In The Burning Plain, Rios, grieving the death of his lover from AIDS, is drawn unwillingly into the hunt for a serial killer who preys on young gay men in West Hollywood; The New York Times hailed the novel as "Exceptional . . . A harrowing narrative."

Michael Nava lives outside San Francisco with his husband. His Henry Rios mystery series has been awarded six Lambda Literary Awards and he is the recipient of the Bill Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement in LGBT literature. He is also the author of an acclaimed historical novel, The City of Palaces, set in Mexico City at the beginning of the 1910 Mexican Revolution. Additionally, he wrote and produced the Henry Rios Mysteries podcast which adapts the first Rios novel into an 18-episode audio-drama and is available on various podcast platforms including Apple I-tunes and Spotify. His small press, Persigo Press, which currently publishes his work will expand to publish other LGBTQ and writers of color who work in genres beginning in fall, 2020.