New Releases by Mary Burton

Now in mass market for the first time for fans of Lisa Jackson, Iris Johansen, Karen Rose, and Allison Brennan, the final, heart-pounding case in New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton''s Forgotten Files Trilogy... A cop who followed her father into law enforcement becomes obsessed with the case that broke him more than twenty years earlier - a sexually sadistic serial killer known as the Hangman... Julia Vargas is a cop with a mission. When she''s not chasing down bad guys, Julia dedicates her time to investigating the Hangman serial killer . . . the same unsolved case that her father, Jim Vargas, was working on when he supposedly shot and killed himself three decades before. While rumors continue to swirl around her father''s death, Julia attempts to hunt down the truth. The case once again hits dangerously close, however, when a woman''s bones are discovered in a historic downtown home, together with a photograph of Jim and Julia as a young girl. As horrifying as this discovery is, it may just be the break Julia has waited for. Working alongside Tobias Novak, a homicide detective with whom she shares a complicated―and steamy―history, she''s forced to confront her own past even as the Hangman looms in the shadows. But as the mysterious killer circles closer, Julia can feel her own noose begin to tighten . . .

Now in mass market for the first time, USA Today bestselling author Mary Burton presents the heart-stopping next installment in her Forgotten Files Trilogy, where forensic pathologist Dr. Tessa McGowan and agent Dakota Sharp must work together to unravel the mysteries behind the macabre doll-like killings before Tessa becomes the next victim. Dr. Tessa McGowan had never seen anything quite like it. But the mutilated bodies on her exam table tell a stunningly macabre tale. Someone with a twisted mind is kidnapping women and altering their faces to resemble real, life-size dolls. As a forensic pathologist, it''s her job to aid the agent leading the case--even if that agent is her estranged husband. Twelve years ago, an unspeakable tragedy destroyed Dakota Sharp''s world. Haunted by the ghosts of his past, he''s devoted himself to capturing killers. His only regret is that it cost him Tessa. Now, as the Dollmaker case brings them together--and raises his suspicions that he''s crossed paths with this deranged psychopath before-- they may just have their second chance. But it seems Dakota''s not the only one who wants to make Tessa his own . . . She may be the Dollmaker''s next target, but Tessa has no intention of winding up as another toy on his shelf. Can she and Dakota stop this ghastly killer before his next deadly playdate?

A tragic accident or something more sinister? A woman''s buried memories put her life at risk in a novel of shattering psychological suspense by New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton. Lane McCord wakes up in a hospital having survived a near-fatal fall at a North Carolina beach cottage. Her boyfriend, Kyle, wasn''t so lucky. A senseless tragedy on their first romantic getaway. All Lane remembers is lying at the bottom of the stairs in Kyle''s pooling blood. Confused and grieving, Lane plans to return to the cottage, collect her personal belongings, and get out. Until a winter rainstorm leaves her stranded and vulnerable, but not alone. A concerned neighbor, who claims he heard a violent argument before the accident, has come out of the storm. So has a suspicious detective on the trail of a missing woman, whose diary deepens the mystery--and raises more questions that fill Lane with dread. How well did she know Kyle? How well does she know herself? What really happened at the cottage on the beach? And when the answers come, who can Lane trust to get out of this waking nightmare alive?

At the grisly murder scene of a teen prostitute, Virginia state trooper Riley Tatum’s past roars back to haunt her. When she was a teenage runaway, she was kidnapped, drugged, and left unconscious on the streets. She has no memories of what happened, only strange recurring dreams of two men playing cards. Former FBI agent Clay Bowman, Riley’s old flame, is Shield Security’s newest member. He’s plagued by the unsolved case of a serial killer nicknamed the Shark who murdered girls as part of a sadistic poker game. Only one girl survived. With the Shark now bent on evening that score, Clay has a chilling suspicion: Riley is the girl who escaped the Shark’s deadly amusement―and she is his next prey. As the Shark gets ready to play his hand, can Riley and Clay stop him―or will this killer finally claim the one who got away?

