Mary Burton Books in Order (Updated June 12, 2026)

Mary Burton is an American suspense, romantic suspense, and thriller author. Her books often combine forensic investigations, cold cases, serial killers, buried trauma, and a central relationship under pressure.

Most of her series are connected by investigators, families, cities, or agencies rather than by one single lead character. That means you can choose a series and read it cleanly from book one.

Her Mary Ellen Taylor books are a separate pen-name bibliography and are not part of the Mary Burton suspense order covered here.

Best Place to Start

• For the clearest modern entry point, begin with The Last Move, the first Criminal Profiler book.
• For a shorter series with strong cold-case suspense, begin with The Shark, the first Forgotten Files book.

For the full Mary Burton path, read by series in publication order, then move to the standalones.

Mary Burton Books in Order by Series

Richmond Books in Order

The Richmond books are early Mary Burton romantic suspense novels set around criminal investigations and personal danger. Read them in order because they establish Burton’s early approach to recurring law-enforcement suspense.

1. I’m Watching You (2007): Lindsay O’Neil becomes the focus of a killer who treats murder as a twisted gift, forcing Detective Zack Kier back into her dangerous orbit.
2. Dead Ringer (2008): A murder investigation exposes buried identities, old secrets, and a killer using resemblance as part of the threat.
3. Dying Scream (2009): A cold case and a fresh disappearance pull the investigation toward a past crime that has not stayed buried.

Alexandria Books in Order

The Alexandria books are linked romantic-suspense thrillers set around Virginia investigations. The main novels can stand alone, but the series works best in order.

1. Senseless (2011): Eva Rayburn returns home after a traumatic sorority-party past, only for a killer to begin targeting women connected to that old night.
2. Merciless (2011): The investigation turns toward a ruthless killer and a dangerous attraction, widening the Alexandria thread into darker procedural suspense.
3. Before She Dies (2012): A rising television personality’s past becomes the key to a murder case, forcing the investigation to separate ambition, secrets, and survival.
4. Christmas Past (2013): A holiday novella tied to the Alexandria world, best treated as an optional series extra after the main trilogy.

Texas Rangers Trilogy Books in Order

The Texas Rangers Trilogy follows Texas-based investigations with serial-killer and survivor-centered plots. Read these in order for the cleanest character and case progression.

1. The Seventh Victim (2013): Lara Church survived the Seattle Strangler, but a new killing in Austin suggests the killer has returned for the one victim who escaped.
2. No Escape (2013): A Texas Ranger and a psychologist confront a violent case where a child witness and a killer’s pattern raise the stakes.
3. You’re Not Safe (2014): A former country-music star’s past trauma collides with a new murder threat, closing the trilogy with another survivor under pressure.

Morgans of Nashville Books in Order

The Morgans of Nashville follows the Morgan family and connected Nashville investigations. This is one of Burton’s more clearly family-linked series, so order matters.

1. Cover Your Eyes (2014): Public defender Rachel Wainwright tries to reopen a decades-old murder case, placing herself in the path of a killer who may still be active.
2. Be Afraid (2015): Forensic artist Jenna Thompson helps uncover a serial predator’s pattern, while Detective Rick Morgan pushes into a case shaped by fear and memory.
3. I’ll Never Let You Go (2015): A woman’s past abuser may be dead, but new violence suggests the threat around her has not ended.
4. Vulnerable (2016): Georgia Morgan’s work as a forensic tech brings her into a dangerous case involving skeletal remains, old disappearances, and family tension.

Forgotten Files Books in Order

Forgotten Files is one of the best Mary Burton starting points if you want a compact trilogy. The books are connected by cold cases and the Shield Security world.

1. The Shark (2016): Virginia state trooper Riley Tatum’s runaway past resurfaces when a serial killer known as the Shark appears to be hunting the survivor who got away.
2. The Dollmaker (2016): A murdered woman posed like a doll leads investigators into a case where artistic control, obsession, and old wounds overlap.
3. The Hangman (2017): Officer Julia Vargas revisits the serial-killer case that destroyed her father, uncovering evidence that brings the Hangman dangerously close again.

