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The Henry Rios Mysteries #6
The Burning Plain
Attorney Henry Rios fights for his freedom and his life when a homophobic serial killer targets gay men in Los Angeles
Defense attorney Henry Rios knows how the system can be weighted against you . . . especially if you’re gay. His worst nightmare becomes a reality when a man he had been on a date with the night before is slain. Relentlessly pursued by a homophobic Los Angeles Police Department cop, Rios goes from prime suspect to target when more gay men are savagely murdered. The victims all suffer the same fate: They’re beaten to death, with a hate message carved into their bodies, and they’re dumped in an alley.
Rios must break through a conspiracy of silence that reaches to the highest levels of Los Angeles politics and Hollywood power. And the closer he gets to the truth, the closer he gets to becoming an enraged killer’s next victim.
Defense attorney Henry Rios knows how the system can be weighted against you . . . especially if you’re gay. His worst nightmare becomes a reality when a man he had been on a date with the night before is slain. Relentlessly pursued by a homophobic Los Angeles Police Department cop, Rios goes from prime suspect to target when more gay men are savagely murdered. The victims all suffer the same fate: They’re beaten to death, with a hate message carved into their bodies, and they’re dumped in an alley.
Rios must break through a conspiracy of silence that reaches to the highest levels of Los Angeles politics and Hollywood power. And the closer he gets to the truth, the closer he gets to becoming an enraged killer’s next victim.
13 pages, Audible Audio
First published January 1, 1997
36 people are currently reading
314 people want to read
About the author
Michael Nava
33 books343 followersMichael Nava is the author of a groundbreaking series of crime novels featuring a gay, Latino criminal defense lawyer Henry Rios. Nava is a six-time recipient of the Lambda Literary Award in the mystery category, as well as the Bill Whitehead Lifetime Achievement Award for gay and lesbian literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
October 2, 2021
5+++++++++ stars Ariana! I promise i can never run out of those +++++
Warning! Gushing! Gushing! and more Guuuuushing!
Henry is Batman! And is officially my Number 1.
“Crimes against persons and crimes against property are both on the rise, especially against Jews, blacks and gays, with Latinos running a close fourth. Where’s the public outcry? The Times will bury this report on the inside pages of the Metro section. The broadcast media can’t be bothered.” She slouched in her chair. “We’re becoming habituated to hate. Maybe we’re even becoming addicted to it. There’s nothing like it for that adrenaline rush.”
Damn! History repeating right there! 👆👆👆
This book is!!
So, a month ago, i was in a cycle of slumps, then My lovely Moony gifted me the chance to experience: Lay Your Sleeping Head: A Henry Rios Novel, GAAAH! from the moment i read that book, i knew, i knew this series will leave a permanent mark. Thank you so much Moony for getting me to read Lay Your Sleeping Head: A Henry Rios Novel and in turn i went back started at the beginning. What i am trying to say is! I am in book heaven.
Book 6 in the Henry Rios series, and boy did we get a treat. It is the longest in the series, and a serious page turner.
Henry takes on Hollywood! And Lawd, Gawd! it is a wild ride. The characters in this book are shady, despicable, evil and every evil name you can think of. Henry finds himself on both side of the law, the accused and the defender. He is manipulated, lied to, abducted. He couldn't catch a break. His private life is in shambles, professional life is not any better. He is barely surviving. Let's just say the drama that unfolds in this book is worth Emmys.
I have said this and will say it again, Michael Nava gives Dick Wolf a run for his money. The mystery here is exceptional. GAAAAAH! 300+ pages of twists and turns and i was never bored at all. The mystery it self is daring and heartbreaking.
The writing is bold, in your face, Nava doesn't hold anything back. I don't think i will be able to reread this series. The story stays with you. No need to relive it again.
“Homosexuality is evil,” he said. “It’s an abomination condemned by God. He sent the plague of AIDS as a judgment on your lifestyle.”
In my appointment book was a plane ticket to San Francisco where, on Sunday, I would be attending a memorial service for Grant Hancock.
“Someday, when you realize what you’ve just said, you won’t be able to forgive yourself.”
“I meant it.”
“You can’t run away from yourself forever,” I said. “You can’t hide in someone’s Bible for the rest of your life.”
Richie, Henry's sort of friend, i hope he stays. His one liners are the best.
Richie emerged from the bedroom, dressed entirely in black except for a necklace of large, fake pearls. “What do you think?” he asked, preening. “I call this Jack Kerouac meets Barbara Bush.”
“No hat?” He whipped a black beret out of his coat pocket. “I’m way ahead of you, Daddy-o."
GAAAHH! I LOVE THIS SERIES!.
The End of Gushing.
Warning! Gushing! Gushing! and more Guuuuushing!
Henry is Batman! And is officially my Number 1.
“Crimes against persons and crimes against property are both on the rise, especially against Jews, blacks and gays, with Latinos running a close fourth. Where’s the public outcry? The Times will bury this report on the inside pages of the Metro section. The broadcast media can’t be bothered.” She slouched in her chair. “We’re becoming habituated to hate. Maybe we’re even becoming addicted to it. There’s nothing like it for that adrenaline rush.”
Damn! History repeating right there! 👆👆👆
This book is!!
So, a month ago, i was in a cycle of slumps, then My lovely Moony gifted me the chance to experience: Lay Your Sleeping Head: A Henry Rios Novel, GAAAH! from the moment i read that book, i knew, i knew this series will leave a permanent mark. Thank you so much Moony for getting me to read Lay Your Sleeping Head: A Henry Rios Novel and in turn i went back started at the beginning. What i am trying to say is! I am in book heaven.
Book 6 in the Henry Rios series, and boy did we get a treat. It is the longest in the series, and a serious page turner.
Henry takes on Hollywood! And Lawd, Gawd! it is a wild ride. The characters in this book are shady, despicable, evil and every evil name you can think of. Henry finds himself on both side of the law, the accused and the defender. He is manipulated, lied to, abducted. He couldn't catch a break. His private life is in shambles, professional life is not any better. He is barely surviving. Let's just say the drama that unfolds in this book is worth Emmys.
I have said this and will say it again, Michael Nava gives Dick Wolf a run for his money. The mystery here is exceptional. GAAAAAH! 300+ pages of twists and turns and i was never bored at all. The mystery it self is daring and heartbreaking.
The writing is bold, in your face, Nava doesn't hold anything back. I don't think i will be able to reread this series. The story stays with you. No need to relive it again.
“Homosexuality is evil,” he said. “It’s an abomination condemned by God. He sent the plague of AIDS as a judgment on your lifestyle.”
In my appointment book was a plane ticket to San Francisco where, on Sunday, I would be attending a memorial service for Grant Hancock.
“Someday, when you realize what you’ve just said, you won’t be able to forgive yourself.”
“I meant it.”
“You can’t run away from yourself forever,” I said. “You can’t hide in someone’s Bible for the rest of your life.”
Richie, Henry's sort of friend, i hope he stays. His one liners are the best.
Richie emerged from the bedroom, dressed entirely in black except for a necklace of large, fake pearls. “What do you think?” he asked, preening. “I call this Jack Kerouac meets Barbara Bush.”
“No hat?” He whipped a black beret out of his coat pocket. “I’m way ahead of you, Daddy-o."
GAAAHH! I LOVE THIS SERIES!.
The End of Gushing.
May 5, 2015
What a ride it was!
It was not only the longest instalment of the series until now, but also the one with the most thrilling, dark and complex story, full of action and unpredictable twists and turns, and...deep emotions and heartbreaking moments.
The Burning Plain was better than anything I expected.
A real page turner. Simply great.
August 14, 2023
4.5 stars
In this book Henry is happy and loved, he meets a lot of good people, nobody dies awful deaths and society is amazingly open-minded and accepting.
Yeah…sure.
This the penultimate book in the series and I’m done hoping that Michael Nava gives a damn about his own character (I lied, I will hope until the last sentence of the last book, and I will be seriously mad if I don’t get a crumb, a subtle sign, a word, something).
