Dead Right (The Stillwater Trilogy, Book 3) [Mass Market Paperback]

Brenda Novak (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2007

The people of Stillwater, Mississippi, are asking questions about murder. Again.

Twenty years ago Madeline Barker's father disappeared. Despite what everyone else thinks, Madeline's convinced her stepfamily had nothing to do with it. But the recent discovery of his car finally proves he didn't just drive away. Worse, the police find something in the trunk that says there's more to this case than murder.

With no other recourse, Madeline decides to hire a private investigator -- even if the cops don’t like it. Even if her family doesn't like it. But when P.I. Hunter Solozano begins to uncover some shocking evidence, someone in Stillwater is determined to put a stop to Madeline's search for the truth. And that means putting a stop to her. Permanently.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Novak's latest Stillwater novel (after Dead Giveaway) revisits the small Mississippi town, where journalist/newspaper owner Madeline Barker is still seeking closure two decades after the disappearance of her father, a town minister. When police find her missing father's Cadillac submerged in a quarry outside of town, Maddy is determined to discover, finally, what really happened. Maddy hires L.A. private eye Hunter Solozano to solve the case, but neither expects to find romance: Hunter is an embittered divorcé, and Maddy recently broke up with a domineering boyfriend. While their relationship simmers, Hunter discovers some disturbing truths about Maddy's father and his domestic life; before long, a series of sinister phone calls and a botched robbery raise the stakes. Strong characters bring the escalating suspense to life, and the mystery is skillfully played out. Novak's smooth plotting makes for a great read, but the conclusion, though organic, has perhaps too much shine and not enough surprise. (Aug.)
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From Booklist

Twenty years ago Reverend Lee Barker drove away from the small Mississippi town of Stillwater, never to be heard from again. Everyone thought that Barker's stepson Clay had something to do with the good reverend's disappearance, except Barker's daughter Madeline. When her father's car finally turns up in an abandoned quarry, it seems to prove that someone wanted him dead. To clear Clay's name, Madeline hires California private investigator Hunter Solozano, but someone wants old secrets to remain buried and is determined to stop Hunter's investigation, even if it means killing Madeline. Novak brings her dark-edged, quietly intense, and completely enthralling Dead trilogy to a truly thrilling conclusion with this superbly crafted tale of romance and suspense. Charles, John

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 441 pages
• Publisher: Mira (August 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778324397
• ISBN-13: 978-0778324393
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #842,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brenda Novak Bio

It was a shocking experience that jump-started Brenda Novak's career as a bestselling author--she caught her day-care provider drugging her children with cough syrup to get them to sleep all day. That was when Brenda decided she needed to quit her job as a loan officer and help make a living from home.

"When I first got the idea to become a novelist, it took me five years to teach myself the craft and finish my first book," Brenda says. But she sold that book, and the rest is history. Her novels have made the New York Times, USA Today and Borders/Waldenbooks bestseller lists and won many awards, including two Rita nominations, the Book Buyer's Best, the Book Seller's Best and the National Reader's Choice Award.

Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are proud parents of five children--three girls and two boys. When she's not spending time with her family or writing, Brenda is usually working on her annual fund-raiser for diabetes research--an online auction held on her Web site (www.brendanovak.com) every May. Brenda has raised over $1 million to date.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome end to a great series, September 17, 2007

By 

Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dead Right (The Stillwater Trilogy, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

When her reverend father's car is pulled from a quarry, Madeline Barker is not ready to give up on believing that her father will someday return. Worried that her step brother Clay Montgomery will once again be the #1 suspect, she decides - against her family's wishes - to hire a private investigator to locate her father and the culprit behind his disappearance. Hunter Solozano is known as the PI that can find anything or anyone. He immediately steps on toes in the small Mississippi town that would rather solve their own mystery than let some California surfer dude do it. Hunter and Madeline are instantly attracted to each other, and to save money on expenses, she offers to have him stay in her guest house. But his close proximity is wreaking havoc on her emotions. When girl's panties turn up in the trunk of the reverend's car, no one believes that they can belong to the reverend, except for a select few that were there the night he disappeared, as well as his partner in crime. Suddenly everything that Madeline has left of her father is shrouded in doubt and she counts on Hunter more than ever to solve the mystery. Unfortunately, every clue Hunter uncovers could be bring heartache to Madeline when she learns the truth.

At times pretty gruesome due to the nature of the crime, Novak has ended the Stillwater trilogy with a bang. From book to book, each of the characters have retained the same personality (which is often not the case in a series). All the usual suspects are back and further insight into Barker's unscrupulous yet well hidden character are fully developed.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous trilogy, February 4, 2008

By 

S. McCullough "pacey1927" (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dead Right (The Stillwater Trilogy, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

I literally couldn't put this book down until I read the last page. There were some definate surprises in store. I've said this in my reviews about the other two books, that I really cared about these characters, and this book didn't change that. I am sad to see them go. Brenda's writing was supurb as always and the ending was satisfying. Its always irritating to be hooked on a series of books only to find you've wasted your investment of time and be let down by the conclusion. Thats so not going to happen here. Read these books in order if possible and be prepared to go on a non-stop ride.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Weakest of the series; heroine's attitude annoying and romance shallow, May 17, 2009

By 

Peabody823 (IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dead Right (The Stillwater Trilogy, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

Of all the books in this series, the relationship between the main characters felt the least 'real' and deep in this one. Maddy's attitude when she finds out what the Montgomerys' did also really annoyed me because she's trusted, loved and been treated wonderfully by them for 20 years and suddenly they've been faking it all? Load of crap. "Dead Silence" was definitely the best of this series; stick with that one.