Book Review of The Man Burned by Winter By Pete Zacharias

Book Review of The Man Burned by Winter by Pete Zacharias

This book hits justice, vengeance and being a series, it’s starting redemption for the main character. And that main character is Rooker Lindström, a former newspaper reporter from California who has moved back to Itasca County in Minnesota in the dead of winter. Lots of references to being cold. Rooker has moved back to his father’s house, where Gunnar murdered and beheaded thirteen women. The book resembles the television show The Prodigal Son some, only Rooker’s father, an infamous serial killer, is dead.

Messed up family dynamics is what this novel is all about. Also, lots of serial killing. Rooker’s father, Gunnar. Rooker’s son was killed by a serial killer. And, oh yeah, the story is about a serial killer whose victims are also women, like Gunnar Lindström’s. The killings start just about the time Rooker arrives, so naturally, he’s one of the prime suspects. The killings seem to be related to Gunnar’s killings, thus Rooker gets drawn into the case, working with Tess Harlow, the lead detective in charge of the serial killings.

The mystery is this one is good. I didn’t figure it out until the big reveal. That doesn’t mean other more astute mystery readers won’t figure it out. There are lots of false avenues and about three-quarters through the detectives think the case is wrapped up. But wait! It’s not.

The writing is well done. I have only one complaint and that is the number of similes and metaphors. About three or four a page. A little over the top and some of them are a bit of a stretch. Others are unique and add some color to the prose.

I rated this one a four. However, not sure I’ll read anymore because I don’t like Rooker. He has an interesting background, a serial killer father who abused him, but he’s a drunk wallowing in self-pity over the death of his son. Instead of showing strength to help his wife through it, he leaves her and retreats to the middle of nowhere Minnesota. This book, though, does hint at maybe some redemption down the line. It’s Pete Zacharias’s first novel and if he improves on subsequent ones, there will be some good stuff coming from him.

The book is rated R. Some casual sex, but not overly explicit. Lots of profanity. Graphic violence. Below are the 2022 ratings so far. This one squeezes out You Are Invited for third.

Book Rankings for 2022

1. Win by Harlen Coben
2. Murder Board by Brian Shea
3. The Man Burned by Winter by Pete Zacharias
4. You Are Invited by Sarah A Denzil
5. Girl, Alone by Blake Pierce
6. One Night in Sedona by Carrie Latimer.
7. Coffin Cove by Jackie Elliott

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