Criminal Profiler Books in Order

Criminal Profiler is the strongest general recommendation for new Mary Burton readers. The books are connected through FBI and law-enforcement cases, but each investigation has its own central crime.

1. The Last Move (2017): FBI profiler Kate Hayden and Detective Theo Mazur track a killer whose crimes may connect to Kate’s own past.
2. Her Last Word (2018): A true-crime podcaster reopens a friend’s disappearance, only to find that the old case still has living consequences.
3. Cut and Run (2018): Medical examiner Faith McIntyre and Texas Ranger Mitchell Hayden investigate a brutal case involving severed hands, hidden identities, and old crimes.
4. Hide and Seek (2019): Special Agent Macy Crow returns after a near-fatal attack and joins a case involving missing women, shallow graves, and the danger of memory.
5. I See You (2019): A murdered woman’s remains and reconstructed face pull FBI profiler Zoe Spencer into a case where the past still has witnesses.
6. Never Look Back (2020): Melina Shepard and FBI agent Jerrod Ramsey pursue a violent predator, bringing the Criminal Profiler sequence to a fast, high-stakes close.

Montana Books in Order

The Montana books form a short connected set. Read them in order because the setting and investigator links carry over most clearly that way.

1. Burn You Twice (2020): Detective Joan Mason returns to a Montana town where a fire from her past connects to a new arson and murder case.
2. Near You (2021): Ann Bailey’s work and past collide with a new threat, while Montana law enforcement follows a killer whose pattern keeps tightening around her.

Mary Burton Standalone Novels in Publication Order

These books are not part of the main listed series. The early titles lean more toward historical or category romantic suspense, while the later standalones are psychological suspense and cold-case thrillers.

1. A Bride for McCain (2000): An early historical romance built around marriage, duty, and the guarded emotional terms of a frontier relationship.
2. The Colorado Bride (2001): A historical romance about a woman trying to secure a future while love and mistrust complicate the bargain.
3. The Perfect Wife (2002): A romantic-suspense setup in which the appearance of an ideal marriage gives way to secrets and danger.
4. Rafferty’s Bride (2002): A historical romance centered on a difficult match, old wounds, and the slow movement from obligation to trust.
5. The Lightkeeper’s Woman (2004): A historical romance with an isolated coastal setting, where protection and secrecy shape the central relationship.
6. The Unexpected Wife (2004): A marriage-centered historical romance in which the heroine’s arrival disrupts the hero’s plans and forces a new emotional reckoning.
7. Heart of the Storm (2005): A romantic-suspense standalone where danger, weather, and unresolved feelings combine into a survival-driven plot.
8. Keep You Close (2005): Also published as In Dark Waters, this romantic suspense novel uses danger near the water to force its central couple into trust.
9. The Arsonist (2006): Also published as Playing with Fire, this suspense story turns fire investigation into a personal and romantic threat.
10. Find You (2006): Also published as Wise Moves, this standalone mixes danger and attraction as the heroine’s safety becomes the central problem.
11. Cold Case Cop (2007): A law-enforcement romantic suspense novel built around an old investigation that refuses to stay closed.
12. Don’t Look Now (2021): A modern standalone thriller in which an investigator follows a brutal killer while the case pushes against her personal limits.
13. The Lies I Told (2022): A psychological suspense novel about deception, memory, and the damage caused when the wrong story becomes the accepted truth.
14. The House Beyond the Dunes (2023): A coastal suspense novel where a woman’s return to an old house reveals that family history and danger are still connected.
15. Another Girl Lost (2024): A thriller about a woman’s traumatic past resurfacing when a new disappearance echoes what happened years before.
16. What She Saw (2025): Cold-case reporter Sloane Grayson investigates the disappearance of four women at a music festival, including the mother whose body was never found.
17. Trust No One (expected 2026): The next listed Mary Burton suspense title, with full plot details still best treated as pending until the publisher copy is widely available.

Mary Burton Novellas and Shorter Works

These are shorter pieces or anthology-linked works. They are optional unless you are reading everything by publication date.

1. Christmas Past (2013): An Alexandria novella that fits after Before She Dies and gives readers a shorter return to that series world.
2. A Ranger for Christmas (2025): A holiday romantic-suspense novella about history professor Marisa Thompson, a protective Texas Ranger, and a threat tied to an archaeological dig.

