Burn

Anna Pigeon #16

by Nevada Barr

Nevada Barr brings her acclaimed New York Times bestselling Anna Pigeon series to the Big Easy with one of her most compelling, complex novels yet!Anna Pigeon, a Ranger with the National Park Service, is newly married but on administrative leave from her job as she recovers from the physical and emotional traumas of the past couple of months. With her new husband back at work, Anna decides to go and visit an old Geneva, a blind blues singer who performs at New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. Anna isn't in town long before she discovers what seems to be an attempt to place a curse on her—a gruesomely killed pigeon marked with runic symbols—and begins to find traces of very dark doings in post-Katrina New Orleans. Tied up in all of this a tenant of Geneva's who is not at all what he appears to be; a fugitive mother accused of killing her husband and daughters; and faint whispers of unpleasant goings-on in the heart of the slowly recovering city. Now it will take all of Anna's skills learned in the untamed outdoors to navigate the urban jungle in which she finds herself, to uncover the threads that connect these seemingly disparate people, and to rescue the most vulnerable of creatures from the most savage of animals.

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

385 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 3, 2010

About the author

Nevada Barr is a mystery fiction author, known for her "Anna Pigeon" series of mysteries, set in National Parks in the United States. Barr has won an Agatha Award for best first novel for Track of the Cat.

Barr was named after the state of her birth. She grew up in Johnstonville, California. She finished college at the University of California, Irvine. Originally, Barr started to pursue a career in theatre, but decided to be a park ranger. In 1984 she published her first novel, Bittersweet, a bleak lesbian historical novel set in the days of the Western frontier.

While working in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Barr created the Anna Pigeon series. Pigeon is a law enforcement officer with the United States National Park Service. Each book in the series takes place in a different National Park, where Pigeon solves a murder mystery, often related to natural resource issues. She is a satirical, witty woman whose icy exterior is broken down in each book by a hunky male to whom she is attracted (such as Rogelio).

Currently, Ms. Barr lives in New Orleans, LA.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/nevada...

Reviews

[Jody Kyburz · Rating 3 out of 5]

SIIIIIIGGGHH...I guess I'm finished with Nevada Barr. Her Ranger Anna Pigeon series started out friendly enough, but the last few books have been edgier and more explicit and I'm just not handling it. I don't blame Nevada or anyone. I'm just choosing to read other things. The sadness comes in thinking of how happy I was to find this series about a female park ranger (because I happen to be a female park ranger)only to see that in order to keep selling books or pleasing the world or whatever the motivation is, Nevada keeps getting more and more gruesome or graphic or whatever you'd like to say.

When I first started her novels, I could IDENTIFY with all the ranger lingo, job situations, and the like. Things have changed. And I don't care for these particular changes. That's all. It's me. My choice. I'm not preaching. I'm not on a soap box. Well...one last thought...

People keep saying that you have to look beyond some of the filth to see the incredible talent of the author, etc. I guess I can't overlook the harshness of the filth. How do you ignore the F word? I know. I sound like a fifth grader who has just heard my teacher reading aloud the D word or the H word for the first time, but something in me CAN'T ENJOY the F word. It ruins everything. I'll have to stop spending my own cash on books I think are "worthwhile" and go back to haunting the libraries for free. Then, only my time will be wasted rather than my time AND my money.

[Lobstergirl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm kind of ready for Anna Pigeon to be killed off. I'm tired of her. I'm tired of Nevada Barr's bad writing. Out of fairness to Barr, I'm wishing her character dead instead of her. If I thought Barr's writing would improve....but it won't.

Everything about Burn is unappealing: the urban settings of New Orleans and Seattle rather than the wilderness glories of a national park; the child sex trade; stupid plot lines; annoying characters. Technically, it is set in a national park: the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. Barr hardly makes it sound appealing, filled with "gutter punks." Apparently the park "rangers" are the jazz musicians, unless Barr is making that up.

Readers averse to scenes set in sex clubs should know there are several. There are descriptions of adult stage acts, descriptions of gross dirty bathrooms, a scene where a dog nibbles on a corpse's exposed brain and the killer of said corpse masturbates over it because I guess she is still vaguely hot, descriptions of Anna being worried that the dog accompanying her will get nasty stuff on its feet (bodily juices), and in the final scene, descriptions of naked adults engaging in sex acts and lots of child sex abuse.

