Member Reviews
I love Mary Burtons writing style but this one just didn't hook me like many of her others did. I did enjoy it but I would probably recommend other books of hers to this one.
A powerful horror tinged thriller that masterfully written ! A must read ! Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake Romance for the opportunity to read and review this book ! Opinions are solely my own ! #Netgalley #MontlakeRomance # NeverLookBack
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Never Look Back by Mary Burton that I read and reviewed.
This book moved way to slow for me and was very predictable. I had a lot of it figured out as it went along and it really did not hold my attention at all . Unfortunately for me I could not wait to get to the end and I kept putting off picking it up and reading more of it. I am usually a huge fan of Burton but this series for me is a huge disappointment.
Never Look Back gets three out of five stars.
Never Look Back is my first read by Mary Burton and I was disappointed to realise it was the third in the Criminal Profiler series. That said, it was everything I look for in a psychological thriller and a fast-paced, edge of your seat mystery. Serial killers have Agent Melina Shephard in their sights (yes, there are more than one) and there is no room for error or indecision as she delves deep to solve the murders and not become a victim herself. A fabulous read with exceptional character portrayals and a dynamic and heart-stopping plot, that I can happily recommend to lovers of a good suspense/thriller.
In this story, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Agent Melina Sheppard and FBI Agent Jerrod Ramsey work together to apprehend two serial killers. Multiple women are missing and Melina works the street and nearly becomes one of the killers next victim and realizes she needs backup. Jerrod Ramsey and Melina investigate a crash where a young girl is found abandoned in the vehicle. When they open the trunk, they find evidence of another serial killer with a totally different M.O. Melina is in the sights of both killers amd Ramsey tries to fight his growing attraction to his temporary partner while trying not to be over-protective and let her do her job.
I found the plotline to be suspenseful and the characters engaging but at time a little convoluted. I have to admit that I thought the two plotlines would converge into one story at some point. I really liked both lead characters and will look for other books in this series.
Thank ypu to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC to review.
Read this for Melina Shepard, an agent with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. She's determined to find a serial killer who has been preying on prostitutes. She finds herself teamed up with FBI SA Jerrod Ramsey, who is also looking for a killer. Melina has a really interesting back story, which comes out slowly, and is relevant to a new case they're assigned to. No spoilers from me but know that there's some good twists here (yes, you also need to suspend belief a tad but go with it). This is not romantic suspense- it's investigative team work. Burton writes this from several perspectives, including that of the villain, which adds to the story. Oh, and while it's billed as the third in a series, it's the third in a series which features profilers and it's really a standalone for these two characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a fast paced read that will keep you guessing.
Trying to learn what has happened to several missing women, Melina poses as a prostitute. One night, she barely escapes abduction by a serial killer. She has no idea who he is, but if he is in the system, the DNA evidence she provided may help them catch him. The serial killer thought he was abducting a prostitute and has no idea that he almost abducted Melina Shepard, an agent with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. FBI Agent Jerrod Ramsey arrives to assist on the case as they sort through clues for any information that will bring the killer to justice. Melina becomes the hunted as the killer seeks revenge. Parts of the story held my attention, but at times the story was a little too graphic for me.
As always this author did not disappoint. Melina and Ramsey were a perfect pair and had me on the edge of my seat. So many twists and nail biting could not be avoided. I would love to see more of them in the future.
I received an ARC on NetGallery and am voluntarily providing this review.
Spoiler free review.
I love this author. Her suspense romance books are my kryptonite. Her strong heroes and heroine are to die for. No pun intended. If you’re looking for a suspense romance then this is the author for you.
I can not say enough good things about her.
Thank you netgalley for the free copy of this book.
Another great book by Mary Burton! You will not want to put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.
I really enjoyed this book. The story is excellent and kept my interest right to the end, Not sure if this is book 1 of a series but if it is I look forward to more of the same characters as I found them very absorbing .
Mary Burton with another solid suspense novel. She never seems to run out of twists to add to the excitement of the story.
Wow!
The first few pages of this book I thought it may not be for me, it is quite a graphic start. However the story kicked in and I was hooked!
Melina is a cop, she is a also an adoptee, the story follows her as she investigates 2 murderers. The interconnection, twists and turns keeps you hooked. Plus the love interest also proves a bit of solace from the gruesome subject matter.
Brilliant characters, this is a real page turner!
