I am very excited to be on the Blog Tour for the first book in Kendra Elliot’s new romantic suspense series – Columbia River. THE LAST SISTER (Columbia River Book #1) had me glued to the page from start to finish.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review and the author’s bio and social media links. This is a new romantic suspense series, but there are a few characters you may recognize from Ms. Elliot’s Callahan & McLane series. Enjoy!
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Book Blurb
Twenty years ago, Emily Mills’ father was murdered, and she found his body hanging in the backyard. Her younger sister, Madison, claims she was asleep in her room. Her older sister, Tara, claims she was out with friends. The tragedy drove their mother to suicide and Tara to leave town forever. The killer was caught. The case closed.
Ever since, Emily and Madison have tried to forget what happened that night – until an eerily similar murder brings it all back. It also brings FBI special agent Zander Wells to the Oregon logging town. As eager as he is to solve the brutal double slaying, he is just as intrigued with the mystery of Emily’s and her sisters’ past.
When more blood is shed, Zander suspects there’s a secret buried in this town that no one wants unearthed. Is it something Emily and Madison don’t know? Or aren’t telling? And Tara? Maybe Emily can’t bear to find her. Because when Tara disappeared, she took a secret of her own with her.
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THE LAST SISTER By Kendra Elliot Montlake; January 14, 2020 (Mystery | 336 pp. | Hardcover: $24.99, ISBN#: 978-1542006729; Kindle: $5.99, ASIN#: B07SLZ9LMN; Paperback: $12.95, ISBN#: 978-1542006705)
“Elliot skillfully unravels layers of intersecting stories, each one integral to the overall story of the Mills family and their small-town secrets. Readers will want to see more from this author.” – Publisher’s Weekly
“Part budding romance, part compelling backstory, part prescient tale of racism: provocative on all fronts” – Kirkus Reviews
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My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
THE LAST SISTER (Columbia River Book #1) by Kendra
Elliot is the first book in a new romantic suspense/FBI mystery series. This
book is easily read as a standalone, but a few of the characters are carry
overs from Ms. Elliot’s Callahan & McLane series.
Twenty years ago, a family was shattered when the father was
found hanging from a tree and their home burned to the ground. The mother committed
suicide a week later, the eldest daughter disappeared and that left two small
girls with secrets that they would hide for years.
Present day. FBI Special Agents Zander Wells and Ava
Callahan are sent to investigate a double murder in a small Oregon coastal town
that is eerily similar to a twenty-year-old crime that was supposedly solved. The
tip came from Emily Mills who found the slain couple and was one of the sisters
who survived the old crime. Zander is determined to solve this double homicide,
but he is also intrigued by the old case and Emily.
As Zander and Ava investigate, the killer threatens Emily
and her relatives and then strikes again to hide his crimes past and present. Secrets
long buried need to be revealed for the past and present cases to be solved
before someone else is killed.
I was completely engrossed in all the plot threads in this
suspense. Past and present, multigenerational secrets. I like that Ms. Elliot
shows the insidious, not in-your-face racism that can infect and destroy multi-generations
and towns. Zander and Emily each deserve to find happiness and I feel they were
perfect for each other. There is no sex in this story and Zander and Emily are
very attracted to each other, but Zander waits until the case is solved.
I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait for more book
in this series. There is intriguing investigation, secrets revealed, and the
start of a romance that had me turning the pages continually from beginning to “The
End”.
***
Author Biography
Kendra
Elliot has landed on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list
multiple times and is the award-winning author of the Bone Secrets and Callahan
& McLane series, as well as the Mercy Kilpatrick novels: A Merciful
Death, A Merciful Truth, and A Merciful Secret. Kendra is
a three-time winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award, an International Thriller
Writers finalist, and an RT Award finalist. She has always been a voracious
reader, cutting her teeth on classic female heroines such as Nancy Drew, Trixie
Belden, and Laura Ingalls. She was born, raised, and still lives in the rainy
Pacific Northwest with her husband and three daughters, but she looks forward
to the day she can live in flip-flops. Visit her at www.kendraelliot.com.
