This suspense mystery is a masterpiece of complexity all woven together well, captivating me from beginning to end. The story revolved around a girl who was kidnapped when she was a teen and who spent ninety days in captivity, being tortured and abused by her captor. Scarlett is still healing from her ordeal but she is also seeking to find out what happened to Della, the girl who entrapped her into Tanner’s lair to begin with. When one of Tanner’s captives is found murdered, the mystery deepens and so does Scarlett’s interest in finding Della. The character of Detective Dawson fascinated me as he was multi-layered himself and had a lot of secrets in his past just as Scarlett does. The third main character, a female detective named Margo, is an enigma who doesn’t let anyone get too close to her or her sparsely furnished apartment. The author scatters clues around but there are also false leads to trick all but the most astute readers. I enjoyed getting to know the characters who were dynamic and realistically portrayed, but I really loved the fast plot and all of the action that just kept coming as the three main characters are all involved in subterfuge and deception. This is a good book to plan to read in one sitting because it is hard to put down. The scenes of abuse are somewhat disturbing but not graphically described so that they appealed to the compassion in me.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Ten years ago, a teenage Scarlett Crosby was kidnapped and held captive by a madman. She managed to escape but left behind another girl Della, who just vanished. Police are sceptical Della was even there with Scarlett when no evidence can be found to back up her story.
Now, a dead body is found with a link to Scarlett and her past kidnapping is brought to the forefront. Just like Della, who’s back in Scarlett’s life, secrets and all.
‘Another Girl Lost’ was a well constructed, psychological thriller. This wasn’t your typical Mary Burton novel, which tend to lean more towards romantic suspense reads. This book even had trigger warnings at the beginning for its subject matter. Overall a good, solid read. 3.5 stars from me.
** I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher**

I really enjoyed this book. The author has a way of capturing my attention instantly. I had to keep reading just one more chapter. It was a hard one to put down. Highly recommend.

Many thanks for my gifted copy!

I love a mystery that doesn’t tie everything up in a neat little bow at the end. We enter the story after the villain is dead and one of his victims is facing the aftermath and speculation surrounding another of his crimes. I couldn’t put it down and finished it in one day!

Fans of suspense will love this one!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Scarlett is trying a live a quiet life as an artist and is trying to move on with her life when it all comes back. She doesn't know why this is happening to her. This book grabbed my attention from the start

A little slow starting off but starts getting really good about 1/3 of the way through and then becomes unputdownable! Very good storyline and characters.

Scarlett was kidnapped and held captive for months ten years ago. Detective Kevin Dawson was the one who helped rescue her. Now, Dawson suspects Scarlett of being more involved with her captor when another of his victim’s remains are found. Scarlett though is trying to move on, but she keeps seeing, or hallucinating, a woman named Della, who was held captive with her. Is Della really back? Did Scarlett help her captor kill back then? This dual perspective narrative answers those questions. Unlike the typical Mary Burton formula where both main characters are romantically interested in each other, this novel breaks the mold as these characters are working against each other. Also, the detective in this story isn’t necessarily a good guy like Burton’s other protagonists; all of the characters in this novel are flawed. There is still romance and mystery, and while Burton’s attempt to move away from the predictable is respectable, this novel just didn’t have the same appeal that readers have grown to expect from Burton. This book was fine, but not great.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

WOW! This book pulled me in from the beginning! It isn't difficult to imagine something like this happening in real life. Almost everyday you hear stories about women who are brutally, sexually attacked.

I have to admit, I came to like the main character, Scarlett, and I was rooting for her. It was easy to imagine how traumatized she was from what happened to her as a young teenager. The treatment by Detective Dawson was at times kind, but he still seemed to feel she was guilty of making up things.And Officer Lawson--sketchy at best.

5 stars for dramatic this was!

I enjoyed this book for the most part. It was definitely a very dark read, but I thought the ending could use some work. Parts of it seemed unnecessary and kind of fell flat for me.

Looking forward to Mary Burton’s next book! Thank you for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Another girl lost by Mary Burton

Scarlett was kidnapped and tortured
She is blamed as someone cohorts with her kidnapper
She is a survivor
She is a successful artist
She is haunted by nightmares

Even with her past authenticity questioned, she believes in her memory. She wants to prove she remembers correctly but has no way to get the police to believe with new dead bodies showing up.

The book is written multiple POVs and goes back and forth between kidnapped past and current timeline. We are continuously guessing if Scarlett is crazy, the kidnapper is coming back and who is killing people.

The book is intense with kidnapping and torture. But also delves on ptsd, healing and getting back to life.

Fast paced and captivating!

This one took me out of a reading slump!!

