brett burlison

"A steamy tale and beguiling thriller, with plenty of local color and some provocative twists." - Kirkus Reviews

Two young lovers decide to move in together and open a cafe only to be hindered by their own pasts, drugs, and bad guys from New Orleans. Set in Austin, Texas in the early nineties.

Bobby Patrick, abandoned by his mother as a child and by his alcoholic father during high school, wants a better life for himself and his true love, Katie. 

The couple decides to open a café and chase their dreams under the radiant Austin sunsets. There, the long, hot days of summer inspire their passion—but complications arise when Katie’s former love interest returns, bringing with him a whirlwind of trouble.

As Katie’s dark past reveals itself, Bobby fears it could threaten all they have been striving for. Along with Katie’s best friend, Sara, with whom Bobby has his own secret history, the couple becomes tangled up in a drug deal and falls under close watch by Austin police and New Orleans mobsters. 

Bobby must find a way to protect Katie, help Sara, and help himself to thousands of dollars from the ill-fated deal. If he can’t, his future with Katie could be shattered forever. 

Part romance and part suspense story, Riverside is a tell-your-friends-about-it, good old-fashioned crime novel about a young couple struggling for the American dream, and the lengths to which they will go to protect it.

Brett Burlison is a native Texan who lives in Northern California. He is a trial lawyer and practices in San Francisco. Riverside is his debut novel.