I am very excited to be sharing this Feature Post and Book Review for Mary Burton’s new release I SEE YOU (Criminal Profiler Book 2). I highly recommend this romantic suspense, which can be easily read as a standalone.
Below you will find a guest post from the author, an excerpt from the book, my book review, a book summary, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. Enjoy and as always, good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway!
***
An Affair (and
a Murder) To Remember with Author Mary Burton
I SEE YOU, my latest romantic suspense, features
two of my very favorite characters: Homicide Detective William Vaughan and FBI
Special Agent Zoe Spencer.
Zoe Spencer is a member of an FBI criminal profiling team dedicated to finding
the most violent and prolific killers. Zoe, a talented artist and agent,
specializes in forensic reconstruction. She skillfully merges her interview
skills with pencil and paper to create stunning likenesses. And when only bones
remain, she molds clay over bone to recreate the faces of the lost.
Zoe’s work generates a high case-closure rate, which draws the attention of the
law enforcement community. Her lectures at the FBI headquarters at Quantico are
often standing room only. Among those interested in her work is Homicide Detective
William Vaughan.
Detective Vaughan, divorced and raising a college bound teenager, is a man of few words and when he does comment, his observations are always thoughtful and insightful. He not only hears what is said and but sees what is communicated via body language.
The more time Vaughan spends with Zoe, the greater his desire to breach her cool demeanor. He draws upon all his powers of observation, practiced detective skills and his somewhat rusty charm to win her. Though they begin an affair, she still remains elusive.
When a charred skull is found in Vaughan’s jurisdiction of Alexandria, Virginia, he turns to Zoe. Zoe recreates a stunning clay bust that leads to the identification of a girl who has been missing for fifteen years.
As Vaughan and Zoe dig deeper, the cold case heats up when several more women,
similar to their victim, are discovered brutally murdered. This killer, who has
avoided capture for so many years, is still hunting women. It becomes a race
against time to catch a madman who shifts his sights to his next victim: Zoe
Spencer.
I hope you enjoy I SEE YOU and this magnetic couple who I’ve pitted against one of my most chilling villains so far.
***
Excerpt
The
instant Vaughan woke, he knew she was gone. He should not have been surprised.
She never stayed long, but he’d thought last night would be different.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and
instantly spotted the note on the mirror. It was written on the back of the
fast-food receipt in fluid and graceful handwriting.
Called a car. Didn’t want to wake you.
Spencer. He knew how to make that woman’s body
tighten with desire and how to make her moan in a way that told him she was
fully attuned to his body. But beyond that, she was still a complete stranger.
He flicked the edge of the note, surprised he
had not awoken. Since he had become a cop and father, he had turned into a
light sleeper. Both incarnations, like a doctor on call, were summoned at all
times of the day and night. His ability to shake off sleep in seconds and then
think clearly was well honed. But yesterday had been long, even for him.
He laid the note on his dresser as he glanced
at the pillow that still held the impression of her head. It was not like him
to be sentimental, but he was sorry he likely would not see her for a while.
He showered, and fifteen minutes later he was
dressed, his badge and sidearm on his belt. As the coffee brewed, he scrambled
five eggs before he realized Nate was gone. He toasted a bagel and ate alone at
the kitchen table.
He filled a travel mug with more coffee and was
on the road by six o’clock. Moonlight mingled with the lights looming over
I-395 as he looped around the beltway and headed north toward his exit. The
traffic was already building, and soon it would slow to a snail’s pace.
With luck, the first wave of files from the
Prince case would be in his office. He had been warned that there were a dozen
file boxes, but he did not care. He also had the autopsy of the Jane Doe
stabbed to death in the motel room to attend. It was going to be another long
day.
Fifteen minutes later, he had parked and was in
the break room, refilling his coffee. When he flipped on the lights of his
office, there were six file boxes stacked in front of his desk. A green sticky
note read More to come.
It was too early to call the medical examiner
about his Jane Doe from the motel room, so he set his cup down and flipped
through the first set of files.
