Being that I was reeled into this series due to the premise and the summary blurbs, I decided to give Mariah Stewart’s Dead series a second chance to appeal to me. The first book didn’t do well. Knowing what to expect, I adjusted my mindset a little bit and went into Dead Certain with other expectations (which, I admit, may not be very fair to Dead Wrong, but that’s how I roll).I’m not certain that the read was a much better experience than I had had with the first book, but it was definitely a bit more tolerable. Knowing that this book is not anymore a romantic suspense than it is a crime thriller or murder mystery helps me tamp down my expectations. It’s more of a “The Day in the Life of a Non-Paid Hitman and a Glimpse of his Victims’ Lives” type of thing. When you know who the killer is, who his targets are, and why he’s killing in the first place, it really DOES take the excitement out of a crime thriller.But I made my attempt not to pre-judge based on the impression I got from the first book.Unfortunately, it doesn’t banish the fact that the writing does not flow well and the narrative and dialogue still feels unnatural. And there is still too much going on. The writing is still decent and could be solid -- some scenes and some of the monologues feel realistic enough... and has its own charm.But there is still entirely too much information being offered in random scenes about the killer, the victims, even side characters, and none of it helps to strengthen the main story. A lot of scenes that seem to demand an emotional impact of some kind just feels awkwardly force; like we're trying to inject more side tangents to give our characters more depth. Instead, it all felt like filler material you’d expect to find when watching a television series and the producers couldn’t think of what to air for that night’s episode. Sometimes those side tangents are fun. But in this case, they were fairly boring; almost out of place. I admit, I felt the need to fast-forward a few times during the book (though I did not do so, for whatever reason I can’t understand).The only thing still keeping me from dropping the series completely is due to the fact that the third book will tie into the conclusion of the series: the third prisoner keeping his end of the bargain to kill his hit list of people, as promised. A slight twist is thrown into the end of Dead Certain that makes you wonder how the rest of the story will play out.Will Archer Lowell hold up his end of the game and kill for his fellow prison-mate? I’m going to admit, as reluctant as I am to open up that last book, I’m also kind of curious to see how things will end. I might be having one of those, “Why do I hate myself?” moments.One thing I do appreciate is that the characters are a little better developed than the characters in Dead Wrong had been. Greer Kennedy, the big sister, was quite the character, even if she was just a supporting one.
I am soooo enjoying this series!! I have just read the first 2 in 3 days time, so obviously, if you like a quick addicting read in the suspense/thriller genre, this series is a must for you. I don't know if all of Stewart's work is this entertaining, as this is my first go round with her, but I will be reading more after this series. She seems to have an innate ability to write characters who the reader can identify with--and get attatched to. To often in thriller type novels the characters are either blown up so ridiculously perfect/arrogant/intelligent that they are almost inhuman, or they are so flawed that they border on stupidity and give the reader a feeling that the story is implausible. Stewart has created characters who are very real and believable. They are flawed in normal human ways while still having a common sense feel to them. I absolutely loved the character of Amanda. She is a woman who after being previously stalked and brutalized realized her own weaknesses and dedicated her life to eliminating those weaknesses and helping others in need. Her being quite the little bad-ass was a great character development. She is strong enough to stand on her own, yet realizes that she wants someone to be in her life to stand beside her and be there when she needs someone. There is just enough mingling of characters from the previous book to keep it fresh in your mind, and the interaction between all of these various plotlines keeps the story rolling along nicely. Throughout both of the first 2 books, I have found myself truly rooting for the good guys and wanting to see our trio of convicts get one-upped. Without giving too much away, I also have to say that I really liked the direction Stewart took with Dolores. To have her go from what felt like a hick ditzy bimbo to such a strong character, who actually used her head (instead of being that idiot in horror films who has to go make sure that Jason/Freddy/Michael Myers is actually dead!!), was a welcome surprise and made her possibly the most realistic person in the book. And now........on to Dead Even........
What do You think about Dead Certain (2004)?
This was such a good book! The only problem was I read the series out of order. If I hadn't of done that, it would have been even better. I didn't realize till the last two chapters that I did, so I guess it doesn't matter :) Mariah Stewart is a great author who gives good details, but I don't feel the same as I do with other authors; I don't feel like I become emotionally involved with the characters. Her books are good, the plot is good, the characters are good, details are good, I personally just don't become one with the characters.
—Denise
A little too much inside the killer's mind. A little too descriptive foreplay. Otherwise, Stewart just keeps this story going.As with the first in the series, it sets up for the next book in the series, so doesn't end here.A sides story: Usually I request a book on-line and pick it up from the hold area of my branch. This one I actually looked for it in the library. Much to my surprise, it was in the Romance section. First I asked the librarian to keep lookout for me, as I did not want to be seen in that section. Then I asked, "there are a lot of murders and dead bodies in this, how can it be classified as Romance?" The librarian shrugged and asked if the boy gets the girl. And the answer is yes, in all of her books.Despite its classification, I'll continue to read the series.
—Jim
Enjoyed the 2nd book in the "Dead" series as much as the first. My only complaint (once again) is that I wished it had a tad more romance in it. It has just enough that you can pick up the attraction between the two main characters, but it doesn't go much further than a few kisses. Also, both books have left me wondering what happens to the main characters in each story. Like another reviewer stated, one or two love scenes could have gone a long way in either of these books. Regardless of the lack of romance, it is still a very good suspense filled book and I highly recommend the series. Maybe the last book of the series (Dead Even) ties everything up - I guess I'll see next!
—Colleen
