Audio Book Review: Hide and Seek by Mary Burton

This reminded me why I like this author. It is a good thriller with romance.
Hide and Seek
By Mary Burton
Narrated By: Christina Traister

Duration: 9 h 57 min
Release date: 04-23-19
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Genre: Mystery, Police Procedural, Romantic Suspense
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

Summary:
She’s hunting. He’s watching.
Special Agent Macy Crow is a survivor. After a vicious hit-and-run nearly kills her, she gets right back to work, and now she’s gunning for a spot on the FBI’s elite profiling team. As an audition, she offers to investigate the recently discovered bones of Tobi Turner, a high school girl who disappeared fifteen years ago.
While investigating with local sheriff Mike Nevada, a former colleague and onetime lover, Macy discovers a link between Tobi’s case and several others that occurred around the same time as her disappearance. As Macy interviews victims and examines old cases, she uncovers a sinister picture of a stalker who graduated to sexual assault—and then murder.
Macy and Nevada race to put this monster behind bars before he can come out of hiding. But the murderer’s had years to hone his skills, and soon Macy herself becomes a target. She’s no stranger to pain and terror, but will Macy’s first profiling case be her last?

Review:
Special Agent Macy is still recovering from a hit and run but she is persistent that she wants to get back to work at the FBI. She hops to get a spot on the FBI’s elite profiling team. She is approved to investigate a recently discovered body of a teenage girl who disappeared fifteen years ago. Macy will be investigating with local sheriff, Mike Nevada, with whom she has a short history.

Very quickly Macy connects the death of the teen with other cases of death and rape that occurred in the same time period. Macy is building a profile that discovers that the perpetrator may still be attacking and killing young women of the same type. As Macy and Nevada push to interview those close to the disappearances fifteen years earlier, they are clearly stirring up facts some community members don’t want stirred.

Then the killer strikes the investigation team and it is clear that Macy is his next target. Will the team be able to uncover the criminal before he adds more trophies to his collection?

I enjoyed the suspense and profiling aspects of this story. The author created a mystery with good suspects and peripheral accomplices. Meanwhile, the relationship between Macy and Nevada is developed nicely. This story felt like it might be part of a series, and I searched to find it is Criminal Profiler #4. I am glad that I revisited this author after many years and I will be glad to pick up more of her titles. I recommend this author and book to fans of police procedural and romantic suspense.

Audio Notes: I enjoyed the narration by Christina Traister. She provided distinct voices and energy that fit the story. I had some concern that parts of the audio seemed to get louder at times, but I would put that on production, rather than the narrator. I still enjoyed the audio and would listen to more stories narrated by Ms. Traister.

Source: 9/22/19 Audiobooks.com Two for One Credit. This qualifies for 2022TBR, 2022Audiobook, and 2022Alphabet goals.

Book Review, Excerpt and Giveaway: You're Not Safe (Texas Rangers) by Mary Burton

This is a solidly entertaining romantic suspense.

You're Not Safe (Texas Rangers)
by Mary Burton

• File Size: 1179 KB
• Print Length: 400 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1420125079
• Publisher: Zebra Books (March 25, 2014)
• Genre: Romantic Suspense
• My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: March 25, 2014
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. . .

Review:
Greer was only fifteen when an accident, while she was driving, resulted in the death of her brother and his girlfriend. The incident left her miserable with guilt and estranged from her mother who couldn’t forgive her. A failed suicide attempt placed Greer, then known as Elizabeth, in a rehabilitation facility for rich families who wanted to keep their problem children secret.

When Greer left Shady Grove her Aunt took her in and put her to work in her vineyard. Steady work and focus helped Greer move forward even though her pain and guilt has never really gone away. Now twelve years later she has started to step back into the world and she has agreed to host an event to raise funds for the local crisis center.

A few days before the party the police discover a man who has been hung on the edge of Greer’s property. Police call in Texas Ranger Tec Bragg who quickly picks up on clues that show this was murder, not suicide. There is a photo tacked nearby of the man when he was much younger with a haunted girl. Bragg is able to track down the dead man’s brother and learns that the picture was taken at Shady Grove twelve years earlier and the girl is Elizabeth, now Greer.

Bragg meets Greer because she has just agreed to hire Bragg’s shell shocked, sullen nephew, Mitch. Greer is also a suspect in the murder. Then a woman is found dead in a freezer. Greer hears about the death on the radio and goes to Bragg to explain that she thinks the woman was also a patient at Shady Grove twelve years before.

