DEATH IS POTENTIAL

A U.S. marshal stumbles into romance and a homicide case at a therapeutic hot-springs resort in Burnett’s debut thriller.

Kate Swift is on psych leave from the Marshals Service following a Federal Witness Protection Program family’s massacre. She checks in at the Satori Institute in California’s Garrapata State Park, replete with therapeutic seminars and workshops in the comfort of a scenic retreat, complete with cabins and spa-like hot baths. Unexpectedly, she reunites with Tom Scott, a widower she met six months earlier. Kate wasn’t ready for a relationship then, but now might very well be. Meanwhile, local detectives are there as well: Someone discovered the lifeless, probably murdered body of Satori co-founder Malcolm Eastwick. When another body turns up, a fire blocking the road impedes the detectives’ return trip, so they enlist Kate to pick up their investigation. She and Tom, who’ve already helped the cops, are now partners in a murder mystery, and the couple scours for clues to identify a killer who’s likely right there at the institute with them and fellow guests. Burnett’s lead characters are engaging, each reluctant to dive into a relationship (Kate has previously dealt with a cheater). The murder investigation, led by personable detectives Laura Sanchez and Daniel O’Malley, initially unfolds as a separate plot. The dual storylines gradually and organically fuse once the cops learn there’s a U.S. marshal on site. Unfortunately, the “transitions workshop” in which Kate and Tom participate unfolds at a sluggish pace; recurring scenes over the course of days linger on many guests who play no part in the investigation. Nevertheless, tension surges when it’s clear that the murderer is watching (“They’ve planted spy cameras around the campus. Last night we found a camera in the room that I’ve been sharing with another workshop member”), possibly creeping into cabins and suites, and may have Tom in the crosshairs. Once Kate finally demonstrates her much-touted taekwondo skills and general badassery, the final act ignites in a satisfying ending.

New lovers headline this unhurried but worthwhile murder mystery.