Never Look Back was… convenient? There were too many coincidences throughout the novel for me to really connect and engaged with the story. It didn’t help that was a little lost in the beginning with the way the main plot was set up and presented and it took until about 30% for me to really get a good grasp on what was going on.
The characters were not that well developed? Melina did have a strong voice and distinct personality, and we did learn quite a bit about her as the story progressed, but Jerrod felt very one-dimensional. It was like his character development was sidelined in favor of creating extremely convenient plot points that connected to Melinda’s past.
I’d say from the middle until around the 85% mark, the story was great and really interesting. The pace held steady and there was a lot of tension as the characters slowly started to put the puzzle pieces together. Then the romance kind of… appeared out of nowhere and put a damper on that. I wasn’t a fan of how fast that developed and how it happened.
The ending was also a bit underwhelming? And again, it was rather convenient how everything was set up. There wasn’t a lot of impact on me as a reader, personally, when it was supposed to be the climax of the novel. The final chapter was super sweet, though, and worked as a nice closure.
There are two storylines in this fast paced thriller and it kept me hooked. I really enjoyed this book, it had interesting well developed characters, a good plot, which was unpredictable at times and a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. I would recommend this book as a good detective story. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.
Never Look Back was an action packed suspense novel that kept me on the edge of my seat. The action revolves around TBI Agent Melina Shephard’s and FBI Agent Jerrod Ramsey’s search for a serial killer who targets prostitutes. Along the way, they discover a connection to another serial killer and Melina’s past.
I loved how these two worked together to solve the case. Melina was a bad-ass heroine who didn’t back down from a fight and was determined to catch the bad guy. Jerrod has been chasing serial killers for years and he had become desensitized to the violence. This case and working with Melina reenergized him.
I enjoyed this story and I loved the plot twists. It was a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end.
Never Look Back is the third book in Mary Burton’s Criminal Profiler Series. It is a well written full length romantic mystery novel with an intriguing storyline, great chemistry between the lead characters and a happily ever after. If you love Criminal Minds you will throughly enjoy this book.
While working undercover as a prostitute to investigate several missing woman, Agent Melina Shepard of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation barely misses becoming a serial killer’s latest victim. Backup arrives in the form of profiler and FBI agent Jerrod Ramsey. While working together to learn more about the killer, another case involving a serial killer crosses their path. A case that has eerie similarities to Melina’s painful past. The chemistry between Ramsey and Melina simmers between them as they race to catch two serial killers- both with Melina in their crosshairs.
This is another great book from an author that is quickly becoming a favourite of mine. She is a fantastic author and I was instantly driven into the storyline because of her great characters and writing style. I cant wait to read more of her work.
This is a voluntary review of an advanced readers copy I received from netgalley.
I found this book to be a typical thriller-lite. It was somewhat predictable, a couple of unusual plot points, but overall solid writing and editing.
If thrillers are your thing, give it a try. I don’t think it will keep you up at night, but it is entertaining.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review, but my opinions are my own.
Agent Melina Shephard is a hands on, hard working, detective with traumatic childhood memories she tries to keep compartmentalised while investigating child abduction cases. When her best friend tells her how worried she is about two residents who have disappeared from her rescue mission Melina knows her help is needed and doesn't hesitate.
Working unauthorised undercover shifts as a prostitute, Shephard has no luck finding the two missing women but, after getting into a dangerous situation of her own, finds the disappearances catching the attention of the FBI. Special Agent Jerrod Ramsey is a team leader at Quantico but misses active investigations; so when he sees what Melina has discovered he heads for Tennessee himself rather than send someone else.
With very little to act on Melina and Jerrod are diverted to help a little girl who has been abandoned after a car accident. Feeling a connection with the child and memories from her own past threatening to surface Melina is determined nothing will hinder her ability to remain focused. When the vehicle is searched by the forensic team it reveals untold horrors and the agents realise they may now be hunting two serial killers. With only limited time to work through everything will Shephard and Ramsey find themselves stretched so thinly they are unable to solve either case?
Never Look Back was my first book by this author but I have a feeling it won't be my last. I enjoyed the two cases being investigated concurrently and with Melina and Jerrod having to switch from one to the other numerous times during the storyline it was good they were different enough to prevent any confusion for the reader, at least!
Melina was instantly likeable while Jerrod was sympathetically written and fitted in perfectly. Although formulaic in set up I was surprised more than once as the book progressed and there was a very satisfying denouement
I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys this author's work or wants a detailed serial killer storyline to dive into.
A predictable police procedural. Could not relate to the characters. Just not for me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it