This was my first read with this author and I will definitely look her up for more! This was a nail biter of a story. I enjoyed the suspenseful parts of the story. Would definitely recommend!

Loved this opposites attract psychological thriller. Both characters were very interesting to learn more about and the mystery was suitable suspenseful. Will definitely be keeping up with this series!

Amanda McKinney's "Buried Deception" takes readers on a thrilling ride through a small town harboring dark secrets. With a chilling atmosphere and a compelling cast of characters, McKinney creates a mystery that delves into the depths of human darkness and the lengths people will go to protect their own.

Good book, I don’t know why it look more so long to finish this book. It’s a good mix between romance and a thriller.

I really got rapped into this storyline. Mia is a therapist who helps clients with PTSD. Easton is the owner of the Lynx Group. Ex military who help find missing people. Together they track down a serial killer.

This book had a storyline!! I really enjoyed getting lost into this book. This is not a smutty romance but one that is deeper then that and I love it.

Mia and Eason were two broken two people helped each other help. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

This book starts out really promising but starts to drag about halfway. Otherwise it's a good book for when you want something spooky and mysterious

By accident about a year ago I stumbled upon Amanda McKinney and fell down a great rabbit hole of great romantic suspense. Buried Deception is the first in a new series and it was a doozy.

Dr. Mia Frost character and back story are so unique while Easton Crew has his own demons. Together they team up to help solve a mystery which ties into the past and present.

Each character was great and I was hooked from beginning to the end. I also can't wait for more from this series and author

Amanda McKinney is a well-known writer of romantic suspense/thrillers with quite a number of books of this genre in her repertoire. And having read "Buried Deception", the first book of her "On the Edge" series, I can totally get why it is so and I must say it is very well deserved too.

The new series showcases Dr. Mia Frost, a psychiatrist who also works occasionally as the criminal profiler for the local police department when the situation warrants it. When a teenage girl goes missing in her town Skull Hollow, a small corner of East Texas, Easton Crew, the CEO of a tactical tracking company, is enlisted to help the police department in finding the girl. Mia is drawn in to the case by the police, when the girl is found alive after having survived a sexual assault and the police suspect this might be the work of a man dubbed the Black Cat Stalker, who has been stalking women hikers of their town.

Unexpectedly, this case resembles another incident which had happened many years ago, in another town in Texas - to Mia. Easton also has recently suffered a personal trauma and still struggling with the aftermath of it. Mia and Eastons' paths cross during the course of this case and sparks begin to fly. What happens when these two damaged people become a part of each other’s lives? How will the pieces fall together? Will they be able to find the culprit and overcome their personal pain?

I loved the way Mia's character has been written. The author delves deeply into the psyche of a woman who has undergone something extremely traumatic. She may be a trained psychiatrist but she is a victim of her own circumstances when it comes to her personal life. As for Easton, though his character hasn't been explored much, he has been used as the perfect crutch that Mia needs to face her demons head-on.

I absolutely love the way Amanda McKinney writes. Her narration is descriptive enough and the pacing is on point. In fact, I can't wait to try more books of her's.

This book was a very compelling read although it started off slow. I loved the main character! A very great suspense romance novel. The plot was very fluid and wasn't too predictable!

Thank you for allowing me the privilege to read this ARC!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Mystery

This book grabs you from the start. Despite the brutality of the crime, you know that there is an underlying network in this small town.

Easton and his group are well known for their ability to track people through the tough forest in the area. The group is less in your face than I expected, but it was a nice surprise. I liked that the group was mentioned but didn't take a front seat.

Easton is a complicated leader. He knows that his job is important, but with a trauma in his recent past, Easton also knows that he doesn't ever want to be too late again.

Mia is an up and coming psychologist in the area and while she wants to help those around her, she is constantly battling her own demons. The Mia that everyone sees during the day is not the same Mia that is present at night.

When the past and present collide for Mia, it will take all of her training and trust to figure out what to do now and how to move forward.

These two, with their pasts haunting them, will need to learn to lean on each other and weave their way through grief and guilt.

I really enjoyed this story. I am looking forward to seeing what more this series has in store.

