Review: Before She Dies- Mary Burton

Title: Before She Dies
Author: Mary Burton
Release Date: January 31 2012
Publisher: Zebra
Genre: Romantic Suspense 
Rating: 4 Hoots
Reviewer: Michelle
Buy From: Amazon/ Barnes and Noble/ Book Depository 

Sum It Up! Altogether, Before She Dies is a wonderfully written novel that fans of Burton will enjoy.

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… (Amazon)

Review:

Before She Dies by Mary Burton is a terrifyingly suspenseful novel. Charlotte Wellington is a motivated attorney who pulled herself out of the dark deceptive ways of her family's carnival style life and into a promising less guarded life. That is until her stepfather and ringmaster finds his way to her doorstep with her never forgotten past. Charlotte is then thrown into a heart stopping case with a crazed serial killer in which case she meets the sexy detective Daniel. As the case grows more devious, Charlotte is forced to expose her daunting past to Daniel and ultimately sealing their relationship.

Before She Dies had my heart in a vise grip the entire time. The plot was well developed causing the reader to become completely engulfed in the deceptive nature of the serial killer. I can honestly say I have never checked the locks on my windows and doors more than when I was reading this. Burton had set an unsettling amount of fear into me that I have not experienced since I was a child. Though there were a few sleepless nights I found it invigorating that as a writer she could cause that strong of a reaction from me.

The love affair between Daniel and Charlotte however was lacking. I felt that Charlotte, though an excellently developed character, feared her past too much thus causing the romantic element of this story to falter. I found that I focused more on her insecurities and fears more than the actual passion that was supposed to fill that space. Altogether,Before She Dies is a wonderfully written novel that fans of Burton will enjoy.