He spent the next hour and a half reading
through the detectives’ notes. At the time of Marsha’s disappearance, the
detectives had exhausted every lead and tip that had come into the station, but
in the end came up with nothing.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
I SEE YOU (Criminal Profiler Book 2) by Mary Burton
is the second romantic suspense in the Criminal Profiler series. This book focuses
on two suspense plots, a cold case and a present day serial killer case while
still managing to give you a believable romance intertwined with the
investigations.
FBI Special Agent Zoe Spencer is a profiler and a forensic
artist who can use skeletal remains or eye- witness testimony to build or draw a
visual representation for law enforcement. As she works on the reconstruction
of a recently found skull, she brings back the face of a missing teenage girl from
19 years ago.
Alexandria homicide detective William Vaughan has been
called to the scene of a brutally murdered teenage sex worker. Just as he
begins investigating, he gets a call to assist on Zoe’s cold case. He is
interested in the case and is happy to once again work with his on-again,
off-again lover.
As William and Zoe reconnect with the sister of the cold
case victim, they are shocked to get a call that the sister’s husband has been
stabbed and the sister and her daughter have been abducted. There are deep
secrets in this family and as the investigation heats up, more bodies are being
found. Can William and Zoe find out who and what connects the past with the present
and if they are connected stop the killing spree?
I love all the layers in these suspense plots from the past
and present and how they were tied together. Ms. Burton kept me guessing and
changing my mind on who was guilty with an ending that satisfies, but also
leaves a scary question mark for the future. William is a steady, strong hero
who does not overshadow Zoe, who is a very strong heroine on her own. The
romance was believable because they were both at a point in their lives where
they were both ready to move on. The sex scenes are steamy and intimate, but
not gratuitous.
I highly recommend this romantic suspense and author. Ms.
Burton always gives me intriguing cases to solve, strong and intelligent heroes
and heroines and a romantic HEA.
***
About the Book
Title: I See You
Author: Mary Burton
Release Date: October 8, 2019
Publisher: Montlake
Summary
FBI special agent Zoe Spencer uses skeletal remains to recreate
the faces of murder victims through sculpture. Though highly scientific, the
process is also sensitive and intimate; she becomes attached to the individuals
she identifies, desperate to find justice for each.
As Zoe examines old remains, she sees a teenage girl looking back at her—the
victim in a cold case from over a decade ago. Zoe wants nothing more than to
tell this young woman’s story and to bring her killer to justice.
Zoe’s case leads her to the victim’s hometown and to homicide detective William
Vaughan, Zoe’s on-again, off-again lover. As the two become more involved in
the case, they quickly realize that it isn’t as cold as they first believed:
someone’s still out there hunting women. And with more women gone missing,
time’s running out. Can they work together and stop this madman before he kills
again?
***
Author Biography
New York Times and USA Today bestselling
novelist Mary Burton is the popular author of thirty-five romance and suspense
novels as well as five novellas. She currently lives in Virginia with her
husband and three miniature dachshunds. Visit her at www.maryburton.com.
I am very excited to once again be featuring a new Freya Barker romantic suspense book. This author’s heroes and heroines are always realistic portrayals, a little older and more seasoned by life, with an element of suspense that brings them together.
10-Code is the fourth book in the Rock Point/La Plata County FBI series. All of the books in this series are easily read as standalones, but believe me, you will want to read them all!
***
Book Description:
As a forty-one-year-old mother of three boys, working two jobs, Marya Berger doesn’t have the time or energy to consider a relationship. Especially after a lifetime of poor choices in the romance department. But when the disappearance of a young boy strikes a little too close to home, and a younger man she’s tried to ignore offers his help, she doesn’t stand in the way.
Single father, Dylan Barnes, the junior member of the La Plata County FBI team at thirty-three, has his focus firmly on his job and his son, Max. He’s certainly not looking to complicate his life, when he finds himself at his son’s soccer game, sitting beside the spirited brunette he can’t get out of his mind. Fate, however, appears to have different plans.