For a woman obsessed and a killer in her shadow, remembering the past becomes a mind game in a novel of psychological suspense by New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton. Twin sisters Marisa and Clare Stockton were sixteen when Clare''s body was found in Virginia''s James River. No arrests were made. Fourteen years later, Marisa''s friends and dedicated career as a photographer help her to cope with the open wound of the past. But Marisa still feels the hurt--and the unsolved murder isn''t the only thing haunting her. A recent car crash has erased ten days of Marisa''s memories--a black hole leading up to the accident that''s left her disoriented. Every text and phone call from that crucial missing time has vanished, along with her phone. A photograph she took of the river has disappeared. A new neighbor Marisa believes she knows introduces himself as if he were a stranger. And there''s the growing fear that her near-fatal accident was no accident at all. As dreams of Clare and nightmares of the crash begin to converge, so do two disturbing puzzles fourteen years apart. Putting the pieces together could be fatal. As she struggles to remember everything, Marisa closes in on a killer--without realizing that he''s already closed in on her.

‘What a scorcher of a thriller! I was sucked in from the very first page and I couldn''t put it down!’ – NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An unsolved mystery ignites a deadly game of chess in this scorching thriller from New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton.

‘Fast paced, twisty and unpredictable. I couldn''t put this book down, I devoured it in one sitting and it kept me guessing right until the end.’ – NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The chase is on in this utterly suspenseful and unputdownable mystery from New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton.

A homicide detective in the dark. A serial killer on the loose. Both have their obsessions in a nerve-twisting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton. Austin homicide detective Jordan Poe is hunting a serial killer she fears is the same man who assaulted her sister, Avery, two years ago. The details line up: the victims are the same age, same type, dead by the same grim MO. Luckily Avery survived. But the terrible memories linger, making Jordan more determined than ever to stop this monster in his tracks. Texas Ranger Carter Spencer isn''t one to poach on a detective''s territory. Yet no matter how resentful a capable lone wolf like Jordan is, when she is attacked at a third crime scene and suffers a trauma that leaves her with limited vision, it''s up to Carter to help Jordan navigate a world she no longer recognizes. He needs her instinct, her experience, and her fearless resolve to crack this case. A case that''s about to get even darker. A stranger is watching. He''s closing in on his ultimate prey. And no one but the killer can see what''s coming.

Forensic psychologist and single mother Ann Bailey has joined forces with Montana Highway Patrol officer Bryce McCabe. An expert in untangling the motives of depraved minds, Ann is tasked to help solve the mystery of two murdered women doused with gasoline and set aflame. The deeper Ann and Bryce''s investigation goes, the nearer they get to each other and to danger. After another murder hits close to home, Ann fears a clue is hidden in her own past. Only one thing terrifies her more than the reveal of a long-held secret. It''s that the secret itself has put Ann into a killer''s line of fire.

Fire can destroy the past. It can also uncover secrets in this novel of searing suspense by New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton. Ten years ago as an undergrad, Joan Mason escaped an arsonist''s fire. Shaken, she fled the small collegiate Montana town, leaving behind friends and not looking back. Now a Philadelphia homicide detective, Joan''s trying to put her traumas to rest. It''s not easy. Elijah Weston, the classmate who torched her house, is out of prison and returning to Missoula. Gut instinct tells Joan he''ll strike again. To stop him, she must return to the past as well. To face not only the man she fears but Detective Gideon Bailey, too. The man she loved and left behind. When a local woman dies tragically in another fire, it can''t be a coincidence. Can it be Elijah? He has a solid alibi for the night of the blaze. Reunited by the tragedy, Joan and Gideon have their doubts. So does Gideon''s sister, Ann--Joan''s old college roommate. The investigation draws Joan and Gideon together, but it also sends them down a dangerous path--into a troubling history that Joan, Elijah, and Ann all share. As more lives go up in flames in Missoula, this town''s secrets are just beginning to rise from the ashes.

