Nobody writes better than Jan Burke about the real world of print journalism, and that aspect of her latest Irene Kelly mystery is as strong as ever. The tensions of being the wife of a cop and continuing to work as a crime reporter in the Southern California desert city of Las Piernas have increased with each big story Irene covers: it's almost as though her associates are waiting for her to make some mistake, to fumble a story. When an edgy, rebellious teenage girl asks her to look for her missing mother, Irene crosses the path of a very dangerous serial killer--Nicholas Parrish. He is one of those totally anonymous but enormously gifted and resourceful villains found only in fiction. Parrish kills women who happen to look like Irene (and his abusive mother), and attracts devoted disciples to his grisly cause. Because of Irene's involvement, several more lives are damaged or endangered, and the strain takes its toll on the reporter's mental stability.

Burke is such a fine, realistic writer that she can tread her way carefully across territory already well covered by Patricia Cornwell, Jeffery Deaver, Thomas Harris, et al. and still find something new to say about ritual murder and forensic science. But her real talent is bringing to full, instant life a remarkable woman--and the city she lives and works in. --Dick Adler

From Publishers Weekly
In her seventh outing (after Liar, 1998), journalist Irene Kelly is part of the investigative team on the hunt for serial killer Nicholas Parrish's many victims. Their graves are in California's Sierra Nevada mountains, and Parrish, having entered a plea bargain, is there too, leading the team to the women's corpses in exchange for a life sentence instead of the death penalty. But Parrish has planned a surprise or two. When a grave explodes, most of the team are killed, Irene flees, and the killer escapes. Back home, Irene continues to work at the behest of Gillian Sayre, the daughter of one victim. Her hunt for Parrish is made considerably easier by his growing obsession with her. A cunning psychopath with a calm demeanor, Parrish heavily resembles Hannibal Lecter. Rather than eat his victims, however, he tortures and dismembers them. Burke spends the first third of the novel overbuilding Parrish's reputation, so by the time she actually depicts his depravity the horrors are a bit anticlimatic. Later, the killer's mysterious accomplice, "The Moth," will be too easily identified by readers, especially after Burke unsuccessfully labors to mask his/her gender. And Parrish is only generically, not memorably twisted. Though Irene and other characters are well wrought and realistic, too many red herrings are introduced, all meant to distract the reader from the true evil, which, once fully revealed, just isn't quite evil enough. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
In order to escape the death penalty, a serial killer agrees to show authorities the grave of one of his victims in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Leaving a fretful detective husband behind, inveterate reporter Irene Kelly follows the taunting psychopathic killer, his guards, guides, two forensic anthropologists, a photographer, and one amazing canine into the wilderness. A traumatic reversal, however, turns the already risky journey into a lethal game of the hunter and the hunted. Detailed surroundings, chilling prose, and an unforgettable, "isolated-with-a-killer" plot recommend this for all collections. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Hannibal Lechter clone Nick Parrish is the hideous "star" of Burke's latest Irene Kelly mystery. Parrish, arrested for the torture-murder of Julia Sayre, promises to show the cops where he's buried Julia's body in the mountains above Las Piernas. Journalist Kelly has followed the Sayre case since it began, and the police grudgingly allow her to come along on the gruesome trip to Julia's grave. True to his word, Parrish leads the group to the decomposing body, then offers to show them the graves of other victims he claims he's killed. But Parrish has booby-trapped the graves, and once the bomb goes off, he escapes in the ensuing confusion. A heart-stopping chase through the mountains, with Irene as Parrish's intended victim, would provide a fitting climax for the story, but Burke has more suspense in store. Irene is rescued, but Parrish is still loose, and over the following months, he stalks Irene relentlessly. Gruesome "gifts" and a campaign of physical and psychological terror would turn most folks into basket cases, but Parrish's tricks only make Irene more determined to track him down. Burke's latest is very impressive--deviously plotted, cleverly crafted, full of screw-tightening suspense. This may be the book to take Burke to the top tier of literary and popular success in the genre. Emily Melton