It's rather far afield for Barr, who early on was writing innocent tales of drug running and...I've forgotten what else. Probably more drug running.

The novel's main character (aside from Anna) is an actress who is such a good actress that when she dresses up as a man, no one can tell she is a woman. In fact she develops a split personality, fully inhabiting both characters, because she is such a good actress. Really, I don't think even Meryl Streep forgets that she is, underneath it all, Meryl Streep.

There weren't as many typos here as I've seen in other Barr books, but there were some.

"...he made calls as he ran, his gate lopsided and slow."

"Shoe-in" instead of shoo-in.

A couple places where the singular was used and the plural should have been. There was this weird sentence: "Shoes were never going to transgender." I have since found out this is a correct usage, idiotic though it may be.

The stupidest and most offensive thing in the whole book is when Anna, undercover in a section of a sex club where small children are being raped and molested right in front of her eyes, is called "Miss Marple" by one of the rapists/molesters. In this den of horrors Anna Pigeon pauses to be offended that she has been called Miss Marple rather than Nancy Drew, because one is an old hag and one is a young beautiful girl. Yes, that's the level of humor Nevada Barr has sunk to.

[Leiah Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of you naysayers just don't want to accept the truth - humans are a failed species. You whiny people are the reason monsters like this get away with this type of thing - - you CHOOSE TO IGNORE THE TRUTH. This sort of thing --- IT IS YOUR FAULT FOR IGNORING IT! Nevada Barr does an EXCEPTIONAL job of telling the truth about horrors that are the horrible, devastating truth. If you can't stand it? Do something about it. Find these people. Kill them. They don't deserve to live.

Ms Barr has taken on a horrific subject and made it real. The people that really disturb me? The blind idiots who gave the book a bad review. This is a desperately important issue, one that is ignored, denied, and swept under the rug by people who would just as soon pretend it doesn't happen. If you stick your fingers in your ears and hum really loud, it will just all go away, right? R i i i i g h t......

I had a minister tell me once upon a time that things like this simply didn't happen - that humans were too "Godly" for this to ever happen, and that I was a monster for saying it did. Yes, and Santa comes down the chimney, the Tooth Fairy delivers quarters, and the man with the van really only wants to give your child a piece of candy - he never would really hurt a fly, right? Yes, dear morons, it happens, and No, it isn't a 'curable disability' it is a monstrous, horrific twist to the psyche that is incurable, other than with a needle in the arm or in "Old Sparky" (too good a fate) or by burning slowly at a rotisserie operated stake (much more like it).

Thank you, thank you, Ms Barr, for writing "Burn". Yes, the reviews of many are stupid, simplistic, blind and cruel. I wonder what these same people would say if it were THEIR children who were taken and used in this manner?

Ms Barr does an exceptional job of pulling off the cover of banality and blindness and writing a book which brings these horrors to life. To say true, I had sort of gotten bored with Anna. As she has gotten older, she has gotten stodgy and dull (sort of like the rest of us). None of her stories, in my estimation, really addressed anything truly important any longer. It was more like running around telling you about state parks and having fights. Apparently, Ms Barr was a bit bored with Anna herself, and decided to do something deeply worthwhile with her character. Hooray for her! The book is absolutely fantastic, and, hopefully, will bring attention to an issue that Americans have ignored for far too long.
If the book opens the eyes of only a few, it will be worth the effort she put into writing a deep, intelligent, and worthwhile book.

What if it were YOUR child?

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh how it pains me to give a Nevada Barr book a 1 star rating. I like Nevada Barr, I like her style, I love Anna Pigeon, but I just can't get behind her choice to use this subject matter. In fact, I kind of wish I could give this a no star rating. I missed Anna running through the wilderness in a national park seeking out clues to a murder. Running from a forest fire or a wolf or climbing through a cave. I missed discussions of natural formations and of camping. I missed learning of her love of national parks.