When an unspeakable crime draws the attention of the FBI, Dylan finds himself torn between his job and his instinctive need to protect Marya and her boys.
***
Goodreads book link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45158145-10-code?from_search=true
***
My Book Review:
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
10-Code Rock
Point/La Plata County FBI Book 4 by Freya Barker is a new FBI romantic suspense
which returns to Rock Point and is the fourth book in this series. While there
is character crossover from the previous books in this series, it can be easily
read as a standalone without confusion.
Marya Berger had her dead-beat husband walk out on her and
their three boys five years ago. With the help of her mother and working two
jobs, she has done her best. Between the boys, her jobs and her past poor
dating choices, Marya does not have the time or energy for romance.
FBI agent Dylan Barnes is firmly focused on his career and
his son. He is very lucky to have his mother and step-dad close to help with
his son when his job interferes. At his son’s soccer game, Dylan is surprised
when Marya shows up. He learns her middle son plays on the team and the two
boys have a lot in common. This Marya is different than the buttoned up woman
he buys coffee from at the book store. She is spirited and sarcastic and he
finds he cannot quit thinking about her.
When a young boy the same age as both Marya and Dylan’s sons
disappears, and Marya’s ex-husband shows up out of the blue demanding to see
the boys, Dylan is torn between his job and his need to protect Marya and her
boys.
This is a wonderful romance with two people who truly
deserve each other and a HEA. The road had more than enough bumps in it between
Marya’s ex-husband, Dylan’s ex-fling and the suspense plot surrounding the
boys. The sex scenes are explicit and realistic as they try to just grab
whatever time is available as they deal with everything going on in their jobs
and lives. Ms. Barker has the characters dealing with what age to get children cell
phones, on-line gaming, predator danger and codes for dangerous situations.
This is another home run from this author. Her characters
are always flawed in ways everyone can relate to, the romance is hot and the
suspense keeps you turning the pages to the end. Excellent book, excellent
series and excellent author. I highly recommend you pick up a Freya Barker
romantic suspense and get reading!
***
***
About Freya:
Freya Barker inspires with her stories about ‘real’ people, perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy.
She is the author of the Cedar Tree and Portland, ME Series, the Northern Lights Collection and the Rock Point Series. She is also co-author of the SnapShot Series.
To see Freya’s complete backlist, or to find out what is coming down the pipe, visit freyabarker.com.
My turn on the blog tour. I was riveted, repulsed, scared and engrossed the entire time I was immersed in this new suspense/thriller. One sitting was all I needed to fly through The Controller ( A Lynch and Rose Thriller Book 1) by Matt Brolly.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, author info, author social media and purchase links. I loved this edge-of-your-seat thriller!
***
Book Blurb:
From the bestselling author of the acclaimed
DCI Lambert series comes The Controller, a gripping serial killer thriller
introducing Sam Lynch and Special Agent Sandra Rose.
It is
six years since special agent Samuel Lynch left the FBI following the
disappearance of his son, Daniel. Lynch believes an underground organisation
known as The Railroad is responsible and has never
stopped searching.
When
Special Agent Sandra Rose investigates a house invasion gone wrong, she
discovers the assailant has the legendary, and infamous, Railroad tattoo carved
onto his back and he claims to know Daniel’s whereabouts.
Rose
draws Lynch in to her case, and together they become embroiled in
an unparalleled world of violence and evil.
It seems that to see his son again, Lynch will have to confront his greatest fear and face the ultimate test: an encounter with the Railroad’s enigmatic and deadly leader, The Controller.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
THE CONTROLLER (A
Lynch and Rose Thriller Book 1) by Matt Brolly is a fast-paced, high octane suspense/thriller
that I could not put down until the explosive end. A former and current FBI
agent work together to bring down an organization that is only spoken about as
a legend.
Special Agent Samuel Lynch left the FBI. He was forced out as he spent every minute investigating an underground organization known as The Railroad who he believed kidnapped his son and hundreds of others. Each time he gets close, his lead evaporates, but he will never stop searching until his son, Daniel is found.
