Ties That Bind by Anne Patrick

I could not put this down.  Ties That Bind is a thriller that stars Jo McDaniels, an FBI profiler with 10 years experience.  After years of study, training and a wealth of cases under her belt, Jo is called to use her special talent to investigate a serial killer back in her hometown of Claremont.  However, Jo is estranged from her family so going back isn't as easy as it may seem.

The blurb says:

FBI agent Jo McDaniels has been called to her hometown of Claremont, Oregon, to help on a grisly serial murder case. As with most profilers, she is able to take the evidence, background of the victims, and crime scene photos, and reenact in her mind what took place between the killer and the victim. But what if there are no crime scenes and the victims have been decapitated in order to hide their identity? This is where Jo's unusual gift comes into play. Unlike other profilers in her field, she is able to sense what the victim felt prior to death. She not only feels their emotions, she feels their pain.

Sheriff Austin Garrett doesn't quite know what to think of the beautiful and sassy profiler with a unique gift that defies all reason. He's willing to try anything, though, to stop the monster plaguing his community.

But can Jo and Austin find the killer before he makes it even more personal?

I chose this book as my P in the alphabet of author's names that I haven't read yet, and I am very glad that I did.  It is full of suspense, and whilst the murders are horrible, there is no excessive gore or mutilation that can be found in other books.  

What I particularly liked about this book is that despite there being two more obvious suspects, the evidence keeps swinging one way and then the other, so you cannot be sure in your predictions.  The author keeps you on the edge of your seat as each bit of the plot unfolds as we move towards the climax of the story.  Really enjoyable and well written.  I have added the sequel, Malice, to my wishlist and will read that soon as I've finished going through the alphabet.