In Burn, Anna is taking a break from her problems. She is in New Orleans staying with a ranger friend (this is Barr's only nod to her BLM/Federal ranger genre) who is a jazz singer stationed in a federal park where they preserve the history of New Orleans. Anna falls into what we think might be a voodoo plot line but ends up being a child prostitution/abduction/yucky etc. plot line. There is all too much graphic sex in this story- adult sex clubs, strip clubs, prostitution, and the very worst, child sex abuse. And Barr does not just gloss over this unfortunate topic to give us a feel for the evil that is out there in the world, she gives voice to it with descriptions that I did not need to ever in my life read. Unfortunatly, the worst of it was towards the end of the book so I had already read most of the book when I got to it and I wasn't strong enough to put it down without reading the resolve.

My husband told me not to read it. He didn't explain why and I wish that he had given me specifics because had I know how bad it truly was, I wouldn't have begun it. It was tasteless and icky and I'm tossing my copy into the garbage. Sorry Nevada - you can do WAY better than this!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a more difficult read than the "typical" Anna Pigeon mystery novel. Instead of the wide vistas of various national parks and the descriptions of the natural world that offset the human predators she deals with, the setting is the darker side of New Orleans and modern day sex slavery and pedophiles. The story is dark and the characters are also.

Anna continues her recovery from her breakdown after her traumatic experiences written about in Winter Study and only partially relieved (if not added to) in Borderline. She has undergone so many changes in recent years, having found a new love and married again. This time in New Orleans was to be a further time of healing but Anna cannot constitutionally walk away from anything that feels wrong.

While the subject matter is difficult, and likely not for all readers, the writing is, as always, excellent. I believe I've read all of this series now. This book kept me bound to find out what would be the outcome. To give too many details would be unfair...the summary of the plot given above is enough. As must be obvious, it was not too dark for me; such situations exist in our world. I don't wish to revel in them but I will read a well-written mystery dealing with this terrible reality.

[Pam Fields · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited to win this advance-read book on Goodreads, especially because I have read other books by Nevada Barr in her Anna Pigeon series and I really like the character. This story was darker than some of Anna's other adventures. It delves so deeply into the worst of human nature, that you cringe, but ultimately you are left with a sense of good triumphing over evil. Barr's other main character in this book, Clare, is written so well that you literally feel her pain and wish you could reach through the pages and give her strength. Plus, you gotta love a story where a little dog helps save the day, and as always, Anna Pigeon brings down the bad guys!

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nevada Barr seems to be hit and miss in the Anna Pigeon series. I loved Borderline, despite some of the unbelievable parts, but its predecessor, Winter Study, was one of the worst in the series. Burn comes somewhere in between. Like with all of her books, there comes a time I just cannot stop reading. But the world she created here in New Orleans was just too over the top. The people were just too awful. As always, she has a stereotypical horrible male character--this one a child-molesting police captain--but I've always been able to overlook her inability to get beyond such portrayals. What puzzled me here was her introduction of so many potentially intriguing characters who she just does nothing with. Conclusions are always Barr's weakness, and Burn is no different. The ending scene in the hospital just defies all reason. It serves as a device to tie up loose ends. Maybe Barr is getting tired of the Pigeon series. She did publish a non-Anna Pigeon novel two years ago. But I think more attention has to be given to timing so she does not rush through the end and is left having to drop further character development. Still, Jordan's character is certainly interesting and the plot was chilling if nothing else. Not a bad read, but of the 15 books of hers I have read, this one ranks in the bottom 5.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Nevada Barr mystery was not as enjoyable as the previous novels. I had a difficult time getting into the book and sticking with it. Burn features National Park Ranger Anna Pigeon, who gets pulled into an investigation involving pedophilia while on Administrative Leave in New Orleans. I didn't care for the New Orleans setting of the book and have really enjoyed the outdoor settings in the national parks in the past. That may be why I didn't care for "Burn" as much as Barr's previous novels. While I don't recommend this one, I DO recommend the previous Nevada Barr novels.

[Jennifer M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was very disturbing on so many levels. It sure does pertain to current events though. It was well written and definitely kept me guessing the back and forth between POVs gave me whiplash. But once it all started coming together I have to give the author accolades. I am going to go take a shower now. Yuck!

