Mary Burton (1)

From Amazon:

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 show more 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.

My Thoughts:

If anyone picks this book up expecting it to be Romantic Suspense as it's pitched to be, put it back. No romance in it but then...it didn't need it. I enjoyed the way this story unfolded. A clue here and there, another character thrown in just to keep you on your toes about guessing the story’s outcome. And while I did guess correctly on some of the clues, the ending was perfect for a die-hard mystery reader like myself. show less

Book source ~ NetGalley

Ever since her brother was wrongfully arrested, convicted, and sent to prison, Rachel Wainwright has fought for those she feels gets shafted by Lady Justice. As a public defender she gets a lot of those cases and she gets the occasional Innocence Project client, too. She has taken on the 30-year-old case of Jeb Jones, a man put away for murder. He has steadfastly declared his innocence and has been petitioning for his DNA to be tested for over a decade and getting show more nowhere. Enter the Innocence Project and Rachel. Does she think he’s innocent? It’s not up to her. Her job is to get the DNA tested now that such a test is available. After that? Well, one step at a time.

Detective Derek Morgan inherited the case from his late father. The Jeb Jones case is the one that made his dad’s career so he’s understandably pissed that the DNA test is calling his dad’s integrity into question. But the law is the law, so he sent it in. And the wait for results begins. In the meantime, he has cases to solve, including the brutal bludgeoning murder of an aspiring singer. But that’s not the only murder he’ll need to solve as bodies start dropping like flies and the only connection he can find is Rachel Wainwright. Uh, oh…

This is one hell of a twisty turny tale! It held my attention from the first chapter all the way to the end. I even stayed up way past my bedtime trying to finish it. That’s a rare thing for me since I love my sleep. The characters are awesome, the world is great, the killer is…whew, what a mess. The mystery is one that kept me guessing. I had started to glean a few half-formed inklings at about the 60% mark, but not nearly enough to state with any certainty who I thought was the murderer. Great job! This is one of my favorite reads of 2019. I’m looking forward to continuing with this series even though I’ve already read book 4 by accident. Luckily, my memory sucks ass and I didn’t remember it until after I was finished with this one. I hate reading books out of order. lol show less

Hide and Seek by Mary Burton
Criminal Profiler #1

As I started to read this book I had a feeling I had met Macy Crow before and yes, I had. She was in the book Cut and Run and in my review I hoped Macy would get a book of her own...and this was a perfect book for her to star in AND it seems she will be having more books in the future. I am now hoping that she and Mike Nevada will find a way to continue their relationship in the upcoming series.

This book has Macy back on the job after a show more horrific hit and run accident that nearly killed her. She has been working a desk job but is eager to get back in the field so when given five days to try to tie up a case she is eager to get back in the saddle. The local sheriff happens to be a man she was in a short relationship before and they reconnect but there reconnection is not the main part of this book. No, this is the story of the search for a serial rapist and murderer and how Macy and Mike go about finally smoking him out.

What I liked:
* Macy’s strength – physical and mental
* Mike’s willingness to let Macy work but also his wanting to help her if/when he can
* The way the story is slowly revealed
* The calls from Macy’s twin sister
* The scritch scratching dreams Macy had – a bit of the paranormal creeping in
* The way Mike and Macy reevaluate what is important in life
* And a lot more!

What I did not like:
* Ex-sheriff Green and what he didn’t do that he should have done
* The bad guy(s) – totally unlikable – just as they were meant to be
* The fact that good people end up dead – but – if they didn’t die we wouldn’t have great romantic suspense novels to read so...am just glad they are fictitious characters biting the dust.

I am definitely eager to read more in this series and can’t wait for book two to come out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars show less

What She Saw is a story filled with unexpected twists and turns, featuring an unconventional main character. The author skillfully presents an intriguing perspective through a somewhat unlikable sociopath protagonist. Although I didn’t fully connect with Sloan, I was fascinated by her relentless pursuit of answers.

Just when I thought I had everything figured out, a surprising twist would steer me in a new direction. I appreciate being kept in suspense and I enjoy a mystery that doesn’t show more reveal itself too quickly.

This tale, with its blend of mystery, thrill, and suspense, kept me guessing throughout. While the touch of romance was a bit distracting and not particularly engaging for me, the fresh writing and unique storyline were ultimately satisfying.

#CoverLoverBookReview received a review copy of this book. Opinions are 100% my own. show less