Burn Out

Sharon McCone #25

by Marcia Muller

New York Times bestselling author, Marcia Muller, brings you another thrilling mystery with her famous private investigator, Sharon McCone.Traumatized by a recent life-or-death investigation, Sharon McCone flees to her ranch in California's high desert country to contemplate her future. Deep depression shadows her days and nights, and a chance encounter with a troubled, highly secretive Native American woman begins to haunt her dreams. Even though she is determined not to investigate anything during her stay -- and perhaps not ever again -- McCone is drawn into the plight of the young woman and her dysfunctional family. A murder and traces of violence at a deserted resort lead her across the desert and into Nevada, and finally to a remote and isolated ranch, where danger lies closer that she expects and where her future and life itself may hang in the balance.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Detective, Suspense, Thriller

332 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2008

About the author

Marcia Muller is an American author of mystery and thriller novels.
Muller has written many novels featuring her Sharon McCone female private detective character. Vanishing Point won the Shamus Award for Best P.I. Novel. Muller had been nominated for the Shamus Award four times previously.
In 2005, Muller was awarded the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master award.
She was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Birmingham, Michigan, and graduated in English from the University of Michigan and worked as a journalist at Sunset magazine. She is married to detective fiction author Bill Pronzini with whom she has collaborated on several novels.

Reviews

[Tory Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Burn Out by Marcia Muller is part of a series featuring private detective, Sharon McCone. Much of the action takes place on a ranch that Sharon and her husband own in the western part of the U.S. A series of murders that tie back to past events, embroil Sharon in a mystery that she must use all her skills and experience to solve. She is also suffering from burn out, thus the title, but focusing on her work helps her to find peace with her life.

[Pamela Mclaren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much like my own "hate her-start to accept her" relationship with Marcia Muller's character Sharon McCone, McCone has her own relationship to work out — with a horse!

The San Francisco-based private investigator has fled work and her own investigation firm and camps herself at her husband's ranch in high desert country. She has been deeply shaken by a series of bombings tied to husband Hy's security firm, some that came close to killing both McCone and her husband. (All related in Muller's previous book, The Ever-Running Man.) Now McCone is pretty much vegetating, not sure what she wants to do with her business or her career. The one thing she finds herself doing is trying to make friends with Hy's horse Lear Jet. And the animal is not having it.

Soon, that is not a critical issue: The caretaker of the ranch has suffered a death in his family: the murder of a troubled niece. Slowly and almost unwillingly, McCone gets involved. While she tells herself that is only to help Ramon Perez, McCone finds herself getting more and more involved until the local police ask for her assistance in solving the crime. She may not realize it, but the investigation is just what she needs to get past her depression and her doubts about herself.

This book was a bit of a roller coaster. I liked the previous book and felt that the McCone character had matured enough to enjoy without getting angry at her. At the beginning of the book, I admit, I thought the character was backsliding, but Marcia Muller pulled it all together, a strong story and a character who has her weak moments but gradually gets it all together when it counts.

[SuperWendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, it's finally happened. Sharon is burnt out and hiding at the ranch house licking her wounds and in a general state of malaise. Then she witnesses a man push a young woman out of a truck and it sets the wheels in motion to solving a mystery she's not getting paid to investigate. It's a personal favor to Ramon Perez who is their ranch foreman. This one started slow for me, picked up considerably in the middle and ended on a bit of a whimper. An entry where I liked a good chunk of the middle portion but it was sandwiched in between a bit of meh.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book Sharon McCone goes to the ranch to work out her depression
And takes on a case helping the Native American family that work on
the ranch. The investigation involves murder, betrayal, and hidden identities.
While working to solve the case Sharon ends up finding herself again and
Making good decisions to keep her business. I recommend this author,book
And series.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sharon McCone is depressed and has some serious thinking to do about her future but that doesn't stop her from investigating and solving a series of murders out at their ranch. New friends and old, a clever plot and personal struggles keep this one intriguing.

[Gail Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharon has the opportunity to work through a mid-life crisis and general depression as she falls into a case involving the caretaker at Hy's ranch. She resists because she is uncertain what she should be doing at this point in her life, but as the case moves along and the bodies mount up, she becomes totally sucked in. And that's a good thing. She is reminded how good she is at this, the satisfaction she gets -- and what a good guy she is married to. It's a happy ending with the bad guy having been caught and Sharon amidst her family and friends.