Mary Burton Collections, Anthologies, and Contributions

These are useful for completionists but are not required for the main suspense-series reading order.

1. Christmas Gold (2002): An omnibus with other authors, best treated as an early historical-romance collection rather than a core Mary Burton suspense title.
2. A Hero’s Kiss (2003): A multi-author omnibus that belongs with Burton’s early romance-era material.
3. The Tracker (2005): A contribution to the multi-author New Montana Mavericks series, separate from Burton’s later Montana suspense books.
4. Defending the Rancher’s Daughter / In Dark Waters (2005): A two-author omnibus that includes Burton’s In Dark Waters, also known as Keep You Close.
5. A Season of the Heart (2005): A multi-author romance collection, optional for readers following only Burton’s suspense novels.
6. Silver Bells (2008): A holiday collection with multiple authors, separate from the main Mary Burton series.
7. Our First Christmas (2014): A multi-author holiday collection with Mary Burton, Mary Carter, and Lisa Jackson.
8. Cold-Blooded (2015): A collection containing a Mary Burton story, optional for completionists.
9. Deadly Southern Charm (2019): An anthology edited by Mary Burton and Mary Miley, separate from the novel continuity.

Recommended Mary Burton Reading Order

Use series blocks rather than one large shuffled timeline.

1. Richmond
2. Alexandria
3. Texas Rangers Trilogy
4. Morgans of Nashville
5. Forgotten Files
6. Criminal Profiler
7. Montana
8. Later standalones from Don’t Look Now onward

This route keeps Burton’s development as a suspense writer visible and avoids spoiling recurring investigators or family connections inside each series.

Readers who want the most efficient route can skip the early historical romances and begin with The Shark or The Last Move.

Chronological Order

There is no confirmed master chronological order that improves on publication order.

Mary Burton’s books work best by series sequence. The cases are usually self-contained, but series order protects character introductions, investigative relationships, and recurring background details.

Can You Read Mary Burton Out of Order?

Yes, especially with the standalones and many of the procedural series entries.

The better rule is to avoid starting in the middle of shorter linked series. Forgotten Files, Morgans of Nashville, and Montana read more cleanly from book one.

Criminal Profiler is more flexible, but publication order still gives the smoothest experience.

Latest Mary Burton Book

The latest full Mary Burton novel is What She Saw, published in 2025.

The latest shorter work is A Ranger for Christmas, also published in 2025.

The next listed Mary Burton title is Trust No One, expected in 2026.

Mary Burton as Mary Ellen Taylor

Mary Burton also writes as Mary Ellen Taylor.

Those books are separate from the Mary Burton suspense catalog. They are usually listed as women’s fiction, family drama, or contemporary fiction rather than serial-killer suspense.

Do not mix the Mary Ellen Taylor books into the Mary Burton reading order unless you are building a complete author bibliography across both names.

FAQs

What Mary Burton book should I read first?

Start with The Last Move for a strong modern procedural entry point.

Start with The Shark if you want a compact trilogy before committing to a longer series.

Are Mary Burton’s books connected?

Some are connected by series, setting, or investigators. The standalones are separate.

Do Mary Burton’s books need to be read in order?

Inside each series, yes. Across the whole bibliography, no.

Which Mary Burton series is best for new readers?

Criminal Profiler is the most practical first choice because it shows her modern suspense style across six connected investigations.

Is Forgotten Files a good starting point?

Yes. It is only three books and gives a clear sense of Burton’s cold-case and survivor-focused suspense.

Are the early Mary Burton books the same style as the later thrillers?

Not exactly. The early books lean more toward historical romance and romantic suspense, while the later books are more firmly crime, thriller, and psychological suspense.

Is Trust No One available now?

No. It is listed as an upcoming 2026 Mary Burton title.

Should I include Mary Ellen Taylor books in this order?

Not for a Mary Burton suspense reading order. Treat Mary Ellen Taylor as a separate pen name and separate reading path.

Conclusion

The cleanest Mary Burton reading order is series by series.

Begin with The Last Move for the best modern starting point, or begin with The Shark for a shorter trilogy. After that, move through the series blocks in publication order and treat the standalones as separate suspense choices.