Customer Reviews

Bad Penny (Cat Dupree Novels)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ever since reading the other 2 Cat Dupree books (Nine Lives and Cut Throat), I've been anxiously awaiting this book. Actually, when I finished Cut Throat, I was a bit disappointed because the ending was not very satisfying and I thought that was the end of Cat and Wilson. But then I saw that there was a 3rd book to come out featuring the two, and felt immensely relieved because even after 2 books, the story of Cat and Wilson didn't feel finished. Bad Penny rectifies all that and left me with a happy, satisfied feeling.

In order for this book to make sense, you really need to have read the other 2 books in the series. They are very closely tied together - with a 3 book romance and continuing storylines - and many things will be confusing if you jump in on the 3rd book.

Bad Penny concludes the saga of tragic heroine bounty hunter Cat Dupree and fellow bounty hunter Wilson McKay. At the end of Cut Throat, things are left a bit open ended (I won't say why so as not to spoil anyone) and this book picks up a short time after the last one ended. Cat and Wilson are settling into life together, but it seems like bad things keep happening to them...Cat has about the worst luck of any character I've ever read. But to make things worse, events from both their pasts come back to haunt them. A deranged druggie is intent on killing Wilson, and the Mexican police want to question Cat regarding the death of Soloman Tutuola - the man who murdered her father and cut her throat when she was just thirteen. And it seems like the happy future they are planning is going to fall completely apart. But neither will go down without a fight. They'll do anything to save their future together.

One of the things I loved about this book is that it almost has the feel of a really long, involved epilogue to the previous two books. Cat and Wilson are settled into their relationship, ready to move on to the next step and you get to read about their plans and their happiness. There's no angsty break-ups, fighting their feelings and whatnot. Their relationship in this book is just all about moving on to the future. And finally putting the past behind them - which means wrapping up the loose ends of the man who wants to kill Wilson, and Cat finally putting Soloman Tutuola behind her.

Cut Throat left readers feeling like there was a lot left undone, but Bad Penny solves all that. Any dissatisfaction I had with how book 2 ended was completely negated. And I enjoyed the flow of this book a lot. It's got its happy moments, its sad moments, its tense moments. I will say that Cat has to be the the biggest magnet for trouble ever. Bad things are constantly happening to her, especially in this book. And I did shake my head a little at the somewhat ridiculousness of it because it seems a bit unrealistic for someone to encounter that many problems, but at the same time, it was very fitting for her character. Plus is made the happy ending all that much sweeter.

I really don't have anything bad to say about this book. It had a fabulous romance. I loved Cat and Wilson, hated the fact that the book ended and this was last of them. It also had a good, engaging storyline that completely wrapped up any loose end from the series. And it left me smiling when I finished. What more could a romance reader ask for?

So for those of you who have read the other Cat Dupree books, I DEFINITELY recommend reading this one. And if you haven't read them, then go buy them and read the whole series! But if you do, don't be put off by the lack of a solid HEA in the first two, because Sala comes through in the end with the third book. And it was well worth the wait!

Book came very quickly, but was not as described. Description said only visable defect was the bending in the spine.... The front cover was actually torn. Not a big deal, but I would have been disappointed if ordering a gift or book I was going to keep long term.

Nine Lives
Cut Throat
Bad Penny

First off, READ them IN ORDER! As listed above.

"Bad Penney" book three, gets 4 stars. I loved the way it wrapped up all the loose ends from the first two books, and adored the way Wilson and Cat related to his large boisterous family. The marriage scene was perfect and I'd give it two thumbs up. My only pause, is that it is impossible for one person to be involved in as many dramatic altercations while recovering from broken ribs and a car wreck and a tornado, and fighting a killer in the hardware store, to not be going "Oh, Bleep! Don't touch me!". It just seemed that Cat was in one crazy weird mess after another. But... I really enjoyed the book series and would recommend it to anyone who likes romantic suspense.

OVERALL
Cat is this incredibly confident kick ass Texas bounty hunter. She is loyal to her friends, dedicated to her profession, and pretty much lonely and emotionally broken due to the hand she was dealt. Her mom was killed in a car crash, she was attacked at age 12, when her throat was cut and she was left for dead as her pop was murdered before her eyes by a man with tattoos on his face.

BOOK ONE
In book one "Nine Lives", she deals with the grief following her best friend's murder. The book is also about how she brings the killer to justice and a blossoming romance with fellow bounty hunter Wilson, but the reason I gave the book 4 stars (well I wanted 4.5 stars), is that the books on the Texas bounty hunter "Cat" delves into her whole life not just a romance and a murder. The Cat books examine her grief, survivor's guilt, overwhelming need for revenge, and how she holds it together while working twice as hard at her profession as a man would just be on par.

BOOK TWO
"Cut Throat" book two, follows Cat as she journeys into Mexico chasing a ghost. She wants to be assured that the devil who killed her father is actually dead. The book takes an unexpected and sweet turn in the Mexican desert. I'm not giving away the plot, but Cat has to face her demons in many ways in this gripping tale. 4.5 Stars on this book.

Sharon Sala is a great story teller. Her books about Cat Dupree and the hunt for her father's killer and the man who slit her throat and left her for dead at thirteen leave you breathless with each book. Bad Penny is the end of the chase.

Sala continues Cat's story from the last novel. After Wilson's shooting, they are now back at his parents wranch while he recuperates. Cat never understood how much Wilson actually meant to her until she almost lost him - and neither want to experience it again. Both have agreed to leave their bounty hunting careers behind and start fresh, with a family.

