Peter Ash hasn't slept inside anything but a tent or his truck for two years. Suffering from PTSD, he roams the Northern California redwoods contemplating a crime that could lock him away and force him to "get over" his disorder-related claustrophobia. Instead, Ash stumbles upon investigative journalist June Cassidy secreting herself among the trees.
June is also trying to outrun forces beyond her control. Unlike Ash, she's not sure what or who they are, only that they appear connected to her mother, a tenured Stanford professor recently killed in a hit-and-run.
It becomes evident June is being hunted, and in short order she and Ash team up in a dangerous race to figure out what June has or knows before it gets her killed. June's investigative prowess coupled with Ash's resourcefulness make them a compelling team, bound to spark friendly conflict and a connection they each need.
In Burning Bright--the second Peter Ash novel, following his first-class debut, The Drifter--Nick Petrie shows no signs of letting up on the action or character development. While the suspense genre has no shortage of veterans suffering from PTSD, Ash feels different and true, his symptoms neither overblown nor imparting superhuman skills, but nevertheless unsettling.
The investigation is fraught with mercenary violence and heady computer technology, but the characters' talents always feel righteously earned. Backed by a cadre of appealing secondary characters, June and Ash's chase leads to a place they never expected and a satisfying conclusion worthy of the risks. --Lauren O'Brien of Malcolm Avenue Review