Fans of psychological thriller must try this one

Mary Burton is a must-read for me. I have been reading her books for close to twenty years. I always know I will get a suspenseful, fast-paced read with great characters. Another Girl Lost is no different. As a teen, Scarlett is held captive in a basement along with another girl, Della. Scarlett escapes and Della is never found. No one can find evidence she even ever existed. Fast forward 10 years and Scarlett has a new life. She has kept her secrets. A girl's body has been found and Scarlett still feels Della everywhere. This is a dark, disturbing tale. It is also a highly entertaining and suspenseful read and I could not stop turning pages. As usual, I look forward to the next book from Mary!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Mary Burton and Montlake Books for this much appreciated ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Facebook and other retail and social media sites upon publication on September 17th.

I enjoyed this romantic suspense novel. It was engaging and at times thought provoking of the long term effects of this kind of abuse and kidnapping. It would only be appropriate for my older students due to type of sexual content.. Overall good, a little long at times but a satisfying read and a heroine to really get behind 4.5

Another well written story by the author. I particularly like this style where the author gives us the thoughts and action of the main characters separately. The guessigame as to how the characters fit in the story keeps the reading guessing throughout the book. The ending is surprising and leaves the reader wondering about what would be next.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Dark twisty thriller indeed!
I thought this was slow to start - but once you get to know Scarlett Crosby things move along from there!
She was abused for years - and thinks she sees her kidnapper daily - she even thinks she’s killed her - but she?

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake publishing For the advanced copy of Another Lost Girl by Mary Burton. I have read several of Mary Burton’s books and this new one didn’t disappoint. While the ending was somewhat frustrating, the ride there was a thrilling psychological trip Scarlet was abducted at 15 years old by Tanner, a very charming and cunning man who lured girls into his trap. Now 10 years later, a body is found connected to this kidnapping. Scarlett’s past abduction which left a lot of physical and mental scars is now being reinvestigated by the cop who took down her kidnapper. Put this one on your to be read pile. Release date September 17, 2024.

Ten years ago Scarlett Crosby had been kidnapped, raped, tortured and held captive by Tanner Reed for eighty eight days. Tanner is eventually killed when he wrecks his van and is shot by a cop.
Fast forward ten years and Scarlett is basically a shell of herself. She doesn't know the difference between fact and fiction. She tells people she was held captive with a girl named Della and thinks she sees her sometimes. People assume she has developed a coping mechanism and she's called Della.
Scarlett has rebranded herself as a successful artist. She keeps to herself and helps out at a recreation center. But now that she is starting to live a normal life and the past has been somewhat forgotten, is she as safe as she thinks she is?
"Another Girl Lost" is another outstanding intense psychological thriller that Mary Burton has lured me into!! Be prepared to be riveted!!!

This was another solid read from Mary Burton. I loved the dual perspectives. I also loved that the law enforcement characters were more morally gray than in her previous work. It added more authenticity to the story and to the characters. The writing was propulsive and I finished this book in two days! She is a must read author for me with every new release and this one did not disappoint!

Mary Burton has really mastered the romantic suspense genre, you can always rely on her for a good mystery. This book had me gripped from the very first page. I got really involved in Scarlett's life and kept changing my mind about the existence of Della. Did she really exist or was she a figment of Scarlett's imagination, someone her terrified teenaged psyche invented to help her through her ordeal. I was so stunned by the ending I think I read it about three times just to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. If you want an enjoyable thriller with plenty of suspense then give this standalone book by a truly great author.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

My Thoughts

Turns out the past does not always stay in its place.

Now 25-years-old Scarlett Crosby has come a long way from the fifteen-year-old who was kidnapped, beaten, raped and tortured for almost three months.

Her only saving grace was a fellow captive named Della who over those months of mutual captivity taught her ways in which to turn from helpless prey to someone with more inner strength than Scarlett believed herself capable of having.
In plainer language how to survive with her sanity intact.

Now 10 years later however old horrors are revisited when an earlier victim is found dead.

The search for this victims’ identity brings to light even more than investigators bargained for with some really dark twists along the way.

Main character Scarlett Crosby.

The elusive Della. Enemy, confidant, friend.

The girlfriend of the man who kidnapped them. An innocent or a co-conspirator?

The kidnapper himself.

Police Detective Kevin Dawson. Savior of Scarlett but now someone who has doubts about how innocent of committing several crimes she really is, or not.

The girl who got away thanks to Scarlett. Addict, almost non-functioning and someone else that Scarlett feels honor bound to help after nearly getting her abducted as well.

These make up the people we meet as the story unfolds from present to past and past to present.

What really makes this a true psychological suspense is how clues to the truth unfold bit by bit until all is revealed to the reader along with Scarlett herself.

A dark and gripping story from beginning to ending with some harrowing moments that take the reader right into them along with Scarlett.

[EArc from Netgalley]
On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

A decade after her abduction Scarlet is still trying to have a normal life and put that terrible part behind her.   A body is found in a house that was once renovated by her abductor.  Is it related? The detective investigating wonders if Scarlet might be involved somehow.  

The cast of characters are brought to life in this gripping tale.  You will love some and hate others.  You won't want to put this down until the mystery is solved!