The book is good—although probably the most disturbing of the series so far—Henry is still his amazing self, and the mystery is well-crafted. It made my skin crawl to think that people like these exist in real life, but I can’t fault the writing, only human nature.
And of course we couldn’t do without the extra kick in the guts delivered in the shape of Because that’s how the author rolls, apparently. At this point I can only cross my fingers and hope he was getting it all out of his system here so that in the next book he could maybe remember that humans sometimes manage to be nice (except for Henry, Henry is always a sweetheart, even when he’s making dumb choices).
In this book Henry is happy and loved, he meets a lot of good people, nobody dies awful deaths and society is amazingly open-minded and accepting.
Yeah…sure.
This the penultimate book in the series and I’m done hoping that Michael Nava gives a damn about his own character (I lied, I will hope until the last sentence of the last book, and I will be seriously mad if I don’t get a crumb, a subtle sign, a word, something).
The book is good—although probably the most disturbing of the series so far—Henry is still his amazing self, and the mystery is well-crafted. It made my skin crawl to think that people like these exist in real life, but I can’t fault the writing, only human nature.
And of course we couldn’t do without the extra kick in the guts delivered in the shape of Because that’s how the author rolls, apparently. At this point I can only cross my fingers and hope he was getting it all out of his system here so that in the next book he could maybe remember that humans sometimes manage to be nice (except for Henry, Henry is always a sweetheart, even when he’s making dumb choices).
August 1, 2025
*August 2025 re-reading on audio*
*original review July 2024*
Henry Rios is an extraordinary protagonist, a brilliant character who seems to be just as real as you and I. This was a tough case, both in the way it had me guessing, but also the case itself was brutal. Henry solves it and should be the hero of the book, but the way Michael Nava writes his character doesn’t make him all that heroic, if that makes any sense.
I’m savouring this series because I”m not ready to say goodbye to Henry yet.
*original review July 2024*
Henry Rios is an extraordinary protagonist, a brilliant character who seems to be just as real as you and I. This was a tough case, both in the way it had me guessing, but also the case itself was brutal. Henry solves it and should be the hero of the book, but the way Michael Nava writes his character doesn’t make him all that heroic, if that makes any sense.
I’m savouring this series because I”m not ready to say goodbye to Henry yet.
August 12, 2023
Original review for first edition here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Note: 2nd edition comes 7th in the series, between Death of Friends and Rag and Bone.
CW:
I was not looking forward to rereading this one. This was the second of the two I said I'd never reread. But for the sake of the BR, I managed to get through it, albeit not as quickly as the previous books. Though part of that is because this is the longest book in the series, it's mostly because I didn't want to get to that climax, which I remembered all too well. There were some things that I had forgotten , and those were upsetting too. I did remember
This is a harrowing case, and more than any others so far had very real and personal impacts on Henry. He's smart, and incredibly lucky (go, plot armor!), and he manages to escape the worst of the consequences, but the emotional toil will linger, I think. On top of all that, he's still mourning Josh, which makes him particularly vulnerable in this one. :( And yet, I still end up feeling worse for
I did managed to read along with the first edition while listening to the audio for the first few chapters. I do like how Nava polished up the wording here and there, and added extra little details that fill in the world better. But if you have the first edition and don't want to buy the second edition, you won't be missing out on anything dramatically different.
Tom Rivera continues to do great with these audios, and his voice for Asuraz was appropriately intimidating, lol.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Note: 2nd edition comes 7th in the series, between Death of Friends and Rag and Bone.
CW:
I was not looking forward to rereading this one. This was the second of the two I said I'd never reread. But for the sake of the BR, I managed to get through it, albeit not as quickly as the previous books. Though part of that is because this is the longest book in the series, it's mostly because I didn't want to get to that climax, which I remembered all too well. There were some things that I had forgotten , and those were upsetting too. I did remember
This is a harrowing case, and more than any others so far had very real and personal impacts on Henry. He's smart, and incredibly lucky (go, plot armor!), and he manages to escape the worst of the consequences, but the emotional toil will linger, I think. On top of all that, he's still mourning Josh, which makes him particularly vulnerable in this one. :( And yet, I still end up feeling worse for
I did managed to read along with the first edition while listening to the audio for the first few chapters. I do like how Nava polished up the wording here and there, and added extra little details that fill in the world better. But if you have the first edition and don't want to buy the second edition, you won't be missing out on anything dramatically different.
Tom Rivera continues to do great with these audios, and his voice for Asuraz was appropriately intimidating, lol.
August 15, 2023
Absolutely fantastic but brutal. I'm looking forward to read the last book in this series, I hope we leave Henry at a good place in his life, he has won it after everything he has suffered.
I don't know what to say about this series, it leaves me speechless every time I finish a book. There're so many things worth reading and thinking about in these books. The only thing I can say is read it, it's hard, but you won't regret it.
I don't know what to say about this series, it leaves me speechless every time I finish a book. There're so many things worth reading and thinking about in these books. The only thing I can say is read it, it's hard, but you won't regret it.
November 4, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
My goodness, reading this book was sheer horror at times. And the most evil person gets away with it, I'm so angry... That monster!
Brilliantly written and narrated (audiobook) as always.
Now there’s only one book left. I really hope there is a good ending for Henry Rios. I've grown very fond of his character.
“I think we create our afterlives in the same way we create our lives on earth, out of what we love and what we’re afraid of.”
*******
And I hadn’t been sixteen in a long time, but I remembered, dimly, that emotionally, sixteen was like walking over a suspension bridge in a high wind, and if you were gay on top of it, those winds could reach hurricane velocity.
My goodness, reading this book was sheer horror at times. And the most evil person gets away with it, I'm so angry... That monster!
Brilliantly written and narrated (audiobook) as always.
Now there’s only one book left. I really hope there is a good ending for Henry Rios. I've grown very fond of his character.
“I think we create our afterlives in the same way we create our lives on earth, out of what we love and what we’re afraid of.”
*******
And I hadn’t been sixteen in a long time, but I remembered, dimly, that emotionally, sixteen was like walking over a suspension bridge in a high wind, and if you were gay on top of it, those winds could reach hurricane velocity.
August 23, 2018
Trigger warning: This book deals with sexual assault of a minor, rape, non-con BDSM and, of course, murder; as well as homophobia both external and internal and gay bashing. Some of these things are only discussed by characters, some are done to characters on page.
My theory of the perp was SO WRONG. Oh well, I tried. :)
This story takes up a few months after Henry's lover, Josh, dies of AIDS. Henry has multiple legal issues of his own in this book, none made easier by his grief at Josh's passing. Josh's parents are fighting him for custody of Josh's remain, and Henry thinks he's seeing Josh everyone, including in one of his clients, a male hustler. Things only get worse from their.
This book deals heavily with hatred of gays, both by the bigoted populace at large, the cultural mores we grow up in and how that bigotry is often turned inward by the people forced to endure it on a daily basis. Henry finds himself the suspect in a murder investigation and having to deal with a bigoted cop, Detective Gaitan, who wants to hang him for the crime despite having no evidence Henry is guilty. When another suspect surfaces, Henry is hired by the man's employer, a big-time movie producer, to defend him.
The twists in this story are numerous and it's often frustrating. It's one of those cases where you know who did it but there's no evidence and it seems the bad guy's going to get away with literal murder. There's very little to celebrate in this book and it's a difficult read - and not much easier to listen to. I doubt I'll reread this one, as well-written as it is.
Just one more book in this series to go...
My theory of the perp was SO WRONG. Oh well, I tried. :)
This story takes up a few months after Henry's lover, Josh, dies of AIDS. Henry has multiple legal issues of his own in this book, none made easier by his grief at Josh's passing. Josh's parents are fighting him for custody of Josh's remain, and Henry thinks he's seeing Josh everyone, including in one of his clients, a male hustler. Things only get worse from their.