EVERY SERIAL KILLER KNOWS . . . The vicious burns scarring the victims’ flesh reveal the agony of their last moments. Each woman was branded with a star, then stabbed through the heart. With every death, a vengeful killer finds a brief, blissful moment of calm. But soon it’s time for the bloodshed to start again . . . THE PERFECT TIME . . . Ten years ago, Eva Rayburn and her sorority sisters were celebrating the end of the school year. That party turned into a nightmare Eva can’t forget. Now she’s trying to start over in her Virginia hometown, but a new nightmare has begun. Every victim is linked to her. And Detective Deacon Garrison isn’t sure whether this mysterious woman needs investigating—or protecting . . . TO MAKE HIS MARK Only Eva’s death will bring peace. Only her tortured screams will silence the rage that has been building for ten long years. Because what started that night at the sorority can never be stopped—not until the last victim has been marked for death . . . “With hard-edged, imperfect but memorable characters, a complex plot and no-nonsense dialog, this excellent novel will appeal to fans of Lisa Gardner and Lisa Jackson.” —Library Journal “This is a story to read with the lights on.” —BookPage

From New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton comes a captivating tale of romantic suspense set in the heart of a rugged winter . . . Photographer Nicole Piper moved to Virginia hoping to put a troubled past behind her and start fresh with her baby daughter. But those hopes are dashed when she receives a very unwelcome Christmas gift—from her late husband. It’s a letter that holds clues to an elusive killer’s identity. The victim had helped save Nicole’s life—and paid with her own. Nicole owes it to her to follow the letter’s trail, and perhaps put to rest the fear that stalks her once and for all. But she can’t do it alone. When Homicide Detective David Ayden first met Nicole, he was looking for a fresh start too. Widowed and raising two teenage boys, Nicole was the only woman who’d stirred his interest—and the attraction was mutual. But that was months ago and she wasn’t ready to trust again. Maybe she still isn’t. All that matters now is that she needs his help—even if it means embarking on a road trip that will take them both into the heart of danger—and desire . . . Praise for the novels of Mary Burton “Will have readers sleeping with the lights on.” —Publishers Weekly on Before She Dies (starred review) “Terrifying . . . this chilling thriller is an engrossing story.” —Library Journal on Merciless

Freddie James Prinze Jr. (born March 8, 1976) is an American actor. He has starred in films such as I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998), She''s All That (1999), Summer Catch (2001), Scooby-Doo (2002), and its sequel Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004). Prinze has also had recurring and starring roles in television shows, including Friends (2002), Boston Legal (2004), Freddie (2005

A beautiful newscaster teams up with a Virginia detective to stop a serial killer in this romantic thriller by the New York Times bestselling author. Beside each body, he leaves a simple charm bearing a woman’s name: Ruth, Judith, Rachel. The victims were strangers to each other, but they have been chosen with care. Each bears a striking resemblance to Kendall Shaw, a local anchorwoman. And each is brutally strangled by a madman whose obsession will never end . . . In front of the cameras, Kendall is the picture of stylish confidence. But at night she’s haunted by nightmares in which she is young, alone, and filled with fear. Are these memories—or omens? Despite warnings from Richmond Detective Jacob Warwick, Kendall can’t stop investigating the recent string of murders. She knows she holds the key to catching an obsessed psychopath—ss long as he doesn’t catch her first . . . As Kendall and Jacob dig deep into the victims’ backgrounds, a legacy of evil begins to resurface. Every moment—and every murder—has been leading to Kendall. And nothing will stop the killer making her the final victim . . . “With a gift for artful obfuscation, Burton juggles a budding romance and two very plausible might-be perpetrators right up to the tense conclusion.”—Publishers Weekly

