Elizabeth Heiter's debut novel Hunted is an intriguing and fast paced mystery. Lead protagonist's Evelyn Baine's job as an FBI profiler is unique which makes it stand out from the typical police procedural.

Evelyn Baine is on the career fast track when she is assigned to profile a killer who brutally murders his victims and displays them in a grotesque fashion. She is dedicated to her job (to the point of obsession) and she has a remarkable ability to get inside the minds of the criminals she profiles. When the search for the "Bakersville Burier" becomes personal, Evelyn is in danger losing her objectivity, her career and ultimately, her life.

Evelyn is a strong but deeply flawed heroine. She is closed off from just about everyone around her, defensive and reluctant to accept anyone's help. Socially awkward and unable to make small talk, Evelyn keeps to herself except for her monthly get-togethers with her two college friends. She is dedicated to the grandmother who essentially raised her and the vulnerability she hides from everyone becomes apparent during their visits. A traumatic incident from Evelyn's childhood haunts her, guides her career decisions and motivates her to sharpen her investigative skills.

Among the vast cast of secondary characters, there are a few worth noting. Her trainer and partner Greg Ibsen is the perfect sounding board for Evelyn and as a profiler, he can read some of the things she tries to keep hidden. Greg is genuinely concerned for her safety and her career when she makes some iffy decisions. Greg's cousin Gabe is not quite as serious as the other characters and he brings some levity to the story. Gabe's friend Kyle "Mac" McKenzie brings the possibility of a future romance between him and Evelyn in future works.

The mystery aspect of Hunted is quite riveting and the profiling process is fascinating. The resistance Evelyn encounters from fellow law enforcement officials adds realism to the storyline. The investigation is well-plotted and for the most part, believable. There were a few events that stretched the bounds of credibility but overall, were easy to overlook. Multiple points of view provide insight into the various characters and the shifts in perspective were easy to follow. All in all, it is an exciting introduction to Elizabeth Heiter's Profiler series and I am looking forward to the next installment. ( )

Loved this book. Kept me on the edge of my seat! ( )

Hunted by Elizabeth Heiter
Profiler series Book #1
4 stars

From The Book:
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.

My Views:
You can tell that the author either had law enforcement experience or else did a great deal of excellent research. She has produced a clear and crisply written tale of a hunt for a serial killer that abducts, kills and buries the bodies with the heads above ground so that he can visit them.

The character of Evelyn Baine, the FBI profiler...the new gal in what has always been primarily a man's world...intelligent and professional...and being very careful to keep her guard up and not give in to her attraction to fellow agent, Kyle McKenzie, is a breath of fresh air in the world of Mystery & Suspense. I usually don't care for romance being mixed into this genre but in this case it's not overpowering the main plot and actually adds to it. This is the first book and I already have the second. ( )

Hunted kicks off a series about Evelyn Baine who is a criminal profiler with the BAU. When she was a little girl her best friend was taken and never heard from again and from that point Evelyn made it her life's mission to become an FBI agent that tracked down these serial killers and put them away.

She worked very hard to get where she is in a short time and has a few chips on her shoulders along with few personal issues from her past. She's has sacrificed a personal life for the sole purpose of profiling and catching killers.

Her latest case involves murders where the killer kills and then buries his victims vertically leaving just the head exposed. She unknowingly comes on the killers radar and is taken herself but manages to get away. This leaves her very shaken as instead of her being the hunter she has become the victim and that role scares her and makes her even more determined to find the man responsible.

I enjoyed this mainly police procedure suspense. There isnt much in the way of romance but there is a mutual attraction between Evelyn and a member of the FBI Hostage Rescue Team that looks to be continued in the other books in the series. ( )

After meeting the author during an event in my local bookstore, I decided to read this first book in her Profiler series-- especially when my husband bought all three books and enjoyed each and every one. At first I found Evelyn Baine to be a bit too abrasive, a bit too driven, a bit too distrustful, to be sympathetic, but when Heiter began filling in the character's backstory that all began to change.

Although I did find certain scenes to be a bit predictable (such as a love interest drawn to unapproachable women as well as some of the plot twists), Evelyn's character did grab me and didn't want to let go. Her stubbornness, her resourcefulness, the way she pieces clues together, and the way she treats her grandmother won me over. Heiter also touches on how some men still view women agents in the FBI, which added depth to the story-- and she certainly has a sure hand with action sequences.

Now that I've learned to like this prickly FBI profiler, I'm looking forward to reading the other books in the series. Heiter seems to have an instinctive knowledge of just the right mix of mystery, action, and characterization. ( )