This book deals heavily with hatred of gays, both by the bigoted populace at large, the cultural mores we grow up in and how that bigotry is often turned inward by the people forced to endure it on a daily basis. Henry finds himself the suspect in a murder investigation and having to deal with a bigoted cop, Detective Gaitan, who wants to hang him for the crime despite having no evidence Henry is guilty. When another suspect surfaces, Henry is hired by the man's employer, a big-time movie producer, to defend him.
The twists in this story are numerous and it's often frustrating. It's one of those cases where you know who did it but there's no evidence and it seems the bad guy's going to get away with literal murder. There's very little to celebrate in this book and it's a difficult read - and not much easier to listen to. I doubt I'll reread this one, as well-written as it is.
Just one more book in this series to go...
September 20, 2014
It is hard to describe what an excellent series this is. Henry really comes into his own here as a bad ass lawyer who isn't afraid to take on the homophobic vigilante bad apples in the LAPD.
At the same time having been accused of murder himself and running the gauntlet of all that comes with that, he solves a complicated murder case and during this begins to find some peace and solace after the death of his lover.
In this story we can see the tough and compassionate sides of Henry as the story twists and turns. I don't think we have always seen Henry's tough side in earlier books but this story really brings it to the fore.
We also get to see his skill as a lawyer and as a colleague and friend, and his confidence and knowledge of the justice system. Best of all we get to see his weak moments and how he deals with the loss of Josh and grieving. In this book we really have a view of Henry which gives greater insight into his personality.
And the mystery itself was good with a few twists and turns. I had my suspicions as the story progressed and I knew who the murderer was before the story ended but I didn't know why and I didn't know how Henry would resolve things.
I really like this series. It is a must for anyone who likes a good murder mystery with a lead character who has mysteries of his own to come to terms with.
So once again another simply excellent story in the Henry Rios series.
At the same time having been accused of murder himself and running the gauntlet of all that comes with that, he solves a complicated murder case and during this begins to find some peace and solace after the death of his lover.
In this story we can see the tough and compassionate sides of Henry as the story twists and turns. I don't think we have always seen Henry's tough side in earlier books but this story really brings it to the fore.
We also get to see his skill as a lawyer and as a colleague and friend, and his confidence and knowledge of the justice system. Best of all we get to see his weak moments and how he deals with the loss of Josh and grieving. In this book we really have a view of Henry which gives greater insight into his personality.
And the mystery itself was good with a few twists and turns. I had my suspicions as the story progressed and I knew who the murderer was before the story ended but I didn't know why and I didn't know how Henry would resolve things.
I really like this series. It is a must for anyone who likes a good murder mystery with a lead character who has mysteries of his own to come to terms with.
So once again another simply excellent story in the Henry Rios series.
June 22, 2015
Aww, another big hit! Compelling mystery, wonderful setting, pertinent reference to L'Inferno di Dante, .. simply great!
"I had learned with Josh that as much as you may want another human being, you don’t really get to have them, not in a possessory way. You don’t own, you absorb them. You adopt a gesture or a figure of speech or a preference for a certain color or kind of food. Then the transfer becomes subtler, a way of seeing things, a way of thinking, feeling. Eventually you can’t tell where they leave off and you begin."
May 11, 2020
Yes, I know! ONLY four! Thank God, because I was starting to think Nava isn't human. But yeah, most of the backstabbing Hollywood intrigue went waaaaay over my head so there was a lot of skimming through those sections. My head simply doesn't think in a Hollywood way. I'd never last out there. Like, a day.
By the way, Nava isn't human. The way Michael Jordan isn't human.
By the way, Nava isn't human. The way Michael Jordan isn't human.
February 1, 2018
The Burning Plain (Henry Rios Mystery #6)
By Michael Nava
Open Road Integrated Media, 2013 (originally 1997)
Four stars.
Whew. “The Burning Plain” is Henry Rios’ journey into hell. It is taut, gripping, written with the same crisp prose and no-nonsense dialogue that characterizes the other books in this fantastic—important—series. It is brilliant. And it’s almost unrelentingly bleak.
I thought the death of Josh Mandel was the low point of Henry’s life, but apparently that was just the gateway to his own emotional and psychological near-death experience. It is only the great storytelling and the vivid characterizations that saved this book from being a complete bummer. I love Michael Nava’s writing, because as someone of Nava’s own generation, these books have all resonated deeply with me. That said, this book felt like a slap in the face.
Let me explain.
“Hell is other people.” The book opens with Henry fighting his late lover’s parents for custody of his corpse, a process that has taken months. It is an emotionally searing chapter that has almost nothing to do with the rest of the book, but sets the stage and the tone for the rest of the narrative.
The settings of each of these books are always important, almost characters in the story. Los Angeles in this volume is depicted as an earthly avatar of hell, as suggested in the title:
“From the parched hills, the houses of the rich looked down upon a burning plain, where the metallic flash of sunlight in the windshields of a million cars was like the frantic signaling of souls.”
This image of a hot, desolate city is given a literary parallel in repeated references to the seventh circle of hell in Dante’s “Inferno:”
“The seventh circle was a plain of burning sand. The souls of homosexuals are forced to run around the perimeter of the plain for eternity while a burning rain bakes them.”
Even though Henry’s campy friend Richie quips: “…that doesn’t sound like hell to me. It sounds like Palm Springs,” it is a master stroke of literary stagecraft, building up the reader’s feeling of isolation and despair, even before the scope of the awfulness of the murder mystery is revealed.
If there is an emotional theme in Nava’s sixth and penultimate installment in the Henry Rios odyssey, it is one of rage and hatred. The book fairly seethes with rage, including the rage of self-hatred, hatred of gay people, hatred of “the other.” And I’ll tell you, as a reader I was seething most of the way through it. Nava knows what he’s doing, and I’m a very susceptible reader.
There are specific villains in this story, which builds like the “Night on Bald Mountain” scene in Walt Disney’s 1937 film “Fantasia,” in which Satan himself gloats over the evil world he rules. The real villain here is Hollywood—the company, the industry that rules Los Angeles and manipulates everyone in it from the studio moguls to the actor/waiter/hustlers on the street. The story is both byzantine and increasingly despairing as it moves forward. Henry, and the people he is working with, find themselves thwarted at every turn, and a feeling of powerlessness pervades the plot as it unspools toward a strangely unsatisfying finale. But don’t get me wrong, the dissatisfaction I felt at the end was purely intentional. Nava is a skilled manipulator, which is why one gets so caught up in this ugly story of power and anger and death.
I knocked a star off of my rating for this book; not because it’s not good, but because it left me so very unhappy. This is a cynical, gimlet-eyed view not just of Hollywood, but of gay people. The only remotely happy homosexual here is a lesbian district attorney, and she feels as beaten down as Henry does. I thought there was going to be a glimmer of hope toward the end, with a teenaged boy who flees his fundamentalist parents. But no. I’ll say no more, but note what the boy says to Henry:
“I don’t want to be like you, either, Henry, some lonely, old man living in a dirty house.”
It is odd that the book feels like an indictment of gay people almost as much as it’s an indictment of Hollywood. Personally, I hate Hollywood, and my disgust grows greater with each added year on my life. While I can’t really disagree with what Henry sees and the author writes about gay folk—victims of hatred and oppression, including their own self-hatred and self-oppression, it is altogether too depressing, at the end of the day.
So I knocked off a star because I felt I’d been slapped in the face by one of my own.
I’ve already started the final book in the series: “Rag and Bone.” It’s made me cry twice in the first two chapters. Clearly, this will be Henry’s return to the light. His resurrection, if you will. I suspect Nava will get his fifth star back, in the end.
By Michael Nava
Open Road Integrated Media, 2013 (originally 1997)
Four stars.
Whew. “The Burning Plain” is Henry Rios’ journey into hell. It is taut, gripping, written with the same crisp prose and no-nonsense dialogue that characterizes the other books in this fantastic—important—series. It is brilliant. And it’s almost unrelentingly bleak.
