The Last Move

“The Last Move” is a taut and terrific contemporary romantic suspense thriller from a master of the genre—author Mary Burton. FBI profiler Kate Hayden is an expert in forensic linguistics, providing insights into crime solving through the study of words and written communications. Every nuance of each communication is examined with microscopic intensity—even the smallest clue could lead to resolution and capture. When Kate is called back to San Antonio to investigate a killing similar to a case she had previously worked , she must put behind her the nightmare of her own tragic past. Detective Theo Mazur is struck by two things when meeting Kate: her petite size and youthful appearance, and her no-nonsense, focused show more professionalism—an intriguing combination. Mazur had recently relocated from Chicago in an attempt to stay close to his teen-aged daughter, who lived with his ex-wife. Kate’s analysis of Theo through his bearing and his trim, crisp outward image suggested former military service, and a decade or more of law enforcement experience. As someone who had known his own personal tragedy, Theo recognized the same wariness in Kate. Working together to solve the crime brings on an awareness between them which blooms into something more—but personal wants and needs must take second place to the daunting task which looms before them. When the case hits all to close to home for Theo, it will take all of their resourcefulness and skill, plus a large helping of luck, to prevent more heartache at the hands of a vengeful sociopath.

Book Copy Gratis Author show less

EXCELLENT in all ways! Suspenseful with twists and turns even this sneak to the end of the book to find out who-done-it reader found fascinating from beginning to end!

What I liked:
* Everything – except the evil characters I so wanted to see put down
* Kate Hayden – FBI profiler: smart, driven, unapologetic, straight-shooter with hidden depths
* Theo Mazur – Homicide Detective: dedicated to his job and his daughter with skills and tenacity and personality to boot.
* The story: gritty, dark, compelling, twisted and unapologetic with warmth and charm in the right places
* The characters that were on the side that added to the story but also called to me wanting to have their stories told, too. (is this really a standalone without show more other stories to follow for those characters?)
* The twists and turns
* The character development
* The backstories
* I could go on and on but stand by the first statement – everything was spot-on and this is definitely worth reading!

What I didn’t like:
* Having the book end and having to say goodbye to the characters.

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

The Last Move is the latest book from author, Mary Burton. Ms. Burton shows that she is not slowing down anytime soon. The team of FBI agent Kate Hayden and Homicide Detective Theo Mazur is a great pairing. They work well together. Both are detail orientated and professional. There were a few tense moments where both could have lost their cool but they remained focused at the task at hand. Which paid off in the end game.

Although, there was some chemistry sparking between Kate and Theo. I was rooting for them both. They had baggage but this made them human. Kate is the type of female role model that young girls and women can look up to and is relatable. Theo is the guy that women want.

While, up front it was apparent who Theo and Kate show more were tracking down; Ms. Burton still managed to sneak in a few twists. This was evident when the story shifted in the last third of the story. The intensity picked up more. I look forward to see this pair again in the future. The Last Move is the right move as you treat yourself to a copy of this book. show less

FBI Profiler and linguistics expert, Kate Hayden, is on the trail of the latest serial killer, a man that likes to keep his victims in boxes and only taking them out when he wants to play with them, when she is called away to San Antonio, TX on a new case where a copycat killer is duplicating a murder that she has already solved. The only problem is they already caught the bad guy and he was currently locked up and awaiting trial. Could it be an accomplice or someone else entirely? When a second body is found with an eerie resemblance to another case of Kate's, it soon becomes clear that the killer has his sights on her. Partnering up with Theo Mazur, a recent transplant to the San Antonio police force, they both work together to solve show more the case.

I honestly loved Kate Hayden. She was a strong main character, and a forced to be reckoned with. She was smart and great at her job. She may not have had many people skills, but she was efficient in solving cases, and really cared about the victims. She has her own troubled past which has kept her away from San Antonio for the last seventeen years. Going back, she will have to face what happened to her all those years ago, as well as, help solve the case of a copycat killer.

Theo Mazur has his own troubles. His son passed away at a young age and his marriage soon fell apart. His wife left taking their only daughter and moved from Chicago to San Antonio, TX due to a career move. Hence, the reason why Theo soon followed to be closer to his daughter. Theo would do anything for his teenage daughter and you can see that through his actions that he wants to be involved in her life. One thing I loved about Theo is he did not try to protect or shield Kate, like most alpha heroes would do, to the point where she could not do her job. He knew she was quite capable at her job and they worked together as a team to catch the latest killer.

Mary Burton never ceases to amaze me. There has not been one book of hers that I did not like. THE LAST MOVE is no different nor does it disappoint. It is chock full of twists and turns, the creepiest of villains, and a mystery that will leave you guessing with one hell of a surprise at the end. I did NOT see that one coming. If you have never read a book by Mary Burton, shame on you! This is master storytelling at its finest. Mary Burton knows how to weave a story and suck you in. My suggestion is to leave an entire row on your bookshelf open just for Mary Burton's books scroll through her back book list and buy every single one of them. You will not regret it. show less

FBI Profiler and linguistics expert, Kate Hayden, is on the trail of the latest serial killer, a man that likes to keep his victims in boxes and only taking them out when he wants to play with them, when she is called away to San Antonio, TX on a new case where a copycat killer is duplicating a murder that she has already solved. The only problem is they already caught the bad guy and he was currently locked up and awaiting trial. Could it be an accomplice or someone else entirely? When a second body is found with an eerie resemblance to another case of Kate's, it soon becomes clear that the killer has his sights on her. Partnering up with Theo Mazur, a recent transplant to the San Antonio police force, they both work together to solve show more the case.

