The Burning Plain

Still reeling after the death of his former lover, criminal defense lawyer Henry Rios unwisely falls for a young actor whom he had successfully defended on trumped-up burglary charges. But just hours after a date with Rios, the man is brutally murdered--and the trail of circumstantial evidence leads an unscrupulous police detective to Rios' doorstep.And when a second young man, and then a third, are found dead, Rios must fight not only to exonerate himself, but to save his very life. Embroiled in his own investigation of the case, Rios exposes an intricate web of blackmail, betrayal, corruption, and violence--a conspiracy that reaches from the Los Angeles criminal courthouse to the studio lots to the mayor's office.And in the end, Rios knows that one more murder won't make a difference to anyone.... Amazon.com Review Michael Nava has garnered critical and popular acclaim for his mystery stories featuring gay Mexican American detective/lawyer Henry Rios. In the 1996 The Death of Friends Rios's best friend was brutally murdered. In The Burning Plain , Rios, still recovering from his loss, has taken up with a young man who is also murdered shortly after leaving his home. The police are initially suspicious of Rios, a situation that grows increasingly serious for him after two more young men are killed. Nava is an expert at combining plot and atmosphere, suspense and politics. Like P. D. James and Caleb Carr, Nava beautifully and thoughtfully writes "thinking persons" mysteries. The Burning Plain is that rare book: a cunning mystery and a serious novel. From Booklist Gay Mexican American lawyer Henry Rios has fought bigotry and prejudice; battled alcoholism; and watched his lover die from AIDS. Now he's wrongly accused of murder after a male prostitute he spent an evening with is savagely murdered. Rios proves his innocence, but when two more gay men are brutally murdered, he is drawn unwillingly into the hunt for a serial killer and soon finds himself up against an unsympathetic DA, a gay-bashing cop, reluctant witnesses, and a conspiracy among Hollywood's power elite. Nava writes an excellent mystery featuring crisp dialogue, diabolical suspense, and subtle wit, but it's his unflinching look at what it's like to be an openly gay man today that makes this series special. Rios is a flawed, human, and achingly real hero, and this is a provocative, genre-expanding novel. Emily Melton Version : 4.0 More Tags : ebm Attorney Henry Rios fights for his freedom and his life when a homophobic serial killer targets gay men in Los AngelesDefense attorney Henry Rios knows how the system can be weighted against you . . . especially if you’re gay. His worst nightmare becomes a reality when a man he had been on a date with the night before is slain. Relentlessly pursued by a homophobic Los Angeles Police Department cop, Rios goes from prime suspect to target when more gay men are savagely murdered. The victims all suffer the same fate: They’re beaten to death, with a hate message carved into their bodies, and they’re dumped in an alley.Rios must break through a conspiracy of silence that reaches to the highest levels of Los Angeles politics and Hollywood power. And the closer he gets to the truth, the closer he gets to becoming an enraged killer’s next victim. "Still reeling after the death of his former lover, criminal defense lawyer Henry Rios unwisely falls for a young actor whom he had successfully defended on trumped-up burglary charges. But just hours after a date with Rios, the man is brutally murdered-- and the trail of circumstantial evidence leads an unscrupulous police detective to Rios' doorstep. And when a second young man, and then a third, are found dead, Rios must fight not only to exonerate himself, but to save his very life. Embroiled in his own investigation of the case, Rios exposes an intricate web of blackmail, betrayal, corruption, and violence-- a conspiracy that reaches from the Los Angeles criminal courthouse to the studio lots to the mayor's office. And in the end, Rios knows that one more murder won't make a difference to anyone...." -- From back cover