A kidnapped girl. A ruthless criminal who preys on the innocent. Two killers who will stop at nothing to bring him down.Former assassin Leine Basso was supposed to be in sunny LA, watching the first class of operatives graduate from the new anti-trafficking academy. Instead, she’s in North Dakota in the middle of a brutal winter, helping ex-poacher Derek van der Haar track down and eliminate a … and eliminate a deadly group of criminals hell-bent on providing young girls to the highest bidder.
The closer Leine and Derek get to the organization, the more dangerous the mission becomes. Soon, it’s evident that the traffickers are playing for keeps—and don’t care who they kill.
In a story ripped from the headlines, Dakota Burn reveals the dark underbelly of the Bakken oil fields, where human life is a commodity and outlaws still rule.
If you enjoy books by Mark Dawson, Barry Eisler, and Mark Greaney, you’ll love D.V. Berkom. Download this gritty, action-packed thriller today!
And you thought the Wild West was dead…
What early readers are saying:
”…a clever, fast moving, and thrilling story.” ~Christine
”…it’s a fast paced, adrenaline junkie ride, full throttle all the way.”~ Looseboots
“Another cracking thriller from a cracking author. She is certainly one deadly lady. And you all know what I feel about feisty females. Cannot wait for the next one. Highly recommended.” ~SilverSurfer
“Intense. I purposely only read this during the day. Good thing. Reading this at night would’ve caused me to lose sleep.”~KC
”…You cannot possibly stop reading till you have finished. Nor can you manage to keep your blood below the boiling point.
Another great read, another page burner. Actually a chapter burner…IT IS A MUST READ.”~T. Hart
“Very fast paced and exciting.”~ Hope G.
“Fantastic read, this is probably my favourite in the series so far.”~Deb Le
“This is a thrill ride and a page turner. I am anxiously awaiting the next Leine novel.”~Kenneth L.
“Wow!! Dakota Burn starts out explosively (literally) and then takes off from there. What a book!!!!! I don’t ever want to be on Leine’s bad side.”~Ari M.
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Another excellent book by a great author, I always look forward to new releases by this author and this book was everything I would expect lots of action…..and a great read. I like Leine as a character as she is she tough but we also see a soft side to her as well but she is definitely the character I would want to recuse me if I was kidnapped.
Leine gets a phone call from an old friend asking for help. He has stumbled on a young trafficked girl that needs her expertise and he thinks there could be more. Dropping everything Leine rushes to the middle of nowhere freezing cold North Dakota, where things are a lot worse than one kidnapped girl. With lives on the line Leine must call in reinforcements and gets help from new C.H.E.N recruit Jin , a stripper and even the mob. It’s a race against time, cold weather and even guns for Leine to save the day
Dakota Burn – a review by Rosemary Kenny
South African Derek is a vigilante/hunter, who rescues endangered animals – and humans.
He and Leine Basso met and recognised their identical goal, of justice for the underdog, in each other years before and he’s now in the US, where he’s saved a young Lakota sex-slave, Mimi.
They learn the gang boss’s name and all three leave, before Leine’s booby-traps explode, taking out four of Sean’s enforcers and injuring another badly. Things seem to be going well, until an attack leaves Brenda, (who was taking the girl to a safe house) dead and Mimi recaptured…can Leine and co rescue her (and the other sex-slaves), again?
Lucky, a sympathetic ‘titty bar’ owner, contacts her ‘friends’ from New York, to fight alongside Leine, to bring Sean and his evil empire to destruction.
But with casualties on both sides, can there be an HEA of any kind, with so much riding on the outcome?
To find out, get your copy of D.V. Berkom’s outstanding, unputdownable, gritty crime-thriller, Dakota Burn, a Leine Basso Thriller stunner of a novel, that will keep you riveted with excitement to the very last page!
Another great read by DV Berkom.
I love the Leine Basso books, so I made sure I signed up to the author’s mailing list to be notified of the next in the series. This didn’t disappoint.
Emails come out rarely, and with only with pertinent information, enabling me to a) anticipate the new novel (just what I wanted at the end of a summer) and b) preorder so it downloads painlessly to my Kobo.
The book itself brings a couple of characters from Leine’s back story into play, and fleshes them out further. That was truly a joy. The story is classic Berkom – nail-biting, gripping, filled with jeopardy and realism. I felt fear, amusement, sadness, loss and relief at various stages. It felt a little longer than previous novels in the series – and this is excellent because I need more Leine in my life -but is perfectly paced. I’ve found it very difficult to put it down to do those crucial things in my life.
Classic Berkom – a thrilling thriller, with strong women throughout, that reads smoothly with a very convincing story.
Dakota Burn by D V Berkom reads like a true story. Frightening.
