Near You Review

Author: Mary Burton

Series: Montana Series #2

Publisher: Montlake

Release Date: April 13, 2021

Preorder Links: Amazon  Barnes & Noble

Special thanks to Montlake Publ. for an arc of this book.

In a scorching novel of obsession and revenge, New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton ignites fear in the heart of a woman targeted by a killer who knows her secrets.

This review first published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

My Rating: 4 Chilling Hearts

Review:

Montana Highway Police Officer Bryce McCabe is enjoying a rare day off at his ranch when he's called to the scene of a barbaric and violent crime.  Someone is brutally battering women and then torching their bodies, disfiguring them to the point of making identification near impossible.  Forensic Psychologist Ann Bailey, an expert in maneuvering a serial killer's depraved mind, is called in to help navigate the case.  As she and Bryce examine the evidence,  Ann comes to the realization that a monster from her past may be involved in the murders, and yet she keeps the information to herself fearing the secret she's kept all these years could be revealed in the fallout.  Elijah Weston served ten years in prison for an arson that nearly cost Ann and her roommate their lives.  Free now, he's living in the area and apparently still obsessed with fire and stalking Ann.  Aided by some of his prison groupies known as The Fireflies, Elijah begins taunting Ann by dropping clues while hinting he knows her secret and will come to claim what's his soon.  As Bryce and Ann continue to work the case, they grow closer and Bryce realizes he'll do whatever it takes to protect Ann and her son Nate.  But he doesn't have a clue about the secret Ann hides, how high the stakes are or how far she'll go to keep the secret from surfacing.  Only one thing has become abundantly clear to Bryce . . . Ann's now become the hunted.

Near You flows at a steadily rising pace with the story unfolding and the suspense growing via the killer's thoughts and Crime Reporter Paul Thompson's crime notes.  The results are highly effective in building and maintaining momentum and ominous vibes throughout.  Readers are challenged with finding their way through the many twists and turns, red herrings and hidden secrets to uncover the identity of the killer before it's too late.  Burton is a master of disguise - of switch and bait - daring readers to join Ann in navigating the dark recesses of a serial killer's warped mind.  The resulting story is chilling, emotional and shocking.

With every Mary Burton book I read, my respect for her writing ability grows.  I'm especially drawn to her expertise in muddying the water with two or more seemingly separate plot lines before eventually interlacing them together in surprising and often shocking ways.  Near You, Montana Series book two, is another fantastic illustration of her mad writing skills as is the highly acclaimed book one Burn You Twice in which Ann and Elijah's history occurs.  While I always recommend reading series in order, the author's expertise in weaving backstory in as needed is remarkably effective.  I highly recommend Near You to fans of dark, blood chilling psychological thrillers with just a touch of romance.  

Synopsis:

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.

It’s not hard for Ann to be reminded of the charismatic Elijah Weston, who served a decade in prison for arson—a crime that nearly cost Ann her life. Elijah may have been exonerated, but the connection to these rage killings is impossible for Ann to ignore. One of the victims has been identified as an obsessed Elijah groupie. Elijah has obsessions, too. Ever since Ann returned to town, he can’t take his eyes off her. And as a mother with a secret, she’s the perfect victim for an infatuated psychopath.

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 her long-held secret. It’s that the secret itself has put Ann into a killer’s line of fire.

Meet the Author:

Mary Burton, whose latest novel is Hide and Seek, loves writing suspense, getting to know her characters, keeping up with law enforcement and forensic procedure, morning walks, baking, and tiny dachshunds. She also enjoys hunting down serial killers, which she does in her New York Times and USA Today bestselling novels. Library Journal has compared her work to that of Lisa Jackson and Lisa Gardner, and Fresh Fiction likened her writing to that of James Patterson.

Mary is routinely featured among the top ten writers in Amazon’s Author Rankings for romantic suspense. Upon publication, her novels, including 2018’s Cut and Run and Her Last Word, consistently rank high on the Kindle eBooks Store Bestseller List.

Additionally, Cut and Run has been nominated for the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA Award for Romantic Suspense. Previous recipients in this category include Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Tess Gerritsen, Karen Rose and Mary Jo Putney. The award will be announced at the RITA Award Ceremony July 26th in New York City during the organization’s annual conference.

A Richmond native, Mary has lived there for most of her life. Her first book was published in 2000. Her first book was published in 2000. Today she’s the author of thirty-two published novels and five novellas as Mary Burton and five works of contemporary fiction written as Mary Ellen Taylor, including 2018’s Winter Cottage. She is co-editor with novelist Mary Miley of Deadly Southern Charm, A Lethal Ladies Mystery Anthology.

A member of International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Novelists, Inc., and Romance Writers of America, Mary is known for creating multiple suspense stories connected by characters and/or place.