The Edge of Justice

Antonio “Ant” Burns #1

by Clinton McKinzie

Combining high-altitude climbing action with sizzling courtroom drama and raw tension, The Edge of Justice is a thriller like no other. Set amid the towering beauty of Wyoming’s mountains and the gritty underbelly of crime, here is a gut-wrenching debut novel that features one of recent fiction’s most original and complex Special Agent Antonio Burns--climber, cop, brother, son, risk-taker.

A climber by nature, a cop by trade, Antonio has come to Laramie to investigate a young woman’s deadly plunge. But as he digs deeper into the case, Antonio is certain he has found a murder…and a stunning connection to the trial of two men about to be executed for a crime they did not commit. With a beautiful reporter sharing his investigation, he must make a harrowing up a forbidding mountainside--to bring a killer down from the deadliest kind of high.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Climbing, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Action

448 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually was going to review a different Clinton McKinzie book, but it isn't yet in the choices. However, The Edge of Justice totally rocked (a pun - as the main character is a rock climber...). This book is set in Laramie, Wyoming - which happens to be the town where I grew up. McKinzie nails the characters in the book - they seem very realistic. His main character, Special Agent Antonio Burns is just they kind of guy you would want helping you if you were in trouble. He is tenacious, conflicted and brave. I've read three of McKinzie's books; and I have bought all of them. If you are looking for excitement and suspense, yet like books that are realistic, then this writer may be for you. I love his books. Also - a big recommendation for Get The Point by McKinzie. Very gripping tale.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Wyoming, the main character is in law enforcement and a climber. The descriptions of the landscapes and of climbing are great. The order of his books are 1. The Edge of Justice, 2. Point of Law, 3. Trial by Ice and Fire, 4. Crossing the Line and 5. Badwater. Though any of these can stand alone, they are much more fun read in order. Mr. McKinzie is an Assistant District Attorney in Colorado so he is well versed on the law.

[Colton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great, straightforward mystery/thriller - exactly what I was looking for at the moment. The main character and setting is unique, taking the genre onto the plains and cliffs of Wyoming to solve multiple murders connected with a crew of rock-climbing drug dealers, ending with a mountaintop brawl to the death. Well-written despite some bits of clunky dialogue, and even though McKinzie can't resist making our MC Anton a ladies' man who can have basically every woman he meets, I thoroughly enjoyed this as a sort of Western corollary to the Bosch series of novels. On to the next one.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Antonio Burns is an agent with Wyoming's DCI. He's in Laramie investigating the death of a female climber, and facing charges from killing 3 gang members 18 months earlier. A climber himself, he quickly realizes her death was no accident. The deeper he digs, the bigger the body count. He connects the crime to a murder currently at trial--and realizes the accused are not guilty. The most likely suspects include the son of the man they think will be the next governor. Turns out he, his son, and some dirty cops are involved at one level or another. Climax on the side of a mountain during a storm.

[Susan Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Clinton McKinzie's first novel but it reads as if written by an seasoned author. Anton Burns is a Special Agent who's tracking down the details on an apparent climbing accident victim. But, Anton is working in the shadow of his own demons from a bust gone bad. This is nearly more of a novel about rock climbing than anything else but it is a story that grabs you and holds on. The author notes say he's working on a prequel.

[Lavendar Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very suspenseful book that came with predictable, but also unpredictable events. Everything that led to a satisfying ending gave me nothing but more encouragement to continue reading. If anyone is really into a crime/ mystery book. Highly recommend. :)

[Erin Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book enough, but some chapters definitely had me more hooked than others. There was some climbing terminology that would confuse non-climbers, but I enjoyed reading a book with my sport in it!

[Randy Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book and author. It was a good story and the suspense was well paced. I thought the characters and story line were really good. Would read This author again!

[Sue Gross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story of mountain climbers, politics, and foolish people. Loved the main character, Anton.

[Major Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good characters; exciting plot line, perhaps a bit too much climbing; antagonist almost unbelievably super villain-ish, liked the dog.