[Beetletheknee · Rating 1 out of 5]

In the past that I've really enjoyed Nevada Barr's "Anna Pigeon" series of mysteries. I wanted to pass along a message about the latest release in that series, "Burn." I actually recommend you SKIP this book. I picked it up as a matter of course, and while it has the same kinds of elements that I've enjoyed from the previous novels (e.g., suspense, complex characters, moral ambiguity, etc.), this one wasn't fun to read. The mystery was packed with those elements, yes, but the subject matter, the evil to be fought, was bad enough that it spoiled the enjoyment of the book. I think part of what I enjoy about mystery or suspense novels is trying to think through the mystery, root for the good guys, contemplate their human weaknesses, despise the bad guys, and revel in the defeat or thwarting of their nefarious plans.
This book is about a mother trying to find her two daughters, whom she fears have been kidnapped by people who import/export children into sex trafficking/prostitution. Their hidden lair is a fancy upper-crust brothel in New Orleans, where well-off adults, mostly men, commit depravity on these very very young children in opulent surroundings, protected by the corrupt police. Nevada Barr goes into just enough level of detail to make you feel sick to your stomach as your imagination involuntarily fills in the details and the visuals, a literary strategy that I assume is meant to lend gravitas and urgency to the heroine's mission (Anna Pigeon joins forces with the mother eventually), but really it just takes away any potential enjoyment of the book. Yes, we live in a world where things like this are possible and probable, and I haven't the first clue, or the time, energy, resources, or heart to combat it. That means that I become a passive spectator to the obscenity, even in its imaginary form. Yes, I finished the book, because at the point where I decided I was no longer interested in reading further, I'd invested too much time and thought to be able to not find out how it ended. One hopes for a satisfying conclusion, but with this one it's only partial, and I was left feeling like the conclusion was both a little bit pat, like Nevada Barr just got an email from her editor saying, "time to wrap it up!" and a little bit troubling, because the unmet mastermind escapes scott free, you're not sure the authorities are interested or able to effectively solve any problems, and the relationship between Anna and her new husband, solid good-guy Paul, is left a bit tattered, and totally ambiguous thanks to a mid-phone-call cliffhanger. I hate that.
Anyway, I thought I'd save you the experience, and force the decision by spoiling the book's ending like I just did. One other complaint about the book, which pales in comparison to unspeakable obscenity but contributed greatly to my dissatisfaction with the book, was the heroine's (the mother, not Anna) occasional bouts of TSTL syndrome. Especially prevalent in romance novels, but certainly well-known in the mystery/suspense genre, TSTL syndrome stands for "Too Stupid To Live." There are times when the mother, especially in crucial periods of life/death importance, devolves into this brain-dead moron who, by sheer dint of abject stupidity, nearly manages to ruin everything. There were times when I wanted to reach into the book, grab this lady by the shoulders, and shake her hard, while shouting "oh for god's sake COME ON!!!" just to get things moving. I don't know why Nevada Barr went with this characterization, but as a literary device, I always find it infuriating. There are better ways to create suspense.
I think I'm going to try to read something a little bit saccharin and frivolous to wash the taste out of my brain. Maybe one of my 16th century Scottish highlander sweeping romances, where the women are strong, the men are good looking, and all the children are unmolested. Ugh.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, I have to say that I’m tired of main recurring characters in mystery novels that do dumb and dangerous things when there are smarter and safer alternatives. I’m getting fed up!

What’s wrong with me that I liked this book?! This mystery is practically the opposite of a cozy mystery, and they’re the type of mysteries I tend to enjoy the most. And, I didn’t enjoy it as much as most of Barr’s other 15 books. It was incredibly suspenseful and engrossing and I was fooled at one important juncture, which I appreciated. This is a 3 star book for me. It’s probably important to note that my average rating for all my read books tends to hover around 4.00, and that I’ve given most of Barr’s books 4 or 5 stars.

I don’t know how to write this review. This Barr book reminded me of why I eventually had to stop reading the Alex Delaware mystery series by Jonathan Kellerman and their disturbing plotlines about children. Barr can be dark but this 16th Anna Pigeon book is very dark compared to her other books, and that’s because children are involved. I am assuming that this book is a departure for Barr and for her character Anna Pigeon, for a couple of reasons, including its having an urban setting, so I do plan to continue with this series. The last line might or might not be a bit of a cliffhanger regarding Anna’s personal life.

I wasn’t sure at first about an urban national park (in the heart of post Katrina New Orleans) because one of the reasons that I enjoy this mystery series so much is I learn a lot about various national parks, including learning about nature (fauna and flora) in the parks.

But, I ended up being more interested in the urban setting than I’d expected. I wish there had been a bit more about the city and a lot more about Anna’s friend Geneva, who’s very interesting, but got way too little page time.

