The Burning Plain [Hardcover]

Michael Nava (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 12, 1998

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....

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

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

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 305 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; 1ST edition (January 12, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399143106
• ISBN-13: 978-0399143106
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,900,181 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Nava is a lawyer and novelist. His Henry Rios novels, published between 1988 and 2000, followed the life and cases of a gay criminal defense lawyer in Los Angeles during the tumultous period of the AIDS epidemic and the movement for gay rights. In 2000, he was awarded the Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement in LGBT literature. Previously he was awarded six Lambda literary prizes. He is at work on an historical novel set before and during the Mexican Revolution.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I've got to get to sleep! I have work tomorrow!!!, March 20, 1999

By 

S. Watanabe "Fulgum" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Burning Plain (Hardcover)

Needless to say this book was exemplary. I've read all of Michael's books and seen Michael develop as a writer and Henry Rios develop as a detective of sorts. There were several nights while I was reading this book where I didn't get to sleep until 1:30 A.M., eventhough I had to get up at 6:30A.M. "Burning Plain" was SO well written and gripping that I literally had to FORCE myself to put it away and get to sleep. There are few books, even from the so-called "bestselling writers," that write with such style and finesse. Every little detail is important and Michael fits them all together like a well constructed puzzle. I had my suspicions about the perpetrator but it really got me! There are many mystery writers and some famous ones that are highly overrated. Michael Nava is highly UNDERRATED and is not getting the following he deserves. If you want an excellent mystery, buy "The Burning Plain." You'll hunger for more of Michael Nava when you're done!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The proverbial "page-turner", December 11, 2001

By 

Keith (Culvr City, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Burning Plain (Mass Market Paperback)

First of all, I have never particularly been a mystery fan (well... okay, I admit I watched "Murder She Wrote" while I ironed. It was great because I didn't really have to pay very much attention to it -- the program that is, not the ironing... I haven't ironed since it was cancelled, by the way). So why did I pick up this particular book? Although I wasn't specifically looking for a mystery, I DID want something with gay men and women... and this looked interesting...

Interesting. Hmph. I could barely put it down. This was one of those books for me that I a) wanted to take my time reading because I couldn't imagine not having anymore to read and b) wanted to read as quickly as possible to see what happens next. Hard to do both at the same time...

Although I enjoyed the mystery itself, the far more enjoyable mystery is what is going to happen next to the people you've been introduced to. People and personalities change before our eyes, sometimes a sincere change reacting to what's going on around them; sometimes as a result of our finding out the truth about them.

What I appreciate most, I think, is the absolute correct amount of description. Many authors go one way or the other -- they either take you into a room and give you five tedious pages of description, or throw you in without any sense of where and when you are. Mr. Nava gave me just enough to put together a picture of people and places, without forcing me to skip 5 paragraphs just describing someone's eyes.

As a matter of fact, I have only ONE beef with this book... I live in Los Angeles, and I (and my partner) were shocked at the slap at the French Market. Sorry, Michael, but we LIKE the food there!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just a mystery, but a reflection on society as well., May 8, 1999

By 

Edward Alexander Gerster "miamibooks" (South Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Burning Plain (Mass Market Paperback)

Michael Nava just keeps getting better and better. THE BURNING PLAIN is his best mystery to date and shows both the development of the writer and the story's protagonist. A beautiful piece of work that is highly entertaining, while keeping you well grounded in some of the grittier sides of life. Hollywood scandal has rarely been treated better, with bits of "noir" and "camp" added in just the right proportion. Highly recommended.