[Barry Martin Vass · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like a good mystery but are unaware of Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone series, maybe it's time you gave these a look. Sharon McCone is a young Native American woman (Shoshone) who has been raised surreptitiously by a diverse Scotch-Irish family in Northern California. Her first job is working at a poverty law cooperative in San Francisco; when that goes belly-up she forms her own agency, McCone Investigations, along with two of her coworkers from the co-op. Together, they gradually achieve success. Marcia Muller has plotted this series so carefully, and populated it with such believable characters, that you simply cannot put these books down once you get started. In this one, an older, married Sharon McCone is totally burned out from her efforts and seeks a respite from her sleuthing ways on her husband's ranch in a remote area of Northern California. But of course she quickly gets involved in another case involving Native Americans and injustice in small-town California and Nevada. Solid entertainment for those who like their mysteries edgy!

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read Marcia Muller in a long time, so it was good to get reacquainted with Sharon McCone and Hy Ripinsky. I think I missed the book just previous to this one, so it took me a bit to get re-oriented. (It doesn't help that I've read so many series -- Kinsey Milhone, China Bayles, VI Warsharski,etc. - you have to keep complicated backstories in your memory banks). I liked this one. Sharon is recuperating from a traumatizing near-death experience, and is burned out. She's spending time at Hy's ranch in Lake Tufa. She gets drawn into investigating the disappearance of the ranch manager's niece despite herself. There were enough clues strewn about the story to have some good guesses as to "who-dunnit" but only if you wanted to work at it. I've missed this series.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes you just have to pick up a book that you know you can read while you watch television and keep up with both the plot and the program. This is a book in that category. An interesting story and certainly the descriptions of the high desert in California are fascinating. But the plot is not going to keep up beyond your bed time. I think that I have read all of the books in this series and thinking back over them, none of the plots stand out. In fact, the author referred to several other "adventures" which obviously happened in previous volumes and I only had the vaguest recollection. I have to put this book into the category of a pleasant read, but don't rush out to find it.

[Rob1109 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Every time I go to the library, I pick up a book by an author I’m unfamiliar with. Sometimes I find someone I like but probably 80% of the time I’m disappointed. I had hoped to enjoy “Burn Out” since Ms. Muller has several novels under her belt and I was hoping, if I liked this book, there’d be a big catalogue I could delve into.

This book started out pretty good…but went downhill quickly.

Positives:

It was a very easy read, very fast moving. Yet, despite that, with only 100 pages remaining (probably another hour and a half) I decided to give up. That's all I got.

Negatives:

One) The story started out with a good premise. The rancher and friend of our protagonist, Sharon McCone has his niece murdered. Sharon, who apparently is unsure what she wants to do with her life, is unsure if she wants to get involved. She does (no surprise) but okay, good stuff, interesting premise.

However, Ms. Muller kept adding more and more and more characters. The story went off in so many directions it was hard to keep track of. After 200 pages, with only 100 pages remaining, I gave up. I couldn’t keep track of who was who and how everything tied in


Two) Writing style. This is just my opinion, of course, but I found Ms. Muller’s style very very choppy. She constantly leave words out and much of the novel is sentence fragments. Sometimes, that’s okay. But when the bulk of the novel reads like bullet points, it’s a big negative for me. For example (this is not direct from the book but you’ll get the idea.) **Woke up. Bacon and eggs for breakfast. Showered. Dressed. Went to see Susan. Cloudy. Traffic***

Ironically, and what I found very unprofessional was not only did the author write like that but characters actually talked like that. Example:
“What can you tell me about Janet?”
“Sweet. Funny. Silly bit smart. Pretty.”

UGH!!!!

You get the idea.

Another thing she did was write certain scenes like a play: Example:

At the kitchen table when the phone rang.
“Good morning. How are you?” Steve

Very annoying…in my opinion anyway.
One more thing that I also found annoying is the fact that the protagonist and her husband call each other by their last name. “Hey McCone.” “Hey Ripinsky.”

Hey Muller, how about dialogue that rings true, okay!

This book was written in 2008, yet I wonder if it was written 15 years earlier and the author just dug the rough draft out of a box and sent it to her publisher without updating it. Or better yet, how does her editor allow things like this to go through.

The protagonist constantly says, “I called her on my cellular phone.” When was the last time you heard someone say “cellular phone.” By 2008, people called it “my cell” or “my phone” or “my cell phone.” But cellular phone??? What’s next, watching her television set in living color and listening to music on her hi-fi stereo system???

The protagonist looks up things online. Oh, wait, no she doesn’t. She “goes onto the net.” Again, when was the last time someone said “the net.” I havent heard it called that since that Sandra Bullock movie by the same name, probably 20+ plus years ago.

I also laughed at the fact that Sharon McCone, our protagonist who runs her own security firm still (even in 2008) 1) still uses dial-up, and 2) still has an answering machine and not voice-mail.