From Kirkus Reviews
Nicky Parrish is one bad boy. He enjoys doing unspeakable things to womenafter they're dead, too. And is he ever sold on himself. He thinks he's the smartest serial killer who ever lived, much smarter than anything the Las Piernas (California) PD can put up against him. And, just to show you how hubris can distort reality, he even thinks he's smarter than series heroine Irene Kelly, ace reporter for the News-Express. He isn't, though for a while he makes Irenes seventh appearance (Liar, 1998, etc.) an authentic walk on the wild side. Why? Because Irene turns out to be Nicky's type, and discovering that a serial killer wants to get it on with you in a highly psychotic way is enough to darken anybody's worldview. Nicky, who in his best (read: worst) moments can be almost as unnerving as Hannibal L., proceeds to set his complex game afoot. He allows himself to get caught, promising to lead the cops (and Irene) to the gory grave somewhere in the Sierra Nevada mountains of his most recent blue-eyed brunette, then springs his trap. As a result, it's Nicky and Irene one on one: a grim, nail-biting, life-and-death struggle that reaches its climax on page 175. Trouble is, there are 203 pages to go, during which little that happens (Irene has emotional problems, gets help; Irene has career problems, gets frustrated) equals what preceded it. Sure, Nicky overreaches and will pay the price for his unabashed wickedness, but it's all so indefensibly long-winded. Taut and suspenseful early on, Bones goes soft around the middle. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review
The Washington Post Intelligent and deftly paced thriller-cum-procedural...a first-rate series.

Book Description
Irene Kelley bets her life on a deal she makes with a serial killer in the novel that "firmly ensconces [Burke] in the mystery pantheon with Patricia Cornwell, Sue Grafton, Robert B. Parker, and John Sandford."(The Tennessean)

Download Description
"What really happened to Julia Sayre? She disappeared four years ago. A young mother of two, Sayre was more than a news story to reporter Irene Kelly. When Sayre's family sought Irene's help, the search became a personal mission--and a fruitless one. Despite Irene's best efforts, only one person knew where to find Sayre: her killer. Now, years later, one of the most notorious criminals on death row is willing to talk. Condemned for unimaginable acts of torture and murder, Nick Parrish is plea bargaining for a life sentence--by leading Irene and a select group of officials to the secluded mountain grave of his victim. Soon, in the dark isolation of the Sierra Nevadas, they will discover what really happened. But Parrish's most terrifying secret is yet to come. And he's saving it just for Irene... "

FROM OUR EDITORS

What Became of Julia Sayre?

Every once in a while you read a book that reminds you why you started reading in the first place. You wanted excitement, a setting different from your own world, and interesting new people. And you wanted them written large and you wanted each element to be intense.

Bones is the most exciting novel I've read all year. It's got Sierra Nevada mountains for a setting. And it's got a serial killer who is genuinely interesting in a subhuman manner. The setup is straightforward. Our friend the serial killer wants to make a deal with the fuzz -- he'll show them where a long-sought body is buried if they agree not to seek the death penalty when he turns himself in. But who would make a deal with a serial killer?

Heroine Irene Kelly, who has been following the body search from the beginning, gets entangled in her own story and -- for the later chapters of the book -- goes mano a mano with the killer in the deadly mountains.

The very gifted science fiction writer Poul Anderson once noted that the best writers always use all of their senses in describing a scene. Burke is especially good at this. Given her use of shifting viewpoints, she's able to give you the sights, sounds, smells, and dread of a mountain battle -- both with a dangerous human being and an equally dangerous mountain terrain.

Bones is nonstop from page one. Be kind and buy two copies, one for yourself, of course, and one for your best friend. It's that good.

—Ed Gorman

ANNOTATION

Winner of the 2000 Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Novel.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

For four long years, no one has known what became of Julia Sayre. On the morning after this mother of two disappeared, her family sought the help of reporter Irene Kelly. But despite Irene's best efforts, until now only one person has known where to find Sayre: her killer.. "Nick Parrish, brilliant and sadistic, already faces the death penalty in a torture-murder case. Now he wants to cop a plea - life imprisonment in exchange for directing police to the isolated mountain grave where he buried Julia Sayre. The D.A. agrees to the controversial deal, and forms a specialized team of law enforcement and forensic experts to accompany Parrish on his grisly journey. When the Sayres and the newspaper pressure the D.A. to include Irene on the expedition, their wishes are honored over the protests of the team.. "From the start, Parrish makes Irene the object of his unnerving attention. His knowing smile and relentless stares make her wonder if heavy chains, armed guards, and a protective search dog will be enough to keep him at bay.. "But Nick Parrish's deadly plan to regain his freedom is already in motion, and Irene will need all her courage and ingenuity to remain the reporter - not the victim - in tomorrow's headlines.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In her seventh outing (after Liar, 1998), journalist Irene Kelly is part of the investigative team on the hunt for serial killer Nicholas Parrish's many victims. Their graves are in California's Sierra Nevada mountains, and Parrish, having entered a plea bargain, is there too, leading the team to the women's corpses in exchange for a life sentence instead of the death penalty. But Parrish has planned a surprise or two. When a grave explodes, most of the team are killed, Irene flees, and the killer escapes. Back home, Irene continues to work at the behest of Gillian Sayre, the daughter of one victim. Her hunt for Parrish is made considerably easier by his growing obsession with her. A cunning psychopath with a calm demeanor, Parrish heavily resembles Hannibal Lecter. Rather than eat his victims, however, he tortures and dismembers them. Burke spends the first third of the novel overbuilding Parrish's reputation, so by the time she actually depicts his depravity the horrors are a bit anticlimatic. Later, the killer's mysterious accomplice, "The Moth," will be too easily identified by readers, especially after Burke unsuccessfully labors to mask his/her gender. And Parrish is only generically, not memorably twisted. Though Irene and other characters are well wrought and realistic, too many red herrings are introduced, all meant to distract the reader from the true evil, which, once fully revealed, just isn't quite evil enough. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

