The story had some seriously ridiculous plot points. Some things about the story had me rolling my eyes, but the writing created a compelling, chilling, atmospheric thriller that kept me turning the pages. Lane McCord hasn’t been lucky in life or love, but meeting Kyle has her hoping that will all change. They head off to his beachfront house on the North Carolina coast, Lane has plans to eat, sleep, and do a lot more than just "work" on their relationship, but you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men...instead of Kyle's bed she wakes up in a hospital bed after falling down a steep set of stairs in Kyle’s home. Her insurance is a joke, (what else is new Lane?) so despite having injuries that she should have just stayed, she insists on leaving the hospital. Seems that Kyle was the unlucky one as he didn’t survive the fall. All Lane can remember about the fall is lying in a pool of his blood, having no idea how either of them ended up on the floor. That’s a question that Detective Donald Becker would like to have the answer to. When he shows up at Lane’s door, he is skeptical about her insistence that she has no memory of the events surrounding Kyle’s fall. The detective is also looking into the disappearance of two women... Stevie Palmer and Nikki Kane, who vanished after spending time with Kyle. Our Kyle has been a "busy boy". The discovery of a diary belonging to one of the missing women left in Lane's mailbox gives her some interesting reading. Some mysteries are written to encourage and aid the reader to solve the mystery, and others are about just watching the characters do all the work. By the less than half the book I had already figured out the major plot points and only needed a few more details to work out who all the characters were and how they fit into the whole thing. The main impetus of the tale is just watching Lane and Stevie, whose diary recounts her search for the missing Nikki, as they investigate Kyle. I didn't quite understand how Lane could be so uncomplicated and yet be a psychology student. She was also way too trusting and almost sickening sweet. The "bad guy" actually had the best personality of all the characters, and I was almost rooting for him by the end. However, the ultimate reasoning for the 3.5-star rating comes down to two factors that were ludicrous regarding Lane, Stevie, and Detective Becker, and a denouement by a secondary villain that bordered on the stuff that comic books are designed from. I did enjoy the majority of the book, but most of the plot had elements that would better fit in a science fiction novel. I usually get better from this author...but if you are a fan of Karen Slaughter's mysteries you will more than likely also like this one. ( )

Mary is a talented storyteller, so I am not sure why I have not read anything by her in a while. The characters in this novel were well-developed and believable, making it a fantastic read. The plot of the book includes both suspense and romance, you will not be disappointed. ( )

Lane and her boyfriend go to his home on the ocean. The two of them fall down the steps. He dies and Lane cannot remember the fall. What happened?

I liked this story. This is not my usual read, but it was so good. There were a lot of twists and turns here. Some I could figure out but not all of them. I liked Lane and Sully. I liked how the story was diary entries as well as present day. It was just the right amount of balance. When I got to the end, I wished it was not over.

I look forward to reading more of Mary Burton. ( )

The House Beyond the Dunes by Mary Burton
Mystery thriller.
On their third date, Lane McCord agrees to have dinner at Kyle’s house, but something goes wrong and the two fall down a deep set of stairs. Lane has lost her memory of the events just prior to their fall, but Kyle lost his life.
The story proceeds with Lane and police investigating as she tries to remember what happened. Neighbors say she was yelling and they try to help her recover and figure out what went wrong.

Twists and turns and trust issues make this thriller suspenseful. I did not see that final twist coming. Wow. This is one you’ll go back and reread trying to find the clues that point to the surprising turn. ( )

What is suppose to be a romantic getaway for Lane and Kyle turns into a nightmare. They travel to Kyle’s Outer Baks home and are only there a few short hours when tragedy strikes. Kyle is dead and Lane is flown to a hospital, battered and with no memory of what happened. She heads back to the beach house to see if she can recreate what really happened. This leads her to uncovering and facing dark secrets.

I must admit, I didn’t figure out exactly what was what until the author had to spell it out for me. A true psychological mystery. I really don’t want to say too much, the reader needs to go on this ride for themselves. Fast paced, easy to get lost in. Character development slowly unfolds with surprising twists. The description of the Outer Banks in winter adds to the dark side of the book.

Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.
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