I have said it before, but it bears repeating: One of the joys of constant reading is the discovery of a new author who takes your favorite genre(s) in a slightly different direction. On that note, please permit me to introduce you to Joseph Schneider. ONE DAY YOU’LL BURN, his remarkably surefooted debut novel, stars a memorable character who you will want to see more of very soon.

LAPD homicide detective Tully Jarsdel is part of an experiment designed to fast-track policemen with college and post-graduate degrees into investigative units. He is partnered up with Morales, a somewhat jaded veteran detective who came up the long and hard way. Morales is less than impressed with the assignment, hanging the nickname “Prof” on Tully and not in a complimentary way. Part of the book’s entertainment is watching Tully earn Morales’ grudging respect over the course of the story. It’s an uphill, stiff-legged march; Tully, by his own admission, lacks some people skills and has a tendency to lecture when confronted with a topic in his field of expertise, which, to be sure, has a lot of acreage. He also has to contend with his parents, a pair of pointy-headed professors who are less than thrilled that their son has forsaken the ivory tower of academia for police work.

"Schneider is one of those people who knows quite a bit about a lot of different subjects, including old films, movie props, ballroom dancing and philosophy. He weaves them all into and through ONE DAY YOU’LL BURN with nary a misstep."

Tully gets his baptism by fire when he and Morales are assigned to investigate a high-profile murder in which the victim was burned to death and then left on a busy Hollywood street. It’s a puzzling case, not only for the whodunit aspect but also for the “why,” especially when the deceased is discovered to be a local character who was an irritation to those he encountered but not to the extent that he was worth killing. Someone, though, did the job on him, and in spectacular fashion. It is left to Tully and Morales to sort it out while under pressure from the brass, who want the case wrapped up quickly.

The pair also has a secondary but equally interesting cold case involving a fiend who murders dogs on the day that their owner is getting married. It has been going on for years, and the length of time between incidents makes the killer almost impossible to catch. Tully, whose approach to women is awkward (to say the least), becomes involved with one of the owners who has been so afflicted, and in the course of events acquires a clue that might solve the case.

However, the main case takes a bit more doing and is much more dangerous for everyone involved, including Tully, Morales and a host of others. The conclusion is cataclysmic, with everyone leaving a piece or two (or more) of themselves before the dust settles and the smoke clears. Don’t get too attached to anyone in particular. They may not make it to the end of the book.

Schneider is one of those people who knows quite a bit about a lot of different subjects, including old films, movie props, ballroom dancing and philosophy. He weaves them all into and through ONE DAY YOU’LL BURN with nary a misstep. I am hoping that this is the first of many books in a series, because these characters in this setting are just too good to end with a stand-alone. Regardless, watch for more from Schneider, an exciting talent whose work is worth your while.