Triggers: Rape, Stalking

3.5/5 - this book was actually crazyyyy i was so invested into the plot. loved the romance storyline as well. it wasn't anything groundbreaking but i still overall had a great time! interested in other books the author puts out!

I unfortunately dnf'd this book at Chapter 4. I just could not get into the writing style. I don't mind thrillers/murder mysteries from the POV of a male lead but this one irritated me for some reason. There is so much unnecessary foul language and its the typical boy will be boys lads chat and I just didn't find that engaging but rather put me off.

Also why is there a baby running around in the first chapter with no diaper and no one explains why or questions it? I'm sorry but these are terrible cops.

This wasn't even an easy read and the writing was really confusing! I don't think even the smartest person could understand what was going on unless they read the chapters a few times before moving onto the next.

I found this story to be a very satisfying romantic suspense story. I liked the characters. Mia is a strong character, overcoming so many things from her past. Easton is a fabulous alpha male hero. The two really worked together. I thought the alternate points of view worked really well as the story unfolded. There were enough suspects to make the mystery work. The ending was very satisfying. I found it a little slow to start but about 4 chapters in, I was hooked. I liked the supporting characters so am looking forward to more in this series.

3.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for an ARC of Buried Deception in exchange for an honest review.

Mia is a psychologist who has dedicated her career helping people mend from past trauma, ones that she herself is all too familiar. When a young girl is attacked on a hiking trail, the circumstance and all too similar to Mia's own story, the town is in a panic with a psycho on the loose. Pulled into the investigation for a second time when another of her client's goes missing and is assumed be the next victim, she enlists the help of Easton, a tactical tracker and former marine. Can Easton and Mia find this madman linked to her past before he strikes again.

I have been a fan of Amanda McKinney's for a while now and I am always excited when she releases new work, but to be honest this was not my favorite. The story is told from the dual perspectives of Mia and Easton. The plot and characters felt too formulaic and I had the twist pegged early on. I thought the premise held a lot of promise but I think the characters needed to be flushed out more. Mia is a reclusive drunk who has not overcome her own tortured past, as a psychologist I'm not sure she would be helpful to patients or the police in her current state but there she is anyway. Easton is the tough guy with a heart of gold but is a bit of a stalker in his own right, he secretly watches Mia long before meeting her. As a caution to some readers there are some descriptions of graphic sexual assaults, trauma and PTSD. I wanted to like this more than I did, I'll be ready for the next novel when it comes out.

This is a heart-racing story about a stalker who is on the loose in a small town. Dr. Mia Frost is a victim of this stalker, and she fights for her life. Meanwhile, Easton runs a rescue training facility that helps the local authorities. The plot twists and turns will keep the readers on their toes. The characters are also interesting and intense, and the two of them find themselves in a relationship where they can finally find love.

Although the story is more about mystery than romance, it is still an excellent read that features a lot of twists and turns. Amanda McKinney created a great mystery that will keep the readers on their toes. She also made the characters relatable so that they can relate to what people go through in their lives. This is a great start to her next series and I can’t wait to read more of her work.

🪓🥾 Book Review 🥾🪓

Buried Deception by Amanda McKinney
3/5 ⭐️

TW: Violence, Rape, Child Sexual Abuse, PTSD

This book is basically an entire filler episode of criminal minds if Emily Prentiss was a psychologist.

Buried Deception follows Dr. Mia Frost, a criminal psychologist, and Easton Crew, a former marine and CEO of a tracking company. Both get involved in an investigation after a young girl gets attacked while jogging on a hiking trail in small town Skull Hollow. Is it the infamous Black Cat Stalker?

The thriller aspect of this book was spot on. There were definitely some jaw dropping type of turning points. The ending was a bit predictable but didn’t take away from the rush the book gave me…after 50% that is. The first half was very slow. The book felt slow and rushed at the same time. I’m proud to remember the term red herring from 10th grade English and this bad boy has got a lot of those in the plot.

