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

by Brenda Novak (Author)

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: 448 pages
• Publisher: Mira (August 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778324397
• ISBN-13: 978-0778324393
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #101,378 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 3 in The Stillwater Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 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 (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth. - Oscar Wilde, June 29, 2008

By	Cherise Everhard (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Madeline has waited 20 years to find out what happened to her father, the town of Stillwater's much respected reverend, she knows that he would have never willingly left her. The town has always thought her family murdered the reverend but she is not willing to believe that her beloved step brother, sisters or Mother had anything to do with it. They are her only family and they have always cared for and loved her.

When her fathers car is discovered in a nearby quarry, his body is no where to be found, but the trunk holds some vile secrets. Madeline reaches the end of her rope and hires a well known Private Detective from California named Hunter. She wants some answers so she can put the past behind her.

The conclusion to this gripping trilogy was suspenseful and more than a little disturbing. Some of the scenes were really hard for me to read and at one point I thought I would be sick. Madeline gets the answers she's been seeking, but they aren't easy to stomach, for her or the reader. The reader has known what happened 20 years ago since the first book, but as Madeline finds out the truth; the reader is granted a lot more detail.

Ms. Novak added a small twist to this story I wasn't expecting and I thought this tale was the best of the bunch. Despite the upsetting subject matter, I was completely enthralled. I was really curious how she was going to handle Madeline's story and if she would leave her in the dark or how she would have her face the truth about her father, she handled it beautifully.

This was one of the better suspenseful trilogy's I have read. I thought the storyline was exciting and the characters delightful. Watching the truth unfold from book to book was thrilling, a little heartbreaking and very emotional. This is a series well worth the read, Enjoy!

Dead Silence (The Stillwater Trilogy, Book 1)
Dead Giveaway (The Stillwater Trilogy, Book 2)

Cherise Everhard, June 2008

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Satisfying end, but the series itself turned into quite a slog ***SPOILERS***, August 14, 2007

By	R. Kyle (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Before I go any further, I need to state that I have a prejudice against series that run on and on without having some satisfactory conclusion at the end of each book. Having come to this series from mystery and fantasy reading, having a romance conclude satisfactorily in each volume was not precisely what I was reading for. If you read for the romance, you may well love this type of format and if you do, I believe you may well enjoy the entire series.

What interested me about the first book was that it turned the mystery concept on its ear. We know upfront whodunit and why. And for that matter, we can't even blame the perpetrators.

"Dead Silence" the first book of this series was a fast paced and interesting read. Unfortunately, my interest waned as I continued on with "Dead Giveaway" and finally "Dead Right."

In the final episode of this trilogy, Madeline Barker has wondered for 20 years what happened to her father. Reverand Lee Barker, who was esteemed even worshipped himself by the members of his congregation at the Purity Church, have blamed her step-family for his disappearance. Madeline has been the single holdout.

When her father's Cadillac is discovered at a quarry, she decides it's time to solve the mystery once and for all and hires CA private investigator, Hunter Solzano to solve the case.

Solzano has had serious family issues. The ex-cop, now PI, is newly divorced and not amicably. His stripper ex-wife caught him cheating with the woman next door and now the ex and his daughter aren't speaking to him. He's given up drowning his sorrows in the bottle and he's almost given up on the relationship with his kid as well.

In this final book of the series, we get an inside view of what happened with the Reverand via one of his old cohorts. This character's point of view is revolting in places at best. If you have an objection to reading about S&M particularly from the point of view of a pedophile, just don't even pick up this book.

Further, hearing the tale of the Reverand's death over and over from different points of view is just exhausting. Grace was an excellent teller of the tale in that she reacted to it in a more realistic manner. Maddy just didn't quite seem believable. For one, she lost her virginity just when? For another, how could a reasonable person think their father was 'perfect' when he clearly hated her mother and seemed to have no pity for her?

The forensics are also suspect. Why would the police department have a transcript of a cross-examination that was blacked out? Even in the 80's, police brutality was an issue. Was this machination the only way the author could show the police interrogators were rough on Clay?

And for that matter, spending that much time and energy on a long-dead cold case was just too much drama even for a hidebound small-town with small-minded people who had nothing better to do. The one thing that redeemed the series somewhat was a satisfactory ending and the fact that solving the crime actually put a current day criminal behind bars.