Customer Reviews

The Edge of Justice

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have always thought a mountain climbing killing might be the perfect murder. Who is say how the "accident" occurred? Sometimes the body is never found. A misstep, a quirk of the weather, a piece of rotten rock---all or singly could happen in an instant and be given as the likely cause of death.

"The Edge of Justice," a debut novel, takes that premise and gives it quite a shake. Protagonist Anton Burns, Special Investigator for the State of Wyoming and climbing enthusiast, is sent to Laramie to investigate the accidental death of a girl who fell to her death from a ledge in the mighty Vedauwoo mountains. Anton is carrying a heavy load of baggage: he is under investigation for shooting and killing three men in a police raid, his beloved elder brother is in jail for manslaughter, and he has been exiled to the Cody office far from the action in Cheyenne. When he arrives in Laramie, the biggest trial in the history of the state is in progress, trying two lowlife brothers for the brutal rape/murder of a young girl. Anton and his faithful bear of a dog, Oso, after an idyllic afternoon rock climbing investigate the site of the climbing death. He quickly ascertains that the "accident" was murder. While investigating, he realizes a cover-up is in place and it is very likely the brothers on trial are innocent.

This is a fast paced novel that keeps our interest engaged. Mr. MacKinzie is obviously an expert climber and does well in describing the almost lyrical joys of high altitude climbing. One might say he devotes too many pages to the technical aspects of climbing, but I stayed involved all the way. The characters are mostly one-dimensional, either very good or very bad with no ambiguity. Also there are far too many subplots and needless diversions. However, the author has a good tale to tell, and he does it well. I look forward to further adventures with Anton; maybe the next time will be a little more streamlined.

What a great debut for McKinzie! The story of Special Agent Anton Burns starts out on a mellow pace, setting up the background and the foundation for a thrilling plot that takes off quite suddenly and then doesn't let up. Burns is a sympathetic character who struggles with internal and personal issues while still striving to do right by others and by the laws of justice. (I was especially touched by the character's deep relationship with his dog, Oso) While there are several subplots that get interwoven into the main storyline, the urgency and intensity of the main plot keeps the reader charging ahead.

I don't know anything about rock climbing and didn't always understand all of the details, but there is no doubt that the author's integration of this adventurous sport added to the drama and made the story exciting and fresh. I thought the author did a wonderful job of getting the reader to dive right into the main character's complex life immediately, yet made it intriguing enough that I wanted to learn more about his history, which I hear will come out in a prequel to be released later. Once I got into the meat of the book, I hunkered down and plowed right through to get to the exciting climax. Well-written and a reading adrenaline rush (perhaps like feeding the Rat!).

EDGE OF JUSTICE was slow getting started for me but once it picked up my interest, I was hooked. Anton Burns is a breath of fresh air. He's not a supercop, but a mountain climber/peace officer in exhile. I can't wait to read the prequel to find out why he is in exhile. I recommend this book, highly. It was more realistic in that Burns went through ALOT of trials and tribulations and I loved that he wasn't some supercop who could control each and every situation he was in. Often, the injustices that occured were very fustrating to read but realistic regardless. I think this book would appeal to those who are tired of the same ole thing. Characterizations were strong and memorable. Look forward to his next book.

Keishon

Clinton McKinzie has made me a convert to thriller/crime/adventure stories. He truly has a gift for shaping character and plot, drawing you in to encounter people you care about in situations that are simultaneously extreme and realistic. I recommend his work to a variety of readers; it's a page-turner, a great escape into a world where McKinzie is the expert guide. The story may also encourage you to give climbing a try!

I'm still not sure whether I'm more inpressed with the author or the novel!

Allegedly, this is the author's first novel. However, the enduring excitement McKinzie's story provides keeps the reader unable to close the book. Clinton McKinzie has a style most authors are lucky to perfect over a life-time.

I eagerly await the already planned prequel. McKinzie's career will be watched with great interest.

This story takes place in Laramie Wyoming. Anton Burns, the engaging lead character, is an agent with the Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigation and an amateur rock climber. Several murders in Laramie are starting to look similar to Burns. Two men are on trial and facing the death penalty, but the accidental death of a woman rock climber that agent Burns is investigating seems to have evidence that points towards murder and has some clues in common with the sensational murder case being tried in court. As Burns gathers evidence to support his theory, he has to deal with some very serious personal issues. McKenzie weaves an ambitious plot that comes together in an action filled conclusion. Rock climbing scenes interspersed with courtroom drama keep the reader interested throughout the story. Anton Burns is a great character and I would welcome more stories about him. However, my favorite character in this book is Ozo, Burns' Mastiff-type dog, who goes everywhere with him. Ozo even `spots' Anton on his solo climbs. Put a dog in a story, any story, and you have won me over. This was a very good debut novel.

