Randy Rawls, Jake's Burn: Arson in Cisco

Jake's Burn: Arson in Cisco

Randy Rawls

Quiet Storm, 2004, $14.95, 262 pp.

ISBN: 0974960810

In Dallas, former police officer turned private sleuth Arthur Conan "Ace" Edwards ekes out a living to complement his retirement pay mostly finding information on cheating spouses. Three years ago, Ace worked a case for a client from his hometown, multimillionaire Jake Adams, seeking proof that his wife, Sheila was cheating on him so that he would pay less in alimony and most likely keep the home he designed. Ace succeeded, but Jake lost the house to Sheila anyway.

Jake wants to hire Ace to investigate who burned down "his" home. Though he would prefer to stay away from Cisco, Ace accepts because the fee will pay off his outstanding debts. Ace immediately learns two people died in the fire. He assumes Sheila is one, but has no idea whom the other is. Though local, townsfolk treat Ace like an outsider refusing to cooperate with him; except for Bubba, who loved Sheila and was the cause of the divorce. As Ace continues his inquiries for a conflict of interest pair of clients (Bubba vs. Jake) and falls in love, someone tries to ace the sleuth whose only allies are his two cats.

Fans of private sleuth tales will appreciate the fabulous JAKE'S BURN that proves one cannot go home even to his own home. The action-packed story line with a wicked sense of humor engages the audience from the moment Jake rehires a reluctant Ace to look into deadly arson until the final brawls. A sidebar romance humanizes the hero who proves to be an ace of a detective and readers will demand further adventures of this charismatic hero.

Harriet Klausner