One by one the members of the Shady Grove pod are dying by unusual circumstances that tie to their youthful suicide attempts. Greer won’t give out the names of the others because they all promised silence. The home administrator also clings to a commitment to privacy so Bragg’s efforts to locate the other members, whether victims or killer, are hindered. Bragg has already developed an attraction to Greer and his concern for her safety is escalating. Can he uncover the identity of the killer before he strikes out at Greer?

There is mystery and suspense that carries this story forward at a good pace. There are a couple of twists to the killer that I didn't catch onto until later in the book. The romance element is nicely developed with two interesting characters. Although Greer has an injured soul she is now a determined young business owner. Bragg had a rough childhood family situation and has always held himself apart. Having a nephew to care for has turned his thoughts to family and his growing feelings for Greer have intensified those thoughts.

I thoroughly enjoyed this romantic suspense. It is a solidly entertaining read and I recommend this book and others by Mary Burton to those who like good romantic suspense.

I received this title for review and feature.

ABOUT MARY BURTON 
            New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Mary Burton has been intrigued by investigative work and the people who do it since Virginia, her home state, was stung by a string of serial killings that spanned more than twenty years.  Not surprisingly, many of her suspense novels are fueled by the acts of multiple killers and the people who pursue them, as is YOU’RE NOT SAFE, which completes the trio of stories set in and around Austin she began with The Seventh Victim and continued with No Escape.
            The author of twenty-one novels and three novellas, her earlier work includes I'm Watching You, Dead Ringer and Dying Scream, set in her home town of Richmond, and Senseless, Merciless and Before She Dies, set in Alexandria.
            Mary’s intensive research has led to meetings with key members of law enforcement, to seminars and classes, 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 attended Sisters in Crime's Forensic University program and the Writers Police Academy in Jamestown, North Carolina.
            A Richmond native whose family roots run as deep as the nation's, Mary has lived there for most of her life.  She graduated from Virginia's Hollins University and had a career in marketing before deciding to write full time. Her first manuscript, a historical romance, was published in 2000.
            She is a member of Thriller Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She travels often for signings, speaking engagements and other appearances.  She is a frequent speaker regarding writing and genre fiction, and continues to present her "Unraveling Romantic Suspense" workshop and her day-long program "Writing Your Book...The First Step."
            Mary is currently finishing work on her new suspense novel, Cover Your Eyes.  The first of three thrillers set in Nashville, it is being published in November. In October her novella, A Ranger for Christmas, will be featured in the holiday anthology, Our First Christmas, along with works by Lisa Jackson, Mary Carter and Cathy Lamb. 
ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for the gently used Print Copy from the publicist.

www.maryburton.com    http://www.facebook.com/maryburtonfanpage    www.kensingtonbooks.com

YOU’RE NOT SAFE

Mary Burton

Zebra Books/Mass Market Original/Fiction

April 2014/On Sale 3-25-14/$7.99 ($8.99 Canada)

978-1-4201-2507-8

EXCERPTED FROM MARY BURTON’S YOU’RE NOT SAFE

    As he approached the building, a woman pushed through the glass doors of the main entrance.  She wasn’t tall, barely standing over five feet, but she held her shoulders back and her clear green eyes cut.  Not more than thirty, she had gently tanned smooth skin that accentuated a high slash of cheekbones.  She wore her light brown hair in a braid that brushed slender shoulders, a white Bonneville Vineyards T-shirt billowing over full breasts and tucked into faded work jeans hugging gently rounded hips. Her boots were dusty, well-worn.  “Can I help you?”
     Her voice had a rusty, whiskey quality giving this wholesome farm girl a seductiveness enjoyed by older more sophisticated women.
     Elizabeth Templeton.
     She was a far cry from the girl in the old image or the pictures Rory had taken.  The last dozen years had leaned out her frame and face adding maturity and an appealing naturalness. But Rory’s picture images had gotten her all wrong.  What he’d taken for as anger and bitterness in the photos, in person, appeared to be a fascinating intensity.  He suspected this woman did no job halfway.
     “I’m with the Texas Rangers.”
     Elizabeth cocked her head, studying him close, as if sensing this place wasn’t his kind of place.  However, even as her gaze catalogued his large frame and the scar on his face she showed no fear.  “How can I help you?”
     He managed a smile.  “You Elizabeth Templeton?”
     Mention of her name triggered waves of tension that straightened her spine and narrowed her eyes.  Hesitation flickered as if she seemed to toy with a lie.  “That’s right.  But I go by my middle name now.  Greer.”
     Elizabeth Greer Templeton.  Greer.  The woman who’d offered his boy a job.  “Sergeant Tec Bragg.”