A Virginia homicide detective must save a young widow from an obsessed serial killer in the New York Times bestselling author’s romantic suspense novel. An aspiring artist. A high-school senior. A stripper. Three missing women with only one thing in common—wealthy Craig Thornton knew them all. For that, they paid the ultimate price. Then Craig comes to his own untimely end, and his wife Adrianna is left to face the shocking truth of his life . . . When Adrianna starts receiving cards and flowers from her late husband, she assumes it’s someone’s cruel joke. Then grisly remains are found on the Thornton estate. Detective Gage Hudson believes the bodies are linked to Craig. But the biggest shocks are yet to come. A psychopath has resumed his work, each death a prelude to his most cherished target. The only way to stop him is to uncover a family’s dark past—and a twisted love someone will kill for, again and again . . .

An unsolved crime pits a desperate woman against a relentless killer in New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton''s heart-stopping novel of psychological suspense... Fourteen years ago, Kaitlin Roe was the lone witness to the abduction of her cousin Gina. She still remembers that lonely Virginia road. She can still see the masked stranger and hear Gina''s screams. And she still suffers the guilt of running away in fear and resents being interrogated as a suspect in the immediate aftermath. Now Kaitlin has only one way to assuage the pain and nightmares--by interviewing everyone associated with the unsolved crime for a podcast that could finally bring closure to a case gone cold. But when a woman Kaitlin questions is later found stabbed to death, she fears that she''s drawn a killer out of hiding. It''s Detective John Adler''s fear that the murders have only just begun. Now his job is to keep Kaitlin safe. As a bond between Kaitlin and Adler builds, the past closes in just as fast--and it''s darker than Kaitlin remembers. Soon, her wish will come true. She''s going to find out exactly what happened to Gina. Someone has been dying to tell her.

The objectives of this project were to improve understanding of the sediment particle size exported during high-flow events from end-of-catchments and subcatchments of the Great Barrier Reef using monitoring data from the Great Barrier Reef Catchment Loads Monitoring Program, and to develop a method to estimate the proportion of end-of-catchment dissolved inorganic forms of nitrogen generated from eroded soils and a framework/process to report on Particulate Nitrogen and dissolved inorganic forms of nitrogen reductions associated with erosion management.

An urgent call brings FBI agent Kate Hayden back to San Antonio, the scene of her violent past. A brutal new murder shows hallmarks of a serial killer nicknamed the Samaritan. Tricky part is, Kate already caught him. Did she make an error, or is it a copycat? Paired with homicide detective Theo Mazur, Kate faces an enemy who knows her intimately. When a second body is found, the mode of death is identical to a different case that Kate had worked on. The closer they come to the killer there is only one rule: don''t believe everything you see.

\"15 April 2016 marked 20 years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) hearings began. The TRC was set up to give an opportunity for perpetrators of human rights transgressions to come clean about the atrocities that happened during those evil days of apartheid. Sadly, only half of the truth came to the fore. Many families still do not know what happened to their loved ones. There are few people better placed than Mary Burton to write about the TRC, having been one of its Commissioners. Burton''s pocket book provides an informed account from the inside of the process and workings of the TRC and a measured and balanced assessment of its outcomes and significance. Even at the time of its existence, the TRC came in for criticism from a variety of quarters: both the African National Congress and ex-President F.W. de Klerk took legal action to challenge or prevent the publication of the Commission''s report; however, the Commission also fulfilled a vital and important role in the transition from apartheid to democracy, and it has become a model for other countries wishing to undertake similar journeys to deal with past atrocities and come to some kind of national resolution, reconciliation or closure.\"--Publisher''s website.

The key objectives of this project were to determine which are the best indicators of particulate nutrient bioavailability to algal and diatom growth in fresh and marine water over a short timeframe; develop a new, rapid bioassay for testing the effect of particulate nutrients on algal growth over a short timeframe; and provide preliminary information on whether there is an algal response to N and/or P along a freshwater to marine gradient.

