Raven Burns is a small town homicide detective in Louisiana. She’s a diligent hardass who’s good at her job. But her father was the infamous Floyd “Fire” Burns, the serial killer who left victims on a multi-state years-long spree. The first time Raven witnessed one of his crimes, the victim was her mother. A few decades later, Raven’s reputation as a possible accomplice who might follow in her father’s footsteps still precedes her. As a result, she does everything she can to stop criminals like her father. But when a steadfast Raven-hater turns up dead, public opinion turns back on her again. A Killing Fire and A Killing Rain by Faye Snowden are the first two books in a series that forces Raven to acknowledge who she is in order to protect herself and her community. 

I’ll do my best to recap A Killing Fire without spoilers because I think it’s important to understand what Raven went through by the time we get to A Killing Rain. Be warned that I listened to the audiobook, though. In any case, Raven definitely has some demons. Considering her father was executed for his crimes yet still talks to her, I’m pretty sure he’s one of them. Nevertheless, she works tirelessly to track down the clues to catch who killed Hazel Westcott – but all eyes are on her. It certainly doesn’t help that one of her main suspects hates her as well. More people turn up dead either way. Eventually Raven solves the case, but not without some additional trauma for her and those she cares about. 

In A Killing Rain, Raven and those involved in the chaos of the first book’s ending are still dealing with the aftermath. Readers get more insight into how Raven is with people. For example, she is very reluctant to trust people – even her own partner – which ends up making her job harder. As we progress through the story and meet some of Raven’s old acquaintances, we learn that this is nothing new. In her defense, if I was hearing my murderer father’s voice in my head commentating on my predicaments and interactions with others, I’d probably have a hard time maintaining relationships too. 

One relationship she can maintain is one with her foster brother Cameron. When he learns that he has a teenage son from his first relationship, Raven is reluctantly there for him. At the same time, murder victims are turning up in strange ways and in public places. And Raven is the best person to hunt down the killer once again. Yet the stakes are even higher when her new nephew Noe and his friend Clyde go missing. Raven races against the clock to find them before it’s too late. All while her actions from the first book don’t go unpunished. 

Faye Snowden is a great writer. She’s developed a complex character in Raven, with a past that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. She endures a consistent internal struggle against the voice in her head and voices in her community. She is constantly out to prove that she’s not her father’s daughter – but heartbreakingly, she doesn’t appear to be able to escape, no matter how hard she tries. 

The reveals of the “whodunit” in both books were not entirely expected, but the motives were a bit hard for me to grasp. They just seemed really out there and a little disconnected from the overall storyline. Once I reflected, I could see it a bit more clearly. Hence, some readers might have to do some extra work to wrap their heads around the conclusions. But then again, that’s probably how Snowden is able to lead the reader on without making the killer’s identity too obvious. Either way, A Killing Rain left me ready for more Raven Burns. 

Faye Snowden joins us for a Cantina Conversation where we talk about what she loves about the thriller genre, how her writing process changed for this series, and what readers can expect next. Keep an ear out for the interview on a future episode of The Nerd Cantina Show podcast and check out A Killing Fire, available now. A Killing Rain is available June 21.