Psychological thriller, murder, Tennessee Bureau of investigation, FBI.
Two different serial killers, both after Melina . Will, Melina learn more about her foggy past when at the crash site they find a little girl.
Melina will have cope when all sides of her world come

Never Look Back by Mary Burton, published by Montlake, is a full length, stand-alone in her Criminal Profiler Series. The previous books are Hide and Seek and I See You.

Back to Never Look Back. Melina Shepard is a FBI Agent and at this time she's working undercover. When she needs back up, Agent Jerrod Ramsey is assigned to help her.
But time's running out for Melina.
Never Look Back is a fast paced, complex read, a psychological thriller well written and with a plottwist that kept me in suspense til the last page.
A great read, 4,5 stars.

Absolutely loved it!! I do hope there will be more to follow!! Thank you so much for the ARC. Gripping from the beginning,I was devastated when it ended. Agent Melina is superb!!! A must read.....

This book starts off right away when TBI agent Melina is almost abducted by a serial killer. The fact that her police chief dad gave her a knife that she always carried helped her escape. Enter FBI agent Jerrod Ramsey who has been hunting this serial killer for years.....but wait there seems to be two different serial killers. Loved these characters and this book. Bravo to Ms. Burton for interweaving two serial killer story lines.

This book starts off right away when TBI agent Melina is almost abducted by a serial killer. The fact that her police chief dad gave her a knife that she always carried helped her escape. Enter FBI agent Jerrod Ramsey who has been hunting this serial killer for years.....but wait there seems to be two different serial killers. Loved these characters and this book. Bravo to Ms. Burton for interweaving two serial killer story lines.

This was alittle different writing from this author, but still very good. The extensive backgrounds on each character is want made it so interesting, you understood why they became the people they are, good or bad. There are actually 2 stories in the book, both come together perfectly towards the end. There's murder, manipulation, alittle romance, I hope we see more of Melina and Ramsey, they work so well together.
Well written, enjoyable and kept my interest the whole way through.

In Mary Burton's most recent thriller, we get not one but two serial killers operating in Nashville at the same time. And unlikely as it may be, they are both connected to TBI agent Melina Shephard. Burton manages to weave both storylines together so that Melina must solve one to solve the other. Fortunately, she has the help of FBI agent Jerrod Ramsey who adds a perfect balance to the story.
One of my favorite things about Burton's novels is that while she often has a romantic element to the mystery, she never lets it overpower the mystery element. I hate when an author makes the romance take center stage to the point that the mystery is a complete add on to the story. This book is listed as the third in the series but it reads as a stand alone novel. Even though the earlier books in the series are not needed to enjoy this book, I do recommend them simply because they are enjoyable thrillers.

Thank you to the NetGalley, the author and publisher for this ARC.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I really enjoyed it. I thought it was a thrilling, fast paced read, with mostly likeable, believable characters with good background stories, two serial killers and lots of twists in the story. It was well written, had my attention right from the start to the end. And what an ending! I will look at other books by this author and recommend this if you like serial murders and books full of suspense.

Another cracking thriller from Mary Burton weaves together two cases of serial predators terrorising Nashville. This author always delivers plenty of suspense with just the right amount of romance and emphasis on family life.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Publishing for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. First time reading this author. Not sure if this is supposed to be a romance or not. It was definitely a good murder mystery! I didn't think there was.much chemistry between Melina and Jerrod. The murder mystery was soo convoluted. I definitely felt bad for Melina. What a way to find out about your past. 3 stars.

Never Look Back
by Mary Burton
332 pages
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Description:
Expect the unexpected in this gritty, tense, and page-turning mystery from New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton.
After multiple women go missing, Agent Melina Shepard of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation makes the impulsive decision to go undercover as a prostitute. While working the street, she narrowly avoids becoming a serial killer’s latest victim; as much as it pains her to admit, she needs backup. Enter lone wolf FBI agent Jerrod Ramsey. Stonewalled by a lack of leads, he and Melina investigate a scene where a little girl has been found abandoned in a crashed vehicle. They open the trunk to reveal a horror show and quickly realize they’re dealing with two serial killers with very different MOs. The whole situation brings back memories for Melina—why does this particular case feel so connected to her painful past? Before time runs out, Melina must catch not one but two serial killers, both ready to claim another victim—and both with their sights set on her.
~MY REVIEW~
Wow what a heart-pounding amazing very well written story. I loved it so much that i honestly never wanted it to end. Once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down. Never Look back is a expertly crafted story .The plot is suspenseful and thrilling at all times. It really is a roller coaster of a ride.All of the characters were very well developed, and done in such a way you really care about most of them. As always if you like the book you read please take the time to leave a review for the author in places like goodreads & Amazon. It does not have to be long. Just a few sentences saying you liked the book will do. Authors really appreciate every review they get !Thank you to NetGalley , the publisher and author for a e copy of this book to read and review! Opinions are unbiased and entirely my own.