**********

     He studied her expression closely.  “I investigated a murder bordering your land yesterday.”     A hint of remorse darkened her gaze.  “I heard about that.  Some fellow hanged himself.” And then as if to head off his next question, “A cruiser came by yesterday and spoke to my farm manager while I was in town.  I’m supposed to call him back but haven’t gotten to it."
     “You hear anything else?”
     “No.  I don’t have time for gossip and news.  So if you’re here to ask me about the dead person I’m afraid I can’t do much for you.  I spend most of my days here working.  I don’t venture out much.”
     And yet you’d made your way into town yesterday to talk to my boy.  “I think you might know the victim.”
     “Could be, but I only know a handful of people in the area.”
     He studied her face closely.  “The victim’s name was Rory Edwards.”
     Irritation gave way to surprise.  Pursing her lips she drew in a deep breath, letting it out so slowly he barely saw her move.  “Is this some kind of trick?  Are you trying to prod information out of me because I hired your nephew?”
     “No trick.  The medical examiner confirmed the identity of the body yesterday.”
     She folded her arms over her chest.  “I’ve not seen Rory in a long time.  At least twelve years.”
     “You’ve had no contact with him in this time?”
     Her lips pursed.  “I had a message on my voice mail a week ago.  The caller said he was coming to see me.  He was an old friend.  I did not return the call.”
“Why not?”
Green eyes clouded before sharpening.  “Some matters are better left in the past.”
“I get the impression he still cared about you after all this time.”
She shook her head.  “I have no idea.”
“I searched his room last night.  He had a box full of recent pictures of you.”
Her face paled.  “I don’t know about that.”
“Can I ask how you two met?”
The grip on her biceps tightened.  “I get the sense you already know.”
Apprehension rolled off her and all but slammed into Bragg.  Rory Edwards and her past were sore subjects.  “Answer the question.”
She glanced around as if making sure no one was around.  “We met when we were teenagers.  We were both in a clinic for troubled teens.”
“You both tried to kill yourself.”
The lines in her forehead deepened.  “I’m not proud of that time, but what does it have to do with Rory’s death?  Like I said, I haven’t seen him in a dozen years.”
Bragg unclipped his phone and scrolled to the picture he’d taken of the photo found at the crime scene.  He held out the phone, coaxing her closer toward him.  “You remember this picture?”
She didn’t approach right away but then moved closer.  The soft scent of soap rose up around her.  No flowery perfumes or exotic scents but simply clean soap.  His body tightened, unmindful of logic or reason.
For a long moment she didn’t say a word and then she cleared her voice.  “It was taken the last night we were both at the camp.  Rory left the next morning.”
“How’d he end up with the picture if he left?”
“I sent him a copy from camp.  I didn’t want him to forget me.”
“His brother said you wrote to him several times a week but Rory’s father threw out the letters.”
Her jaw tensed, and he suspected an old wound opened.  “I guess one letter made it through.”
“Rory never forgot you.”
She stepped back.  “I wish he had.”
“Why’s that?”
“Really, do you have to ask?  It was a painful time, and I’ve done my best over the last twelve years to forget about it.”
He locked his phone and tucked it back in its cradle.  “Were you really able to forget?”
She cleared her throat.  “Rory’s family did us a favor by keeping us apart.  But the rest?   No, I have not forgotten that I wrecked a car and killed my brother and his girlfriend.  I ruined so many lives.  I carry that with me every day.”
“That why you tried to kill yourself?”
© 2013 Mary Burton YOU’RE NOT SAFE

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WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED after April 18, 2014.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Author Interview with Giveaway: Mary Burton Author of No Escape

MEET MARY BURTON...

       Mary Burton enjoys the hunt. This New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist, whose work has been compared to that of Steig Larson*, Lisa Gardner**, and Lisa Jackson***, has been intrigued by investigative work and the people who do it since Virginia, her home state, was stung by a string of serial killings that spanned more than twenty years. Not surprisingly, many of her suspense novels are fueled by the acts of multiple killers and the people who pursue them, as is NO ESCAPE, Mary's latest novel and the second in a trio of stories set in and around Austin. There she calls upon the people and resources of the state's lead investigative team, the Texas Rangers.