[Kara Jorges · Rating 5 out of 5]

The official first book of the Antonio Burns series has Anton, a Wyoming state narcotics agent, investigating a supposedly accidental death in Laramie. Laramie is quite the hopping place when Anton arrives in the middle of the “trial of the century,” as two brothers are being tried for the brutal murder of a woman who was believed to be on the verge of turning them in for dealing drugs. The death Anton is investigating is supposed to be an open-and-shut accident case, as the girl fell off the rock face of Vedauwoo. He has been called in because of a possible conflict of interest, as the dead girl was climbing with the son of Nathan Karge, the prosecutor, who is certain to be the state’s next governor. Unfortunately, her death doesn’t look like much of an accident to Anton, as she fell on her face but has a suspicious contusion on the back of her head. Equally suspicious is the lackadaisical job the coroner did with the autopsy, destroying valuable evidence. Anton meets with resistance at every stage of his investigation, not only from the local cops, but all the way to the state attorney general’s office. Since Nathan Karge has a lot to lose if his son is implicated in a murder, he’s not very happy about Anton’s investigation. Neither is the small climbing cult in Laramie, run by thuggish Billy Heller, a climber past his prime who surrounds himself with adoring younger climbers, some of them girls who endure his rough sexual practices in order to get their hands on the methamphetamine he sells.

Most of the local police are hostile toward Anton and his investigation, and any of the climbers Anton talks to seem to wind up dead. That their deaths all bear similarities to the death Karge is pinning on the brothers convinces him that Heller, not the brothers, are guilty of that crime. But, since implicating the chief prosecutor’s son in that crime will destroy his career, Karge pulls every string he can to hamper the investigation. In addition, Anton’s wild brother Roberto has just escaped from prison, and the authorities believe he helped him out. Anton only has a few allies, his boss, a big black deputy, a lovely reporter, and his big dog Oso. Everyone else seems to want him suspended or dead.

This book bore a lot of similarities to “Point of Law,” its prequel which was published second, but changes a few details from the back story. I was a little disappointed we didn’t get to see more of Roberto, Anton’s wild brother, who in this book is not just a felon, he’s doing time for manslaughter. However, his character rang true, as did the personalities of both Anton and Oso. It was no secret who the bad guys were, but there was a bit of suspense as to what actually happened the night the girl fell off the cliff, and I turned the pages quickly to find out what was going to happen next. This is an entertaining series of thrillers, and I look forward to more.

[Carl Alves · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in Wyoming, The Edge of Justice, prominently features mountain climb. The lead character, Antonio Burns, is a special agent who lives for climbing mountains. Burns is facing a multitude of problems including trouble for shooting three drug dealers in self-defense, his brother who is in jail, and protecting a couple of innocent people from receiving the death penalty. All of this leads to the son of the DA, who enjoys the party life a bit too much and likes to surround himself with drugs and pretty women.

If you’re really into mountain climbing, this novel might work for you. As for me, I didn’t much care for it. The plot was thin. The characterization was weak, and the action is overly melodramatic. I was never able to get into the novel. I would advise passing on this.

Carl Alves – author of Blood Street

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tough one to rate. We picked this up at a used book sale mainly because it is based in Laramie, Wyoming just 50 or so miles up the road from us in Fort Collins. It's a page-turner and quick read. Yet, the story is very implausible as I guess most mysteries are. Things that happen in the book could never, ever happen in real life. So I'm torn what to give it. I think if you like a good mystery and can suspend disbelief you will enjoy this. If you have trouble with far fetched story lines then this probably isn't for you. But at the end, I did enjoy it (as did my wife) even though we both complained about some of the things that happen in the book. Really it's 3.5 stars but I bumped it up since neither of us could put it down and wanted to find out the conclusion.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixes crime solving with rock climbing. Loved it. A detective is in a small town investigating a murder and taking advantage of the great rock in the area. It's been a while since I read the book, but it was a wonderful read that kept me guessing the whole time. You really get connected with the characters and, for any rock junkies, you get to a point where you're dying to go out and climb.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I thought this was a well written book, just not exactly my first pick of something I'd read. Not being into climbing sometimes I thought the climbing portions would be a bit technically described making it hard for non climbers to really visualize what was going on.

[Shavanna Muir]

Very intriguing. Page turner.

[Fachrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

1/8/2025: rating changed after dnf reread.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of a series of 3 books about rock-climbing Wyoming cop "Quick-draw" Antonio Burns. Very exciting, especially if you like climbing.

[Jackie Simons]

Read 1/03

[Aurora · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great murder mystery even if you're not a rock climbing fan.