Before She Dies

Mary Burton

Jan 2012 · Kensington Publishing Corp.

About this ebook

He Is Their Judge. . .

In death, they are purified. Holding his victims under water, he washes away their sins as they struggle for their last breath. Then he stakes their bodies to the ground, exposing them for what they really are. Witches, sent to tempt and to corrupt. . .

Jury. . .

No one knows about defense attorney Charlotte Wellington's murdered sister, or about her childhood spent with the carnival that's just arrived in town. For Charlotte, what's past is past. But others don't agree. And as a madman's body count rises, she and Detective Daniel Rokov are drawn into a mission that's become terrifyingly personal. . .

And Executioner

At last, she is within his reach. All his victims deserve their fate, but her guilt is greatest. And with every scream, he will make her see what it means to suffer and repent--before she dies. . .

Praise for the novels of Mary Burton

"Terrifying. . .this chilling thriller is an engrossing story." --Library Journal on Merciless

"Stieg Larsson fans will find a lot to like in Burton's taut, well-paced novel." --Publishers Weekly on Senseless"A twisted tale. . .I couldn't put it down!" --Lisa Jackson on Dying Scream

Ratings and reviews

Defense attorney Charlotte (Grace) Wellington is not who everyone thinks she is, but her secrets are safe until the past comes bounding up to her present day door. Eighteen years ago, when she was a teen, Grace's mother died, and her sister was murdered by a ritualistic nightmare. Grace fled leaving her mother's infant and her baby sister, Sooner, to be adopted. Now, Charlotte has managed to turn her life into a picture of what it never was. She is a highbrow attorney who travels in all the right circles with all the right connections. Nevertheless, when her stepdad shows up at her expensive office, all bets are off on keeping her life the pristine image it has become. Emotions overwhelm her as memories flood from all directions, and the news he brings leaves her hollow. The problem was Charlotte has always had a hole inside anyway, but she thought she did the right think by her baby sister, Sooner. She pacified herself believing Sooner had a real family and was growing up far away from the carnival. But that didn't happen. Her stepfather raised Sooner, and now's she's been arrested. He's threatening to expose Charlotte's past, but Charlotte's problems are only just beginning. Meanwhile, Detective Daniel Rokov discovers the ice goddess isn't the queen of cold; in fact, she's hot, sexy, and sultry. Moreover, their no strings attached, clandestine relationship suited him fine, for a while, but now he wants more. Though they are burning up the sheets, she has her heart locked in an ice chest, and she will not change the no attachment part of their relationship. Daniel Rokov wants to know her secrets, and he wants to understand why she lives without emotional entanglements. Fresh from a hotel tryst, he's arriving on scene. A young girl has been murdered. Not news, really. Everyday something like this happens, and maybe some think he's cold at heart due to indifference. He isn't. Emotions will hinder his job. However, even a seasoned detective isn't ready for this crime scene. The young woman had been killed elsewhere, but her body had been brought to an abandoned building and staged in the most ritualistic way. The salt outline only confirms what he already knows to be true. Investigating this death leads him straight to the carnies in town, as death and this group seem to come as a package deal. However, he's not at all expecting what he unearths. My Take: BEFORE SHE DIES by Mary Burton is a read I recommend! Mary Barton lets us meet her killer on the first page, and you'll learn this will be his first kill of many more to come. In this read, you are in for a suspense filled ride through a romantic suspense tale where secrets are deadly but distrust can save a life. Her main characters are flawed but redeemable, and you'll be rooting for them to live long enough to come together. While this is a stand-alone title, you will want to read Mary Burton's other suspenseful reads such as MERCILESS (January 2011), SENSELESS (December 2010), and DYING SCREAM (December 2009). ***Though the publisher provides the free book, I offer the opinion.***

Good read, I would have given it 5 stars but I figured out who the murderer was too soon.

The story is so good that I'm not able to put it down.

About the author

Mary Burton was born in the U.S. and earned an English degree from Virginia¿s Hollins University. After a decade of working in marketing and sales, Mary Burton became convinced she could write and sell one of her many stories. Burton left the marketing profession and devoted all her spare time to writing a novel. Soon after, she sold her first manuscript to Harlequin Historicals. Since that initial sale, MB had written twelve historical romances for Harlequin Historicals, four short romantic suspenses for Silhouette Romantic Suspense and a non-fiction book The Insider¿s Guide to Direct Marketing. Her first single title romantic suspense for Zebra I¿m Watching You is a December 2007 release. In 2005, The Unexpected Wife was a finalist Romance Writers of America¿s RITA contest and Wise Moves was 2006 nominee for the Romantic Times¿ Critics Choice Award. I¿m Watching You received critical acclaim from New York Times Best Selling author Carla Neggers.