The Burned Woman: A Dan Roman Mystery

Moral frailties and the dark side of human nature are explored in this intriguing mystery featuring Texas-based private investigator, Dan Roman. In his fifth outing, the 42-year-old ex-cop and his wife, Susie, an ambitious TV reporter 16 years his junior, are having marital problems. Their discord is exacerbated when Susie seeks an exclusive interview with rock star Mickey Conrad, who becomes infatuated with her. The singer and his henchman invade the couple's home in the middle of the night in hopes that Susie will leave her husband. She does--after she and Dan cannot resolve their differences. Later, when Susie does not return from a meeting at Conrad's home, Dan grows fearful and immediately begins searching for his missing wife. But there are only two clues: accident victim Charlotte Wilkins, and her car's fender, which bears a streak of silver paint, the same color of Susie's Toyota. Through legwork, Dan discovers that Charlotte was a prostitute whose clients included politicians and prominent citizens. One holds the key to Susie's disappearance. Mathis's ( Natural Prey ) compelling characters enrich the fast-paced prose of this solid, well-crafted story. (May)