointed by this author's style. The time jumps that were presented in the first novel were fewer in this one. The story gelled together much better and parts of the mystery actually kept me guessing until the end. I liked this story much better than the first.
March 8, 2020
Well that was terrible and readable at the same time. Started strong and the fell completely apart. Macy is a policeman having an affair and child with her married boss, the chief of state police. It was ridiculous and their conversations stilted and silly. In fact much of the dialogue was poorly written. For example:
“That’s not surprising. There’s a lot of stigma associated with mental illness.”
“That has to change.”
“Well, Good luck with that.”
I was often confused when picking the book up on who was who and the ending was unbelievable and also silly.
Not interested in continuing this series or author.
“That’s not surprising. There’s a lot of stigma associated with mental illness.”
“That has to change.”
“Well, Good luck with that.”
I was often confused when picking the book up on who was who and the ending was unbelievable and also silly.
Not interested in continuing this series or author.
May 8, 2019
I listened to this book in a lot of quick bursts which may be why I felt there were too many characters to keep straight. The author certainly kept the reader (listener) in the dark as to who murdered whom among the small town residents including some war veterans. Questions of parentage also arose. I liked the detective.assigned to the case of the first murder, outside the local pubs.
the victim's sister was determined to identify the killer, and aligned herself with both law enforcement and friends (or enemies) of her brother. Lots of brutality, off set by tender moments.
the victim's sister was determined to identify the killer, and aligned herself with both law enforcement and friends (or enemies) of her brother. Lots of brutality, off set by tender moments.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2025
It’s been years since I read Bone Dust White, the first book in this series but I remembered Detective Macy Greeley! She’s an interesting character, a relationship with her married boss, a son between them, it’s never ending drama. This time she is sent to investigate a murder in the small ranching community of Wilmington Creek, Montana, when a soldier home from Afghanistan is shot down. The investigation takes many twists and turns with police chief Aiden Marsh by her side throughout and maybe something more is brewing…Very much enjoyed this one!
January 2, 2020
I liked this book. Kind of reminded me of a darker version of Kendra Eliott. Good heroine who is a little mixed up right now, but seems to be straightening herself out. Very interesting murders -- really enjoyed the way they were solved. Some great male/female problems in the book (small part of the book), but I really enjoyed how Macy dealt with some of them and struggled with others. Recommend.
July 10, 2022
Intense, gripping story read in one day! Detective Macy Greeley is sent to investigate a murder of a well connected rancher’s son. It soon becomes apparent that the little town on Wilmington Creek is having a major crime wave! Hidden agendas, long held secrets and even Macy’s own personal life complicate the investigation.
March 21, 2018
I think I liked this second Macy Greeley novel even more than the first. Great characters good mystery and again overflowing with atmosphere. I can hardly wait to share with my Crime and cuppa friends!
August 29, 2022
Ich dachte, da fehlen ein paar Seiten... Es wurde einfach nicht erwähnt, was genau am Bahngleis und anschließend geschehen... ganz komisch! Und bei der nächsten Szene musste man sich auch selber überlegen, wieviel Zeit vergangen ist. Punktabzug
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