THE SHARK’s main character Riley Tatum is a survivor of a serial killer known as the Shark, who murdered young runaway girls as part of a sadistic poker game.  Though drugged and battered, the younger Riley escaped this killer and went on to build a successful life. Now Riley is a Virginia State Police trooper and is a highly respected police canine tracker.  She and her canine partner are often tasked to follow the scents of missing people as well as escaped criminals in the mountains of rural Virginia.  They are considered one of the best teams in the region. What was the idea that sparked THE SHARK?  I was attending a writer’s conference years ago and a young woman stopped as I was signing books.  She suggested that I make a female uniformed officer the hero of my next book.  People toss ideas at me all the time, but this one stuck.  It didn’t take long before I could see Riley Tatum. I began researching possible jobs for Riley, and I finally settled on a canine tracker.  Then it was a matter of learning all I could about this profession.  Books, mystery writers’ meetings and interviews with active-duty canine…

“Seeing as we’re going to be partners, want to grab dinner?” Vaughan asked. “I’m starving, and we could talk about the case.” It was a ritual Zoe had shared with her late husband. Dinner had always involved a cold beer, maybe a steak, and discussion of a case. They had both loved the intellectual challenge, the sparring, and the lovemaking afterward. “I know a place.” “Lead the way.” He drove them to a small diner surrounded by a cluster of fast-food restaurants near the interstate. When she shot him a questioning look, he held up a hand. “Trust me.” “I’m holding you to a good meal, Detective Vaughan.” He opened the door, held it, and waited for her to pass. The hostess called out his name; he waved and headed toward what had to be a favorite booth. Men, she noted, were creatures of habit and liked routine. She slid across the red vinyl seat of the corner booth. From this vantage, they both had a clear view of the front and back exits. Like all cops, he probably wanted to know who was coming and going while he ate. She reached for a laminated menu and opened it. “So,…

A generator started up and spotlights clicked on inside the barn, illuminating the dark corners. Nevada was close. The light drew Macy’s attention to the right corner, which was roped off with red crime scene tape. The forensic tech had designated this area as very sensitive because most of the bones and the backpack had fallen here. Inside the tape, the techs had shifted the dirt as they had searched for the last bits of Tobi Turner. Macy elbowed aside anger and shifted her attention to the lost girl and her killer. Photos of Tobi’s backpack had shown that it had contained simple jeans, a sweater, and tennis shoes, but the fabric remnants and glittering blue cowboy boots found with the body suggested she had changed after she left her parents’ house. Macy suspected Tobi had lied about the study session and had diverted to a party. The killer could have recognized her desire for excitement and used it against her. “You made it.” Nevada’s deep voice snapped her back. Macy faced him and saw his shocked expression when he got his first good look at her. He quickly masked the reaction, and his expression became unreadable. Determined to prove…

In my latest release, CUT AND RUN, medical examiner Dr. Faith McIntyre is called to the hospital when unconscious and critically injured FBI Agent Macy Crow is brought to the emergency room after a vicious hit and run. The Quantico-based agent is Faith’s mirror image and her existence brings into question Faith’s adoption, which was always shrouded in secrets. Could Macy be the twin sister Faith never knew she had? And what was Macy doing in a dark Austin alley? More importantly, who and what are behind the clues Macy has left that lead Faith and Texas Ranger Mitchell Hayden to the graves of three women who disappeared thirty years before? Is it possible Macy found a connection between those graves and a pregnant girl who has been missing for months? CUT AND RUN is chocked full of emotion, beginning with the opening scene featuring Paige, a pregnant teen who has been locked in a windowless room for months and is days away from going into labor. She’s as terrified of giving birth alone as she is frightened of her brutal jailor. I’m hoping readers feel Paige’s desperation as strongly as I did when I wrote this scene. The relationship between Faith…

Greetings, John. You are a homicide detective. Can you tell us a little about your job and what brought you into law enforcement? I didn’t intend to go into law enforcement. I was majoring in political science and began picking up criminal justice courses. After I passed the bar, I told my parents I wasn’t ready for a desk job. I figure there was plenty of time to be a cop and, later, a lawyer like my father. It didn’t make them happy but they knew I’d get this “cop thing” out of my system. Now it’s been seventeen years—ten on the homicide team–and I’m the guy they call in Richmond when the crime is gruesome. You have faced some very dangerous situations as a cop. What was your most harrowing case? We heard that your partner was hurt? How has this changed you? The explosion and fire were the single worst event of my life. My partner and I were on the trail of a serial arsonist. When we entered his residence we realized it was a trap. My partner was badly injured. To this day I lie awake hearing his screams. I can’t say that incident has made…

What can make you great can often be said to also be among your greatest flaws. And that is certainly true for many of those who dedicate their lives to catching killers. In THE LAST MOVE, FBI Agent Kate Hayden was seventeen the night her father was murdered. That same night she decided to go into law enforcement. Armed with innate talent and her hard-earned PhD in forensic linguistics, she’s among the best in her field, able to read the writings and communications of the most heinous killers to reveal the clues hidden within. Here’s what I think are the top five skills that make her and others in law enforcement so good at their jobs. Dedication: It takes long hours of hard work and unremitting focus to catch a killer. Kate has dedicated herself to tracking down violent offenders, sacrificing her personal life and, oftentimes, sleep so that she can give every waking minute to her job. That commitment also makes her come across to others as cold and unfeeling. Emotional Distance: Catching a killer is among the most emotionally taxing work I can think of. A good detective has to put empathy for the victim aside so emotion…

Music is one of the keys I use to unlock the heart of a character. I don’t listen to music when I write, but when I’m driving or cooking the tunes are always cranked. There are times when the melody and the song’s emotions strike a cord that reminds me of one of my characters. I can’t explain why a song works, but I know when it does. Eva Rayburn, my heroine in SENSELESS was a tough character to get to know. In SENSELESS she is closed and guarded and only reveals herself to the hero and others in the book very carefully. Without even realizing it, I started to notice songs that were “hers.” Songs and playlists are so personal and so I decided to create a playlist for Eva. After I bought the songs, I made my own CD and when I was having trouble with an Eva scene, I’d listen to the CD. The songs unlocked emotions I couldn’t articulate at first. But once I felt the emotions through the songs, I could create the right scene for Eva. So what were the songs that caught my attention while I was writing SENSELESS? Eva’s Playlist Second Chance…

MARY BURTON CELEBRATES 2011 WITH  BACK-TO-BACK ROMANTIC SUSPENSE New York Times best selling author Mary Burton unleashes a memorable cast of characters in her back-to-back romantic suspense novels SENSELESS (just published) and MERCILESS (arriving January 25th). They include Homicide Detectives Deacon Garrison and Malcolm Kier(DYING SCREAM), convicted felon Eva Rayburn, and her half-sister, attorney Angie Carlson. And, as always, Burton’s signature attention to forensic detail and law enforcement procedure are in evidence. In SENSELESS, Eva’s part-time job at a shelter brings her to the attention of Deacon Garrison when an explosion destroys the building. The search for evidence uncovers the body of a woman who has been tortured, murdered and branded. Enter journalist Connor Donovan. He’s desperate to resuscitate his flagging career when he gets a tip about the case and its similarities to the Sorority House Murder, the investigation that brought him fame and sent Eva to prison. As Donovan drags Eva back into the media spotlight, Garrison, certain she’s connected to  the murder, is determined to find out how. In MERCILESS Burton ratchets the suspense up even higher when Kier and Angie come up against a psychopath who leaves behind the perfectly preserved bones of his victims. Kier—and…