I thought the death of Josh Mandel was the low point of Henry’s life, but apparently that was just the gateway to his own emotional and psychological near-death experience. It is only the great storytelling and the vivid characterizations that saved this book from being a complete bummer. I love Michael Nava’s writing, because as someone of Nava’s own generation, these books have all resonated deeply with me. That said, this book felt like a slap in the face.
Let me explain.
“Hell is other people.” The book opens with Henry fighting his late lover’s parents for custody of his corpse, a process that has taken months. It is an emotionally searing chapter that has almost nothing to do with the rest of the book, but sets the stage and the tone for the rest of the narrative.
The settings of each of these books are always important, almost characters in the story. Los Angeles in this volume is depicted as an earthly avatar of hell, as suggested in the title:
“From the parched hills, the houses of the rich looked down upon a burning plain, where the metallic flash of sunlight in the windshields of a million cars was like the frantic signaling of souls.”
This image of a hot, desolate city is given a literary parallel in repeated references to the seventh circle of hell in Dante’s “Inferno:”
“The seventh circle was a plain of burning sand. The souls of homosexuals are forced to run around the perimeter of the plain for eternity while a burning rain bakes them.”
Even though Henry’s campy friend Richie quips: “…that doesn’t sound like hell to me. It sounds like Palm Springs,” it is a master stroke of literary stagecraft, building up the reader’s feeling of isolation and despair, even before the scope of the awfulness of the murder mystery is revealed.
If there is an emotional theme in Nava’s sixth and penultimate installment in the Henry Rios odyssey, it is one of rage and hatred. The book fairly seethes with rage, including the rage of self-hatred, hatred of gay people, hatred of “the other.” And I’ll tell you, as a reader I was seething most of the way through it. Nava knows what he’s doing, and I’m a very susceptible reader.
There are specific villains in this story, which builds like the “Night on Bald Mountain” scene in Walt Disney’s 1937 film “Fantasia,” in which Satan himself gloats over the evil world he rules. The real villain here is Hollywood—the company, the industry that rules Los Angeles and manipulates everyone in it from the studio moguls to the actor/waiter/hustlers on the street. The story is both byzantine and increasingly despairing as it moves forward. Henry, and the people he is working with, find themselves thwarted at every turn, and a feeling of powerlessness pervades the plot as it unspools toward a strangely unsatisfying finale. But don’t get me wrong, the dissatisfaction I felt at the end was purely intentional. Nava is a skilled manipulator, which is why one gets so caught up in this ugly story of power and anger and death.
I knocked a star off of my rating for this book; not because it’s not good, but because it left me so very unhappy. This is a cynical, gimlet-eyed view not just of Hollywood, but of gay people. The only remotely happy homosexual here is a lesbian district attorney, and she feels as beaten down as Henry does. I thought there was going to be a glimmer of hope toward the end, with a teenaged boy who flees his fundamentalist parents. But no. I’ll say no more, but note what the boy says to Henry:
“I don’t want to be like you, either, Henry, some lonely, old man living in a dirty house.”
It is odd that the book feels like an indictment of gay people almost as much as it’s an indictment of Hollywood. Personally, I hate Hollywood, and my disgust grows greater with each added year on my life. While I can’t really disagree with what Henry sees and the author writes about gay folk—victims of hatred and oppression, including their own self-hatred and self-oppression, it is altogether too depressing, at the end of the day.
So I knocked off a star because I felt I’d been slapped in the face by one of my own.
I’ve already started the final book in the series: “Rag and Bone.” It’s made me cry twice in the first two chapters. Clearly, this will be Henry’s return to the light. His resurrection, if you will. I suspect Nava will get his fifth star back, in the end.
June 29, 2020
As often happens in lengthy mystery series - it now has little to do with the mysteries and so much more to do with Henry. And while I did find the mystery interesting - I also felt it was a bit convoluted and lengthy.
Henry - on the other hand - was at his best yet. Reeling from an enormous loss, vulnerable and at times foolish, Henry suffered and grew and struggled and backslid. It felt like he opened up more of himself than in any book so far. And a peek into Henry is intoxicating.
I thought the additional characters were the most likable yet. There were a couple of fun surprises. A big sadness. Lots of hurt in this one - enough to go around.
I’d like to thank Mr Nava for Henry. For a character who inspires by being so human - so good and messy and relatable. I’d also like to thank him for the solid crim pro that gives me a lawyer boner every book.
I think I only have one Henry Rios book left, and I’m torn between gobbling it up or drawing it out.
I will say - if you haven’t read any of these - they are one of the best kept secret in books. These are the kind of books that keep me optimistically hungry for the random recommendations - because something unimaginably beautiful is waiting at the end of a “hey! Have you read...”
Henry - on the other hand - was at his best yet. Reeling from an enormous loss, vulnerable and at times foolish, Henry suffered and grew and struggled and backslid. It felt like he opened up more of himself than in any book so far. And a peek into Henry is intoxicating.
I thought the additional characters were the most likable yet. There were a couple of fun surprises. A big sadness. Lots of hurt in this one - enough to go around.
I’d like to thank Mr Nava for Henry. For a character who inspires by being so human - so good and messy and relatable. I’d also like to thank him for the solid crim pro that gives me a lawyer boner every book.
I think I only have one Henry Rios book left, and I’m torn between gobbling it up or drawing it out.
I will say - if you haven’t read any of these - they are one of the best kept secret in books. These are the kind of books that keep me optimistically hungry for the random recommendations - because something unimaginably beautiful is waiting at the end of a “hey! Have you read...”
November 27, 2020
(This review is based on my reread of this book. I'd originally read it back in 2005 in paperback.)
Wow, this book. Talk abt dark.
It begins on an intensely sad note and never really moves past that. As the longest book in the series, the angst can become a little too much to endure in one sitting. I'd forgotten several key details from the first time I'd read this novel. And yet, I knew there wasn't going to be any respite from the pain and the horror within its pages.
In some ways, this book is a slight continuation of the events that happened at the end of The Death of Friends. It's now six months later and Henry is grieving with every cell of his body. The grip that grief has on Henry's heart and soul adds a kind of claustrophobic element to the story. Which makes sense since grief is not something ppl can turn on and off.
Adding to that, there's the larger storyline (or the A Plot, if you will)--which involves a lot of seediness, murder, and rot. Henry gets involved by force (he has to clear his name when accused of being a murderer) and does the best he can with a slippery murderer and a huge web of corruption.
On top of that, this book is dripping with cynicism to the point that you might want to do something nice for yourself after finishing reading it. There's a harsh judgement not only against the justice system, but also against Hollywood, and (even more intensely) a closer look at gay men.
Other than the hopelessness that permeates the novel (the v. few moments of happiness or, at the v. least, peace happen in some of Henry's dreams), my biggest gripe with the novel has to do with the last 35% of the book. For some reason, the author includes a smaller storyarc featuring a new character that Henry tries to protect. Instead, we're taken into a hell where people are hurt or abused. My heart dropped at the last telephone conversation because it went even deeper into a self-hating hell that I was not ready for.
Also, although some measure of justice is served, I finished the book feeling out of sorts and unsatisfied.
All of the content and trigger warnings:
TL;DR: A book that is extremely bittersweet (with the sweetness showing up v. sparingly). I understood Henry's choices, hated the villain, and haaaaated the storyline that popped up in the last third of the novel. Although it is well-written and the mystery is juicy enough, between the sourness in the book and its length (it's almost 400 pgs), I highly doubt I'll ever reread it again.
Wow, this book. Talk abt dark.
It begins on an intensely sad note and never really moves past that. As the longest book in the series, the angst can become a little too much to endure in one sitting. I'd forgotten several key details from the first time I'd read this novel. And yet, I knew there wasn't going to be any respite from the pain and the horror within its pages.
In some ways, this book is a slight continuation of the events that happened at the end of The Death of Friends. It's now six months later and Henry is grieving with every cell of his body. The grip that grief has on Henry's heart and soul adds a kind of claustrophobic element to the story. Which makes sense since grief is not something ppl can turn on and off.
