Mary Burton is a bestselling American author, known for her romantic suspense, historical romance, and women's fiction novels. She had been working in marketing and sales for a decade when she decided to write down one of the stories she had in her mind. This decision led to the sale of her first historical romance manuscript to Harlequin, and she has since written over twenty published novels and four novellas. Burton's stories are set in various locations, including her hometown of Richmond, Old Town Alexandria, Nashville, and Austin.
Burton's contemporary romantic thrillers are highly acclaimed and often compared to the works of Lisa Jackson, Lisa Gardner, and Steig Larson. She enjoys hunting down serial killers, a theme that is prevalent in many of her books. Burton's novels have consistently ranked high on the Kindle eBooks Store Bestseller List, and she is a regular feature in Amazon's Author Rankings for romantic suspense, thriller, and mystery. Two of her novels, Cut and Run and You're Not Safe, were nominated for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award for Romantic Suspense.
Burton is a Richmond native and a graduate of Virginia's Hollins University. She worked in marketing before becoming a full-time writer, and her first book was published in 2000. She has since written over forty novels, five novellas, and four works of contemporary women's fiction under the name Mary Ellen Taylor. Burton is a member of International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Novelists, Inc., and Romance Writers of America. She is known for creating multiple suspense stories connected by characters and/or place, although her recent novels Her Last Word and The Last Move break this mold. Burton enjoys researching law enforcement and forensic procedures and is known to take a hands-on approach, including interviews with professionals in the field, forensic seminars, and lessons at the firing range.
Burton is a homebody who enjoys spending time with her husband and spoiling their four-legged babies Buddy, Bella, and Tiki. When she's not traveling for research or visiting with readers at bookstores, book festivals, and conferences, Burton can be found enjoying morning walks, baking, books, and tiny dachshunds. She never tires of learning more about police work, evidence collection, and analysis, making her novels a thrilling and educational experience for her readers.