Seven years have passed.
Special Agent Sandra Rose is sent to investigate a home
invasion were the killer sadistically eliminated an entire family. He is taken
into custody, but refuses to talk to anyone but Samuel Lynch. He claims to know
were Daniel is being held – alive.
Rose brings Lynch in and together they become entangled in a
world where no one can be trusted. As Rose works with her partner within the
system, Lynch will allow himself to be taken by The Controller, who is the
sadistic and deadly leader of The Railroad. He will do anything to see his son
again, but will it be the last thing he ever does?
This book drops you immediately into action that never lets
up. The author weaves Lynch and Rose’s backstories throughout without losing
momentum. There are gruesome scenes that are graphic, but this is a thriller
about an organization of sadists and I never felt the scenes were gratuitous. The
Controller was a truly scary psychopath who is still out there. (This is not a
secret, so I will be looking for him in future books.) All of the secondary characters
kept you guessing if they were good or bad which added to the tension.
I am very interested in following this duo to see how the
author handles each going forward. The next thrill ride cannot come soon
enough!
***
About Matt
Brolly:
Following his law degree where he developed an interest in criminal law,
Matt Brolly completed his Masters in Creative Writing at Glasgow University.
He is the bestselling author of the DCI Lambert
crime novels, Dead Eyed, Dead Lucky and Dead Embers. The fourth in the series,
Dead Time, was released by Canelo in May 2018 and a prequel, Dead Water, will
be published in September 2019. In 2020 the first of a new crime
series set in the West Country of the UK will be released by Thomas and Mercer
(Amazon Publishing).
The Controller, released in May 2019, is the first of a new thriller
series set in Texas.
Matt also writes children’s books as M.J.
Brolly. His first children’s book, The Sleeping Bug, was released by Oblong
Books in December 2018.
Matt lives in London with his wife and their two
young children. You can find out more about Matt at his website MattBrolly.co.uk or by
following him on twitter: @MattBrollyUK
Today the Feature Post and Book Review is for Mary Burton’s upcoming release HIDE ANDSEEK (Criminal Profiler #1). Below you will find a guest piece from the author, an excerpt from the title, my book review, a bio about the author and social media links for the author. At the end of the post, you will also see a Rafflecopter giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card and a digital copy of the book.
It was hard to put this book down and I was on the edge of my seat at the climax. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. As always, good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway!
***
Profiling FBI Profiler Macy Crow
Special Agent Macy Crow is 33-years-old and is
an accomplished FBI Agent. She’s worked a series of high profile cases
across the United States and isn’t afraid to take chances. When her father was
murdered, she headed to Texas to investigate the crime. Following clues left
behind by her father, she was closing in on the killer when she became the
victim of a hit and run accident.
Most would have died from the injuries Macy
sustained or would have been permanently disabled. However, Macy channeled her
extreme ability to focus into her recovery. Though her fit muscles have
softened during her recovery, she is regaining strength each day and is now
laser-focused on returning to the FBI as a field agent. Before her
accident, she had shoulder length blond hair but the brain surgeons who saved
her life cut off all her hair. She now proudly sports a pixie cut.
When Macy returned to Texas, she learned a
startling fact about herself. She has an identical twin—medical examiner Dr.
Faith McIntyre. Though adopted by different families, the sisters already have
a strong connection.
Macy’s adoptive parents split when she was two
and she moved from Texas to Alexandria, Virginia located outside of Washington,
D.C. Over the years she remained close with her father and spent many summers
with him helping repair old cars on his auto salvage lot. In Alexandria, she
and her mother lived in a large apartment complex. When she was young, a
neighborhood girl was murdered. That tragedy had a very profound affect on
Macy, who discovered she wasn’t afraid of the police and FBI agents swarming
the apartment complex. Instead, she was fascinated by their work and not only
watched law enforcement in action but also walked the actual crime scene
herself in search of clues.
