The Last Move

I've finished "The Last Move" by Mary Burton.

Product Description

In this gripping stand-alone from bestselling author Mary Burton, an FBI agent must catch a copycat killer. The only difference this time: she’s the final victim.

Catching monsters helps FBI agent Kate Hayden keep her nightmares at bay. Now an urgent call brings her back to San Antonio, the scene of her violent past. A brutal new murder shows hallmarks of a serial killer nicknamed the Samaritan. Tricky part is, Kate already caught him.

Either Kate made a deadly error, or she’s got a copycat on her hands. Paired with homicide detective Theo Mazur, she quickly realizes this murder is more twisted than it first appeared. Then a second body is found, the mode of death identical to a different case that Kate thought she’d put behind her.

Now Kate and Detective Mazur aren’t just working a homicide; the investigative pair is facing a formidable enemy who knows Kate intimately. While Mazur is personally trying to protect Kate, the closer they are drawn to the killer, the clearer it becomes that in this terrifying game, there is only one rule: don’t believe everything you see.

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Mary Burton is the popular author of thirty-two romance and suspense novels, as well as five novellas. She currently lives in Virginia with her husband and three miniature dachshunds.

Product details
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Montlake Romance (Sept. 19 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1542046920
ISBN-13: 978-1542046923

My Review:

4/5

The Hangman (Forgotten Files)

I've finished "The Hangman" the 3rd book in her Forgotten Files series by Mary Burton.

Product Description

Julia Vargas is a cop with a mission. When she’s not chasing down bad guys, Julia dedicates her time to investigating the Hangman serial killer the same unsolved case that her father, Jim Vargas, was working on when he supposedly shot and killed himself three decades before. While rumors continue to swirl around her father’s death, Julia attempts to hunt down the truth.

The case once again hits dangerously close, however, when a woman’s bones are discovered in a historic downtown home, together with a photograph of Jim and Julia as a young girl. As horrifying as this discovery is, it may just be the break Julia has waited for. Working alongside Tobias Novak, a homicide detective with whom she shares a complicated — and steamy — history, she’s forced to confront her own past even as the Hangman looms in the shadows. But as the mysterious killer circles closer, Julia can feel her own noose begin to tighten.

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Mary Burton is the popular author of twenty-nine published romance and suspense novels, as well as five novellas. She currently lives in Virginia with her husband and three miniature dachshunds.

Product Details

Series: Forgotten Files (Book 3)
Paperback: 348 pages
Publisher: Montlake Romance (April 25, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1503943690
ISBN-13: 978-1503943698 

My Review:

3/5

The Shark (Forgotten Files)

 

I've finished "The Shark" the 1st book in her Forgotten Files series by Mary Burton.

Product Description

At the grisly murder scene of a teen prostitute, Virginia state trooper Riley Tatum’s past roars back to haunt her. When she was a teenage runaway, she was kidnapped, drugged, and left unconscious on the streets. She has no memories of what happened, only strange recurring dreams of two men playing cards.

Former FBI agent Clay Bowman, Riley’s old flame, is Shield Security’s newest member. He’s plagued by the unsolved case of a serial killer nicknamed the Shark who murdered girls as part of a sadistic poker game. Only one girl survived. With the Shark now bent on evening that score, Clay has a chilling suspicion: Riley is the girl who escaped the Shark’s deadly amusement — and she is his next prey.

As the Shark gets ready to play his hand, can Riley and Clay stop him — or will this killer finally claim the one who got away?

About the Author


Mary Burton loves writing suspense, researching law enforcement and forensic procedures, baking, books, and tiny dachshunds. Not necessarily in that order. She also enjoys hunting down serial killers, which she does in her New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance and suspense novels. She’s tracked them down in stories set in her hometown of Richmond, Alexandria, Austin and Nashville that have been praised by readers and reviewers. Her work has been compared to that of James Patterson*, Lisa Gardner** and Lisa Jackson***

Research is a favorite part of Mary’s work day. She never tires of learning more about police work, evidence collection and analysis, and doesn’t hesitate to take a hands-on approach, whether it means interviews with those working in the field, forensic seminars or lessons at the firing range.

A Richmond native, Mary has lived there for most of her life. She is a graduate of Virginia’s Hollins University and worked in marketing before she began writing full time. Her first book was published in 2000 and now she’s the author of thirty-one published novels and five novellas, including her contemporary women’s fiction written as Mary Ellen Taylor.

Her new book, The Dollmaker, is the second of her The Forgotten Files novels, which began with The Shark. which Publishers Weekly called "tense, sexy and pleasingly complex." The next, The Hangman, will be published in early May, 2017. Other recent bestsellers,include Vulnerable, I’ll Never Let You Go, Be Afraid and Cover Your Eyes. Each featured the Morgans, Nashville’s preeminent law enforcement family.

