After reading a friend’s brilliant review of this book, I just had to read it for myself and was lucky enough to be able to request and obtain a copy via NetGalley. Thank you very much to Paromjit for the recommendation and to the publishers for letting me read the book!

This story, set in Jakarta, Indonesia, has a bloody, tortuous start with Inspector Ruud Pujasumarta strapped to a chair, being injured and in serious danger of bleeding out. Wow, after a start like that I really wondered just what I’d let myself in for! Well, the next thing is Rudd arriving at the scene where a burnt out car containing the remains of a body with a verse from the Quran written on a banner at the scene, a verse calling for unbelievers to be burned. When two further victims are discovered Ruud and his team strive to discover who is the murderer and why these young women are the victims. Are they linked in any way? If so, how? Why are the victim’s bodies mutilated? As potential suspects are discovered, Ruud and his team are in danger. Can they discover the truth in time to stop anyone else becoming a victim?

This is a fast paced, action packed crime thriller with an intriguing, twisting plot to keep you guessing. Ruud is a great character - so focussed, determined, stubborn and intelligent. The story gives an insightful look into police proceedures, corruption, bureaucracy and life in Indonesia, bringing the setting vividly to life in the imagination of the reader. This story isn’t for the faint hearted. It is a blood bath with violence and crime throughout the intriguing story, a real page turner that anyone who enjoys murder mystery and crime thriller stories will love.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for a review copy of The Burnings, the second novel to feature Inspektur Ruud Pujasumarta of the Jakarta police.

Ruud and the team are called out when a burning body is found in a burnt out car. The body is identified as Jillian Parker, an Australian yoga teacher, so the team swing into action, looking at Jillian's life, but when more burning bodies of western women are discovered they have to re-assess their approach.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Burnings which is a pulse pounding read with plenty of action, twists and turns and never a dull moment. The plot widens from a "simple" murder investigation into the hunt for a serial killer as more bodies and information are uncovered. The motive is elusive until Ruud has a eureka moment towards the end, although it is probably the least convincing moment in the novel for reasons I can't go into without spoilers. Still, the novel is well paced with a steady flow of reveals, excitement and action. It is a fairly violent novel with Ruud's team suffering injuries in the course of the investigation, never mind what is done to the victims.

Ruud Pujasumarta is a fairly stereotypical detective protagonist, determined, dogged, smart and unafraid to get stuck in. He also has an issue with authority, particularly his superiors at work, but the setting, somehow, makes it seem different. The novel has a wonderful atmosphere from the food to the overwhelming heat and it really makes the reader feel that they are in Indonesia. Policing is different there as it is not well resourced or technologically advanced, although some would say it's not so different in the UK nowadays, and politics seem to influence the decision making.

The Burnings is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

This is even better than the first in the series featuring Inspector Ruud Pujasumarta set in the sweltering heat and hustle and bustle of Jakarta, Indonesia. Ruud and Imke have been living together for 18 months now, living busy lives that cuts into their personal time together. Imke is worrying that Ruud has forgotten her upcoming birthday, but he is planning a big surprise, this includes the return of her beloved Aunt Eck, an artist visiting from Holland. Ruud has his work cut out as a complex murder investigation threatens to derail his life, bringing treachery and danger not only to his own life, but also his police colleagues, his family and Imke.

The burned corpse of a Canadian woman, Jillian Parker, is found in a car with her womb removed. Soon after, a British woman, Anita Dalloway, is discovered burnt on the railtracks with the same MO, with a nearby banner with a message suggesting the killer is targeting Christians. There are few leads, and it emerges the killer wears a pig mask. There is huge pressure on Ruud to solve the case as quickly and quietly as possible. However, there is a third burning, the dead Emily Grealish, a woman with connections to the military. There are a host of possible suspects including an Australian diplomat, a vociferous imam bent on promoting sharia law, a drug dealer and a corrupt army general. It is a nightmare of a case which has Ruud warned off looking at politically important people which he ignores in his search for truth and justice. He is forced to safeguard Imke by sending her home to Holland as the life of a police officer is lost. As he delves deeper into the case, Ruud begins to question whether religious hatred is really the motive behind the murders. Even when the dreadful and harrowing truth emerges, Indonesian backroom politics come into play, seemingly ensuring that corruption and murder is swept under the carpet and the perpetrators will go unpunished.

Julian Lees is going from strength to strength with this gripping and well plotted series. Ruud is revealing himself as a man of grit and determination, unwilling to yield to political demands in a country where corruption and bribery is rife. Some of the major highlights of the story are the focus on everyday life, culture and food in Jakarta, and the myriad of characters that make the place come alive such as the persistent attentions and loyalty of Ruud's ex-mother in law, the untreated PTSD experienced by one of Ruud's colleagues and the ugly sexism faced by female police officers. This is a great series, entertaining, tense, full of suspense and dealing with the darkest and most brutal of murders. I strongly urge yourself to discover Inspector Ruud Pujasumarta and Jakarta in this terrific series. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.