Macy has never been married and has no children. For a long time, she considered herself married to her job and it wasn’t until she met FBI Special Agent Mike Nevada that she reconsidered her single status. However, her accident cut short their romance. Nevada is now the sheriff in a small Virginia town in the Shenandoah Valley. He understands Macy’s need to reclaim the FBI job she has always loved so much. In the last year, he has never forgotten her and is committed to helping regain her old life. When the two are paired on a cold case murder investigation in Nevada’s district, they become an unstoppable team.
***
Excerpt: Hide and Seek by Mary
Burton
Vivid blue
sky, white clouds, and golden fall leaves blanketed the Blue Ridge and
Allegheny mountains and created a picture-perfect day in the valley. In Macy’s
book, the beauty was wasted. If she had God’s ear, today would have been cold,
overcast, and damp. Save the pretty days until she caught this killer.
As she drove south down I-81, Macy mentally
replayed her ten minutes of regional research. In the last couple of decades,
the Shenandoah Valley’s population had ballooned thanks to a growing
university, its proximity to Washington, DC, and a thriving tourism trade
peddling vineyards, Civil War battlefields, and railroad museums. Filling in
the economic gaps were warehouse distribution centers, chain hotels, and strip
malls.
The voice of Macy’s GPS cut through AC/DC’s Back in Black blasting from her
playlist and instructed her to take the upcoming exit toward Deep Run. As she
rolled onto Route 250, a sign for her go-to fast-food eatery gave her an excuse
to stretch her legs before driving the remaining ten miles to the crime scene.
Parking, she gingerly rose up out of the car.
Her leg hurt. Stretches weren’t optional any more. She grabbed her ankle and
pulled until the bunched muscles in her thigh released. After a quick walk
around the lot, she made a beeline for the restaurant bathroom.
She glanced into the mirror as she washed her
hands. Even after five months, she still didn’t recognize the woman with the
short hair and thin face.
Nevada was in for a rude awakening.
She wiped her face with a paper towel. “Macy
Crow, you’re above ground and headed in the right direction. That’s what
counts.”
At the counter, she ordered a supersize bucket
of fries and a large soda. It wasn’t that she loved the food—okay, maybe she
did love the fries—but the chain restaurant’s predictability and sameness was
comforting after so many life changes.
A few fries later, she was in her car and
backing out of her space when her phone rang. Nevada’s number appeared. She
cleared her throat and sat a little taller.
“Agent Macy Crow,” she said.
“Ramsey tells me you’re on your way. Where are
you?”
He was direct, rarely charming, and she always
knew where she stood with him. “Fifteen minutes from the barn.”
“I’m here now.”
The transition back into a working relationship
appeared effortless. Whatever they had was over and done. No hard feelings.
“See you soon,” she said.
En route on the interstate, she ate her fries
and drained her soda. There were no guarantees on when the next meal would be.
The last few miles took her down smaller roads
until she spotted the driveway marked by stacked stones. Gravel crunched under
her tires as she passed a freshly cleared field. Over the rise of a hill, she
saw the old barn encircled by yellow crime scene tape.
When she had been researching the area, slogans
such as “Best Quality of Life” and “Raise Your Family in Deep Run” popped up on
her computer screen. As she had read about the area, she had kept glancing
toward her open case file filled with images of Tobi Turner’s scattered bones.
Recent pictures had captured the barn surrounded by dozens of state and local
law enforcement vehicles crammed side by side in the grassy field.
Now as Macy parked, she noted that all the
vehicles were gone expect for a lone black SUV. She grabbed her Glock from the
glove box, holstered it, and stepped out of her car. Her worn hiking boots
sloshed in the damp muddy soil. She tugged on an FBI windbreaker and draped her
FBI credentials around her neck. As a stiff breeze blew a lingering chill and
autumn scents, she checked her pockets for latex gloves, sunglasses, a small
pocketknife, and pendant light.