When not traveling for research or visiting with readers at bookstores, book festivals and conferences, Mary remains very much a homebody. She and her husband spend time alternately enjoying and lamenting their newly empty nest and spoiling their four legged babies, Buddy, Bella and Tiki.

Product Details
Series: Forgotten Files (Book 1)
Paperback: 364 pages
Publisher: Montlake Romance (May 24, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1503934470
ISBN-13: 978-1503934474

My Review:

3.5/5

I'll Never Let You Go (Morgans of Nashville)

 

I've finished "I'll Never Let You Go" the 3rd book in her Morgans of Nashville series by Mary Burton.

Product Description

LOVE HURTS

He promised to kill her. One night four years ago, Leah Carson’s husband almost succeeded. Philip stabbed her twenty-three times before fleeing. The police are sure he’s dead. But fear won’t let Leah believe it.

AND SOMETIMES

It starts with little things. Missing keys. A flat tire. Mysterious flowers. All easily explained away if the pattern wasn’t so terrifyingly familiar. Leah has a new veterinary practice and a new life with no ties to her nightmare. But Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent Alex Morgan suspects something. And when another woman’s body is found, stabbed twenty-three times, Leah knows her past has found her.

IT KILLS

As Leah and Alex untangle the horrifying truth, he watches her, ready for the perfect moment. Until death — that was the vow they made. And a killer always keeps his word.

About the Author

Mary Burton lives with her family in Central Virginia. She is an avid hiker and enjoys the occasional triathlon. She can be reached by e-mail at www.maryburton.com.

Product Details
Series: Morgans of Nashville
Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Zebra (October 27, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420132156
ISBN-13: 978-1420132151

My Review:

4/5

Cover Your Eyes

I've finished "Cover Your Eyes" by Mary Burton.

Don't Look

At first, they struggle to escape. Then a torrent of blows rains down upon their bodies until their eyes cloud over in final agony. The killer shows no remorse -- just a twisted need to witness each victim's last terrified moments.

Don't Speak

Public defender Rachel Wainwright is struggling to reopen a decades-old case, convinced that the wrong man is in prison. Homicide detective Deke Morgan doesn't want to agree. But if Rachel's hunch is correct, whoever fatally bludgeoned young, beautiful Annie Dawson thirty years ago could be the source of a new string of brutal slayings.

Just Prepare To Die

Rachel's investigation is about to reveal answers -- but at a price she never thought to pay. Now she's become the target of a rage honed by years of jealousy and madness. And a murderer is ready to show her just how vicious the truth can be.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Zebra (October 28, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420132113
ISBN-13: 978-1420132113

My Review:

3.5/5

You're Not Safe (Texas Rangers) Mass Market Paperback

I've finished "You're Not Safe" by Mary Burton.

He Will Never Forget

The broken body hanging from a tree in Texas Hill Country the frozen figure huddled in a meat locker only at second glance does the truth become apparent. What seems like suicide is far more sinister, and the terror is only beginning.

Never Forgive

One devastating moment changed Greer Templeton's life and ended two others. Now, with a body found on her property and Texas Ranger Tec Bragg on her doorstep, Greer's nightmare has returned. With each new victim, her link to Tec's case grows, and soon it will be too late to run.

And Never Let Them Live

Greer hoped the past was behind her, but an obsessed killer has never forgotten the bond that unites them. One by one, he will track down his victims, finish what was started -- and make Greer's dying wish come true

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Zebra Books (Mass Market) (March 25, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420125079
ISBN-13: 978-1420125078

My Review:

4/5

No Escape Mass Market Paperback

I've finished "No Escape" by Mary Burton.

He Was Taught How To Kill

Even behind bars, serial killer Harvey Lee Smith exudes menace. Psychologist Jolene Granger has agreed to hear his dying confession, vowing not to let the monster inside her head. And Harvey has secrets to share -- about bodies that were never found, and about the apprentice who is continuing his grisly work.

And Now He'll Teach Them

He buries his victims alive the way his mentor Harvey did, relishing their final screams as the earth rains down. And as one last gift to the only father he knew, he'll make the most perfect kill of all.

How To Die

Everything about this investigation is unnerving Jo, from Harvey's fascination with her to the fact that she's working alongside Texas Ranger Brody Winchester, her ex-husband. Harvey's protégé is growing bolder and more vicious every day. And soon the trail of shallow graves will lead them to the last place Jo expected, and to the most terrifying truth of all.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Zebra Books (Mass Market) (October 29, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420125060
ISBN-13: 978-1420125061

My Review:

Serial killer Harvey Lee Smith gets his kicks by burying his victims alive.  He has a terminal illness and only has a few days until his execution.  He personally asks for Psychologist Jolene Granger to confess where he buried his victims.  He also has a secret about missing victims and his apprentice who is continuing his work.

