Review - The Burnt by Peter E. Fenton
The Burnt
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Volume 3 of Declan Hunt Mysteries
Tags: Mystery Private Eyes
Posted in Book Reviews on 8 July, 2026
Charlie is studying to become a private investigator in his own right. Between that and the office administration work, it keeps him very busy, but when Declan decides Charlie is ready to handle a seemingly simple case, it’s too good to pass up. On the home front, both men have a tendency to get so wrapped up in their work, their nascent relationship suffers. When another case comes in involving a ten year old missing person, Declan is busy looking into the recent murder of a man involved in his career-defining case, so he asks Charlie to handle it. However, it soon becomes apparent that the two crimes may be related.
This latest Declan Hunt Mystery sees Charlie take on a greater role as a true investigator, as well as advancing the pair’s romantic relationship. You really should read the first two books of the series before reading this one. Otherwise you won’t know who all the players are. This installment of the series was quite a page-turner for me, although I did spot a plot issue that nagged at me. Early on, two key characters reveal who they work for while talking to each other, which is significant not only to the story but to an over-arching plot of the series. It seems like one of our crack pair of investigators should have uncovered this fact early on, but they don’t know it until the penultimate scene.
The narration switches between multiple points of view, usually chapter-by-chapter, but most of the time the story is related from either Charlie or Declan’s point of view. It feels like we get a bit more from Charlie in this story, as he not only tackles cases on his own, but also is forced to deal with the parents from whom he has been estranged.
Our view of Declan doesn’t change much with this book. While he may be a few years older than Charlie, Declan is equally new to having a relationship. Like Charlie, Declan also needs to deal with his past in order to move forward.
“The Burnt” is available from independent booksellers through Bookshop.org.