Science fiction and fantasy books With a wicked sense of humor and a piercing eye for detail, "The Burn Palace" features a sprawling cast of vivid characters as it straddles multiple genres. State Police Detective Woody Potter tries to keep the investigation on track, but the clues lead into a tangle of murder, rape and, possibly, the occult. There are a couple of well-choreographed set pieces, but "The Burn Palace" shines brightest in its smaller moments, in scenes between flawed people seeking answers for the chaos in their lives. Once she's on a more equal footing with her elders, she demands that they enroll her in a public school and that she be given a chance to develop normal friendships. Before he knows it, the battered detective is chasing leads that take him into the dark heart of New York's financial realm, on a collision course with a high-tech security firm with connections to the upper echelons of the NYPD.