Loved that it had suspense and fast paced like Patterson, characters developed like Alex Cross, forensics like Scarpetta, and just a little romance brewing like Roberts without totally being cheesy

Worked as a stand alone but might have to read the others! ( )

4.5 stars.

Opening with a chilling prologue, Be Afraid by Mary Burton is an incredibly riveting read from beginning to end. This second installment in the Morgans of Nashville series is a very intriguing mystery with slight romantic elements that fans of police procedurals do not want to miss. While it can be read as a standalone, I also recommend the first novel in the series to get a better understanding of the characters and their backstories.

Baltimore police officer and forensic artist Jenna Thompson returns to Nashville after a current case triggers long forgotten memories of her kidnapping twenty-five years earlier. She is the only member of her family that survived an attack that left her parents and older sister dead. She was rescued by police after the kidnapper/murderer died from a fatal overdose and the case was officially closed. But Jenna is haunted by hazy memories that seem to indicate there might be more to her case than originally thought and she is working as street artist while she works up the courage to do a little digging in her past.

Detective Rick Morgan and his partner Jake Bishop are working on a couple of cases when they are introduced to Jenna by Rick's sister and crime scene investigator, Georgia. She suggests Jenna use her skills as a forensic artist to help identity the skeletal remains of a young child discovered buried in a pond at a local park. After Jenna's reconstruction is complete, she and Rick take the sketch to the media where she is blindsided during the interview when the reporter brings up the long ago kidnapping.

Jenna's past soon collides with the present when Rick realizes that another investigation of his shares a few startling similarities to the murders of her family. He is currently working on series of murders where arson is used to cover up evidence of the crimes and the alleged killers are later found dead. It quickly becomes apparent to Rick these cases are linked and that the killers did not act alone. This pattern is eerily similar to evidence at the Thompson crime scene but will he uncover the connection between the cases before the killer strikes again?

The mystery aspect of the storyline is very well written and it is fascinating how the different story arcs all eventually tie together. The story is written from multiple viewpoints (including the killers') and this provides valuable insight about the crimes. The most disturbing perspective is that of the mastermind behind the murders and this peek into a very twisted mind reveals a desperate attempt to keep the long dormant murderous impulses under control.

Be Afraid is a suspense-laden and fast-paced mystery that has many unexpected twists and turns. Mary Burton does an absolutely brilliant job obscuring the killer's identity until the novel's rather dramatic and pulse-pounding conclusion. It is a fantastic whodunit that will leave fans of the genre very eager for the next novel in the Morgans of Nashville series. ( )

Jenna Thompson was kidnapped as a child and locked in a closet for 9 days, her kidnapper murdered her entire family when he stole her away. Then he died of an overdose. Why did he kill her family? After 25 years Jenna has come back to Nashville to find answers.

The back story is quickly and simply presented in the beginning of the book, allowing the story to unfold in the present day without a lot of wasted time. Quickly I was caught up in Jenna’s story and the story of the Lost Child. The emotion ratchets up as the detectives follow the trail of murder and arson. Excellent suspense and mystery. ( )

A special thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mary Burton's BE AFRAID catches up with some familiar characters for a cop procedural, crime mystery, psycho-thriller, and romantic suspense. . Driving a woman from Boston, returning to the tragic scene of the southern crime from twenty-five years ago in Nashville, and even more danger to come.

The novel begins in Nashville with the opening of "Reason and Madness, like Jekyll and Hyde, were two sides of the same coin. One worshiped peace, the other devastation. One told the truth. The other, rule breaker and thief, always lied. Once again, a war raged between the two."

Detective Deke Morgan’s (from last book) brother, Rick Morgan, detective with Nashville Metro Homicide (nickname Boy Scout) is fairly new to the homicide division of four weeks with his partner Bishop, (from Boston) and Tracker (the dog) are on first on the scene of a crime in Middle Tennessee. A 132 acre-Centennial Park, where the remains of a child have been found in a pond. The body is pretty much unidentifiable, with only a pink blanket and bones, approximately a girl, four to six years at the time of death.

Ricks sister, Georgia Morgan (from the last book), with a great singing voice, and a senior member of the Nashville Police Department’s forensics team is called to work the case. She recommends using an artist (forensic reconstruction) to create the child’s face in order to investigate.

Jenna Thompson is a forensic artist and a cop on leave from Baltimore Police Department. Even though she is in Nashville battling demons from her past, she agrees to help with the case. She is renting the The Murder House. A woman, had been killed on the property but she had fallen in love with the rustic exterior, the woods and the stream behind the house. The locals say the house is haunted.

She needed a break from police work and really did not want to get involved; however Georgia talked her into it, especially when she learned it was a child. She has to help find the killer.

Jenna has a horrific past, at only five years old when police rescue her from the closet where she was held captive for nine days. Now, twenty-five years later, Jenna is here to try and obtain closure from her past. Days after her fifth birthday, her captor took her from her home, her pink blanket had become her lifeline. She had clung to it. She had her blanket in the closet and now the pink threads brought those memories front and center. He had killed her family

Now she finds herself working with Rick, as the old memories come flooding back and possibly a link in the cases. Now she may come the focus of the serial killer and Rick, with his own demons may come to her rescue even though they do not hit it off in the beginning. There is also some attraction between Georgia and Bishop which was interesting.

This was quite the book, and was so excited, immediately purchased the audiobook of her previous book, COVER YOUR EYES, which I enjoyed, in order to learn more about the characters. Both can be read as as a standalone; however, you will want to read the two of them, plus her previous books.

A fast-paced suspense, keeping you on the edge with an intriguing case diving into psychological elements of the crazy killers. I also enjoyed Jenna's character, her talents, the light romance, and catching up with familiar Morgan characters.

Readers you are also in for a rare treat with a sneak peek of her upcoming next romantic suspense thriller, I’LL NEVER LET YOU GO, coming 10/27/2015. My kind of book – "cannot wait"!

Mary Ellen Taylor On a side note, I am only now discovering Mary Burton also writes more than crime fiction, under another name, Mary Ellen Taylor, with a love of baking! I had the pleasure of reading both books and looking forward to the third.

The Union Street Bakery (Union Street Bakery #1) 5 Stars 2013

Sweet Expectations (Union Street Bakery #2) 5 Stars 2013

At the Corner of King Street, coming 5/5/2015! ( )