Burning March

Dave Garrett #3

by Neil Albert

When his former law firm's bookkeeper is killed in a blaze at the office, Philadelphia private eye Dave Garrett's former boss asks him to try to determine if the fire was an accident

Genres: Mystery

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 1994

About the author

I am a trial lawyer, mystery writer, and retired foxhunter living in the Amish Country near Philadelphia. I started writing a series of mysteries in the 1990s and now I am returning to finish the series. I was very lucky to be published then, in the days when there were still independent bookstores and there was a chance to meet your fans face to face. As exciting as it was to be published, the best part was the fans, editors and other writers I met. Writing is far more collegial than people suspect.
I stopped the series in 1996 partly because I had run out of good ideas (I had plenty of bad ones) and because, at age 47, I had started riding horses for the first time in my life. Six months after my first ride I was fox hunting. It was very time intensive and the books went on the back burner. (And no, we do not kill the fox.) After twenty years and putting down my last hunt horse, I find myself with time on my hands and a need for a distraction.

Reviews

[Sarah B · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this was another one of those intelligent mysteries, this one having a very strong money angle. And all of the suspects are from the same law firm too. And to make it even more difficult to guess, there are many suspicious looking suspects who might or might not be guilty. And it all starts because a woman who worked at the law firm had died under suspicious circumstances, a fire raging in her kitchen while she was passed out in the bedroom due to alcohol.

But she wasn't known as a heavy drinker!

So about halfway through the book I had two suspects in mind. And luckily for me they were both guilty of something! But only one was the killer. I had actually chosen the killer more on a whim!

I must admit the money angle in here had confused me. In fact right up until the final few pages I was confused. And then it is all explained. Even then I understood it so the explanation was pretty good and easy to follow. But then I am left feeling kind of strange, like "oh...that's what it is" but the "it" is so far out of my experience that it's just some very vague idea?

But I didn't exactly enjoy this one as much as the previous two books in the series. I think there was just too much legal stuff going on in here for my tastes. Maybe I prefer it when Dave it out working a case on location instead right out of an office, especially the office where he used to work? Or maybe its hard to enjoy the mystery when you don't even know what it is really about because it is all hidden until the end? That is, the reader is in the dark a bit too long?

Not a bad story...just a bit too mysterious and with a very strong money dealing angle.

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

PROTAGONIST: Dave Garrett, PI
SETTING: Philadelphia
SERIES: #3 of 6
RATING: 4.25
WHY: At the behest of the bookkeeper, Dave Garrett goes back to the law firm where he worked before being disbarred to investigate something that has alarmed her. Unfortunately, she dies in a fire before they can meet. The police write it off as an accident since she had a blood alcohol level of over .30. Dave believes it is murder, as she was a pretty steadfast woman. Albert always comes up with interesting twists in his writing; in this one, he illuminates what life is like for a person confined to a wheelchair. Garrett is a fine character, and the plot is interesting if a bit complicated.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Dave Garrett receives a request from the bookkeeper of his former law firm to investigate something suspicious she has found. Unfortunately, she is killed in an "accidental" fire before he can speak with her. Garrett does not believe the fire or her death was accidental, and starts an investigation. The plot twists and turns as Garrett investigates the new partners in the firm, one of whom is a woman confined to a wheel chair. It is a suspenseful, complex mystery that kept me guessing until the end. I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book with lots of suspense, twists and turns, and well developed characters. The author has very good attention to detail, and a plot that is very plausible, as well as suspenseful. This is the second of his books I have read, and I am certainly looking forward to reading the others.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of a series with months in the title.
Private investigator Dave Garrett.
Bookkeeper at his prior law firm's house is burned and she dies.
Good characters.