Author:Mary Burton
Merciless follows Senseless as the second in Mary Burton's thrilling two-part series.
First you beg. Then you die . . .
No Pity
Each skeleton is flawless - gleaming white and perfectly preserved, a testament to his skill. Every scrap of flesh has been removed to reveal the glistening bone beneath. And the collection is growing . . .
No Compassion
When bleached human bones are identified as belonging to a former patient of Dr James Dixon, Detective Malcolm Kier suspects the worst. Dixon was recently acquitted of attempted murder, thanks to defense attorney Angie Carlson. But as the body count rises, Kier is convinced that Angie is now the target of a brutal, brilliant psychopath.
No Escape
Angie is no stranger to the dark side of human nature. But nothing has prepared her for the decades-long legacy of madness and murder about to be revealed - or a killer ready to claim her as his ultimate trophy . . .
Merciless follows on from Mary Burton's fantastic Senseless. Will Malcom Kier be able to piece together the clues that Deacon Garrison previously uncovered?
Praise for Mary Burton:
'A twisted tale . . . I couldn't put it down!' Lisa Jackson
'Stieg Larsson fans will find a lot to like in Burton's taut, well-paced novel' Publishers Weekly
Mary Burton is the critically acclaimed author of I'm Watching You, Dead Ringer, Dying Scream, Merciless and Senseless - all set in Virginia, USA, where Mary lives with her family.
Thoroughly excellent
—— (TV REVIEW) , GuardianGripping
—— (TV REVIEW) , ObserverDS Rachel Bailey and DC Janet Scott... make tweedy Oxbridge-educated gentlemen detectives seem like a long distant memory
—— (TV REVIEW) , GuardianGenuinely funny and touching
—— (TV REVIEW) , Metro[A] grounded, realistic look at the world of the Manchester murder squad
—— (TV REVIEW) , theartsdeskA compelling mystery... I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an intelligent page turner
—— Farm Lane BooksIn addition to creating a cleverly calibrated and creepy murder mystery, Dymott has also fashioned a neatly tailored exploration of the desperate psychology of loss... This is a cunning, sharp first novel that revels in keeping one in the dark
—— Independent on SundayWholly absorbing
—— Evening StandardWonderfully unique
—— The TimesIt’s rare to feel so completely inside someone’s head
—— PsychologiesElanor Dymott's arresting debut...combines the pleasures of a thriller with an elegiac meditation on the trials of youth
—— The LadyA dark clever campus novel that draws the reader into a skilfully woven web of half-told stories... Crafted and elegantly written
—— MetroDymott’s capacity to conjure striking imagery is exceptional. This is more than a murder mystery. It’s an examination of the subjectivity of accounts of truth. It’s a desperately moving love story about a lonely man who finds salvation in another only to have his idyll destroyed. It's a tale of revenge, served cold and deadly
—— IndependentThis is a love story, told in reverse, a haunting tale of youth and lost love, and a poetical thriller.A powerful debut and a distinctive voice
—— Tom HollanderElanor Dymott’s gorgeous debut novel is a murder mystery that’s also a brilliant meditation on love and memory and loss. Like the Robert Browning poems her characters read at Oxford, the book is spooky, lovesick, dark, and lush, its narrator circling obsessively back on the death at its heart
—— Maile MeloyAn irresistible blast of an opening which never disappoints in a journey into a complex knot of intense and ultimately destructive relationships from which the murder that is the dark core ofThis excellent debut novel distills
—— Jon SnowA beautiful, lucid nightmare of a book. A mystery of love and murder that is elegantly written, disturbing, always compelling, and lingers long in the mind
—— Adam FouldsA literary thriller wrapped up in a whodunit love story, Elanor Dymott's debut makes for compulsive reading. The complexity of the plot put me in mind of The Secret History;
it deserves to reach just as wide an audience
Every Contact Leaves a Trace is beautifully paced, from the graphic event at its start through all its shifting possibilities to its strange, logical conclusion. It is a marvelous book
—— Bernard O’DonoghueErudite debut
—— IndependentThis murder mystery...gripped me with unusual force... This novel sucks you in beautifully, and will not let you go
—— Evening StandardThis is a class act which unveils its secrets as tantalisingly as a courtesan
—— John Koski , Daily Mail IrelandWonderfully evocative of Oxford, this is a love story and a mystery that will keep you guessing
—— Good Book GuidePart love story, part murder mystery… Dymott’s novel is ample proof of the literary flair that lurks within some lawyers
—— Alex Wade , The TimesOne of the best books I’ve read this year
—— Edinburgh Evening News