Some of the psychological transformations that happen with one character irked me because for the most part they just weren’t realistic. Then there’s the tawdry, lurid, horrific, and other upsetting aspects to the story. There’s a lot not to like here, at least for me, someone who usually likes gentler mysteries.

I’m nearly certain I’m the one or one of the people who introduced my Goodreads friend Lee to Barr’s books. I would now suggest to her that she skip this one. I don’t make this recommendation lightly, given my compulsive need to read series books in order and in their entirety.

[Sunda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is seriously disturbing. It revels in horrifying, grotesquely graphic depictions of the worst kinds of violence against children. The plot line falls very thin in several places, characters who are interesting and engaging (e.g., Geneva) are not developed, while the ickiest of the icky are given too much air time. If you consider this book at all, consider the title an imperative. That's all that should be done with this rot.

Full disclosure: I am a Nevada Barr fan, and have read (and enjoyed) all of her other novels. I have enjoyed the Anna Pigeon series very much, but I can't help but wonder if Barr hasn't traumatized herself a bit by spending too much time with her more horrifying of characters -- this has just shot waaaay over some edge that should not be crossed.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read every Anna Pigeon novel from the beginning of the series to this one. In fact I have only three more to go, unless she writes another one. She somehow manages to kick it up a notch in every book. The psychological elements are huge in Burn. She also takes on pedophilia in a horrific brothel in post-Katrina New Orleans. Honestly, it was almost too much, even for me.

What saved me this time was her excellent exploration of the fierce desperation of a mother whose children have been taken from her. If you are squeamish about harm done to children, you have been warned!

[Jeannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this book was a hard one to read. I love the series, but this one is set a little differently and was not about Anna's work as a ranger directly. The content included children being sexually abused, which was very difficult to read. I give credit to the author for tackling it. I have to say that this is the 2nd book I have read (fiction of course) that was set in New Orleans that leaves me scared for humanity and absolutely no desire to ever visit there!

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first Anna Pigeon story that I did not like at all. The subject matter was grotesque (child sexual abuse), the story was nonsensical, there was nothing socially redeemable about this book. I gave it 2 stars because I did like Claire's comments about different actor's lines in plays and movies. A real miss by Barr.

[Jerry B · Rating 2 out of 5]

We're a Barr/Anna Pigeon fan, but as many of her fans have duly observed, the storyline in "Burn" is nearly as dark and disagreeable (child sex trafficking, with lurid details throughout) as her non-Pigeon "thriller" “13-1/2.” Anna is on vacation in New Orleans, recuperating from the horrors/injuries of the prior novel "Borderline". The "time off" lasts only a few pages before she's embroiled in understanding and investigating a "gutter punk" (we're still not too sure exactly what that is, we guess a modern day bum) who she suspects of some sort of nefarious deeds. This takes her to a nudie bar, with some unlikely girl-to-girl chit chats with the performers. Meanwhile, in an unrelated development, a woman escapes from a fire that seemingly murders her husband and ostensibly her two daughters as well. However, she and her dog depart from Seattle to New Orleans (coincidentally) as she is not convinced her daughters died in the fire - plus she as prime suspect is running from the police. We of course soon suspect she will run into Anna, and we were not to be disappointed as she and Anna finally hook up and search for the girls in the heart of a horrid pedophile operation.

While we suppose the writing is as good as in most of the series, this one has nothing to do with a national park, detracting from our expectations of these novels considerably. Moreover, the plot really stretches credibility throughout, as the bad boys prove to be just a little too easy to find and infiltrate. So add those factors to the offensive, often disgusting, subject matter already noted delivers a finished product that not only mostly failed to entertain but frequently did little but disturb and provoke without remedy.

While we’ve always appreciated the Pigeon character as a very realistic older woman with many warts and flaws, but with many offsetting competencies, sort of like most of us, we fervently hope her next outing will indeed get out of the gutter, return to an outdoor park setting that we can appreciate, and amuse us with a lighter storyline. We enjoy suspense and thrills as much as the next reader, but frankly don’t care to dwell throughout an entire novel on certain appalling depravities of the human condition.

