Burn You Twice

By: Mary Burton

Narrated by: Melissa Moran

Fire can destroy the past. It can also uncover secrets in this novel of searing suspense by New York Times best-selling author Mary Burton.

Ten years ago as an undergrad, Joan Mason escaped an arsonist’s fire. Shaken, she fled the small collegiate Montana town, leaving behind friends and not looking back. Now a Philadelphia homicide detective, Joan’s trying to put her traumas to rest. It’s not easy. Elijah Weston, the classmate who torched her house, is out of prison and returning to Missoula. Gut instinct tells Joan he’ll strike again. To stop him, she must return to the past as well. To face not only the man she fears but Detective Gideon Bailey, too. The man she loved and left behind.

When a local woman dies tragically in another fire, it can’t be a coincidence. Can it be Elijah? He has a solid alibi for the night of the blaze. Reunited by the tragedy, Joan and Gideon have their doubts. So does Gideon’s sister, Ann - Joan’s old college roommate.

The investigation draws Joan and Gideon together, but it also sends them down a dangerous path - into a troubling history that Joan, Elijah, and Ann all share. As more lives go up in flames in Missoula, this town’s secrets are just beginning to rise from the ashes.

©2020 Mary Burton. (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Disappointing for Mary Burton

This was definitely not one of my favorite books by Mary burton. The story “mystery” was pretty obvious early in the book. The narration was pretty bad I. That there was very little difference between the women characters and it was hard to know which character was talking. I won’t be listening v to a book by this narrator again unfortunately. On the positive side of this is that Mary used a lot less sex “ scenes” and very little foul language which made the story easy to listen to.

interesting plot

I was hesitant at first to continue listening to the book not a fan of people setting fires but the plot n characters kept me interested. narrator is excellent

Eye Opener

I learned a lot about fires and the people who start them. There's a love story or two twisted in there, too.

Easy to figure out

I enjoyed the characters, story, and hints of romance. The only draw back was that the mystery was easy to figure out.
I recommend the book to listen to while driving , walking or doing chores as it does not take full concentration.

Mediocre romantic suspense story

Ten years ago, Joan Mason and her roommate survived an arson fire on their rented home. Their classmate, Elijah Weston, was arrested and convicted of the crime. When Joan learns that Elijah has recently been released from prison, she plans a trip to Montana to confront Elijah who has always sworn that he was innocent. Joan has just arrived in Montana and is staying with her former roommate Ann Bailey, when a new arson fire burns down a local business. When a body is found in the destruction, Detective Gideon Bailey, Joan's former boyfriend and Ann's brother, investigates. Both Gideon and Joan want to know if Elijah was behind this fire. She convinces Gideon to let her tag along and help him with the arson case.

I've read a handful of Mary Burton's books. This romantic suspense story was just okay. I guessed the killer immediately and continued reading the book to see if I was right and if the author gave the reader enough clues to deduce the villain. Thankfully she does.

Joan was not an easy person to like. She pushed her way into the investigation, sometimes finding clues but not passing them on to Gideon. Their relationship was tepid. I don't see them as a couple who would stay together. I wasn't a fan of the narrator. Sometimes she sounded like a computer voice which threw me out of the story. Overall, this story was mediocre, but I will try the next in the series.

Mind Bending

I got the cart before the horse on this one, and read the second book, "Near You," before reading this one. So I knew who the actual protagonist was before I ever started the book. It didn't matter. The story still produced several mind bending moments. In fact the entire tale, between the two books, is quite electrifying. The characters are deep wells of secrets, hidden agendas, and just plain psychosis.

While there is a continuation of this story (as mentioned above), this novel is a complete story in itself. There's no cliffhanger to have you scrambling for the next book. But if you enjoy this story as much as I did, you'll definitely want to grab "Near You" as well to get the next installment in these characters' lives.

One of my favorites

Awesome mystery, kept me guessing until the very end. Good plot development, really able to get a sense of each character. The narration seemed a bit computer-esque, but I got used to it.

Great listen

I loved it. After a bit of a slow start at the beginning, the book became more interesting. The characters were great and the storyline was easy to follow. My only problem was the whole left open with Elijah, Ann and Nate's story.

Terrible Narration Almost Ruined It

The story isn't all that exciting, but it was okay. Not particularly suspenseful.

The narration was terrible. An example is instead of beauty shop, she said "byoo-TEE" shop every.single.time. She over-enunciates many consonants and her emphasis is often on the wrong syllable or word. I would avoid a title with this narrator in the future.

Good Mystery

I did enjoy this book. I found the subplots just as interesting as the main story. I did figure out who the arsonist was but was guessing for som time. I am looking forward to a follow up book with all that is left open that needs answering.