I honestly loved Kate Hayden. She was a strong main character, and a forced to be reckoned with. She was smart and great at her job. She may not have had many people skills, but she was efficient in solving cases, and really cared about the victims. She has her own troubled past which has kept her away from San Antonio for the last seventeen years. Going back, she will have to face what happened to her all those years ago, as well as, help solve the case of a copycat killer.

Theo Mazur has his own troubles. His son passed away at a young age and his marriage soon fell apart. His wife left taking their only daughter and moved from Chicago to San Antonio, TX due to a career move. Hence, the reason why Theo soon followed to be closer to his daughter. Theo would do anything for his teenage daughter and you can see that through his actions that he wants to be involved in her life. One thing I loved about Theo is he did not try to protect or shield Kate, like most alpha heroes would do, to the point where she could not do her job. He knew she was quite capable at her job and they worked together as a team to catch the latest killer.

Mary Burton never ceases to amaze me. There has not been one book of hers that I did not like. THE LAST MOVE is no different nor does it disappoint. It is chock full of twists and turns, the creepiest of villains, and a mystery that will leave you guessing with one hell of a surprise at the end. I did NOT see that one coming. If you have never read a book by Mary Burton, shame on you! This is master storytelling at its finest. Mary Burton knows how to weave a story and suck you in. My suggestion is to leave an entire row on your bookshelf open just for Mary Burton's books scroll through her back book list and buy every single one of them. You will not regret it.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. show less

“When Love is betrayed, there is nothing to contain the demons.”

I have read pretty much all of Mary Burtons books so i was really looking forward to reading this one.

It is down as a standalone book but I’m sure you will agree after reading it that the potential and the amount of interest already a follow-up book would be highly anticipated.I love the characters in the book, they are well written and very likeable right from the get go.
The story line is faultless even if the “Who done it” ends up being fairly obvious but it doesn’t take away any of the drama and tension of the ending!

I would have read this in 1 sitting but my ME decided otherwise, but as soon as i had rested up a bit i was start back on the case 🙂

It is a show more real page turner and the fast pace continues from start to finish, peppered throughout with tragedy, heartache, sinister events and of course a good splash of romance!

FBI agent Kate Hayden finds herself playing a deadly game of chess with a killer who destroyed her life and family 17 years ago.
Homicide detective Theo Mazur is a fairly new member of the team in the San Antonio police force but is no rookie when it comes to the job.

A murder takes place on part of the interstate and it has all the hallmarks of murders committed by the serial killer known as the Samaritan. It was FBI agent Kate Hayden that brought him to justice and he is currently safely locked behind bars on death row.
Did Kate catch the wrong killer or is this the work of a copycat killer?

Detective Theo Mazur calls Kate away from her own on going hunt for a different serial killer who likes to abduct women and bury them in coffins. Kate had saved the last victim but the killer is still on the loose.

Now she must try to find whoever is behind the murdered woman who was shot in the interstate, it certainly seems to be the work of a copycat killer but then another body turns up killed in the same way as a different case Kate had previously worked on.
Now it is personal and whoever is behind the murders has made sure they have Kate and Theo’s undivided attention.

The partnership between Kate and Theo works really well and it was really great getting some of their back stories. It is through those glimpses into Kate’s past that draw you to her and what defines her character.

As i said at the start, i would love to hear more from both Kate and Theo and what the future holds for them both. show less

I have read pretty much all of Mary Burtons books so i was really looking forward to reading this one.

It is down as a standalone book but I’m sure you will agree after reading it that the potential and the amount of interest already a follow-up book would be highly anticipated.I love the characters in the book, they are well written and very likeable right from the get go.
The story line is faultless even if the “Who done it” ends up being fairly obvious but it doesn’t take away any of the drama and tension of the ending!

I would have read this in 1 sitting but my ME decided otherwise, but as soon as i had rested up a bit i was start back on the case 🙂

It is a real page turner and the fast pace continues from start to finish, show more peppered throughout with tragedy, heartache, sinister events and of course a good splash of romance!

FBI agent Kate Hayden finds herself playing a deadly game of chess with a killer who destroyed her life and family 17 years ago.
Homicide detective Theo Mazur is a fairly new member of the team in the San Antonio police force but is no rookie when it comes to the job.

A murder takes place on part of the interstate and it has all the hallmarks of murders committed by the serial killer known as the Samaritan. It was FBI agent Kate Hayden that brought him to justice and he is currently safely locked behind bars on death row.
Did Kate catch the wrong killer or is this the work of a copycat killer?

Detective Theo Mazur calls Kate away from her own on going hunt for a different serial killer who likes to abduct women and bury them in coffins. Kate had saved the last victim but the killer is still on the loose.

Now she must try to find whoever is behind the murdered woman who was shot in the interstate, it certainly seems to be the work of a copycat killer but then another body turns up killed in the same way as a different case Kate had previously worked on.
Now it is personal and whoever is behind the murders has made sure they have Kate and Theo’s undivided attention.

The partnership between Kate and Theo works really well and it was really great getting some of their back stories. It is through those glimpses into Kate’s past that draw you to her and what defines her character.

As i said at the start, i would love to hear more from both Kate and Theo and what the future holds for them both. show less