       NO ESCAPE's predecessor, THE SEVENTH VICTIM quickly became a USA Today bestseller. It was praised by reviewers, including Publishers Weekly, which says it "delivers action-packed suspense" and calls it "compelling.” Suspense Magazine hailed it as “an excellent thriller” and a “saga that readers will find unbelievably hard to put down.”
      Mary's admiration for the work of law enforcement and the skills, insights and tools necessary to do it, is evident even in her earliest forays into suspense, such as In Dark Waters, in which a romance evolves when the Sheriff's office is called upon to solve a murder in rural Virginia. Future plots explored arson investigation, flaws within a witness protection program, and the reopening of a cold case.
       Beginning with her novel I'm Watching You, Mary started connecting several cases and characters within the same department or agency. For I'm Watching You she invented a homicide unit for her hometown of Richmond, defined its strengths, weaknesses and resources, and kept those characters and elements in place through two additional stand-alone, but related, books, Dead Ringer and Dying Scream.
       The three-book arc provided numerous creative options, especially as regards character development. This larger canvas allowed her to incorporate more of the forensic and procedural detail that fascinates her and her readers, and created new opportunities to explore dynamics unique to investigators working together over time.
       Her other "connected" novels are Senseless, Merciless and Before She Dies, all set in Alexandria, and THE SEVENTH VICTIM, NO ESCAPE and YOU'RE NOT SAFE, which is being published in April 2014.
       Mary's research has led her to interview a wide range of law enforcement personnel, to attend forensic seminars and to handle weaponry at the firing range. She is a graduate of the Henrico County Citizens Police Academy and the Richmond FBI Citizen's Academy, and has attended Sisters in Crime's Forensic University program and the Writers Police Academy in Jamestown, North Carolina, where the focus was on undercover work, autopsies, and the theories behind why people kill.
       Despite her emphasis on hard facts related to the crimes she writes about, Mary's approach to each new novel is psychological. She backs away from details, whether it's forensic research or a plot point she's already fixating upon. To begin her story she needs answers to three questions about her killers: why do they kill, what demons drive them, and how do they choose their victims. The answers are critical to her plot, she says, just as they are for detectives solving a murder.
       A Richmond native whose family roots run as deep as the nation's, Mary has lived there for most of her life. She graduated from Virginia's Hollins University and worked in marketing before deciding to write full time. Her first manuscript, a historical romance, was published in 2000.
       Mary wrote several more romance novels and three novellas before embracing the dark world of suspense. She even managed to bring danger to her holiday novella, Christmas Past, which appears in the New York Times bestselling holiday anthology Silver Bells.
       The author of twenty published novels and four novellas, Mary is a member of Thriller Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, for which she is president of the Central Virginia chapter. She travels frequently for signings, speaking engagements and other appearances. She is a frequent speaker at conferences, book festivals, book stores and libraries regarding writing and genre fiction, and is frequently asked to present her "Unraveling Romantic Suspense" workshop or her day-long program "Writing Your Book...The First Step."
       An avid baker and an accomplished cook, Mary's discovered that the creativity of the kitchen entwines with her professional routine in unanticipated ways. It’s her ideal retreat when the writing hits a rough spot. Once there, she's working out dialogue, untangling plot lines and figuring out how to trap a killer before the oven has a chance to preheat.
       When not committing murder, Mary pursues her Baking & Pastry Arts Certificate at the University of Richmond's Culinary Arts Program, and continues her involvement and appearances on behalf of Coordinators2inc, a lifetime adoption resource organization. She and her husband spend time alternately enjoying and lamenting their newly empty nest and spoiling their miniature dachshunds Buddy and Bella.
       Mary is currently at work on her next novel, set in Nashville, and anticipating the November publication of her new Union Street Bakery novel, Sweet Expectations, written as Mary Ellen Taylor.

*Publishers Weekly, **Library Journal, ***Library Journal

www.maryburton.com    http://www.facebook.com/maryburtonfanpage   www.kensingtonbooks.com

NO ESCAPE by Mary Burton

Zebra Books/Mass Market Original/Fiction

November 2013/On Sale 10-29-13/$7.99 ($8.99 Canada)

978-1-4201-2506-1

I was pleased to ask Ms. Burton a few more questions about her writing:

Q1. What inspires you to write the different genres you write– Romantic Suspense, Historical Fiction and Women’s Fiction? Do you have plans to write in any other genres?

