Criminal Profiler #2, Part of a series but can be read as a standalone like with most of Mary Burton books.  Burton's writing is engaging and thrilling and always keeps me on my toes, Written in third person the POV goes from protagonist to side characters and switches to first person POV for the antagonist, still keeping the identity of the baddie a secret 'til the end.

FBI Special Agent Zoe Spencer started of life as a dancer but due to an unfortunate accident she had to stop dancing which lead her to art and then to the FBI. Although she is a criminal profiler she also gets pulled onto cases requiring her artist talent and does forensic sketches or sculptures independently from her team. Most recently she was given a charred skull that was discovered by a reporter who was given a tip. A tip from the very person who put the body in there in the first place who was looking for some recognition after all this time.

Discovering who the skull belonged to puts her smack in the middle of the cold case investigation working side by side with her occasional lover Homicide Detective William Vaughn. The more questions they ask the more the killer gets nervous and soon the cold case is hot again with another murder, and another. Working together Vaughn and Zoe try to figure out what happened all those years ago and why the killer started up again, unless he never stopped.

Vaughn and Zoe keep it professional for the most part but soon realize what they have is not casual anymore but Zoe isn't sure she's ready to move on from the death of her husband with someone new someone with the same occupation. This case bring them closer than ever but catching this killer is going to make them both realize something big. Overall it's a really good read it keeps you going from start to finish. Mary Burton is one of my go to authors for romantic suspense and this one did not disappoint.





Originally published on 2012 in an anthology (Silver Bells) and is part of her Richmond Virginia series. It is a standalone novella but the only bad thing about this one is that it feels like it should be part of a full length novel. It feels like it's a follow-up to another story. Photographer and new mom Nicole Piper survived her manipulative and abusive husband but even from the grave he torments her. A letter written to her before his death that explains he wasn't the one who killed her friend but the identity is in a safe deposit box. Along with with Homicide Detective David Ayden, who was there the first time around her husband tormented her and helped safe her life, Nicole goes to find out the truth. David hasn't felt this way about a woman for a while after the death of his wife he never thought he could but now that the case is over he's free to pursue a relationship with her, that's if she's interested. David isn't about to let her go off and handle this on her own who knows what her psychotic, late husband set up for her and Nicole hesitant but accepts his help. Nicole feels the same as David but is afraid of her own judgement even though she's seen proof he's a good person. This Christmas is going to change her life but will it be for better or worse. Overall, despite the feeling like I was missing a whole other story it was a good read. It was intense and it's short enough you can just breeze right through it. 

 

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 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

Book source ~ NetGalley

Sheriff Mike Nevada used to be on the FBI’s elite profiling team, but after a case in his home town he gets pissed off at the local sheriff’s mismanagement of evidence, so he leaves the team and runs for Sheriff. And wins. When the body of Tobi Turner is discovered 15 yrs after she disappeared, Nevada manages to get Special Agent Macy Crow assigned to the case. Macy barely survived a hit-n-run accident in Texas on her last case, but she’s back to work and really wants on the team. This is her shot. She has a week to get solid evidence leading to a suspect, or better yet catch the guy, and then they’ll talk about her joining the team.

This story is wow. It doesn’t hit a reader over the head and drag them off. It whispers sweet words and romances the reader with great characters, a well-defined world, a creepy bad guy, and so much more. Before you know it, you’re in love and will follow this story to the ends of the Earth. I feel the ending was a touch rushed otherwise I love it. It reminds me of Criminal Minds, a show I love, so if you enjoy those types of shows then this book is right up your dark alley. I am most definitely looking forward to more books in this series.

Book source ~ ARC ~ My review is voluntary and honest

Kendall Shaw, local Richmond reporter turned anchorwoman, has spent the last year recovering after being in a serial killer’s sights. Now there are women dying who resemble her and one of the detectives in charge of the investigation, Jacob Warwick, thinks she’s a target. Again. As Jacob and Kendall dig into the victims’ pasts, at first there doesn’t appear to be a connection between them. But Kendall’s sudden nightmares just might tell a different story. Can they catch a killer before the killer catches Kendall?

Told from several POVs this chilling story of a man with an obsession is a nail-biter. The writing is great and the murderer is evasive, but I had a hard time with the characters. Kendall and Jacob in particular. I just couldn’t quite warm up to them. Their character development also seems a bit lacking and the romance between them kinda sudden. However, the suspense build up with the killer is decent. Even if this isn’t the greatest tale out there, it’s enough to keep me turning the pages.

4.5 Book source ~ NetGalley

Three teens went into the woods and only one came out. Amber Ryder was found with a broken arm, a concussion, and no memory about what happened. Nashville forensic technician Georgia Morgan has been assigned the five year old cold case because the father of one of the victims is rich and connected. He keeps pushing for more investigation even though the police haven’t managed to find anything in five long years. Georgia has read all the files and has contacted Amber who now resides in Texas, but before she can really get going on interviews another body is found in the woods - a body that leads Georgia and her team to the missing teens. What fresh hell is this?

There are twists and turns and revelations both surprising and icky in this suspenseful murder mystery. I’ve read one other book by Mary Burton and I like her writing style. She woos with words and coaxes you to keep looking for answers all while dropping breadcrumbs to follow. Sometimes you think you have it figured out only to doubt yourself with the next revelation. It’s frustrating, but in a good way. There is plenty of science involved without it overwhelming the story and there’s even more foot work involved by Detective Jake Bishop. Police work is a collaborative effort between beating the bushes and science and I’m glad this story shows that. I look forward to reading more stories by Mary Burton.