The official first book of the Antonio Burns series has Anton, a Wyoming state narcotics agent, investigating a supposedly accidental death in Laramie. Laramie is quite the hopping place when Anton arrives in the middle of the "trial of the century," as two brothers are being tried for the brutal murder of a woman who was believed to be on the verge of turning them in for dealing drugs. The death Anton is investigating is supposed to be an open-and-shut accident case, as the girl fell off the rock face of Vedauwoo. He has been called in because of a possible conflict of interest, as the dead girl was climbing with the son of Nathan Karge, the prosecutor, who is certain to be the state's next governor. Unfortunately, her death doesn't look like much of an accident to Anton, as she fell on her face but has a suspicious contusion on the back of her head. Equally suspicious is the lackadaisical job the coroner did with the autopsy, destroying valuable evidence. Anton meets with resistance at every stage of his investigation, not only from the local cops, but all the way to the state attorney general's office. Since Nathan Karge has a lot to lose if his son is implicated in a murder, he's not very happy about Anton's investigation. Neither is the small climbing cult in Laramie, run by thuggish Billy Heller, a climber past his prime who surrounds himself with adoring younger climbers, some of them girls who endure his rough sexual practices in order to get their hands on the methamphetamine he sells.

Most of the local police are hostile toward Anton and his investigation, and any of the climbers Anton talks to seem to wind up dead. That their deaths all bear similarities to the death Karge is pinning on the brothers convinces him that Heller, not the brothers, are guilty of that crime. But, since implicating the chief prosecutor's son in that crime will destroy his career, Karge pulls every string he can to hamper the investigation. In addition, Anton's wild brother Roberto has just escaped from prison, and the authorities believe Anton helped him out. Anton only has a few allies, his boss, a big black deputy, a lovely reporter, and his big dog Oso. Everyone else seems to want him suspended or dead.

This book bore a lot of similarities to "Point of Law," its prequel which was published second, but changes a few details from the back story. I was a little disappointed we didn't get to see more of Roberto, Anton's wild brother, who in this book is not just a felon, he's doing time for manslaughter. However, his character rang true, as did the personalities of both Anton and Oso. It was no secret who the bad guys were, but there was a bit of suspense as to what actually happened the night the girl fell off the cliff, and I turned the pages quickly to find out what was going to happen next. This is an entertaining series of thrillers, and I look forward to more.

I enjoyed every page-turning page of this rock and mountain-climbing thriller/mystery. For me, the writer compares well with favorites such as Dick Francis. McKinzie's love of climbing (and of his dog) shine through. Yes, the narrator is super-human (doesn't bother me, I don't want to read about ordinary people) and some plot turns may be inevitable or contrived, but even so, the genuine voice of Ant and the supporting good guys carries it for me.

Yes, I do have a niggle, perhaps at the editors as much as anyone. (I hate nigglers, but I can't resist. Sorry.) The crescent moon does not rise in the east at sunset. And I suspect that stunted , high-altitude trees are not oxygen-starved.

A first novel with a heavily detailed back story. That may be why the sequel is a prequel. Different view and hero make me look forward to more.

This is a good page turner of a mystery. The plot is a good tight mystery with some great twists and turns. The leading man - an agent with the Wyoming AG's office that investigates politically sensitive cases - is compelling and sympathetic. He battles his own demons as he battles the "bad guys". Woven throughout are his rock-climbing trips up the sides of mountains that add a different ingredient to the tale. The other characters - a wheezing, possibly dying boss; a near love-interest reporter; a group of on the edge rock climbers (and two clearly over the edge) and the ambitious up-and-coming politico-prosecutor - are all good and add to the book. The best supporting cast member may be Oso, Agent Burns' bear-like dog.

My primary criticism of this book is the super-human physicality of the main character. During the several days and nights this novel takes place, he is beaten severely more than a few times. Twice he ends up in a hospital room. Despite the beatings and lack of sleep, he not only keeps on ticking, but rock-climbs mountains in bad weather and at night that he would advise against doing in daylight. The credibility of this part of the book is diminished more as Burns constantly reminds us that he has not climbed in eighteen months.

The author also bails the hero out a few times with the near miraculous appearance of the county's only good cop - who happens to be a mountain of a man in a mountaineering novel - and Burns' brother, whose appearance on the scene is even more improbable.

I enjoyed the book and would recommend it. The above criticisms bring it from a 4 star to a 3 - but it is still enjoyable. The character is likeable so I expect to pick up the prequel which has been published.