Burn Out

July 7, 2008
After the travails of The Ever-Running Man
(2007), Sharon McCone retreats to her high desert ranch near Yosemite in MWA Grand Master Muller's fine 26th novel to feature the San Francisco PI. Depressed, bored and uncertain about her future in a dangerous business, McCone is unwittingly drawn into a local case—the murder of Hayley Perez, the estranged niece of ranch manager Ramon Perez, and the disappearance of Hayley's teenage sister, Amy, and their alcoholic mother, Miri. As she looks into the Perezes' relationships, McCone uncovers secrets that hint at more than simply family dysfunction. Two more murders and a suicide add to the confusion, which McCone can only untangle, with the help of her husband and her Shoshone birth relatives, by tracing the victims' complex past. By the upbeat ending, McCone has learned that with judicious use of both her investigative and executive skills she can reshape her life.

Starred review from August 15, 2008
Having narrowly escaped death at the hands of "The Ever-Running Man", ace investigator Sharon McCone retreats to husband Hy Ripinsky's ranch near Yosemite to fight depression and seek a path to her future. But her hoped-for peace is disturbed by the sight of a fearful young Native American woman, who turns out to be the niece of ranch manager Ramon Perez, and then shattered by a string of murders that attracts national media attention. What starts simply as help for a friend soon fully involves McCone, who calls on her Shoshone heritage to find the key to a decades-old rape. The process also invigorates McCone, who comes up with solutions to the plummeting morale in her San Francisco agency as well as answers for herself. Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Muller is in top form here, weaving McCone's personal plight into an intriguing plot with a backdrop of California's high desert country. An essential purchase for all mystery collections. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 6/15/08.]Michele Leber, Arlington VA

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2008
Sharon McCone, whonarrowly escaped death on her last case (The Ever-Running Man, 2007), has retreated to the ranch she shares with her husband to wallow in a bit of self-pity and figure out what to do with the rest of her life. Should she leave her successful investigative agency, overwhelmed by the administrative side and tired of risking her life in the field? Although the traumatized detective is determined not to get involved in any new investigations while resting in the high desert, a case finds her when she encounters a young girl in a supermarket parking lot who appears to be a victim of abuse. Although concerned, McCone sticks to her resolution not to get involved. But after she learns that a recent murder victim may have ties to the abused girl, McCone cant help herself. She begins investigating and discovers a very troubled Native American woman with an extremely dysfunctional family. Two more deaths have her combing a deserted resort, parts of Nevada, and an isolated ranch belonging to a mysterious millionaire. AsMcCone uncovers a web of murder, betrayal, and hidden identities, her depression lifts, and she reestablishes herself as the strong, capable woman her readers have embraced for decades. Mullers series launched the modern hard-boiled female detective, and it has been setting a gold standard for the subgenre for more than 30 years. Fortunately, the end isnt in sight quite yet.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)