Never Look Back

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars | 32,312 ratings

Price: 21.88

Last update: 01-12-2025


About this item

Expect the unexpected in this gritty, tense 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.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Kindle and Prime Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another Hit
    Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2024
    I loved the thrill and Mystery of this book. Everything meld well together and it was more than one Mystery to solve so you didn't get bored along the way. Great Read!
  • Book Junkie
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fast-paced & well-written/ yet implausible
    Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2020
    No spoilers in my reviews:

    This book gripped me right away, and it was a one sitting reading. I completely became riveted and could not put it down. Admittedly as I put in the title, it is an entirely unbelievable plot. I don't mind though, it was written with a lot of skill and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I just suspended my disbelief a little bit more than usual, completely worth it to me!

    Mary Burton has done an excellent job of creating characters that are compelling and very fully realized. Her plotting and sub plotting Make the book flow, despite the completely unrealistic aspects. She throws in a lot of detail regarding human nature and behaviors, which is like candy to most people and I am not immune to candy. I just had to find out what was going to happen next. She does have some very clever twists and is an author who knows how to entertain a reader.

    I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good thriller, police procedural, drama or just plain fun reading. The only reason it didn't get five stars was because of the over the top Deus Ex machina, but I will reiterate it does not make the story any less compelling.

    As always I wish happy reads to all from, the Unapologetic Book Junkie!
  • jennifer swanson
    5.0 out of 5 stars grabs your attention and jeeps it. the book gets better as you read
    Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2024
    It was a good change up for me. Smart and quick paced. An enjoyable weekend read
    Likable characters and a easy storyline make for an entertaining ride
  • Kristen Sylvest
    5.0 out of 5 stars Simply excellent
    Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2024
    Action packed that will keep you up reading at night. this is one of those you can't set aside once you start.
  • Donb01
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good Crime Mystery Story with a Few Interesting Twists
    Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2021
    I enjoyed reading this book and it was easily able to keep my attention, but didn't present anything really spectacular from a reading perspective. It was well written and easy to follow, and kept the clues unraveling at a steady pace. The female main character we know early on was abandoned along a roadway as a child, and we are now presented with her all grown up and working as a TBI agent (Tennessee version of FBI) and we are introduced to her as someone who is good at finding missing persons - she is working on the case of some missing prostitutes. We get to a point in that storyline where she draws the attention of the person who is involved in those, which gets her into a situation where she almost becomes a victim herself, which gets the actual FBI involved, resulting in the appearance of the male main character who is also a specialist in what he does. The two of them start working on the case and then that storyline kind of gets mostly dropped for a while.

    Next comes a new situation with a serial killer and our two main characters kind of get distracted working on that and trying to unravel the pieces of that puzzle, and it is during this time we get a lot more of the character development and we start to find out little pieces about the past lives of our two main characters, and the new slate of "bad guys" that related to the serial killings and some other crimes and revelations that happen along the way. I would say this encompasses about the middle "half" of the book, before the original case starts to bubble back to the surface. Our two characters seem to have "thoughts" about each other but more or less keep it professional, and any writing along those personal lines is not overly descriptive.

    It does get more twisty toward the end, and there are a couple of surprises, although I have to admit that some of the things that happen in the story are fairly predictable, and one can pretty much say "Yeah - I saw that one coming", but overall it's a good read and I did receive enjoyment from reading it, and the ending pretty much wrapped up the unanswered questions. I would recommend this as a good read.
  • Jeeves Reads Romance
    3.0 out of 5 stars Heavy and dry
    Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2020
    This was... fine. The writing is solid and if you're going into this looking for a thriller/suspenseful read, then you might enjoy it. I found the storyline to be a little stale and predictable, with the except of one good twist. However, this was described to me as romantic suspense, and it is definitely not that. While the two main characters are a male FBI Agent and a female TBI agent who bond over the heaviness of the job, the romantic element is VERY minor and ultimately unfulfilling.

    The story follows Melina, a TBI Agent who has been trying to track down a suspect by posing as a prostitute (yes, there are TRIGGERS galore in this story, so keep that in mind). Her investigation brings FBI Agent Jerrod onto the case, and the two work together to solve the crime. I won't get into details about that because unraveling the mystery is the primary focus of the book. They've both been at the job for a while and it's changed how they interact with others, so they find themselves bonding over the job and shared experiences.

    I have no complaints about the writing itself - it's solid and takes you on some twists and turns. I personally found the story to be kind of dry and too gloomy for my tastes - I was really hoping the romantic element would brighten things up. And while there definitely is a blossoming connection between the two, it didn't leave me with any sort of warm and fuzzy feelings. It felt like they were just two people working a job who found someone else who could tolerate the work. Very serious and not at all sexy (though there are a couple of explicit scenes). Ultimately, the book was fine but not something that I'd be likely to revisit in the future.
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2023
    Tennessee Bureau of Investigations meets FBI with what turns out to be two serial killer cases in Nashville. Fast paced with deadly and sadistic killers with two different mind sets. Melina is an agent with the TBI on a stakeout to locate two missing women. She comes into contact with a serial killer who thinks she is a prostitute. When she manages to get away from him it sets into play a deadly game. When the FBI sends in one of their best profilers the deaths pile up. This book has so many layers and I will reread again. Mary Burton writes a challenging book with depth to her characters and plots.

    • Best Sellers in

     
     

    Defending Jacob: A Novel

    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 34,109
    15.66
     
     

    Gunmetal Gray

    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 21,170
    26.21
     
     

    Delicate Escape: Sparrow Falls, Book 2

    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,920
    21.83
     
     

    The River's Edge

    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 12,256
    18.12
     
     

    Brad Taylor's Pike Logan Collection: A Collection of Hunter Killer, American Traitor, and End of Days

    3.4 3.4 out of 5 stars 3
    29.13
     
     

    Tom Clancy Shadow State: A Jack Ryan Jr. Novel, Book 12

    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,615
    19.69
     
     

    Head On (Narrated by Wil Wheaton)

    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 3,805
    29.66
     
     

    Spirit Crossing: Cork O'Connor Mysteries, Book 20

    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 710
    21.88