Dead Certain
by Mariah Stewart
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Book Summary Information
Author: Mariah StewartEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-06-29
ISBN: 0345463935
Number of pages: 400
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Book Reviews of Dead Certain
Book Review: Engaging enough, but not super
Summary: 4 Stars
"Dead Certain" is the second in the "Dead" series by Mariah Stewart ("Dead Wrong" being the first). It's certainly helpful if you read the books in order to get the full background and understand the larger context, but there is a complete story in each book. I would probably more technically rate this 3 and a half stars, rather than 4, but the series is really good, so I just recommend you read them all!
The premise for the series is taken from the old "Strangers on a Train" movie, with three prisoners locked in a room together, sharing murder lists, answering the question, "What if you could do anything - anything at all - and not get caught?" So, the three each share a list of three people they'd kill if they could, and then they swap lists, each taking another's list. All of this, of course, is hypothetical... except in "Dead Wrong" (first in the series) the first of the three prisoners to be released, Curtis Channing, set out to kill the three people on one of the other's list. Now, that man, Vince Giordano, has been released from prison, his sentence overturned based on a technicality. He's determined to follow through on what Channing started, taking care of the list of the third man, Archer Lowell.
I like Mariah Stewart's books because I think she does a good job balancing the romance with the suspense thriller aspect of her stories. This is not hard core suspense thriller, but neither is the crime aspect cheap window dressing on some romance where the two leads spend more time having sex than anything else.
Amanda Crosby is a high-end antiques dealer (sister of Evan Crosby who makes appearances in both this book and "Dead Wrong" and gets his own story in "Dead End"), whose best friend and partner has just been murdered. New Chief of Police Sean Mercer wants to prove himself and has to consider Amanda his prime suspect at the outset of the investigation. I have to say, whenever I read a story in which the romance is between a cop and someone who's been a suspect at some point during the investigation, I feel the suspension of belief is more than normal. I just have a hard time believing this is credible. Especially since I felt like their relationship moved along pretty quickly, given they had just met, though the 'romance' didn't start until after the evidence cleared her. So, there is this obstacle to surmount. As well, Sean seems amazingly functional given the family history that is revealed during the course of the story - another suspension of belief for me. His character by itself seemed a little flat to me - only in his interaction with Amanda was he really appealing. Amanda is well developed, however, and very likeable. Archer Lowell had stalked and attacked her in the past - that's why he's in prison - and she survived that and has made herself into a stronger woman. She's a strong woman, but not one of those "I'll do anything stupid just to prove I'm an independent woman".
All of that said, characters together are engaging enough, and that worked well for the story. I enjoy the `supporting' characters, too, and this is a benefit to the whole series as Stewart is able to develop these characters more thoroughly. By the time they get their `own' stories, you really feel like you know them well. The bad guy in this story, Vince Giordano, was interesting - a bit of a caricature, though. There was not too much said about what makes him tick, other than his abuse and murder of his wife and two children in the past. He felt a bit `cookie-cutter' bad guy to me - evil for the sake of evil.
Overall, I'd say the characters are more engaging in "Dead Certain" than in "Dead Wrong" (fewer rough edges), but perhaps not as realistic. But, it's still a good read, and I would recommend the book to any fans of light suspense thriller, or romance fans looking for something with a little more depth to it.
Summary of Dead Certain
Three devious prisoners vow murderous revenge.Now the second is free.
With her stalker captured, antiques dealer Amanda Crosby can finally sleep at night. Having worked hard to put the nightmare behind her, Amanda has vowed to never be a victim again. But when her business partner, Derek England, is found with a bullet through the back of his head just hours after she left an incriminating message on his voice mail, Amanda finds herself in danger of becoming a victim of another sort.
All the evidence points to Amanda as Derek?s killer, and Chief of Police Sean Mercer is building the case against her. But when another of her colleagues is found brutally murdered, it?s obvious that someone other than Amanda is behind the killings. Suddenly Amanda is a target once again, as a diabolical killer circles ever closer?and the only thing that stands between her and becoming the third and final victim is the man who had tried to put her behind bars. . . .
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