[Brian Fagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you think of New Orleans, what do you think of first? The Mardi Gras Parade? Delicious and spicy creole and cajun food? Great jazz clubs? Heat and humidity? I guarantee that you aren't thinking about the topic of Nevada Barr's Burn, the 16th novel in the Anna Pigeon series. It involves vice, but one far below even the seedy surfaces of those we might usually associate with the reveling that goes in in the French Quarter.

Anna Pigeon, a National Park ranger and law-enforcement officer, has had some major changes in her life. I've read about half of the novels in the series, but not the one leading into this book. Apparently, Anna was involved in a major snafu at Isle Royale National Park in Michigan. One that she admits messed her up mentally. She is on administrative leave. However, for Anna Pigeon fans, the most surprising change is that Anna is now married to Paul Richardson, a sheriff in a rural Mississippi county.

Anna has decided to use her "mental health holiday" to visit Geneva, a blind ranger friend who works as an interpretive guide in the French Quarter. As the story opens, Anna has a strange and unsettling encounter with street punks in New Orleans. Far away in Seattle, a triple kidnapping occurs, and then the children's house is rocked by a huge explosion, killing their father. The mother, who was on a middle-of-the-night run to the pharmacy, returns to the house and becomes a suspect in the crimes. The two plot lines soon become one.

After reading quite a few of Barr's novels, I believe her writing took a quantum leap in quality with Burn. She seemed to slow down the pace, and I think the result is outstanding. Barr uses all the different hats that Anna wears - woman, wife, law enforcement professional, tourist, friend, animal protector, etc. - to look at situations from many vantage points. We also witness a physical side of Anna Pigeon that we haven't seen before. Kudos to Nevada Barr for writing a novel around a taboo subject that would give most writers pause.

[Joyce · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had trouble with "Hard Truth" (Anna Pigeon series) because of the child abuse, but that was nothing compared to the horrendous, disgusting, detailed descriptions of child trafficking and sexual abuse by pedophiles in "Burn." The last two books that I read by Barr were not up to her usual excellence, but I reread the first ten Pigeon novels and "Bittersweet" (by Barr) because I enjoyed them so much. "Burn" was given me as a gift and I was hoping that this book would be up to her earlier writing style. I was disappointed, again. I gave the book two stars because no one can dispute the author's ability to weave a tale or her unparalleled gift of stringing words together in beautiful prose. That being said, I have worked with adults who were abused and sexually molested as children. I do acknowledge that people need to be made aware of this very real sickness that lurks in the most unsuspected places in our societies...worldwide. However, I don't think a novel written with such lurid detail is the way to do it. One reviewer pointed out that parts of this book might even appeal to pedophiles due to the vivid descriptions. I read for entertainment because I have to deal with the ugliness of the "real" world everyday. I do not care to encounter that ugliness while reading for fun. Perhaps there is a good reason to write books like "Burn." If one person is so touched by the book that they are motivated to work toward a solution to the problem, then who am I to say that it should not be written.

I would not recommend the book; you need to judge for yourself if this book is for you.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A longtime fan of Nevada Barr, I was thrilled to receive the chance to review this ARC.

It can be read as a stand-alone, easily enjoyable without having necessarily been previously introduced to Anna Pigeon.

The plot is beautifully woven together. I would liken it to a jigsaw puzzle being formed from two different starting places, gradually meeting in the middle - then being fleshed out, and filled in.

Anna is taking some much needed downtime, visiting her friend Geneva in New Orleans. Her vision of a quiet, contemplative rest soon shatters, when she encounters Geneva's border - the mysterious (and possibly dangerous) Jordan. Unable to resist, Anna is drawn into a web of secrets and intrigue, as well as a world in which nearly everyone she encounters is hiding behind a facade. Bravely donning a Mardi Gras masque herself, Anna begins an adventure/investigation that will take her from the voodoo shops of the city to an uncovering of the most heinous child sex slavery ring.

No spoilers here. A caution, though. While very well written, and not over-the-top graphic - the subject matter and many passages are quite disturbing...

Ms. Barr keeps it real, and really good, as usual!

[Michele Breaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, this disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher. My thanks to St. Martin's Press & goodreads!

I've been a Nevada Barr fan for a long while, and have read all of her books. I especially enjoy the ones set in the south, in locales I recognize; this was another familiar location - New Orleans.