Texas Ranger Brody Winchester is Jolene's ex-husband and is determined to bring justice and peace to the victim's family even though he has to work beside Jolene.

The protege is burying his victims alive just like his mentor father and Jolene is his ultimate gift dedicated to him.

4.5/5

The Seventh Victim [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "The Seventh Victim" by Mary Burton.

It's been seven years since the Seattle Strangler terrorized the city. His victims were all young, pretty, their lifeless bodies found wrapped in a home-sewn white dress. But there was one who miraculously escaped death, just before the Strangler disappeared.  Lara Church has only hazy memories of her long-ago attack.

What she does have is a home in Austin, a job, and a chance at a normal life at last. Then Texas Ranger James Beck arrives on her doorstep with shattering news: The Strangler is back. And this time, he's in Austin.  He's always craved her, even as he killed the others. For so long he's been waiting to unleash the beast within. And this time, he'll prove he holds her life in his hands - right before he ends it forever.

About the Author

Mary Burton is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of several historical romance and romantic suspense novels, including Senseless, Dying Scream, and Dead Ringer. Her novella Christmas Past appears in the 2008 New York Times bestselling anthology Silver Bells. Her commitment to realism has led to eye-opening interviews with law enforcement, to forensic seminars and to the firing range. She is a graduate of the Henrico County Citizens Police Academy and the Richmond FBI Citizen's Academy, and has participated in Sisters in Crime's Forensic University program. Mary lives in Virginia with her family.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Zebra (January 29, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420125052
ISBN-13: 978-1420125054

My Review:

Seven years ago in Seattle a killer nicknamed "The Seattle Strangler" left his calling card young pretty women were found wearing home-made white dresses.  Lara Church just barely got away before the Strangler disappeared and her memory is very hazy about the attack.

Lara has moved to Austin Texas with a nice paying job, a home, has adopted a dog and is living a normal life.  Now the Strangler has resurfaced in Austin, Texas and Lara finds out when Texas Ranger James Beck arrives on her doorstep. James believes Lara is the key to solve the case and he vows to protect her to the very end!

This book focused more on the suspense then the romance but you can feel the chemistry between Lara and James.  The characters were well-written and I really enjoyed reading about all the Tex-Mex food that was eaten.

4/5

Before She Dies [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Before She Dies" by Mary Burton.

Product Description

In death, they are purified. Holding his victims under water, he washes away their sins as they struggle for their last breath. Then he stakes their bodies to the ground, exposing them for what they really are. Witches, sent to tempt and to corrupt. No one knows about defense attorney Charlotte Wellington's murdered sister, or about her childhood spent with the carnival that's just arrived in town. For Charlotte, what's past is past. But others don't agree. And as a madman's body count rises, she and Detective Daniel Rokov are drawn into a mission that's become terrifyingly personal.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Zebra; Original edition (January 31, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420110217
ISBN-13: 978-1420110210

My Review:

Charlotte Wellington is a defense lawyer with a secret past.  She's well respected by her peers and is high powered defense lawyer.  She hides before a mask and has built a wall around herself to protect her privacy.

In her past, her mother married Grady Tate a Carnival owner when she was eight and her sister Mariah was nine. They didn't have any roots and lived like a gypsy. When their mother died when she was thirteen, Charlotte and Mariah stayed with Grady. Charlotte left the Carnival when she was sixteen when Mariah died from a drowning accident.  Grady promised that he would put Mariah's daughter Sooner up for adoption to give her a real good home. Charlotte wanted to take Sooner with her but Grady refused. Grady liked being in control of everything and everyone.

Charlotte hasn't seen Sooner for eighteen years when one day Grady shows up asking for her help in defending Sooner.  She was arrested for shoplifting and all these years Charlotte thought Sooner was put up for adoption.

Woman are being found dead with the word WITCH tattooed on their foreheads and Detective Rokov and his partner have the lead on the investigation.  When the Carnival rolls into town Rokov take a closer look on the owner Grady. 

Charlotte is in a secret relationship with Rokov which she doesn't want anyone to know about.  Rokov is in love with her and wants more than she can give.

I was so glad that Detective Rokov treated Charlotte with extreme care and understanding.  I liked how he was very determined to bring the killer to justice and solve the case.

This book has a male and female character, intriguing secondary characters, gruesome and well descriptive crime scenes, etc.

3.5/5

Merciless (Zebra Romantic Suspense) [Paperback]

I've finished "Merciless" the sequel to "Senseless" by Mary Burton.