MB:  I love to write and sometimes a story just fits into a certain genre.  Some are fast-paced mystery/thrillers and others are more introspective and emotional. If a story really excites me I’ll find a way to write it.

Q2. Is there a big transition in your writing style from one genre to another?

MB:  There is a huge difference between my suspense and my women’s fiction stories. The suspense novels are written as edgy page turners and have some real dark moments. The women’s fiction novels are a little slower paced and I can take more time to explore emotions.

Q3. Do your characters live with you or haunt your dreams as you write?

MB:  They haunt me. I’m always thinking about the next story and, as they take form, the characters seem to get louder and louder. I know that sounds a little crazy but I think most writers will tell you that their characters are constantly tapping them on the shoulder and shouting for attention.

Q4. What is one of the best tips you’ve received on writing?

MB:  Write every day. When you write every day your skills really sharpen and you don’t lose the thread of your story. When I take long breaks I lose the habit of writing so I’ve learned to keep the breaks short.

Q5. What is the single most important thing you've learned about managing your career?

MB:  Be a professional. Write the best stories you can but be mindful of your deadlines and be kind and polite to the folks you meet along the way.

Q6. What is the craziest thing you've done to research a story idea?

MB:  I attended a shallow grave seminar at the Writers’ Police Academy. It was a fascinating afternoon and it inspired NO ESCAPE.

Q7. What do you hope your readers get out of your books?

MB:  I want to pull them out of real life and take them on a great ride. My hope is that the story keeps them up way past their bedtime and maybe they forget to cook dinner or switch the laundry along the way.

I have to say that Ms. Burton succeeded in her goal by pulling me into NO ESCAPE!

ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for a Print Copy from the publicist:

ENTRY FORM HERE

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For 3 Extra Bonus entries Comment on the Author's bio or Interview.

For additional 3 Extra bonus entries, Comment on the Review Post. 

* This contest is open to those with US or Canada address only.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on November 8, 2013.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED after November 8, 2013.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Book Review: No Escape by Mary Burton

This has all the elements I love in a romantic suspense: lots of action and suspense with good romantic tension.
No Escape (Texas Rangers)
Mary Burton

• File Size: 1316 KB
• Print Length: 384 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1420125060
• Publisher: Zebra Books (October 29, 2013)
• ASIN: B00DV1ISQI

Genre: Romantic Suspense
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: October 29, 2013
He Was Taught How To Kill
Even behind bars, serial killer Harvey Day 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…

Praise for Mary Burton’s The Seventh Victim
“Dark and disturbing, a well-written tale of obsession and murder.” —Kat Martin
“Burton delivers action-packed tension.” —Publishers Weekly

Review:
Dr. Jolene Granger is a strong minded young woman whose determination and drive for knowledge pushed her through to become a psychologist. Now Jo delves into criminal minds helping local police and even the Texas Rangers. Now Texas Ranger Brody Winchester has contacted her to take her to interview a serial killer, Harvey Smith, who is dying from cancer. Smith was captured by Brody and has confessed to some of his kills but has refused to give up the location of some of the girls.

Smith is known for burying his victims alive and he likes to play mind games. He has called Jo for a purpose. He is willing to tell her a new location of bodies but there is something else he will only hint at. And he knows the secret between Jo and Brody that few others know...they were married fourteen years before.

Brody goes into protective mode when it comes to Jo. She is cautious about all men, but especially about Brody. After all, they had a whirlwind romance but Brody was young and hot tempered. He joined the Marines in order to earn money to support them but in so doing he abandoned Jo when she needed him most.

Brody wants a chance to show Jo he is not the immature young man she knew before. But right now they are hunting a new killer – Robbie, the protégé that Smith has just revealed. A young woman in Jo’s community has gone missing and it seems that another psychopathic killer is stalking Jo. Brody might have a chance with Jo but only if he can keep her safe and away from the killing ‘son’ of a madman.

Ms. Burton does an excellent job of building suspense into this twisted plot. There are several men around Jo whom the reader can suspect might be dangerous, some more obvious than others. Paths and clues cross to keep the reader guessing. Meanwhile there is the underlying tension of the conflict of unresolved issues, and passion, between Jo and Brody. The writing is sharp, full of action and momentum that made me want to keep reading all night. I am very glad to have found this author to add to my ‘go-to’ list for wonderful romantic suspense. This is definitely a must read for those who enjoy good romantic suspense.

I received this from Joan Schulhafer Publishing & Media Consulting for an honest review, with author Interview and Giveaway - see next post!