a powerful novel full of suspense and bound to tug at the heartstrings

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	• Dead Silence (The Stillwater Trilogy, Book 1) Brenda Novak Mira, 2006 - 448 pages average customer review:based on 21 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

First rate romantic suspense

Grace Montgomery returns to her hometown of Stillwater, Mississippi and the devastating secret in her past that's haunted her. Now an assistant DA in Jackson, Grace and her family are the only ones that really know what happened to her abusive stepfather. The former bad girl, who suffered so greatly at the hand of her stepfather, the town preacher, drowned her sorrows by sleeping with any guy she could in high school. She has put her past behind her, though some the area guys still consider her a tramp ripe for the taking and suspects that a body is buried somewhere on the family farm.

Upon arrival, Grace finds herself befriending a precocious 8 year old named Teddy who wants to do chores for her. Soon she discovers that Teddy is the son of widower Kennedy Archer, one of the popular kids from high school that treated her indifferently. Kennedy has always felt guilty for not standing up to his friends, and finds himself in unfamiliar territory as his attraction to Grace is getting intense. As their love for each other deepens, Grace's guilt regarding her stepfather eats away at her and she must confide her secret to Kennedy or lose him forever. Will Kennedy be able to forgive her?

Novak's tense and sizzling romance is a real nail biter. With plenty of suspense and romantic tension, it will keep the readers attention until the last page. One of the best aspects of the story is that Kennedy was able to have two loves - his deceased wife Raelynn and Grace. Too many romance novels discount the first spouse of a widow/widower so that the hero/heroine ends up with the one love of their life. The Montgomery family saga continues with "Dead Giveaway."

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a powerful novel full of suspense and bound to tug at the heartstrings

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Thirteen years ago, Grace Montgomery left her past behind her, leaving Stillwater and never looking back. Until now...

Grace seems to have it all. She's a successful assistant district attorney who has never lost a case, is financially stable, and has the perfect man ready to marry her on a moment's notice. But when he finally grows weary of her resistance and confronts her about, she decides it is finally time to face her fears and really bury her past. Now she goes back home to the farm where her life took a drastic turn nineteen years ago with the disappearance of her stepfather. Very few know the truth though many townspeople suspect what really happened.

Kennedy Archer is running for mayor and the last thing he needs is complications. But that is exactly what he gets when Grace returns. Though he feels some guilt over the way his friends treated her in high school, he has a hard time with her being back since he is one of the many who suspect her family of being involved in the Rev Barker's disappearance. Grace is a complication Kennedy doesn't need if he has any hope of winning the election. But as his children grow more attached to her, so does he.

Secrets have a way of creeping out however and as Kennedy begins to piece together events of the past, he comes to understand Grace and finds himself standing beside her rather than against her. And Kennedy finds himself what's more important to him... his mayoral campaign or his love for Grace.

Grace knows this better than anyone, having been subjected to horrors no young girl should be forced to endure. She has been so emotionally scarred by this knowledge that she was desperate to be loved by others that she acted out in many unfortunate ways while growing up. Now in trying to put her past behind her once and for all, she has to rip open the scars and let the pain out so she can fully heal. These past experiences have made Grace desperate for love, but at the same time terrified of what it could do to her should she allow herself to be vulnerable again. However, she has so much love to give and this is very evident in how she interacts with Teddy and heath, Kennedy's adorable sons. We really get to see her softer side in the unending patience she has with them. Then when she feel she needs to protect Kennedy and the boys from how her reputation could hurt them, it tears her up inside to cut the ties they've formed. One of the most emotional scenes in Dead Silence is when Grace finally pours out her deepest darkest secrets to Kennedy. That is the real moment her healing begins and I was moved to tears at how much courage it took Grace to do that.

Kennedy is drawn to Grace, in spite of the impact he knows their relationship will have on his campaign and on his bonds with his parents and his friends. This is especially apparent in the deterioration of his relationship with his long time best friend, Joe Vincelli, who saved Kennedy's life when they were boys and just happens to be Rev Barker's nephew, and the strongest accuser of Grace's family's guilt. We see Kennedy change and grow as he begins to suspect the Montgomery family secrets and tries so hard to help Grace get beyond her past.

Dead Silence is almost as much about Grace's family as it is about her. We see what strain the events of nineteen years ago put on the Montgomery family. Clay was forced to grow up too soon and now spends his life keeping the truth hidden. Molly, their sister fled Stillwater several years ago, even though at the time everything happened, she was too young too understand what was going on. Madeline, Barker's only child from his first marriage, suffers with the agony of not knowing what happened to her beloved father and defends the Montgomeries with her every breath, feeling a stronger familial bond to them than she does to her own blood relatives. Then there is Irene, Grace's mother, who feels like it is her fault this all happened. If she hadn't been so desperate to find security for her children after her first husband abandoned them, she may have seen the signs sooner and been able to prevent so much suffering.

With Dead Silence, Brenda Novak has written a powerful novel full of suspense and bound to tug at the heartstrings. Evil takes many forms and often can be found n unlikely places. So unlikely in fact, that people would never believe it if they new. This is actually the basic premise, if you want to get to the bare bones, of the story. A warning though... Make sure that you have Dead Giveaway, the second book in the trilogy, ready to go as soon as you finish Dead Silence. You will not want to wait even a minute to see where Brenda Novak and the Montgomeries take you next.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, April 2007. All rights reserved.

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Main characters are great but the secondary.. bleh

I now know why this family is messed up. I felt the "dark ugly secret" was stressed as the key obstacle in this family this issue was handled tactfully. The mother (groan) she makes the deep dark secret a walk in the park. I take that back the "mothers" are intrusive and shallow after subjecting their children to what they did you would think "the mom's" would show some compassion.

Just read Dead Giveaway woo hoo there is some justice you'll notice another reviewers comments, "I found it difficult to like or come to care for Allie's father or Clay's mother." This person is right on. I enjoyed the main characters but the secondary are well ecky.

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Fantastic!!!

I have been a huge fan of Brenda Novak's Superromance Novels for years, so when I saw my FATHER READING THIS BOOK, I was shocked. My dad, who normally reads true crime and thrillers, finished this book in record time and gave it to me with high recommendations!

And I have to say, it is wonderful to see Ms. Novak stretch her legs with a mainstream romantic suspense! As always, her characters are believable and sympathetic and her story is complex and diverse. Dead Silence is a real "edge of your seat" page turner!

Enjoy!

Let's break the Silence--This book is phenomenal!

Brenda Novak does it again. Dead Silence is a mysterious, intriguing, intense and at the same time heart warming page turner. Brenda knows how to keep us in suspense and welcome the reader into the lives of her very real and endearing characters. I highly recommend this book and after reading the excerpt of her new book Dead Giveaway-- I know it will follow in the same tradition of excellent writing and suspenseful developments which make every page memorable.

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reviews: 1, page 2, 3, 4, 5

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