From the hot temperatures of Africa to the cold tundra of North Dakota, Derek follows his mission in life, but he can’t do it alone. Sooooo, he calls Leina Basso for help…and here she is.
Few understand their brand of justice, but sometimes rules need to be broken for the better good.
Jinn…saved and mentored by Leine, I so wanted her character to grow and be shared in one of Leine Basso’s stories. It’s like you read my mind, D. She is such a firecracker, I am happy to hear she is doing great.
Even in Hansen, North Dakota, population 1500, scum sucking sex trafficers are alive and well…until…they meet Leine.
I see a character named Sherry and I love it. Whether it was intentional or not, it is rare when I see my name in any book. I am a victim, one of the trafficked girls, and I am so glad that Leine is on the case.
“How do you do it? You can’t save everybody.”
“No, but I can sure as hell try.”
I think that describes that strong, determined character. She does not hesitate to put her life on the line for what she knows is right, regardless of the consequences.
WOW! I love an author that does their research and D V Berkom makes this read like a true crime story with the depth and details bringing to life the terrified tear stricken young girls and the guns blazing, bullets flying battles.
Strong characters are a must in D V Berkom’s novels and I love the Leine Basso series, about a former government assassin that has no problem sharing the limelight with other memorable characters, like Jinn and Chloe…and Derek.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dakota Burn by D V Berkom.
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Every book she’s ever written is a page-turner you will not put them down she don’t write fast enough
Out to save the innocent no matter where. In the middle of a wind and snow whipped small town in North Dakota, Derek discovers what he believes is an illegal operation in the middle of a new oil rush in the area. He calls in Leine to verify his suspicions. Derek and Leine discover an operation larger than they expected. The intrigue of discovering where all the puzzle pieces are hidden takes the help of some locals. Finding the perpetrators, especially the higher ups, is a difficult task. This story is filled with harsh weather, and even harsher people. The adventure is intense and sometimes gruesome. Again, an eye opening experience to the realities of life.
Great suspenseful read. It is a page turner and hard to put it down. The series is great reading and this one will not disappoint you . A sensitive subject very tasteful presented.
A great action thriller that will keep you swiping your Kindle way past your bedtime! The subject matter addresses a sensitive subject in teen trafficking and gives you the thrill, mystery, and drama you are seeking when looking for a sure thing thriller. Never a spoiler in my reviews, just pick up this book and start reading for the page-turning, action-packed story you are anticipating when you finish these reviews and the blurb! Great character and story development, twists and turns; heart-wrenching at times, but one of the best things about this book is you don’t have to have read the others before this to get into it, (but you’ll certainly want to). Leine Basso is a strong, kick-ass female protagonist that you’ll be glad you started following! I received an ARC of this book and am providing my honest review to help you decide! You’ll be glad you made the choice to get this book!
Interesting plot and easy enough read to get through. Main female characters are nice to see, too (then again I usually read M/M romance books, so there’s that lol). Enjoyed the setting.
This book was thrilling. I enjoyed every bit of it. I loved how the author writes and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the book. I loved the characters and their quest for stopping the abuse of children. The plot was unique and riveting. I want to read more from this author of course!
This story is populated with strong characters Derek, Leine, and Lucky who influence others like Chloe and Jinn to become more confident in their abilities to help bring down the child sex traffickers who reside in their town. Add in a bunch of mobsters and there’s a lot of trouble coming their way in Hansen, North Dakota. Of course, there is a lot of shooting, killing, and blowing things up action to keep the suspense up over who will win.
It was definitely hard to put this book down so I kept reading to the end. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a lot of action and suspense.
“I wish more people would pay attention to what’s happening—not just in Hansen, but all over the United States. We need more people like you two.” He nodded at Leine and Derek. “Child sex trafficking—trafficking, period—is a cancer that needs to be eliminated. Law enforcement can’t do it alone. We need people who care to get involved.”
Isn’t Leine supposed to be in L.A? Instead we see her in cold and frozen North Dakota helping Derek van der Haar find a group of sex traffickers and save the children. The need to help the children is the overarching focus of a tightly drawn from-the-headlines story that can be found all over the world. You can’t help but be angry as you read…
Having worked in the Dakotas I can tell you D V Berkom has got the description of the areas down pat and was one of the reasons I offered to read and review this book. Having never read any others in the series I was still captivated by the depth of knowledge reflected in the fast moving book with well written characters. This may be my first Leine Basso, but it isn’t my last. Highly Recommended 5/5
[I received this book from the author and voluntarily reviewed it]
In my view this is the best of the Leine Basso stories to date. The location is different and exciting, and very well described. The exploiters that follow a boom town are portrayed well, and the interaction as Leine attempts to save her friends and take the criminals down are great in themselves. I received an advanced copy of this book, and it is one of the best I have received. The characters, the plot, the writing, it is all there! I did got back and re-read the book before writing this review.
