#Thursday Review - Hunted by Elizabeth Heiter (Thriller, Mystery)

Series: The Profiler # 1
Format: Paperback, 368 pages
Release Date: December 31, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Mira
Source: Library
Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Terror stalks a small Virginia town.

FBI rising star, criminal profiler Evelyn Baine, knows how to think like a serial killer. But she's never chased anyone like the Bakersville Burier, who hunts young women and displays them, half-buried, deep in the woods. As the body count climbs, Evelyn's relentless pursuit of the killer puts her career - and her life - at risk. And the evil lurking in the Burier's mind may be more than even she can unravel.

Terror is closer than she thinks.

The Bakersville Burier knows he's got an FBI profiler on his trail. He knows who she is and where to find her. And he's biding his time, because he's planned a special punishment for Evelyn. She may have tracked other killers, but he vows to make this her last chase. This time it's her turn to be hunted!

Hunted is the first installment in The Profiler series by author Elizabeth Heiter. The Profiler series follows Special Agent Evelyn Baine of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU). Evelyn has an impressive record for closing cases that are assigned to her. She is currently the youngest agent in the BAU, which causes some resentments, and friction between her and other agents, but especially her boss Dan Moore. As I learned by reading the third book in the series, Seized, Evelyn has spent the past 17 years totally focused on being the best she can possibly be. 

Then, and only then, will she have the chance to solve the one case that has never been solved. 17 years ago, her best friend Cassie Byers was taken in the middle of the night, and never seen again. The uneasiness of Cassie's disappearance hit especially hard for Evelyn since she was also a target of the kidnapper. But, before Evelyn can move on to dig deeper into Cassie's case, she first has to face a challenge that may have life or death consequences for her. The Bakersville Burier is on the loose, and Evelyn will need to use every ounce of her training to not become his next victim.

I am really glad that I was able to go back to beginning of this series thanks to an inter-library loan from a library in Tennessee. I really like Evelyn. I like her drive, her determination, her reason for being a profiler. Evelyn was a violet crimes agent for 5 years before transferring to BAU. I liked how Heiter flipped the switch and made the hunter, the hunted. I liked how Heiter put Evelyn through trials and tribulations and didn't let her off the hook until the final page is turned. 

I like her would be romance with Kyle McKenzie, even though it is forbidden for those who work together in the same division. Readers will discover that Evelyn and Kyle eventually grow even closer, but for now, they are dancing the dance of the tempest, and never quite allowing themselves the pleasure of each others company. 

I can't imagine getting into the heads of a maniacal killers, but that is what profilers do for a living. This is what research does. It allows a writer like Heiter to go into depths about what a profiler actually does. Evelyn faces other difficulties as well. As we are all aware of, society isn't the most welcoming towards those who don't fall into a certain category. With Evelyn being bi-racial, she faces unfortunate instances of racism and distrust. Especially since she is so young, and small in stature.

I have put in a request for the second book in this series called Vanished. Apparently, it is the book that will finally allow Evelyn to explore the one case that has driven her for 17 years. The disappearance of Cassie Byers.  

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