Adding to that, there's the larger storyline (or the A Plot, if you will)--which involves a lot of seediness, murder, and rot. Henry gets involved by force (he has to clear his name when accused of being a murderer) and does the best he can with a slippery murderer and a huge web of corruption.
On top of that, this book is dripping with cynicism to the point that you might want to do something nice for yourself after finishing reading it. There's a harsh judgement not only against the justice system, but also against Hollywood, and (even more intensely) a closer look at gay men.
Other than the hopelessness that permeates the novel (the v. few moments of happiness or, at the v. least, peace happen in some of Henry's dreams), my biggest gripe with the novel has to do with the last 35% of the book. For some reason, the author includes a smaller storyarc featuring a new character that Henry tries to protect. Instead, we're taken into a hell where people are hurt or abused. My heart dropped at the last telephone conversation because it went even deeper into a self-hating hell that I was not ready for.
Also, although some measure of justice is served, I finished the book feeling out of sorts and unsatisfied.
All of the content and trigger warnings:
TL;DR: A book that is extremely bittersweet (with the sweetness showing up v. sparingly). I understood Henry's choices, hated the villain, and haaaaated the storyline that popped up in the last third of the novel. Although it is well-written and the mystery is juicy enough, between the sourness in the book and its length (it's almost 400 pgs), I highly doubt I'll ever reread it again.
December 8, 2023
This one is a hard one. Henry gets stuck with a Hollywood executive with unsavory tastes and practices and a young man in desperate need of help.
July 7, 2020
Audiobook review4,5 stars
After taking on a case as a favour to a friend Henry’s life spin out of control – more than usual I’d say. What follows is a bit of stalking (on Henry’s part), a few murders, some false accusations, police corruption and high powered men wanting to control the narrative and their empire. Sadly there are also innocent bystanders getting caught in the crossfire – because when doesn’t the innocent get caught in the middle? Through it all is Henry trying to find the truth and stand up to the injustices.
I have a habit if of not reading or only skimming blurbs before starting in a book. I don’t want to know too much about what’s going to happen before even picking it up. With these books, that ensures that I’m in for a surprise or two. These books have a habit of evoking physical reactions from me, rarely pleasant ones but very strong ones. It’s a testament to both Michael Nava and Thom Rivera’s talents. For me it’s a rare book that truly makes me feel. Sure I can giggle or get teary eyed, but once that particular scene is over, so is the feeling. Not here… not with this book, not with this series. Those feelings last for hours if not days. This time I had the misfortune of eating a rather delicious breakfast in a hotel restaurant when a particular event in this book made me wish for being anywhere else. The nausea that came then is still present now, many hours later as I’m writing this review, trying to think of everything else that happened in this book except that one thing. But it’s hard.
I do believe I’ve mentioned this many times before, these books are not for the faint hearted or for anyone looking for a happily ever after, because after listening to this books you question if happily ever after even do exist. If surviving and doing the best you can at any given moment is all you can hope to do. That being happy is a privilege only afforded a select few. Then again, if we’d seen Henry whole and happy with everything figured out, this series wouldn’t have been what it is – or have the impact it does.
Thom Rivera outdid himself with this performance. He has many different voices that really reflects the characters. I’ve mentioned his impersonation of Henry and how perfectly that fits for me, so I’ll leave you with that. However I also loved how he portrayed Rod, this scared teenager. Rivera made you feel his fear of being sent away, his desperation for freedom. He also makes a great queen (which I’m sorry to say I’ve lost the name of right now). I could really see him before me in all the dramatic and over the top glory and effeminate gestures. Like always he made experiencing this book a true journey, painful and harsh, but well worth it – nausea and all.
I’m sad that there’s only one book left in this series because these have been wonderful, and something you should experience too if you haven’t already.
A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
July 30, 2017
BRAVO!!!
If I could give it 6 stars, I would!
The best in the series, by far! Henry Rios gets himself in such a mess, it's impossible to put the book down for a second! Brilliant!
If I could give it 6 stars, I would!
The best in the series, by far! Henry Rios gets himself in such a mess, it's impossible to put the book down for a second! Brilliant!
December 18, 2008
Sixth in the Henry Rios mystery series. Rios is a gay Latino lawyer who solves crimes and handles criminal defense cases for underdogs. Each novel gives us insight into another aspect of California, and this one focuses on a web of corruption in Hollywood, at a thinly disguised version of Paramount Studios. What values many people will sacrifice to get ahead, and what they are willing to do to others to succeed in Tinseltown is not pretty at all, from Nava's perspective, so a rampant critique of shallowness and a reflection on the dangers of self indulgence drive this work, tempered by a meditation on the varying ways self-loathing gays can ultimately hurt themselves. There are recurring allusions to Dante's Inferno, and Nava also evokes the film Chinatown and an Agatha Christie murder mystery classic along the way.
This is definitely denser then some of Nava's earlier novels. I appreciated the depth of ambiguity in many of the characters (some good to be found in the bad ones and some bad in the good ones)--except of course, for the arch-criminal mastermind, who is one of the most vile personifications of evil I have come across in a while.
This is the penultimate contribution to the series. I have come to like this hero a lot, and am looking forward to the final book with an eagerness to learn how he eventually fares, coupled with a curiosity about what sort of murder, cultural struggles, and political themes Nava will deal with next.
This is definitely denser then some of Nava's earlier novels. I appreciated the depth of ambiguity in many of the characters (some good to be found in the bad ones and some bad in the good ones)--except of course, for the arch-criminal mastermind, who is one of the most vile personifications of evil I have come across in a while.
This is the penultimate contribution to the series. I have come to like this hero a lot, and am looking forward to the final book with an eagerness to learn how he eventually fares, coupled with a curiosity about what sort of murder, cultural struggles, and political themes Nava will deal with next.
May 3, 2021
Taking his title from the description of Dante’s Ninth Circle of Hell, Michael Nava has added to the literature depicting Los Angeles as a hell on earth and has shown us a culture rapidly decaying as fear, alienation, and hatred become habitual aspects of our lives.
With this sixth Henry Rios mystery, Nava’s skill at writing takes a leap forward as he presents readers with a more complex plot, allusions to Dante’s Inferno, and sharper dialogue. He even makes the sprawling city of Los Angeles a character in the novel.
The Burning Plain opens as Henry Rios, a gay and Latino criminal defense attorney, battles with the parents of his former lover, Josh Mandel. Josh’s parents wanted their dead son buried in a location of their choosing even though they had little to do with their gay son while he was living. As happened all too often during the height of the AIDS epidemic, many parents gave up all contact with their gay child until that child died. Then they swooped down, erased their son’s friends and lovers, and buried their child in an unknown location.
Soon, the grieving Henry Rios becomes briefly involved with a young man, Alex, whose appearance reminds him of his dead partner. Then, after an emotional and violent night together, Alex turns up murdered and police think Henry is the prime suspect.
As Rios feverously works to clear his name by finding the person who murdered the young man, he finds himself drawn into the search for a serial killer preying on gay men in West Hollywood.
As he finds himself pitted against a homophobic and corrupt cop, a hostile DA, and the head of one of Hollywood’s great film studios, Rios uncovers an elaborate cover-up, corruption, and the power the Hollywood elite hold over government and police officials.
Yet, despite the plot line which twisted its way through so many possibilities, it was Nava’s depiction of Los Angeles that attracted me the most. Though he occasionally overwrites his description I often found myself thinking of the LA noir novels that were so popular in the 1940s and 50s.
Yet, what sets The Burning Plain apart from the others is Nava’s focus on the particular hell gay persons faced during the worst decade of the AIDS epidemic. As Nava wrote in the afterward, “It would be a long time before those dreams from the pit began to lose their power for my generation of gay men. And still we carry the names of our dead with us and we will carry them into our own graves. This novel was meant to be a memorial for them.”