The Nashville woods hold a killer’s deadly secrets in this cold case thriller by the New York Times bestselling author of You’re Not Safe. Years ago, three Nashville teenagers went into the woods for a hike—and only one came out. While her two friends disappeared without a trace, Amber Ryder was discovered at the bottom of a ravine with a broken arm, head trauma, and zero memory of the horror that put her there. With no leads, the investigation hit a dead end. Now another woman’s body is found it the woods. When the trail leads to the missing teens’ remains, the cold case becomes a fresh hell for forensic technician Georgia Morgan. But while Georgia works with Amber to try and reawaken her memories, her gut tells her the worst is yet to come. Homicide Detective Jake Bishop can’t be sure whether Amber is an expert manipulator or the killer’s next target. Either way, he’s determined to protect Georgia. Because the more she digs into the past, the more deadly secrets emerge. And a nightmare years in the making is about to come to a bloody, terrifying end.

A Nashville woman’s violent husband is presumed dead—until he makes a terrifying return in this thriller by the New York Times bestselling author. Leah Carson’s husband Phillip made a promise to her once—that he would kill her. Four years ago, he nearly succeeded, stabbing her twenty-three times before fleeing. Now the police are sure Phillip is dead. But that doesn’t stop Leah from checking and rechecking her locks. Especially when she can sense his attention closing in again. It starts with little things. Missing keys. A flat tire. Mysterious flowers. All easily explained away if the pattern wasn''t so unnervingly familiar. Leah has a new life in Nashville with no ties to her nightmarish past. But when another woman''s body is found, stabbed twenty-three times, Leah knows her past has found her. Alex Morgan of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation knows there’s more to Leah’s story than mere paranoia. But as they untangle the horrifying truth, a killer is watching close, waiting for the perfect moment to make good on his promise… As Leah and Alex untangle the horrifying truth, he watches her, ready for the perfect moment. Until death—that was the vow they made. And a killer always keeps his word…

“Murder, mayhem, and mystery! Every story . . . is filled with suspense, sizzle and startling twists. I loved it!” ―Lisa Jackson, New York Times–bestselling author Crime comes to the capital of country music in these all-new stories by mystery and thriller stars including Jeffery Deaver, Anne Perry, Robert Dugoni, Donald Bain, Jefferson Bass, and many more. “Settings include backwoods hollows, late-night recording studios, seedy dives, quiet suburbs, sleek yachts, and tropical islands. Readers will meet Civil War re-enactors, college professors, song writers, spies, and the requisite lawyers and cops, as well as a being that just might be the devil. Among the highlights are Anne Perry’s ‘Shutter Speed,’ which takes the reader back in time to the fashionable haunts of 1930s British aristocracy, with Wallis Simpson and Edward, Prince of Wales, putting in an appearance. In ‘Regression,’ Jeffery Deaver offers a fresh and frightening look at the potential benefits and pitfalls of successful psychiatric treatment, and Mary Burton warms up a cold case in ‘The Keepsake.’ This is a book to keep by your bedside for those nighttime short story cravings.” —Publishers Weekly Includes stories by Jefferson Bass, Catriona McPherson, Baron R. Birtcher, Donald Bain, C. Hope Clark, Jonathan Stone, Maggie Toussaint, Jeffery Deaver, Blake Fontenay, Jon Jefferson, Anne Perry, Heywood Gould, Dana Chamblee Carpenter, Mary Burton, Jaden Terrell, Robert Dugoni & Paula Gail Benson, Eyre Price, Steven James, Daco, and Clay Stafford

