Official Review: Burning Spiral by Edita A. Petrick

[Eric Morris]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Burning Spiral" by Edita A. Petrick.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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If you’re looking for a book that fits into the genre of “normal,” Burning Spiral ain’t it. Along with the usual murder, mayhem, and noir grit found so often in police procedurals, Edita A. Petrick sprinkles in a dash of romance and even a skosh of science fiction that, blended together, make this short novel anything but “the usual.” Our main character (and narrator), Detective Caroline “Carly” Osych, and her partner find themselves entangled in an investigation that starts with a murder and runs the full gamut of possibilities, testing both the skill and sanity of the duo.

When Detectives Osych and Rashleigh are called to the scene of a murder, everything seems straightforward except for the unusual wound on the victim’s chest and the disturbing tattoos on his face. They soon find out that this homicide is but the first in a string of identical killings, with the victims all bearing the same name and driving the same type of car. Each victim also provides his own “secrets” that lead the detectives right into the middle of another investigation. The mystery soon erupts into a race against time, although the detectives have yet to figure out who their enemy is, what he plans to do, why he plans to do it, or how…and their only clues are a string of dead bodies named “Michael.”

Overall, I wanted desperately to like Burning Spiral. The narrative is strong, and there is just enough “real-life” drama to make Carly Osych seem genuine and sympathetic, such as her ongoing struggles against her high-powered and overbearing ex-husband for custody of her children. Carly’s support team of characters is also fun, from the happily married and almost wise Bill Rashleigh, to the tough but kind Colonel Ben Lejeune. Even the plot, for the most part, is extremely solid. The novel has all the right elements to potentially be extremely enjoyable. But there are some flaws, and to me they are fatal.

From the very beginning the character interaction is clunky and awkward. This problem is compounded by the fact that the novel is dialogue-heavy, so there is A LOT of cringe-worthy conversation. An example of this would be Det. Rashleigh having to walk Carly through the scene of the crime as if she’s a rookie (and a dumb one at that) when it has already been established that Det. Osych is a respected veteran homicide detective. Why does Carly need a refresher on Forensics 101? There must be a better way to let the reader know what is going on besides treating a seasoned investigator like a 10-year old on “Bring Your Kid To Work Day.” In another scene, after Carly, in a fit of rage, leads the police down the highway at over 100 mph on the wrong side of the median for several miles, her captain suspends her for three days, and this punishment ONLY because she didn’t notify the police prior to her barreling into oncoming traffic and putting hundreds of lives in danger because she was mad at her ex (which SO makes her actions acceptable). All in all, I kept getting that disappointment in my belly like the one you get when you go to see a movie that has a great story, but it gets thrashed by a jerky script and even worse acting.

My other issue with this novel is that it crosses genres without going “all the way.” There is a great element of romance here, but it is rushed to keep up with the fast-paced story. The main relationship in the story goes from 0 to 60 in a matter of days, which I find to be unrealistic. Going back to the awkward interaction, the building of relationships practically serves as a distraction, if not a deterrent, from the main narrative. Also, the sci-fi element is a major plot factor, which becomes apparent early on, but it never resolves itself. Science fiction is a genre that you must be willing to go “all in” with or leave alone entirely. The way it is crafted into the story was intriguing enough to keep me engaged, and I read eagerly to see how the story would play out with the incorporation of sci-fi, but I felt like I was left hanging, which was disappointing. To say any more would require a spoiler alert, but imagine that it’s Game 7 of the NBA Finals, your team is down by 1, and instead of shooting a buzzer-beater for the win, your star player just dribbles the ball until the clock runs out. That kind of disappointing.

Burning Spiral gets 2 out of 4 Stars from me. It is definitely a fun read, but it is not to be taken seriously. That being said, it has some serious potential. According to Edita Petrick’s website, she is currently in the process of reclaiming the rights to this book. Given the glowing reviews of her more recent work (this book was published in 2008), I believe the opportunity exists to overhaul this book and mold it into the stellar novel it deserves to be. Burning Spiral came up a little short for me, but it was good enough that I will be revisiting this author in the very near future.

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Burning Spiral
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Like jacnthabox's review? Post a comment saying so!

[zeldas_lullaby]

Wow. That is a very good, insightful review.

I guess it would be a bad day to be named Michael.

[bluemel4]

It's always a good sign if you are willing to read the author's other work.

[Eric Morris]

Wow. That is a very good, insightful review.

I guess it would be a bad day to be named Michael.

Thank you so much!! It was definitely the wrong time to be named Michael, for more than one reason, but of course you'd have to read the book to find out why...

-- 27 May 2015, 18:17 --

It's always a good sign if you are willing to read the author's other work.

Indeed, it is a good sign. I've read a lot of books, and I'm pretty critical, but I try to be fair. This book had some issues, but Ms. Petrick definitely shows the qualities of a potentially extraordinary author. I'm sure every writer has produced something that they wouldn't want to be representative of their entire bibliography. She is definitely worth another look.

[bookowlie]

Nice review! I think I've seen reviews of a few of this author's books here. Maybe you will like one of the other books better.

[Jesska6029]

Great review! Let us know if you enjoy the other books by her should you try them!

[Eric Morris]

Great review! Let us know if you enjoy the other books by her should you try them!

Nice review! I think I've seen reviews of a few of this author's books here. Maybe you will like one of the other books better.

I absolutely plan to read another of her books, and when I get that chance I'll definitely follow up with a review!!