Of the six Henry Rios novels I’ve read, this may be the most ambitious and even the best of them.
Though it is possible to read Nava’s mystery novels and pay attention only to his satisfying and believable plot lines, that would be to miss his point. Yes, he seeks to entertain, but more than that, he wants to help us see the hell that arrives on the tailcoat of bigotry, religious extremism, and the fear and hatred of “the Other.” He wants us to see the social ills we allow to infect our world and understand that those ills necessarily lead to murder.
With this sixth Henry Rios mystery, Nava’s skill at writing takes a leap forward as he presents readers with a more complex plot, allusions to Dante’s Inferno, and sharper dialogue. He even makes the sprawling city of Los Angeles a character in the novel.
The Burning Plain opens as Henry Rios, a gay and Latino criminal defense attorney, battles with the parents of his former lover, Josh Mandel. Josh’s parents wanted their dead son buried in a location of their choosing even though they had little to do with their gay son while he was living. As happened all too often during the height of the AIDS epidemic, many parents gave up all contact with their gay child until that child died. Then they swooped down, erased their son’s friends and lovers, and buried their child in an unknown location.
Soon, the grieving Henry Rios becomes briefly involved with a young man, Alex, whose appearance reminds him of his dead partner. Then, after an emotional and violent night together, Alex turns up murdered and police think Henry is the prime suspect.
As Rios feverously works to clear his name by finding the person who murdered the young man, he finds himself drawn into the search for a serial killer preying on gay men in West Hollywood.
As he finds himself pitted against a homophobic and corrupt cop, a hostile DA, and the head of one of Hollywood’s great film studios, Rios uncovers an elaborate cover-up, corruption, and the power the Hollywood elite hold over government and police officials.
Yet, despite the plot line which twisted its way through so many possibilities, it was Nava’s depiction of Los Angeles that attracted me the most. Though he occasionally overwrites his description I often found myself thinking of the LA noir novels that were so popular in the 1940s and 50s.
Yet, what sets The Burning Plain apart from the others is Nava’s focus on the particular hell gay persons faced during the worst decade of the AIDS epidemic. As Nava wrote in the afterward, “It would be a long time before those dreams from the pit began to lose their power for my generation of gay men. And still we carry the names of our dead with us and we will carry them into our own graves. This novel was meant to be a memorial for them.”
Of the six Henry Rios novels I’ve read, this may be the most ambitious and even the best of them.
Though it is possible to read Nava’s mystery novels and pay attention only to his satisfying and believable plot lines, that would be to miss his point. Yes, he seeks to entertain, but more than that, he wants to help us see the hell that arrives on the tailcoat of bigotry, religious extremism, and the fear and hatred of “the Other.” He wants us to see the social ills we allow to infect our world and understand that those ills necessarily lead to murder.
August 20, 2020
This is probably the most heart-stopping book in the series. Filled with danger, action and a permanent sense of dread and helplessness, I simply couldn't stop listening.
Josh is dead, and Henry wasn't as ready to face that fact as he thought he would be. Add to that a battle with Josh's parents regarding his last will and you'll see why Henry wasn't in a good place to start with.
But then, he gets obsessed with a young man who reminds him of Josh, and after a date that ends disastrously, the young man gets murdered and Henry is the main suspect. From then on, the story takes a break-necking pace: more bodies, horribly mutilated, show-up; people disappear and the worst of Hollywood's world is shown in stark relief.
The story is dark, the darkest yet in a series not characterized by its lightness, and for a long time, despairing, as it seems that Henry and his allies are surrounded by corruption, derailed at every turn and that they will be unable to bring justice to the victims.
The Henry we see here is not the one we're used to seeing. He's vulnerable and he makes foolish decisions because of it. He is haunted by his own mortality and his brush with death. The themes of hate and self-hatred are heavy here, heavier than ever and the characters... they are so well constructed! You understand them, even when you hate and despise them.
The conclusion was satisfactory in a very twisted way, but also realistic. Karma, as they say, is a bitch.
Thom Rivera keeps doing an excellent job with the narration. I'll have to add him to my list of favourite narrators :)
Josh is dead, and Henry wasn't as ready to face that fact as he thought he would be. Add to that a battle with Josh's parents regarding his last will and you'll see why Henry wasn't in a good place to start with.
But then, he gets obsessed with a young man who reminds him of Josh, and after a date that ends disastrously, the young man gets murdered and Henry is the main suspect. From then on, the story takes a break-necking pace: more bodies, horribly mutilated, show-up; people disappear and the worst of Hollywood's world is shown in stark relief.
The story is dark, the darkest yet in a series not characterized by its lightness, and for a long time, despairing, as it seems that Henry and his allies are surrounded by corruption, derailed at every turn and that they will be unable to bring justice to the victims.
The Henry we see here is not the one we're used to seeing. He's vulnerable and he makes foolish decisions because of it. He is haunted by his own mortality and his brush with death. The themes of hate and self-hatred are heavy here, heavier than ever and the characters... they are so well constructed! You understand them, even when you hate and despise them.
The conclusion was satisfactory in a very twisted way, but also realistic. Karma, as they say, is a bitch.
Thom Rivera keeps doing an excellent job with the narration. I'll have to add him to my list of favourite narrators :)
November 3, 2021
" I don't want to be like you, either, Henry, some lonely, old man living in a dirty house"
OMG... I'm like Henry Rios. But in my defense:
" And for the record, I don't think you're a dirty old man, or whatever the hell the kid said. I think you're pretty hot."
He he he...
This is probably the best ever mystery book I've read. Yes, at some point is obvious who the killer is. Yet, the story develops so interestingly. There are more murders, sadism, rape and a bunch of ugly stuff stereotypical of the homosexual life. Towards the end I started getting anxious for the end. Too much suffering and tragic events. Life has is beautiful moments, you know?
The author ends the book as expected. Pretty good. Nothing terrible or bad or good happening to people. Just shit one can relate that could happen to a gay criminal lawyer.
I think I finished reading all the Henry Rios series...
yay!
OMG... I'm like Henry Rios. But in my defense:
" And for the record, I don't think you're a dirty old man, or whatever the hell the kid said. I think you're pretty hot."
He he he...
This is probably the best ever mystery book I've read. Yes, at some point is obvious who the killer is. Yet, the story develops so interestingly. There are more murders, sadism, rape and a bunch of ugly stuff stereotypical of the homosexual life. Towards the end I started getting anxious for the end. Too much suffering and tragic events. Life has is beautiful moments, you know?
The author ends the book as expected. Pretty good. Nothing terrible or bad or good happening to people. Just shit one can relate that could happen to a gay criminal lawyer.
I think I finished reading all the Henry Rios series...
yay!
April 22, 2021
HOLY MOLY. What a read. I read this for my American crime literature class, and I was completely blown away!
July 24, 2024
"a book about despair" https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-...
March 25, 2021
Simply brilliant.
August 24, 2015
Real life took me away from this book many times over a six month period but, whereas lesser stories would have faded from memory unfinished, I never forgot that I wanted to return to this one. I just finished reading it, and I couldn’t be more excited to now count Michael Nava among my favorite contemporary authors.
The Burning Plain is a precisely told detective story set in modern day Los Angeles with lots of gay good guys and bad guys. The protagonist is a lawyer but the legal complexities of bringing about justice are expertly told: just what I needed to know in order to understand the present hurdle, without once leaving me confused or overwhelmed. Nava’s explanation of legal loopholes and constraints never bog down the story – what an accomplishment.
Also, I don’t think I have ever read better descriptions of Los Angeles: the air, the sky, the light, the horizon, the street life. I have lived in LA for more than twenty years, and Nava captured its moods perfectly, always with noire flair and wholly supportive of the scene he is writing.
The next book I read of his (and I plan to read many more) I might keep a list of character names and occupations from the beginning, because I did get a little confused in that respect (but that is most likely due to how long it took me to read it and how many times I got called away to other distractions).