Fast paced, romantic suspense. I really enjoyed this book with its high energy and fast pace. Agent Melina gets caught up in a case that almost ends her. Agent Jeremy teams up with her on the case for a killer which turns into two killers!

The precise details of the investigation kept me focused on the mission and highly entertained. I love a good mystery and Mary Burton always delivers.

I couldn't have asked for a better page turner to get me through lockdown! I found myself slipping away from the children to get a few more pages in!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The main protagonist is well-developed and feels authentic. The plot and intersection of characters is excellent. The secondary protagonist could be more developed, particularly in connection to the partnership. There were a number of errors in grammar in the draft I reviewed; and there were minor but noticeable inconsistencies in the story and plot. At various point throughout the book the phrasing or descriptions were repetitive, again minor but noticeable and drew attention from the excellent plot. There were also continuity issues in a few places; acts repeated five pages after first occurring (i.e. BB getting into the the bail bonds man's car). Approaching the climax there were points at which it seemed large leaps were made without significant explanation. Overall, and assuming the grammar and inconsistencies are corrected, this is an excellent read!

4.5 stars

It's hard to say if Agent Melina Shepard is lucky or unlucky in life.
She's lucky she managed to escape a serial killer's attempt to capture her.
She's unlucky that that serial killer is now obsessed with her.
That turn of events is the focus for the first part of this book. As she teams up with FBI Special Agent Jerrod Ramsey to find this serial killer who preys on prostitutes, torturing and eventually killing them. With Melina's close call, the two get an added jump on the killer.

I love a good detective procedural story, learning the process these bright people go thru to hunt down a madman. Melina and Ramsey work well together, feeding ideas and new intelligence to one another, and letting the facts guide them.

But things get complicated when a new crime occurs that ties to Melina's past and her luck.
Flashing back to your childhood, we learn that she was unlucky to be abandoned on the side of a road (it was unknown then if this was a family member or someone else).
She's lucky that the cop who finds her, takes her under his wing and later adopts her.
Why is this whole new story thrown in? It took me a while to sort it out but let’s just say that Melina past may tie to this serial killer.

The author did a good job playing with my head. There are so many details and revelations that it took me some time to sort them out. And while my mind is working overtime, she throws in a twist or two for good measure.

In the end, is Melina lucky or unlucky?
Well, she lives. So that's lucky, right? LOL.
But in all seriousness, I think her sharp wit, and maybe a little luck, win out, especially given what she was up against.

I really enjoyed this story. The pace was steady throughout and the direction of the plot was unexpected and unpredictable. The perfect kind of detective story. If you love this genre as much as me, this is one worth checking out!

This was my first Mary Burton book and I have become a fan! I will be adding her other novels to my ever growing TBR pile.
This novel was exactly what i was looking for - fast paced, edge of your seat mystery, with great characters that kept me engaged.
I loved the the not so a-typical story line. Nothing cliche about this book.

The criminal profiler series follows an elite investigative team of agents chasing the worst of the worst serial killers. Agent Melina Shepard works undercover with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Working undercover as a prostitute she stabbed a dangerous man in the thigh. After DNA results came in FBI Special Agent Jerrod Ramsey was sent to Nashville to help with the case. He’s known for chasing the most dangerous serial killers.
To round it all up Melina’s unknown pieces from her past were falling into place at the same time she was hunting down two killers.


Overall:
Four things work in the agents favor: the DNA, the van, a description of the killer and the FBI agent. These four things gave them the home start advantage.
For me it didn’t read like an investigative story. These killers had a backstory of there own that played an intricate part of the story. I personally didn’t enjoy the journey. It was lacking suspense.

I’m finding with these detective, crime, and investigative story’s that there isn’t much excitement in them. Primarily all the thrills and chills come from the actions of the killer which usually are limited to opening and closing scenes.
I would’ve thought the information about Melina’s past would shock me or give me chills, but I took it with a grain of salt. It was predictable and easy to formulate motive.

I got the ARC of this book from netgalley . As usual this is a really good romantic suspense book, the romance was on the lower end and didn’t start till 60% of the book but the chemistry between the characters was amazing .
There were 2 mysteries in the book , the ending(s) were unexpected.

Never Look Back gives the reader a great ride as we watch Melina Shepard, an agent with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, try to solve the mysterious disappearance of some local prostitutes. The case ends up being much bigger than Melina initially realizes and quickly the reader is engrossed in the pursuit of a serial killer. FBI Special Agent Jerrod Ramsey is brought on the case when DNA links Melina's case to serial killings that Ramsey had been working on. Melina and Ramsey kill some time working another unrelated case in which a child is left abandoned inside a car that just crashed. The trunk of the car contains a jar of what seems to be human fingers. Hence, we have the parallel mystery of who this child is and how did she come to be at the crime scene? Who was the driver and most importantly, why does this child's story resonate so much with Melina? This is a quick and suspenseful read that keeps the reader engaged.

Mary is such a storyteller with her books. This was one heck of a thrill ride. I love thrillers and Mary is one of my go to authors for it. This book was so good and keeps you hooked from beginning to end.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.