Also, not to split hairs, but the protagonist tells us something like “I went on the net and Google told me that so and so had a criminal record.” Well…not really. Google is only a search engine. This wouldn’t be a big deal if this was the only thing I found laughable but it detracts from any realism.


Three) Ms. Muller, do a little research. Your readers will thank you. In one part, our protagonist is dealing with a detective in Las Vegas who works for, as the author says, “The LVPD.” WRONG!! It’s the LVMPD (Las Vegas Metro Police Department). And if you live in Las Vegas, it’s called “Metro.” No one calls it the police or the cops. Its Metro. “Slow down, there’s Metro.” Hell, dial 9-1-1 and they answer “Metro Dispatch.”

That may seem petty but it would only take the author 30 seconds of online research ( or should I say looking it up on the net and being told by Google) that it’s Metro. Other authors, like Michael Connelly or Brian Freeman or CJ Box who have written scenes dealing with police in Vegas call it Metro. Why cant Ms, Muller??? It takes away realism.

We all speak differently based on what part of the country we live. Some places drink a Coke, some a soda, some a pop. A hero, a hoagie and a sub are all the same thing, just depends where you live. A freeway, highway, parkway and expressway are all the same thing. Again, it just depends where you live. If you live in NY, you take the train, San Francisco you take the BART or Cal-Trans, LA you take the Metro Rail. Just like in Vegas, the cops are called Metro.

Also, she is writing one scene where our protagonist visits the house of someone in Nevada. The person’s front yard is not grass bur rather rocks, pebbles or cactus. This is common practice if you live in the southwest due to water restrictions. Anyway, as our protagonist visits this person with rocks and cactus in the front yard, the author actually writes, “I think it’s called westernized.”
HUH???

Anyone who lives in NV or AZ or NM or so CAL knows its called "desert landscaping." Again, do some research. It shows very lazy writing.

I really wanted to like this book and this author but sadly didn’t. The basis for a good plot was there and perhaps with a better author this could have been an enjoyable read

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the 25th installment of Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone PI series, Burn Out, Sharon returned to solve another gripping mystery. Traumatized from a life-and-death investigation, Sharon decided to flee to her ranch to ponder her future there. But haunting dreams of a Native American woman shadowed her days and night. She vowed not to investigate during her stay, she became drawn by her and her dysfunctional family. Murder and acts of violence lead her across the border to Nevada and to a ranch, where danger followed her closer and her future laid on the balance.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The setting is PI Sharon McCone's ranch in northern CA. The niece of her ranch foreman is found dead and Sharon is asked to get involved with the investigation. She had come to the ranch to decide if she wants to continue as an investigator. She gets suck into this mystery. The book is ok....just not one of her best.

[Lukasz Pruski · Rating 2 out of 5]

"No longer visible by day or night were the brownish-white towers of calcified vegetation - tufa - that gave the lake its name. Years ago, the siphoning off of feeder streams for drought-stricken southern California had caused the lake's level gradually to sink and reveal the underwater towers [...] they were saved by conservationists [...] and now the streams flowed freely, the lake teemed with life."

I wish the descriptions of nature featured more prominently in Marcia Muller's Burn Out (2008): Mono Lake - renamed Tufa Lake in the novel, presumably for legal reasons - and its vicinity are some of the most fascinating places in the US and each visit to Mono County makes me even more happy that I became a Californian. Alas the novel is focused on Sharon McCone, the narrator of the story, rather than on the California landscapes. Ms. McCone, a "full-blooded Shoshone" Native American, a private investigator and the owner of a thriving investigative agency in San Francisco, is suffering from severe depression (the title "burn-out") after almost getting killed on the job. When recuperating on her and her husband's ranch she is forced to return to the profession when she finds the body of her ranch foreman's niece. Ms. McCone hesitatingly undertakes a private investigation, which soon significantly widens to involve many characters.

Unfortunately, Ms. McCone, despite being a college graduate, an accomplished pilot, and a skillful detective, is a singularly uninteresting character. It is a pity that the author focuses so much on the protagonist because the later parts of the story (after about page 130 in hardcover edition) are very interesting and keep the reader glued to the text. The plot reminds me of Ross Macdonald's books in that the crimes of today are caused by people's misdeeds in the distant past and also because the truth is uncovered gradually, bit by bit. Ms. Muller's otherwise competent writing suffers from two major flaws: the incessant stream of detailed descriptions of the characters' basic actions, such as cooking, eating, etc. - probably designed to make the characters seem more realistic - is irritating. (Ms. Grafton suffers the same malady in her late novels about Kinsey Millhone - I stopped reading her at "U"). Second, and even worse, why does the author use this pretentious and annoying manner of quoting Ms. McCone's "inner voice" in italics?