Edginess and excitement fused as she strode
toward the stretch of yellow tape and searched for Nevada. She ducked under the
tape and stepped inside the barn.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
HIDE AND SEEK (Criminal Profiler #1) by Mary Burton is a romantic suspense with a stronger emphasis on the suspense/thriller plot line than the romance. The two main characters have been involved in the past, both professionally and romantically, which allows the author to amp up the suspense without the reader feeling cheated on the romance. This is a new series, but there is overlapping of characters from Ms. Burton’s previous books.
FBI Special Agent Macy Crow has an innate ability to connect
seemingly unconnected pieces of a crime together to solve big cases. She is
attempting to get on the FBI’s elite profiling team so she can get back out
into the field. After being almost killed by a hit-and-run tied to her last
case in Texas, she knows she is not yet one-hundred percent, but she is tired
of sitting behind a desk.
Mike Nevada has returned home after resigning from the FBI.
He was a profiler and had had enough of the death and depravity. He is elected
sheriff after discovering multiple rape kits that the current sheriff purposely
never had processed. When the bones and backpack of a fifteen-year-old missing
person case of a high school girl are discovered, Mike requests Macy’s assistance
on the case.
Macy and Nevada work together as seamlessly as before, but
they are up against a killer who has evolved and honed his skills over many
years. In 2004, he started with rapes and then worked his way up to kidnapping
and murder. He is bold enough to have left his DNA at every scene and he is
still free. He is watching as Macy starts to put the pieces together and he has
decided she needs to be stopped – permanently.
I read this book in one sitting. The investigation was so intriguing
and the killer so depraved that I just had to find out who the killer was. The
climax had me on the edge of my seat. Macy and Nevada are a great couple who
each understand what drives the other. Macy is extremely strong and resilient and
yet vulnerable due to her physical changes since the accident. Nevada is
strong, smart and the perfect man to support Macy. The sex scenes are not too
explicit or long. All of the secondary characters are fully fleshed out and I
will be looking forward to following them in future books, too.
I can highly recommend this book and I will be waiting
anxiously for the next book in this series!
***
About the Book
Title: Hide and Seek
Author: Mary Burton
Release Date: April 23, 2019
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Summary
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?
***
Author Biography
New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Mary Burton is the highly praised author of twenty-six romance and suspense novels and five novellas. She lives in Virginia with her husband and three miniature dachshunds.
PERILOUS TRUST (Off the Grid: FBI Trilogy #1) by Barbara Freethy is an exciting start to a new romantic suspense series. This is a fast paced story loaded with action, suspense and romance. Each book features one of five friends who formed a secret group while in Quantico with the promise to always help the others.
Sophie Parker is an archeology instructor at NYU, who receives the devastating news that her father was killed in a car crash. Her father was the head of the Organized Crime Unit in the NY FBI field office. When she gets a chance to check her phone, she listens to her father’s last frantic and cryptic messages with instructions she must follow and to not trust anyone including his fellow FBI agents.
FBI agent Damon Wolfe cannot believe what he is hearing. His mentor and reason for being in the NY FBI office is dead and his daughter is missing. Four years ago, Damon and Sophie came together for one night of solace and life-affirming passion over the death of a mutual friend. They never contacted each other again, but now Damon knows he has to find Sophie and help her.
Sophie does not know if she can trust Damon, but as the bullets start flying, they flee together to follow Sophie’s father’s clues and hopefully solve his murder and eliminate the threat to Sophie’s life.
The plot is an intricate puzzle and has a lot of players that need to be kept straight. Besides Damon and Sophie, you are introduced to Bree and Wyatt, who are members of the five from Quantico. Sophie’s father had a lifetime group of friends from Yale that may be involved in his death and his job as head of the Organized Crime Unit also brought in several players. Keeping everyone straight was my only problem while reading this book. Other than that, it was a surprise for me when all the pieces where discovered.
Damon and Sophie’s chemistry was intense and pretty much instantaneous from their one-night-stand four years ago. While on the run, they get to know more about each other’s pasts and families. It brings them closer and their relationship builds from there. The sex is hot, but not explicit and well balanced with the feelings of loss and fear during other parts of the story.
I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series and getting to know more about the other friends from Quantico.