I loved this book. Intriguing, fun, suspenseful, and populated with richly imagined characters. Read this book.
The Burning Plain is a precisely told detective story set in modern day Los Angeles with lots of gay good guys and bad guys. The protagonist is a lawyer but the legal complexities of bringing about justice are expertly told: just what I needed to know in order to understand the present hurdle, without once leaving me confused or overwhelmed. Nava’s explanation of legal loopholes and constraints never bog down the story – what an accomplishment.
Also, I don’t think I have ever read better descriptions of Los Angeles: the air, the sky, the light, the horizon, the street life. I have lived in LA for more than twenty years, and Nava captured its moods perfectly, always with noire flair and wholly supportive of the scene he is writing.
The next book I read of his (and I plan to read many more) I might keep a list of character names and occupations from the beginning, because I did get a little confused in that respect (but that is most likely due to how long it took me to read it and how many times I got called away to other distractions).
I loved this book. Intriguing, fun, suspenseful, and populated with richly imagined characters. Read this book.
February 14, 2025
Das Buch dürfte noch für einige Zeit zu den düsteren, beklemmenden Gemälden vom „Hollywood Babylon“ gehören. Los Angeles im moralischen Zwielicht seiner wirtschaftlichen Abhängigkeiten und der Spektakel seiner größten Industrie: des Filmgeschäfts. Dort, sagt das Buch, ist alles Lüge und alle kriechen vor den Götzen Geld und Sex. Du kannst Leute zum Spaß umbringen, Polizei und Staatsanwaltschaft halten dir die Stange, solange deine Filme Millionen scheffeln.
Dieses war der sechste Krimi des Juristen Michael Nava, in dem der mexikanisch-stämmige Henry Rios uns die Mordfälle selbst erzählt. Wieder und wieder hat Nava für solche Romane den Lambda Literary Award für Gay Mystery Writing erhalten. In diesem Fall blieb es nur bei einer Nominierung. (Gekriegt hat ihn 1998 dann David Hunt (William Bayer) für „The Magician's Tale“.) Rios, der wie sein Autor in einer Staatsanwaltschaft angefangen hatte, ist Strafverteidiger. Er stammt aus dem kalifornischen Zentraltal und hat, wie der Autor, zuerst im Raum San Francisco gelebt und gearbeitet, besitzt jetzt aber ein eigenes Haus über einem verwilderten Canyon im Westen des Großraums LA. Mit schöner Chandler'scher Regelmäßigkeit wird Rios von den Dämonen und Desillusionierungen seiner Vergangenheit heimgesucht. Sein Vater hatte die Homosexualität aus ihm heraus prügeln wollen. Selbst nicht infiziert, musste er dem Sterben seines Liebhabers Josh an AIDS zuschauen und streitet sich am Anfang des Romans noch mit dessen Eltern vor Gericht, die ihren Sohn „zurück“ haben wollen. Das heißt, der schwule Teil, also auch Henry, in dessen Haus er gewohnt hat, soll aus dem Andenken an den Toten verschwinden und er soll nicht, wie das sein Wunsch war, kremiert werden, denn: Juden werden nicht verbrannt. (Die Leiche ist einstweilen eingefroren.)
Die „brennende“ Ebene (im Deutschen eigentlich falsch übersetzt, da das Feuer keineswegs schon vorbei ist, vielmehr eine ewige Folter für die auf der Ebene zappelnden nackten Gestalten) ist Los Angeles, auf dessen Lichter Rios nachts hinunter sieht. Dieses Bild stammt aus der „Göttlichen Komödie“ von Dante Alighieri, die sich Rios im Lauf dieser Geschichte noch mal kauft um nachzulesen, wer in welche Kreise der Hölle kam. Selbstverständlich gab es für „Sodomiten“ einen.
Rios ist mittlerweile in die zweite Hälfte seiner Vierziger eingetreten, meidet schwule Lokale, Saunen und Parks. Er lebt allein. Seinen Alkoholismus hat er vor langer Zeit unter Kontrolle gebracht. Aber er wirkt ein bisschen traurig, enttäuscht und ergraut, sodass er sich schon sagen lassen muss, er wäre wieder einer von diesen schwulen Boomern. Ein reicher und tuntiger Generationsgenosse bringt ihn in ein böses Spiel hinein, indem er ihn als Verteidiger eines bisexuellen Schauspielers engagiert, der mit einer Pistole aufs Grundstück einer Oscar-ausgezeichneten Regisseurin eingedrungen war. Dann ein anderes klassisches Noir-Motiv: Rios glaubt in seinem Mandanten den wiedergekehrten Lover zu erkennen, reagiert hilflos und stalkt den jüngeren Typen mehrere Wochen. Es kommt zu einer Liebesnacht, die mit Blutvergießen endet und Henry prompt zum Mordverdächtigen macht, als der Bisexuelle, der doch eher Stricher als Schauspieler war, brutal ermordet aufgefunden wird. Und zugleich ist seine Mitbewohnerin spurlos verschwindet.
Chandleresk geht’s weiter, als der offen schwule Rios mit einem homophoben, aber ebenfalls Latino von der Mordkommission zusammenstößt, der ihm die Sache anscheinend nur, um einen kritisch hinterfragenden Schwulen zu erledigen, anzuhängen versucht.
In der Tat könnte man dieses dicke, durchweg fantastisch gut geschriebene, sehr unterhaltsame, immer wieder neue Spannung gewinnende Buch als Muster eines Super-Chandlers für die Jahrtausendwende bezeichnen. Mit der Traditionalität und dem Klassizismus dieses Krimi-Autors Michael Nava hängt allerdings zusammen, dass das Buch immer wieder wie „um etliche Jahre zu spät gekommen“ wirkt. Da kidnappen unidentifizierbare Provinzpolizisten den Detektiv, verschleppen ihn in die Wüste, veranstalten eine Schein-Exekution. Da werden Indizien gefälscht bzw. untergeschoben, aber bis zum Schluss kann man das offenbar höchstens wissen, aber nie gerichtlich nachweisen. Da verurteilen Born-Again-Eltern ihren schwulen, minderjährigen Sprössling zur Aversionstherapie mit Hilfe von Psychodrogen und Elektroschocks. Da mahnen überall die AIDS-Toten. Da kontert Henrys schwuler Kumpel seine Bemerkung „Er wollte nur sicher leben“ mit: „Für uns [Schwule] existiert kein sicheres Leben.“
Eine Sache hat Nava seinem wiederholt als Vorbild genannten und bedankten Autorenhelden Joseph Hansen nicht abgeschaut: Wo es die Leser in Hansen-Krimis aus LA gelegentlich stresst, wie viele Figuren er einführt, deren Gewicht fürs Buchganze man nicht einschätzen kann, sodass sie bis knapp vor Schluss als mögliche Täter in Erwägung gezogen werden müssen, hat Michael Nava eher zu wenige Figuren im Roman, wie aber auch zu viele Hinweise auf Machenschaften in einem von den alten Hollywood-Studios, als dass man nicht recht bald auf den richtigen Täter zu tippen anfinge.
Auch mit dem Anteil der Homosexuelle an der Wohnbevölkerung übertreibt es der Autor etwas. Da wären schon mal Rios und sein Kumpel, der ihm das Honorar zahlt, dann der Angeklagte, der ja bald ermordet wird, dann zwei weitere Tote, die mit denselben Verstümmelungen entdeckt werden, dann die Staatsanwältin, die man als Lesbe mit der Aufklärung von Homosexuellendiskriminierung im Justizapparat beauftragt hat, sowie deren Freundin, dann der Fahrer eines gefakten Film-Ausstattungs-Taxis, bei dem man das Opfer zuletzt gesehen hat, dann der Bruder der verschwundenen Mitbewohnerin, dann jener Closet-Schwule, der sämtliche Alltagsgeschäfte des Studios dirigiert. Es ist nicht nur eine überaus heiße, sommerliche, sondern auch eine ziemlich schwule Welt dort drüben in Süd-Kalifornien.