Usually Anna Pigeon is found out in the wilderness somewhere pursuing her job as a park ranger. This time out she is loosely attached to New Orleans Jazz NHP, while continuing to recover from some trying times. It is a treat to see Anna in a different sort of setting. This is post-Katrina New Orleans - a city getting back on track but still overrun with abandoned buildings. Tourists are milling around flirting with Bourbon Street's dark and seamy side, and the local color includes voodooiennes, strippers, street punks and gangs.

Anna finds the city just as dangerous as any isolated wilderness, and as usual people are the most dangerous animal of all. This is one of the darker Anna Pigeon stories, but fans will not be disappointed by the multilayered story and intriguing characters.

[Agnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful story line. Anna isn't involved as deeply with national parks as she's still on leave. She goes to vacation in New Orleans where park workers perform in national parks run music hall. Anna rents off blind singer,Genevieve, who also has a tenant there searching for her daughters who were abducted form home in Seattle. Home was blown up, two young bodies found as well as husband's. Clare, an accomplished actress, poses as Jordan, male, so as to blend in with under current in New Orleans.

Their search, for of course Anna gets involved with Clare/Jordan, leads to the dreadful under current of child sex traffic. Ending is intense, especially after Anna tells her husband, Paul, of her actions, after he had asked her to be careful and not be too involved this time.

What will Anna do next????????

Nevada Barr writes strongly with much color and description. She keeps the story line moving, even with it jumping between Seattle and New Orleans. It is most unsettling to realize that the child sex business is thriving and continues, everywhere.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a while to realize that I was, actually, caught up on Barr's prior books after I found this in my local bookstore; that was due to my mistaken sense of time rather than Barr's transition between books. This book was ... interesting. I know that Barr's books are usually gritty, but this one felt even grittier than most. That very well could have just been the result of the topic (child abduction into prostitution) -- or it could be that I forget how gritty Barr's books are from book to book. Fact is, it's one of the things I like best about Barr's Anna Pigeon novels -- Anna has a very strong internal sense of right and wrong and isn't afraid to follow it.

Since I bought this book in paperback, I'm guessing that her next book is out in HC. I may very well look for it and invest the money now, rather than waiting for it to be MM.

[Donna]

As a general rule, I don't rate books I don't finish, although I guess not having finished them is often enough of a rating. In the case of Burn, I listened to the first five of the ten disks, but I'm done. The two converging subplots are intriguing, but I'm just tired of being told how each of the heroines feels, ad nauseam. If someone wants to tell me the outcome, in 25 words or less, I'll be glad to listen, but in truth, I've moved on.

I know Nevada Barr has a large, devoted following, so I'm sure my absence among them won't make a bit of difference to her. So much is obviously good about the writing, including vivid settings and terrifying twists of plot. But if a character sweats, I just don't need to examine every drop.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first Anna Pigeon book and I know I will have to read more books about her. I love New Orleans, so the setting sucked me in from the beginning. And like the streets in the French Quarter, the plot has hidden surprises, bumps, cracks, and a glimpse of the dirty underbelly of society. I may not recommend this to everyone, simply because the subject matter is too icky for some. But I found I couldn't put it down about half-way through.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a departure from the usual wilderness setting that Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon usually inhabits. With an urban setting, this book also tackles a disturbing subject matter, that of pedophilia and child trafficking. Even though the ending seems impossible, and more contrived than her usual, I found the plot and character development to show Barr's superb storytelling.

[Angela (Kentuckybooklover) Brocato-Skaggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very disturbing read. I had to skim over the detailed scenes involving the children. Unfortunately child sex trafficking and pornography are a horrible part of our world. Any parent would have done what Clare did and don’t pretend they wouldn’t.

I’m glad I ignored the bad reviews and read this book but I will say I won’t read it again.

[Ellen Spes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story of mother who finds herself accused of murdering her husband and children, but escapes to go undercover to find her girls in the New Orleans sex trade. With help of female policewoman they rescue them. Mom develops second male persona in order to infiltrate. Also stars a cute loving dog.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the CD and enjoyed the story. This was my first Nevada Barr and Anna Pigeon novel. Will look for another.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Anna Pigeon book. Disturbing subject matter (child sex slavery), but treated well. I could hardly put it down.

[Mckochan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is the most upsetting in terms of content, and having read them all, I could have skipped this even though it's as well written as the others.