On a cold winters night at a federal prison in East Texas, sixty-one year old Beatrice Belladonna Harlow, a sociopath, voodoo priestess, and convicted black widow serial killer on death row, is brutality murdered in her cell by two prison guards and her body secretly buried in the prisons cemetery. Beatrices murder initiated an eerie and dark chain of events. In life she was a voodoo priestess; therefore, she will live foreverthat is her bestowed legacy. Yes, this voodoo priestess will indeed live forever, but not in her fleshy, earthly body, but as a spirit, an entity. Beatrices legacy is dependent upon one thing: another living human being, a host. Immediately upon death, her entity must enter the body of her chosen host. Thereafter, that unfortunate soul no longer has control of his thoughts or actions. And if that isnt bad enough, a shocking physical metamorphosis takes place. Years earlier, while sitting on death row, awaiting her execution, Beatrice used her time wisely. She had nothing but time; therefore, she spent countless hours planning every detail of her afterlife. She chose as her host her estranged, thankless, thirty-three-year-old adopted daughter, Lola Marie. Thus, the night Beatrice was killed, Lola Marie was awakened from a deep sleep by a very bright yellow light floating over her bed. This bright yellow light was her mothers spirit. In utter horror and unable to prevent what happened next, she watched that bizarre, bright yellow light enter her body. At first Lola Marie thought she was dreaming, but that was not the case. Her mothers dark entity had just entered and taken control of her mind and soul. She was now possessed. In the blink of an eye, Lola Marie unwillingly became her deceased mothers evil puppet and is forced to perform bloody, vengeful, heinous acts for her, even murder. To ensure her daughters compliance, Beatrice uses an extremely painful but unique control mechanism, a tattoo. Lola Marie quickly finds herself trapped in her dead mothers evil web with little hope of escape. Against all odds, can she find a way to free herself from her dead mothers voodoo clutches? And if so, at what cost to her? With a plot full of unexpected twists and turns, this high-energy, action-packed paranormal thriller will undoubtedly leave the reader spellbound and craving for more!

\"When a woman is found dead with the same number of stab wounds that veterinarian Leah Carson''s ex-husband gave her, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent Alex Morgan suspects that Leah''s ex is still alive and targeting her,\"--NoveList.

"It''s that time of year when the world falls in love. . ." Join four of your favorite authors for tales of Christmas romance to remember forever. "Under the Mistletoe," Lisa Jackson Megan Johnson''s marriage is over—or so she thinks. When her husband Chris lands in the hospital, fighting for his life, she remembers the unexpected joy of their first Christmas together. . . "A Ranger for Christmas," Mary Burton The holidays bring painful memories for history professor Marissa Thompson. Agreeing to help Texas Ranger Lucas Cooper solve a case offers the perfect distraction. But as danger threatens, the joy of love has never been more tempting. "A Southern Christmas," Mary Carter Reporter Danielle Bright is heading home for the holidays to write up a feature story about Christmas down south—and possibly win back her ex. But Sawyer, the sexy photographer along for the ride, is determined to jingle her bells. . . "Christmas in Montana" Cathy Lamb Family is the ideal antidote to getting fired, but Laurel Kelly isn''t prepared for the changes at home in Montana—or the fact that her college boyfriend Josh Reed now owns the family land. But a blue Christmas could be the perfect surprise for a holiday to remember.

Keeping secrets is no way to start a marriage But what else, Jenna Winslow muses, can a woman running from scandal do? Who would ever want an unschooled virgin with a fatherless baby in tow? Certainly not rugged rancher Rowe Mercer, a man with demanding standards—and compelling charms! Ex-bounty hunter Rowe Mercer has spent a lifetime riding with danger. Now, when mail-order bride Jenna Winslow arrives, he wonders if his prayers for a quiet life have truly been answered. Could there possibly be a future for this polished Eastern angel and a man with a past he''d rather forget…?

The Son He Never Knew… When Cole McGuire learns that he had fathered a son, he returns to White Stone, Colorado, to claim what''s rightfully his. But it''s clear the town is hiding something, and he''s got a feeling he knows exactly who''s behind it all. The Widow''s Secret… Rebecca''s heart stops when Cole McGuire walks back into town, his green eyes blazing with passion. And the longer he stays, the more she wishes for the love she never had. But will Cole ever forgive her for hiding the truth—that the son she claimed as her own is the child he''s been searching for?