I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Burn You Twice
by Mary Burton
Published by Montlake on September 29, 2020
Genres: Serial Killer Thriller
Pages: 338
Format: Paperback
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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.
Burn You Twice by Mary Burton is an intoxicating tale of questions, revenge, and lost opportunities.
Will Joan figure out what happened in the College Fire, or will the last ten years be worth nothing?
Joan Mason returns to Missoula, Montana. Joan has many reasons for returning, but mostly she wants to know who actually set fire to the house she lived in during college. Joan meets up with her college roommate Ann, who was also in the fire. The college fire has defined them both for a decade and caused them to make choices that they may not have made.
Joan
Joan has a strong personality; she can be a little bossy and set most people on edge. Yet, she has a hidden vulnerability that only a few people see. The college fire has consumed her thoughts and nightmare for the last decade. However, Joan isn’t sure if Elijah is actually responsible for the fire. Then there is Gideon; they hold each other’s hearts, even if either of them wants to admit it.
I like Joan. Her snark and intellect make her unique. She may not come across as likable to all, but that doesn’t matter to her. Joan is truly her own person, complete with flaws and hidden dreams.
Ann
Ann has this regal beauty and grace, with a kindness that surpasses most, and she is brilliant. The College Fire has made her make choices that she wouldn’t have made too. Ann also has a huge secret that she can’t trust anyone with. You could call it a burden and a blessing all at once.
Ann is a wonderful character, and I like her too. However, she didn’t resonate with me the way that Joan did. Ann took the easy way out a couple of times, and I feel like she cheated herself out of happiness by not standing on her own.
Five Stars
This story consumed me. The author leaves us with a few questions. I don’t know if she plans a second novel, but she definitely has me trying to figure out the answers. I was completely immersed in the book and thought about it while doing other things. My rating for Burn You Twice by Mary Burton is five stars. I highly recommend this book to all of you, thrilling mystery fans out there.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Burn You Twice by Mary Burton.
Until the next time,
About Mary Burton
Mary Burton loves writing suspense, researching law enforcement and forensic procedures, morning walks, baking, books, and tiny dachshunds. She also enjoys hunting down serial killers, which she does in her New York Times and USA Today bestselling novels of suspense and romance. 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 twenty writers in Amazon’s Author Rankings for romantic suspense, and her recent novel The Last Move claimed the number ten fiction slot in the Kindle eBooks Store.
Research is a favorite part of Mary’s day. She never tires of learning more about police work, evidence collection and analysis. She’s known for taking a hands-on approach, whether it means interviews with professionals in the field, forensic seminars or lessons at the firing range.
A Richmond native, Mary has lived there for most of her life. She is a graduate of Virginia’s Hollins University and worked in marketing before she began writing full time. Her first book was published in 2000 and she’s now the author of thirty-four published novels, five novellas and four works of contemporary women’s fiction written as Mary Ellen Taylor.
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, such as her recent The Forgotten Files novels. Her new book, Her Last Word, and The Last Move, break that mold.
When not traveling for research or visiting with readers at bookstores, book festivals and conferences, Mary remains very much a homebody. She and her husband spend time alternately enjoying and lamenting their empty nest and spoiling their four-legged babies Buddy, Bella and Tiki.
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