Dieses war der sechste Krimi des Juristen Michael Nava, in dem der mexikanisch-stämmige Henry Rios uns die Mordfälle selbst erzählt. Wieder und wieder hat Nava für solche Romane den Lambda Literary Award für Gay Mystery Writing erhalten. In diesem Fall blieb es nur bei einer Nominierung. (Gekriegt hat ihn 1998 dann David Hunt (William Bayer) für „The Magician's Tale“.) Rios, der wie sein Autor in einer Staatsanwaltschaft angefangen hatte, ist Strafverteidiger. Er stammt aus dem kalifornischen Zentraltal und hat, wie der Autor, zuerst im Raum San Francisco gelebt und gearbeitet, besitzt jetzt aber ein eigenes Haus über einem verwilderten Canyon im Westen des Großraums LA. Mit schöner Chandler'scher Regelmäßigkeit wird Rios von den Dämonen und Desillusionierungen seiner Vergangenheit heimgesucht. Sein Vater hatte die Homosexualität aus ihm heraus prügeln wollen. Selbst nicht infiziert, musste er dem Sterben seines Liebhabers Josh an AIDS zuschauen und streitet sich am Anfang des Romans noch mit dessen Eltern vor Gericht, die ihren Sohn „zurück“ haben wollen. Das heißt, der schwule Teil, also auch Henry, in dessen Haus er gewohnt hat, soll aus dem Andenken an den Toten verschwinden und er soll nicht, wie das sein Wunsch war, kremiert werden, denn: Juden werden nicht verbrannt. (Die Leiche ist einstweilen eingefroren.)
Die „brennende“ Ebene (im Deutschen eigentlich falsch übersetzt, da das Feuer keineswegs schon vorbei ist, vielmehr eine ewige Folter für die auf der Ebene zappelnden nackten Gestalten) ist Los Angeles, auf dessen Lichter Rios nachts hinunter sieht. Dieses Bild stammt aus der „Göttlichen Komödie“ von Dante Alighieri, die sich Rios im Lauf dieser Geschichte noch mal kauft um nachzulesen, wer in welche Kreise der Hölle kam. Selbstverständlich gab es für „Sodomiten“ einen.
Rios ist mittlerweile in die zweite Hälfte seiner Vierziger eingetreten, meidet schwule Lokale, Saunen und Parks. Er lebt allein. Seinen Alkoholismus hat er vor langer Zeit unter Kontrolle gebracht. Aber er wirkt ein bisschen traurig, enttäuscht und ergraut, sodass er sich schon sagen lassen muss, er wäre wieder einer von diesen schwulen Boomern. Ein reicher und tuntiger Generationsgenosse bringt ihn in ein böses Spiel hinein, indem er ihn als Verteidiger eines bisexuellen Schauspielers engagiert, der mit einer Pistole aufs Grundstück einer Oscar-ausgezeichneten Regisseurin eingedrungen war. Dann ein anderes klassisches Noir-Motiv: Rios glaubt in seinem Mandanten den wiedergekehrten Lover zu erkennen, reagiert hilflos und stalkt den jüngeren Typen mehrere Wochen. Es kommt zu einer Liebesnacht, die mit Blutvergießen endet und Henry prompt zum Mordverdächtigen macht, als der Bisexuelle, der doch eher Stricher als Schauspieler war, brutal ermordet aufgefunden wird. Und zugleich ist seine Mitbewohnerin spurlos verschwindet.
Chandleresk geht’s weiter, als der offen schwule Rios mit einem homophoben, aber ebenfalls Latino von der Mordkommission zusammenstößt, der ihm die Sache anscheinend nur, um einen kritisch hinterfragenden Schwulen zu erledigen, anzuhängen versucht.
In der Tat könnte man dieses dicke, durchweg fantastisch gut geschriebene, sehr unterhaltsame, immer wieder neue Spannung gewinnende Buch als Muster eines Super-Chandlers für die Jahrtausendwende bezeichnen. Mit der Traditionalität und dem Klassizismus dieses Krimi-Autors Michael Nava hängt allerdings zusammen, dass das Buch immer wieder wie „um etliche Jahre zu spät gekommen“ wirkt. Da kidnappen unidentifizierbare Provinzpolizisten den Detektiv, verschleppen ihn in die Wüste, veranstalten eine Schein-Exekution. Da werden Indizien gefälscht bzw. untergeschoben, aber bis zum Schluss kann man das offenbar höchstens wissen, aber nie gerichtlich nachweisen. Da verurteilen Born-Again-Eltern ihren schwulen, minderjährigen Sprössling zur Aversionstherapie mit Hilfe von Psychodrogen und Elektroschocks. Da mahnen überall die AIDS-Toten. Da kontert Henrys schwuler Kumpel seine Bemerkung „Er wollte nur sicher leben“ mit: „Für uns [Schwule] existiert kein sicheres Leben.“
Eine Sache hat Nava seinem wiederholt als Vorbild genannten und bedankten Autorenhelden Joseph Hansen nicht abgeschaut: Wo es die Leser in Hansen-Krimis aus LA gelegentlich stresst, wie viele Figuren er einführt, deren Gewicht fürs Buchganze man nicht einschätzen kann, sodass sie bis knapp vor Schluss als mögliche Täter in Erwägung gezogen werden müssen, hat Michael Nava eher zu wenige Figuren im Roman, wie aber auch zu viele Hinweise auf Machenschaften in einem von den alten Hollywood-Studios, als dass man nicht recht bald auf den richtigen Täter zu tippen anfinge.
Auch mit dem Anteil der Homosexuelle an der Wohnbevölkerung übertreibt es der Autor etwas. Da wären schon mal Rios und sein Kumpel, der ihm das Honorar zahlt, dann der Angeklagte, der ja bald ermordet wird, dann zwei weitere Tote, die mit denselben Verstümmelungen entdeckt werden, dann die Staatsanwältin, die man als Lesbe mit der Aufklärung von Homosexuellendiskriminierung im Justizapparat beauftragt hat, sowie deren Freundin, dann der Fahrer eines gefakten Film-Ausstattungs-Taxis, bei dem man das Opfer zuletzt gesehen hat, dann der Bruder der verschwundenen Mitbewohnerin, dann jener Closet-Schwule, der sämtliche Alltagsgeschäfte des Studios dirigiert. Es ist nicht nur eine überaus heiße, sommerliche, sondern auch eine ziemlich schwule Welt dort drüben in Süd-Kalifornien.
September 2, 2014
Beautiful, dark, realistic, gripping. I loved it. Of course I was already in love with the book starting with the quote from Dante's ''Inferno'' at the beginning, and the reference to Dante recurs in the whole book. The evil character is really evil and not a stereotype of evilness. I liked the fact that Nava didn't . Also the analysis of the mechanism of power in Hollywood and in L.A. is brilliant and not delivered as a sermon.
I'm really sorry I still have only one Henry Rios' book to read.
I'm really sorry I still have only one Henry Rios' book to read.
September 24, 2020
Hard to admit, this was not my favorite. Nava really seems to drag on and on in The Burning Plain. His previous six novels in the series tend to be very straight to the point and precise.
For some reason, this book just seems all over the place, especially considering the fact that there are quite a few grammatical errors. Not sure if this is due to my owning the original, first edition.
For some reason, this book just seems all over the place, especially considering the fact that there are quite a few grammatical errors. Not sure if this is due to my owning the original, first edition.
May 30, 2016
“The Burning Plain” is a darkly disturbing murder mystery whose central theme is internalized homophobia and the violent crimes committed within the gay community (both out and closeted). It was my least favorite of the Henry Rios novels, so far; the ending was just too unsatisfying.
April 19, 2024
Nava is one of the best gay crime writers around. This is a tough one were Henry, after the death of Josh, falls into Hell, filled with homophobia and the ugly dark side of being gay. Dark and brutal with LA as one of Dante's circles of Hell.
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