The Burnings

'Lees' strikingly descriptive writing transports you directly to the streets of Jakarta... this will make you want to book a flight right now' Independent

A killer hides in plain sight on the crowded streets of Jakarta . . .

When a woman's scorched remains are discovered in her burnt-out car, Ruud Pujasumarta and his team are brought in to investigate what appears to be a routine homicide. But when another woman's charred body is found a few days later, Ruud also finds a banner unfurled by the corpse's feet. A verse from the Quran is scribbled across it, calling for unbelievers to be burned. Suspicions that the team have a religiously-motivated serial killer on their hands seem to be confirmed when a third body turns up with the same MO.

But who is responsible? Is it the Australian diplomat who was obsessed with the first victim? The imam who preaches Sharia law? Or the military general taking backhanders and living a life of luxury in Jakarta? Despite the many possible suspects, Ruud is suspicious that the killer may actually be someone much closer to home, someone he has trusted for many years. What unravels next is a terrifying chain of events . . . And what Ruud discovers puts his life, and the lives of those around him, in danger.

Praise for Julian Lees

'Lee's striking descriptive writing transports you directly to the streets of Jakarta' Irish Independent

'A darkly compelling tale of family secrets, lies and murder' Crime Review

“This second outing for Inspector Pujasumarta is an excellent police procedural set in a fascinating location featuring an empathetic and immensely likeable central character-- Myles McWeeney , Saturday Independent”

This second outing for Inspector Pujasumarta is an excellent police procedural set in a fascinating location featuring an empathetic and immensely likeable central character. - Independent

Julian Lees' lush use of language conjures up the extravagant and the seedy sides of life in modern Jakarta and transports the reader to its steamy slums and palaces, ratcheting up the tension through myriad false trails, keeping the reader enthralled right up until the denouement - Crime Fiction Fix on The Bone Ritual

a darkly compelling tale of family secrets, lies and murder - Crime Review on The Bone Ritual

Lee's striking descriptive writing transports you directly to the streets of Jakarta . . . reading this will make you want to book a flight right now . . . the book hurtles towards a conclusion that will keep you guessing right to the very end - Irish Independent on The Bone Ritual

Julian Lees was born and raised in Hong Kong, attended boarding school in England and currently lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with his wife and children.

The great-grandson of a high-ranking Cossack general who served under the last Tsar of Russia, Julian is a writer who draws from his family's rich history.His novels are set in a world where East meets West, a cross-cultural world which he captures bewitchingly and dramatically in his fiction.

'Lees' strikingly descriptive writing transports you directly to the streets of Jakarta... this will make you want to book a flight right now' Independent A killer hides in plain sight on the crowded streets of Jakarta . . . When a woman's scorched remains are discovered in her burnt-out car, Ruud Pujasumarta and his team are brought in to investigate what appears to be a routine homicide. But when another woman's charred body is found a few days later, Ruud also finds a banner unfurled by the corpse's feet. A verse from the Quran is scribbled across it, calling for unbelievers to be burned. Suspicions that the team have a religiously-motivated serial killer on their hands seem to be confirmed when a third body turns up with the same MO.But who is responsible? Is it the Australian diplomat who was obsessed with the first victim? The imam who preaches Sharia law? Or the military general taking backhanders and living a life of luxury in Jakarta? Despite the many possible suspects, Ruud is suspicious that the killer may actually be someone much closer to home, someone he has trusted for many years. What unravels next is a terrifying chain of events . . . And what Ruud discovers puts his life, and the lives of those around him, in danger. Praise for Julian Lees 'Lee's striking descriptive writing transports you directly to the streets of Jakarta' I rish Independent 'A darkly compelling tale of family secrets, lies and murder' Crime Review

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