I received a free advance ARC copy from the author for my honest review and I also purchased a copy from amazon.com. Something I like to do, to support one of my favorite authors.
“Dakota Burn” starts with a bang, with a storyline that could be ripped right out of the headlines. Which D.V. expertly sets up from the first paragraph in Lucky’s, in frigid cold North Dakota winter, with ex-poacher Derek van der Haar impatiently waiting for someone. He ends up rescuing a young runaway, then makes a call to an old friend Leine Basso asking for help and you end up with a heart pounding edge of your seat read.
The coolest thing with “Dakota Burn” and the series. Is that Berkom just grabs your attention from the first paragraph, just transposes you into the pages, your right their for all the action, love that she adds new elements to the story, with each books, she adds in a little trickery, it’s never the same things over and over and be them good or bad, she just vividly brings her characters to life and got teary eyed when you realize that Chloe will ended up dying.
How can you not like Leine Basso character, she’s superhuman, tough as nails, no fear, can handle any situation, lethal with a gun and protector of the weak, that can’t defend themselves. She’s a retired assassin, who now works as a agent for Shen, she travels any where to help rescue victims of sex trafficking, she’s well connected and even coming to the dark underbelly of the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota.
For me as an avid Western genre fan. “Dakota Burn” is a modern-day Western set in North Dakota’s Bakken Oil Fields, human life is a commodity and outlaws still rule. It’s an epic good verse evil tale, that builds to an epic conclusion and good conquer’s evil in the end.
You’ll have to read it, too know what happens in “Dakota Burn”, not only Derek but another character that has taken over a certain book in the series, also appears in this one and don’t want to spoil it by giving anything away.
Berkom is an amazing author, definitely if you haven’t yet, give her books a try, her Leine Basso character awesome, then you have Kate Jones and she’ll end up being your new favorite author.
I love the Leine Basso series. Here we have a tough, competent female protagonist who is not a man hater. She can handle anything that is thrown at her. Dakota Burn was a tough book to read because of the subject matter, but that made it it all the better. Of all the books in the series it’s the best.
As always, Leine Basso fights for the victims of human trafficking all while battling her own demons. A “can’t put down” read.
Once more this series delivers on all its promises, a great plot, great location descriptions, fabulous characters and lots of mayhem and excitement.
There are difficult subject addressed around child trafficking and prostitution and some characters don’t survive to the end, but this just makes it more realistic.
A great exciting thriller, Lein Basso is a great character and the books about her never disappoint, roll on the next one!
I received an advance copy of the book, but have voluntarily written this honest review.
Another Leine Basso thriller from D.V Berkom. This one does not disappoint. Leine gets involved in finding a kidnapped girl, Mimi. She joins Derek to try to take down the leader and the organization that is involved in human trafficking. Jinn joins her in an under cover role to take down the leader of the organization. This is a thrill ride and a page turner. I am anxiously awaiting the next Leine novel.
Another electrifying adventure with Leine…
As an armchair adventurer, I have been enthralled by each of the Leine Basso books and I am happy to say that this one was no exception. In this installment, Leine braves the frigid cold of North Dakota to dispense her unique brand of justice to a truly loathsome villain who makes his fortune by exploiting children and contributing to the ever-burgeoning plague of human trafficking. It seems that the citizens of North Dakota, like much of the United States, are unaware of the misery and suffering that is taking place in their communities. When confronted with the possibility of such horrors, some turn a blind eye, some prefer not to get involved due to the immense danger of dealing with the soulless individuals responsible for such heinous crimes, but others, like Leine and her friends will risk their lives to end such vile practices. As always, the story is captivating from the first page up to the very end. The characters, some likeable, some loathsome, are all well-developed and believable. Being a long-standing series, there are brief mentions of characters familiar from other stories, but this book can absolutely be read as a stand-alone, if so desired, without invoking a feeling of having missed important background. The storyline is complete with a satisfying ending (no cliffhanger) but you just know that there is more adventure in store for Leine and her cohorts. Like most thrillers, the action and tension are intense, but you will not be bombarded with excessive coarse language or overly graphic descriptions of the violence which takes place. Given that you are reading about child exploitation in the sex industry, you will be introduced to some unsavory concepts but, thankfully, there is no explicit material presented. Without reservation, I highly recommend this author and this series for anyone who enjoys fast-paced, intelligent thrillers involving relevant and timely issues.
I was gifted an advance copy of this book by the author and am voluntarily leaving this honest and unbiased review.
If you find this review helpful, thank you for so indicating.