To sum up: interesting plot, great locations of the high desert area near Mono Lake, climactic ending that almost avoids being silly, and a reasonably plausible resolution of mystery spoiled by too much of Sharon McCone and way too many words. This is the 26th novel in a series that has over 30 titles, yet while I would gladly return to Mono Lake landscapes I doubt if I will be coming back to Ms. McCone.

Two and a half stars.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sharon McCone is in full retreat as the book opens. She’s had a nasty year in which someone nearly ended her life with a bomb, and she’s questioning everything she thought she had once settled regarding her future. Does she sell the agency she owns? Can she, at only 42, do full-on retirement? Or will that be just too much time to attempt to fill?

While dealing with her inner turmoil, she sees domestic turmoil of the worst kind one day. Someone, apparently an abusive lover, flings a young native American woman out of a moving truck. The woman insists she’s ok, but McCone can’t get the image out of her head.

A few pages later, McCone’s ranch foreman’s niece, Hayley Perez, dies at the hands of a murderer. McCone insists she won’t investigate, but her husband, knows better, and he’s right. Before long, she’s learning more about Hayley’s dysfunctional family than she ever wanted to know and discovering things about her personal native heritage along the way.

If you have or currently face life changes like retirement or career change, you’ll find McCone’s anxieties realistic, and they may even parallel some of yours. In short, this is a good addition to the series, and if you can get the book to end happily on a Thanksgiving Day as the author does, that’s a bonus. And no, I’ve not spoiled anything because I’ve not detailed how McCone gets to that Thanksgiving, and that’s why you should read this.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

After her near death in the previous book, McCone is sent spiraling into a mid-life crisis. Honestly, the drama feels a little artificial, and by the end of the book you understand why: it's not really about McCone having a mid-life crisis, but instead about Muller realizing that her protagonist's elevation to the head of a large agency over the last several books has left her less able to plausibly have fun investigative adventures.

Nonetheless, the artificiality of this book's foundational drama kept me from having the personal ties to its stories that I'd like (and that have been a signature of Muller's writing). So, while Muller tells an intriguing and intricate mystery story full of strong characters, and while she positions it all at a crucial pivot point point in McCone's life, this story never has a real sense of immediacy.

It's a good mystery, by a strong writer, but not a great one.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining mystery listening 🎶🔰

Another will written multiple murder mystery adventure thriller novel by Marcia Muller book 25 in the Sharon McCone Mystery Series. Sharon McCone is 🔥 burned out and resting on the ranch when a murder of a young 👦 lady happens. More murders happen in the area all leading to the unexpected conclusion. I would recommend this series and author to 👍readers of mysteries. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa as I do because of eye damage and health issues. 2022 👒😊💑🏡🐱

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Private investigator Sharon McCone takes a retreat to her and her husband's cabin to get away from the stresses of her job. However, she is soon drawn into a situation she wasn't planning on getting involved in when she tries to assist a young girl who's been abused. Murder and suspense abound in this book. Kept me wanting to read well into the late night when I should have been turning out the light sleep.

[Marseydoats · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually found this when I was looking for another book with the same title. I loved the cover, so thought, "Why not?" I had read some of this series years ago, but it's been so long that I didn't remember which ones and if I liked them or not.
Even though I figured out part of the story fairly early, I really enjoyed this.
Bonus points for Sharon deciding that she liked horses and getting King a friend.
I will go back and start reading (re-reading?) these in order...

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a rather low-energy volume in the Sharon McCone series, reflecting the character's depression and titular "burn out". She has left California to brood on her ranch, and becomes involved in a missing person case, although she had planned not to do any investigating until she recovered a bit. Hy makes a cameo, and there is an amusing episode with a quirky horse.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked listening as I drove around. Kept me engaged- it's a great mystery!

[Kenneth Flusche · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strange but Good

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Convoluted with several plot lines. Nevertheless, worth the read. I like this author.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was OK but I did it audio and I didn't totally like the reader. A few good plot twists but some times you had to suspend thought to get through. Not bad just not great.

[Sharon Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

[Binye Vincent]

Interesting mind journey to an adventure...

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an easy read. I've enjoyed following the development and aging of protagonist McCone.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sharon overcomes Burn Out to solve several murders.

[Maddison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Should probably start at the beginning of a series instead of jumping into the middle LOL

[Lydia Roquemore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many characters...plot all over the place...

[Tim Mcgurrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I probably should’ve started with an earlier book in the series. This one was just OK, with a fairly predictable outcome.