VOYA

After teenager Gillian Sayre asks crime reporter Irene Kelly to look into the disappearance of her mother, Julia Sayre, Kelly discovers that Julia in all probability has become a victim of sadistic killer Nick Parrish. When the police capture Parrish, he offers to lead them to Julia's body, which he buried in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains. Kelly bulldozes her way onto the team of police and forensic specialists, including search dog Bingle, which accompanies Parrish. Once the group arrives in the mountains, things go horribly wrong. Winner of this year's Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for best mystery, Bones is a tough, challenging, yet ultimately rewarding look at how ordinary people can triumph over evil. Although Bones is the seventh book to feature Irene Kelly, readers who are not familiar with other titles in the series can still enjoy it. This mystery has all the necessary ingredients for an outstanding read—a terrific sense of pacing, great characterization, and a suspenseful plot that will keep readers turning the pages. Because the killer is a particularly twisted fiend, a certain measure of graphic violence is part of the plot, but violence is not exploited simply for its own sake. This thriller is highly recommended for older teens who have discovered authors such as Sara Paretsky or Laura Lippman. VOYA CODES: 5Q 3P S A/YA (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Will appeal with pushing; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult and Young Adult). 1999, Simon & Schuster, 378p, $23. Ages 16 to Adult. Reviewer: John Charles

SOURCE: VOYA, December 2000 (Vol. 23, No. 5)

Library Journal

In order to escape the death penalty, a serial killer agrees to show authorities the grave of one of his victims in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Leaving a fretful detective husband behind, inveterate reporter Irene Kelly follows the taunting psychopathic killer, his guards, guides, two forensic anthropologists, a photographer, and one amazing canine into the wilderness. A traumatic reversal, however, turns the already risky journey into a lethal game of the hunter and the hunted. Detailed surroundings, chilling prose, and an unforgettable, "isolated-with-a-killer" plot recommend this for all collections. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine

In her seventh thriller Jan Burke pits reporter Irene Kelly against a cruel serial killer...What follows is a harrowing adventure—and heartrending discovery—to which Burke adds a breathtaking twist. Run to the nearest bookshop for this one.

Kirkus Reviews

Nicky Parrish is one bad boy. He enjoys doing unspeakable things to women—after they're dead, too. And is he ever sold on himself. He thinks he's the smartest serial killer who ever lived, much smarter than anything the Las Piernas (California) PD can put up against him. And, just to show you how hubris can distort reality, he even thinks he's smarter than series heroine Irene Kelly, ace reporter for the News-Express. He isn't, though for a while he makes Irene's seventh appearance (Liar, 1998, etc.) an authentic walk on the wild side. Why? Because Irene turns out to be Nicky's type, and discovering that a serial killer wants to get it on with you in a highly psychotic way is enough to darken anybody's worldview. Nicky, who in his best (read: worst) moments can be almost as unnerving as Hannibal L., proceeds to set his complex game afoot. He allows himself to get caught, promising to lead the cops (and Irene) to the gory grave somewhere in the Sierra Nevada mountains of his most recent blue-eyed brunette, then springs his trap. As a result, it's Nicky and Irene one on one: a grim, nail-biting, life-and-death struggle that reaches its climax on page 175. Trouble is, there are 203 pages to go, during which little that happens (Irene has emotional problems, gets help; Irene has career problems, gets frustrated) equals what preceded it. Sure, Nicky overreaches and will pay the price for his unabashed wickedness, but it's all so indefensibly long-winded. Taut and suspenseful early on, Bones goes soft around the middle.