Title: Merciless
Author: Mary Burton
Publisher: Zebra; 1 edition
Publication Date: February 1, 2011
Paperback: 416 pages
ISBN: 978-1420110203
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Suspense
From the Publisher:
No Pity
Each skeleton is flawless—gleaming white and perfectly preserved, a testament to his skill. Every scrap of flesh has been removed to reveal the glistening bone beneath. And the collection is growing…
No Compassion
When bleached human bones are identified as belonging to a former patient of Dr. James Dixon, Detective Malcolm Kier suspects the worst. Dixon was recently acquitted of attempted murder, thanks to defense attorney Angie Carlson. But as the body count rises, Kier is convinced that Angie is now the target of a brutal, brilliant psychopath.
No Escape
Angie is no stranger to the dark side of human nature. But nothing has prepared her for the decades-long legacy of madness and murder about to be revealed—or a killer ready to claim her as his ultimate trophy…
My Review:
Merciless by Mary Burton is the follow-up to her previous book Senseless, both of which take place in Alexandria, Virginia, both involve serial killers and this time the focus appears to be off Eva and onto her half-sister Angie. Angie Carlson is a tenacious defense attorney nicknamed “The Barracuda”, yet she has her own dark secrets and insecurities. When Detectives Malcolm Kier and Gordon Brown begin investigating the death of Sierra Day, a client of Angie’s, another name creeps into the picture, Dr. Dillon Dixon. When Angie’s second client Lulu Sweet disappears, also associated with Dr. Dixon, the heat intensifies as the detectives begin to notice a connection between Dr. Dixon, the victims, Angie, and familiar secrets. While Merciless can be read as a stand alone book, I would recommend reading Senseless first, it is a captivating suspense thriller that will not only provide hours of intense reading, but also a deeper understanding into each character. For those who have yet to read Senseless, I do not want to give too much away, rest assured the key players are back and as exceptional as ever. Burton has crafted several exceptional threads, which keep the reader emotionally and intellectually engaged from the prologue. The tension or romance, depending on which characters, is pitch perfect, the repertoire between the cast is clever, witty, and quite fun and as before, Burton clearly demonstrates the complexities of relationships. Burton’s ability to shift between an expertly crafted brutal and demented murder scene to a scene of unconditional love where ailing Vivian is caring for her baby grandson David is the work of a talented writer. Merciless will take the reader through a rollercoaster ride of emotions, suspicions, all the while keeping the reader glued to the storyline, waiting to see how everything interrelates. Personally I cannot wait to see what Burton has up her sleeve next and is an author to keep an eye on. I whole-heartedly recommend both Senseless and Merciless to any adult reader who enjoys an extremely well constructed suspense novel.
Mary Burton lives with her family in Central Virginia. She is an avid hiker and enjoys the occasional triathlon.
For more information about Mary Burton and her books:
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I received a complimentary ARC of Merciless by Mary Burton from Joan Schulhafer Publishing & Media Consulting to review. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.
Sounds dark and interesting! Based on this review, I know which one of my friends I’m going to recommend this book to. Thanks!
It was wonderful and of course I could not say too much or I would have given away the first book Senseless (which I reviewed last month). Mary Burton took the suspense factor up a few notches in Merciless and kept me fully engaged so may twists and at the end, when I reflected upon it, it all made sense. I await whatever she pens next.
Defiantely getting today – I love a meaty book that has so many twist and turns that holds me from start to finish..
If you have not read Senseless I strong recommend it first, then Merciless. Both are exceedingly wonderful romantic suspense novels.