The romance aspect however was giving me nothing. There was no romantic suspense and I felt it took away from the story. IMMUNITY - my feminism goes out the window when reading books and I love the damsel in distress/hero saves the day scenes, but when you don’t even like the hero 🤷🏽‍♀️. (Minor spoiler alert) I also can’t get over the fact he low key stalked her for over a month outside her house and it was just glazed over.

Overall, the book was a fun read but could’ve been better as just a thriller without the romance. This is the first in a series and I’m still probably gonna read the rest cause I’ve finished all of criminal minds and this is close enough.

Thank you to @netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review! Buried Deception is out now ✨

The cover drew me in first, then the blurb second… and then the story sold me over and over. Amanda McKinney captivated me and kept me beyond interested. I will for sure be looking up other books by her to read asap.

A psychological thriller/suspense set in a small town in the mountains, with a small amount of romance (insta love) and some action re tracking people in the wilderness, murders, following unsubs etc. Our hero is a search and rescue expert and our heroine is a psychologist and both have uncomfortable pasts. There are some dark sections involving victims being raped, so be aware of that. I enjoyed this story and didn't figure out the perp until the person was revealed near the end.

The book kept me reading and I also waited until publication so I could also listen to some of the included narration via kindle unlimited. The duel narrators were good, but I did think the male narrator, while he had a lovely voice and beautiful diction, didn't act out his part quite as well. The book was well written and this is a go-to author for me.

My thanks got to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my opinion. A solid four stars from me.

3.5 Stars. This was my first book by Amanda Mckinney, and let me say I was really impressed but at the same time, I feel like there needs to be more development. The beginning of the book was quite slow for me, but I kept on reading because the suspense got me really intrigued. And let me tell you, this was definitely darker than the romantic suspense that I've read. I really enjoyed that. Wow.

Easton is the CEO of a tracking company, and Dr. Mia Frost is a criminal psychologist. When a young girl was attacked and rape on a hike, they were both hired to solve this case. They all think that it was done by the Black Cat Stalker. That twist got me shocked to the core!!

I totally love Easton and Mia, but I feel like the love story was quite lacking. It was definitely more of insta-love. I wish it could have been a bit more developed. Besides that, this was a good read.

“Why am I a therapist?”

“Because I’m broken.”

I have read a couple of Amanda McKinney’s books, but never reviewed them. This is the best I have read…so far.

Mia is a psychologist, who owns and runs The Dragonfly Clinic, specializing in Ptsd and criminal profiling.

Chief is the founder of the LYNX Group, a combat tracking facility and search and rescue team. He has been called out by Skull Country Sheriff McNamara to help find Courtney Hayes, who is lost in the swamp. Could the Black Cat Stalker have upped his game. Instead of raping and walking away, he now rapes and kills.

I laughed at the way Chief’s operatives scare trespassers off his land.

I did have issues with some of her characterizations of people in the beginning of the book. It doesn’t fit with anything I’ve seen on true crime and rescue shows on TV. BUT, it is fiction and artistic license does apply. Maybe there is a reason. I vacillated between a three and four rating, but because I could not put it down until I found out the ending, it earned that extra star.

Once the mystery got going, I was so into it, I could hardly stop to, well, you know. I love looking into the human psyche and reading about damaged characters dealing with extreme trauma, and villains who deserve every bad thing that comes their way.

Amanda dealt with delicate topics, like brutal trauma, PTSD, rape, grief, loss, and so much more.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Buried Deception by Amanda McKinney.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com

🐚 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 🐚

𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: mystery, strangers to lovers, forced proximity

𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: mental illness, PSTD, s*xual assault, kidnapping

The beginning is a little slow, but it keeps you in suspense and makes you wonder who is the bad guy.

Easton is the owner of a company - Lynx, which trains soldiers in combat tracking and search rescue, while Mia is a therapist. Easton and his team are called when a teenager girl goes missing, suspecting the Black Cat Stalker who has attacked other women in the past. He meets Mia when she is called to help the police with creating a criminal profile. Both Mia and Easton are stubborn and have their traumas, but they can't deny the attraction between them.

At the end there is a plot twist, but it didn't leave me amazed because I already suspected something. And I was right!

Thank you NetGalley, Montlake and Amanda McKinney for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.