1--What is the title of your latest release?
THE HANGMAN
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Julia Vargas is a cop hunting the Hangman serial killer, the same case linked to her father's mysterious death 30 years ago. When new evidence surfaces, she joins forces with her ex-lover, Detective Tobias Novak. As they race to uncover the truth, the Hangman closes in, forcing Julia to confront her past and the killer.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I set a series of books in downtown Richmond, Virginia because of the historic buildings, industrial buildings, and urban vibe. Great place to set a mystery.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
I sure would! Julia is a tough as nails gal who has a great sense of humor and sharp wit.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Determined, relentless and courageous.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
This book was chocked full of forensic details. This novel involved a current that dovetailed into a 30-year-old cold case. I enjoyed studying how time can be a disadvantage and an asset when solving a cold case. For instance, physical evidence may have degraded but people fearful of revealing old secrets my now feel free to talk to the police.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I write my novels in 7 drafts. The first draft is the sloppy copy, and I don’t do any editing. Drafts 2-7 are all about finetuning and crafting the novel.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Ice Cream with chocolate sauce.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
It’s a small space with a big desk. It also doubles as a spare room and has a set of bunkbeds. It’s not fancy but it works great for me.
10--Who is an author you admire?
Honestly, I admire anyone who has the courage to write a book. Making something out of nothing is hard and I always appreciate when someone accomplishes that.”
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
Nancy Drew’s The Hidden Staircase. I was hooked on mysteries after reading it.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
It was January 1999. The kids had just returned to school, the house was quiet, and I’d just sat down to write. The phone rang and I thought it was the school telling me one of the kids needed something. But it was my agent with my first offer! Such a great sense of satisfaction.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
I really don’t have a favorite. Lately, I’ve enjoyed fantasy and I’ve come across a few memoirs I liked. Any writer that can surprise me is my new favorite.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
I just recently watched Inception and really enjoyed it. Also liked L.A. Confidential and The Sixth Sense.
15--What is your favorite season?
Fall. I live on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and the fall is stunning here. The weather is still warm, and the beaches aren’t crowded. Great time to take my bike on the beach and explore.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I look at July as my birthday celebration month. I go shopping, find new restaurants, and of course have a large slice of carrot cake.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I really enjoyed the series, Sugar. It’s set in LA and follows a detective who finds missing people. There’s a real interesting twist at the end that surprised me. And I love surprises.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
That’s a tough one because I love all food. But if I had to choose, I would say Italian. Pasta, pizza and cannolis are hard to resist.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
Walk, ride my bike, yoga and finding a new restaurant.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
ANOTHER GIRL LOST releases September 17, 2024. It features heroine, Scarlett Crosby. Her dark past resurfaces when a body is discovered ten years after her harrowing escape from captivity. Haunted by the disappearance of Della, her fellow captive, Scarlett's old traumas and obsessions reignite. With Detective Kevin Dawson doubting Della's existence and new dangers emerging, Scarlett realizes she can't trust anyone.
The Forgotten Files #3
Now in mass market for the first time for fans of Lisa Jackson, Iris Johansen, Karen Rose, and Allison Brennan, the final, heart-pounding case in New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton’s Forgotten Files Trilogy…
A cop who followed her father into law enforcement becomes obsessed with the case that broke him more than twenty years earlier – a sexually sadistic serial killer known as the Hangman…
Julia Vargas is a cop with a mission. When she’s not chasing down bad guys, Julia dedicates her time to investigating the Hangman serial killer . . . the same unsolved case that her father, Jim Vargas, was working on when he supposedly shot and killed himself three decades before. While rumors continue to swirl around her father’s death, Julia attempts to hunt down the truth.
The case once again hits dangerously close, however, when a woman’s bones are discovered in a historic downtown home, together with a photograph of Jim and Julia as a young girl. As horrifying as this discovery is, it may just be the break Julia has waited for. Working alongside Tobias Novak, a homicide detective with whom she shares a complicated—and steamy—history, she’s forced to confront her own past even as the Hangman looms in the shadows. But as the mysterious killer circles closer, Julia can feel her own noose begin to tighten . . .
Thriller Police Procedural | Romance Suspense [Zebra, On Sale: June 25, 2024, Mass Market Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781420155983 / ]
Mary Burton loves writing suspense, getting to know her characters, keeping up with law enforcement and forensic procedures, morning walks, baking, and tiny dachshunds. She also enjoys hunting down serial killers, which she does in her New York Times and USA Today bestselling novels. When it comes to research, she’s known for taking a hands-on approach, whether it means interviewing professionals, attending forensic seminars or studying evidence collection and analysis.
Mary is routinely featured among the top ten writers in Amazon’s Author Rankings for suspense, romantic suspense and thrillers. Her recent titles The House Beyond the Dunes, The Lies I Told, Don’t Look Now, Near You, Never Look Back consistently rank high on the Kindle eBooks Store Bestseller List. She is a 2019 Montlake Romance Diamond Award winner signifying she’s reached one million readers.
Formerly a Richmond, Virginia native, Mary now resides on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She’s a graduate of Virginia’s Hollins University, and she worked in marketing before her first book was published in 2000. Today she’s the author of thirty-nine published novels and five novellas as Mary Burton and ten works of contemporary fiction as Mary Ellen Taylor, including When the Rain Ends, The Brighter the Light, The Words We Whisper and Honeysuckle Season.
She is a member of the International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Novelists, Inc. When not on the road for research or visits with readers at bookstores, book festivals and conferences, Mary remains very much a homebody. She and her husband spend time alternately enjoying their empty nest and spoiling their four-legged babies Buddy and Tiki.
No comments posted.
© 2003-2026