And while Cat doesn't go looking for trouble, trouble sure finds her. First, she picks up a young hitchhicker with a bleeding nose and a fat lip. Seems she's been taking abuse by her now ex-boyfriend and was headed for the station to buy a ticket and get out while she still could. However, the ex-boyfriend didn't agree with that and went looking for her, continuously ramming Cat's SUV with his truck. Thankfully, the worst were bruises.

A few days later, on the way back with parts for Wilson's dad, Carter, a storm sweeps in, tornado and all. Cat gets caught up in it, literally. When Wilson goes looking for her in the aftermath, he finds his truck nose first into a pond. Twice he went down and back up, terrified. He can't get the doors open; the truck is too far in the muck below. On his third attempt, he notices the windshield is gone, and so is Cat. The thought of losing her is unbearable, but he refuses to give up. Outside the pond, he finds a book, then a piece of was once her shirt, then finding Cat as she's walking to him, completely naked and covered in muck, more bruises and cuts. Seems when the tornado sucked out the windshield of the truck, Cat was sucked out with it. All who hear/see the story believe it was nothing short of a miracle keeping her alive.

You'd think that would be enough - no way! While in the hardware store with Dorothy, Wilson's mother, a crazy madman wielding a fun bursts in, intent on killing his ex-wife; if he can't have her, no one can. Cat's instincts kick into overdrive, knowing that once he shoots his wife, he'll turn the gun on the rest of them. Pushing Dorothy down, she picks up a shovel and brains him; not once, but twice. The first to bring him down, the second to keep him down.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Franks, the man who shot Wilson is still at large and evading authorities. He's on a mission - killing Wilson, and he'll stop at nothing to accomplish it, mowing down anyone who stands in his way.

And while all this is going on, Homicide Detective Luis Montoya in Mexico, has been handed the Solomon Tutuola case; the man who Cat finally caught and killed for revenge in the last book, Cut Throat. He's on a mission to find Tutuola's killer. What he wasn't prepared for was Cat.

This book was incredible, unputdownable, and fantastic! Not once did Cat and Wilson go looking for trouble, but trouble found them; they weren't working on a case, they weren't after bad men. All they wanted was to start a life of pure bliss together. But that trouble kept getting in the way. But even with all the trouble, we get good pieces of news along with sighs of happiness for them as well.

The characters are incredible! Cat, still as strong a woman as ever, finally realizing how much she really loves Wilson, and his family. She feels like a part of them, and now that Tutuola has been taking care of and her revenge is now at rest, neither are clouding her feelings anymore, and the love she feels for Wilson is deep and profound, nearly scaring her to death. Wilson, even while recovering from a near-fatal bullet wound, is determined to prove to Cat that she belongs with him and his family, that she deserves to be happy. You feel emotions so profound in this book, you choke up when Cat does. When Wilson thought he lost her after the tornado, the grief is unbearable, even to the reader. Jimmy's determination to finish what he started is scary as hell. I'm most certainly glad I don't have anyone like him after me or anyone I know. He gave me the creeps, big time. And even while trying to track down Tutuola's killer, Detective Montoya has drama of his own in his life, with an upset wife, and the adoption of an 18-month-old baby girl.

Actions scenes left this reader breathless, wondering how many lives Cat actually has. And through it all, you're rooting on Cat and Wilson. This story was incredible and the perfect ending to a wonderful trilogy. The epilogue had me smiling from the first sentence to the last. I'm so unbelievably glad that Cat has finally found happiness. She and Wilson are perfect for each other.

I found this book to be a great conclusion to the Cat Dupree books. While I enjoyed Cut Throat the ending was too nebulous. Bad Penny concludes a good thriller and romance. To all Cat Dupree fans, this book is a must.

Wilson McKay saved the life of Cat Dupree when he killed Solomon Tutuola, who already killed her father and was slashing her throat (see CUT THROAT). The two bounty hunters are in love, hope to move on past the traumas, and would like to settle down; but their history still interferes with their present and makes their future uncertain.

Sociopath Jimmy Franks is on a personal vendetta against Wilson whom he blames for his troubles. He stalks Wilson and plans to kill his enemy's woman before murdering his target. Additionally Mexican Homicide Detective Luis Montoya investigates the suspicious death of Tutuola. Cat fears what the cop will do once he learns the truth.

The latest Cat Dupree tale is a well written suspense thriller, but loses much of the tension in spite of the latest assaults on the lead couple because much of the prime issues have been resolved in the previous tales. The story line is fast-paced and fun to read but BAD PENNY is no CUT THROAT. Still fans of the Dupree saga will wonder how many lives does Cat have left, as Sharon Sala provides an exciting entry.

Harriet Klausner

The book is fast paced albeit there are several stories and characters that will appear only to fill more pages. Not the best book of the series but is a good book to read specially if you already read the other two books.

Ah, Cat and Wilson, Wilson and Cat. Two of my very favourite characters in three of my very favourite books by one of my favourite authors. Does that tell you how much I love this book, these characters, this series?

Consistant as ever, Sharon Sala delivers another superb novel, with strong, emotional characters in strong, emotional situations. Flawed, determined, focused...Cat is feisty, yet vulnerable and so well written. Her perfect match is Wilson, a man who feels deeply and regrets the way he's treated Cat in the past. He takes her home, he protects her, he loves her and toegther they form a perfect couple.

The whole series is wrapped up in this thriller of a book and my only disappointment is that this is the finale of the series!

I loved this book! I hope the author continues this series. Lots of action and humor. Highly recommend!