Product Description

Each skeleton is flawless - gleaming white and perfectly preserved, a testament to his skill. Every scrap of flesh has been removed to reveal the glistening bone beneath. And the collection is growing. When bleached human bones are identified as belonging to a former patient of Dr. Dillon Dixon, Detective Malcolm Kier suspects the worst. Dixon was recently acquitted of attempted murder, thanks to defence attorney Angie Carlson. But as the body count rises, Kier is convinced that Angie is now the target of a brutal, brilliant psychopath. Angie is no stranger to the dark side of human nature. But nothing has prepared her for the decades-long legacy of madness and murder about to be revealed - or a killer ready to claim her as his ultimate trophy.
 
Product Details
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Zebra; Original edition (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420110209
ISBN-13: 978-1420110203

My Review:
 
Angie Carlson known as the Barracuda has made a name for herself as a no-nonsense, tough as nails defense attorney. Angie got plastic surgeon, Dr. Dillon Dixon off on charges of raping a prostitute (see Senseless), having ripped the victim to shreds on the witness stand, after proving she lied about her drug use. As a favor to her sister Eva, the same prostitute now wants Angie to help her get her child back, swearing she is clean and no longer hooking. But when the client doesn't show up for her court appearance, something doesn't sit right with Angie. After more bones are found, and they are believed to be that of Angie's client, it doesn't take long for the pieces of the puzzle to fall into place. Adding in a slew of other prostitute murders and a 30-year-old murder, it becomes quite clear that there are three common denominators - Angie, Dr. Dillon Dixon, and once again, the Cross Family. 
 
Malcolm, fighting his attraction to Angie because of his involvement with another woman, knows he must do whatever it takes to protect Angie from this obviously incredibly bright killer before he takes her as his final prize. 
 
Wow some of the names Malcolm calls Angie are quite harsh and hurtful!  But she sure could give it back to you!
 
We got to see the same scenes from the eyes of the cops viewpoint to the possible victim trying to save herself and the devious minds of two sick and demented killers.  Really enjoyed how the viewpoints were switched from Angie to Malcolm and the two killers!
 
Glad to see the romance between Malcolm and Angie slowly formed and they got to know each other and dealing with their issues before jumping into a relationship.

5/5

Thanks Joy from Joan Schulhafer Publishing and Media Consulting for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

Senseless [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Senseless" by Mary Burton.

Product Description

The vicious burns scarring the victims' flesh reveal the agony of their last moments. Each woman was branded with a star, then stabbed through the heart. With every death, a vengeful killer finds a brief, blissful moment of calm. But soon it's time for the bloodshed to start again. Ten years ago, Eva Rayburn and her sorority sisters were celebrating the end of the school year. That party turned into a nightmare Eva can't forget. Now she's trying to start over in her Virginia hometown, but a new nightmare has begun. Every victim is linked to her. And Detective Deacon Garrison isn't sure whether this mysterious woman needs investigating - or protecting. Only Eva's death will bring peace. Only her tortured screams will silence the rage that has been building for ten long years. Because what started that night at the sorority can never be stopped - not until the last victim has been marked for death.

Product Details
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Zebra; 1 edition (January 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420110195
ISBN-13: 978-1420110197

My Review:
 
Storyline:  Ten years ago Eva while partying with her sorority sisters she was raped and branded with a star-shaped pendant.  She barely escaped when a fire started and her rapist Josiah Cross is killed.  She is charged with his murder but she doesn't remember much what happened that night (she's certain she didn't kill Josiah).  Her sorority sisters testified she was the one who killed Josiah and she was convicted for ten years.  Now she's in her late twenties but looks 15 or 16.  Now bodies are turning up with the same star-shaped branded onto them so she teams up with Deacon to find out who the killer is and why they are killing?  She doesn't tell her sister Angie that she has moved back to the town she grew up in.  She works as a bartender at Kings, an attendant at a half way house and as a process server in between. 

Characters: All the characters were well written so it feels like you know them in real life.  Eva is such a great character because she is determined to prove she didn't kill Josiah and to find out what really happened that night.  Deacon makes a great hero beacause he's determined who the killer is and why they are killing.  He doesn't really want to believe that Eve is a killer and involved in the recent killings of her sorority sisters.

Romance:  I really liked the romance between Eva and Deacon because he's extremely attracted to her but she's a suspect in the recent murders (a conflict of interest) and he's fighting it.  Their romance didn't start until half way though the book and it was slowly built up.

Killer:  Never figured out who the killer was until the end and that was such a delight.  The killer is able to function in the real world as a normal person and that is really scary!

5/5
 
Thanks Joy from Joan Schulhafer Publishing and Media Consulting for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!