AUDIOBOOK REVIEW - What She Saw

 Title:  What She Saw

Author:  Mary Burton   

Publisher:  Montlake

Genre:   Mystery & Thrillers

Format:  Audiobook ALC

Narrators: Samara Naeymi, James Anderson

  Foster, Andrew Widen, Patrick Lawler

Length:  10 hrs 1 min

No. of Pages:  347 pages 

Date of Publication:   November 1, 2025

My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

An investigative reporter returns to the scene of a decades-old crime to put her own unsettled past to rest in this chilling suspense novel by New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton.

Cold case reporter Sloane Grayson has come to a small mountain town in Virginia to solve a mystery.

Thirty years ago, her mother was one of four women who vanished during a music festival. The event’s promoter was eventually convicted of their murders, and Sheriff CJ Taggart closed the case. But for Sloane, it’s still open. Because the bodies were never found.

With Taggart now long dead, Sloane must make do with questioning the victims’ families and the few remaining witnesses once again. If they’re still willing to dredge up memories of a crime that made their town notorious. As for the incarcerated killer, he has always maintained his innocence. Sloane isn’t entirely convinced he’s lying.

Somewhere nearby, unmarked graves conceal the bones and secrets of the dead. Sloane will do anything to find them and unearth the truth, even if that means playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse with someone determined to stop her…

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

May 20, 1994 — four women vanished from a music festival, leaving behind no trace and no answers. Decades later, cold case reporter Sloane Grayson heads to a small town in Virginia determined to uncover the truth. For Sloane, the case is deeply personal — one of the missing women was her mother. She’s seeking justice not only for her mother, but for all the women whose lives were stolen that day. With no bodies ever found and few clues to chase, every discovery feels monumental.

The story unfolds through a compelling dual timeline, with twists that keep the listener guessing. The audiobook features four narrators, each delivering a distinct and powerful performance that makes the shifting perspectives easy to follow. Their voices bring the mystery and tension to life beautifully.

While the pacing occasionally slows — particularly during the romantic suspense elements — the story’s depth and emotional pull remain strong. Sloane’s character is complex and intentionally distant, which at times makes her hard to connect with, yet that very distance adds a layer of realism and intrigue to her journey.

Overall, What She Saw is an engaging and atmospheric mystery with haunting emotional undertones and excellent narration. I’m glad I had the opportunity to experience this story in audiobook form.

Many thanks to Montlake and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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Mary Burton, whose latest novel is THE LIES I TOLD, loves writing suspense, getting to know her characters, keeping up with law enforcement and forensic procedure, 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. Library Journal has compared her work to that of Lisa Jackson and Lisa Gardner, and Fresh Fiction likened her writing to that of James Patterson.

Mary is routinely featured among the top ten writers in Amazon’s Author Rankings for romantic suspense, thriller and mystery. Upon publication, her novels, including NEVER LOOK BACK and BURN YOU TWICE, consistently rank high on the Kindle eBooks Store Bestseller List. Her novels CUT AND RUN and YOU'RE NOT SAFE were nominated for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award for Romantic Suspense.

A Richmond native, Mary is the author of forty-five published novels and five novellas as Mary Burton and as Mary Ellen Taylor.

A member of International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Novelists, Inc., and Romance Writers of America, Mary is known for creating multiple suspense stories connected by characters and/or place.

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