This is the second book in the Stillwater trilogy. It wasn't as engrossing as the first book. It took until past the halfway mark for me to really get into it. There were some interesting twists and revelations that I wasn't quite expecting. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone that has read the first book and wants to see how the rest of the story unfolds. Definitely do not read it by itself. I don't think you would be confused, but some of the events of the first novel are referenced here. ( )

From Amazon:

The Reverend Lee Barker went missing nineteen years ago . And the people of Stillwater, Mississippi, believe they know why. They're convinced he was murdered -- by his stepson, Clay Montgomery. But only Clay -- and his mother and sisters -- can say for sure. They were the only ones there that fateful night, the only ones who know what really happened. And they're not talking. Allie McCormick is a cold-case detective from Chicago. After a particularly difficult divorce, she's returned to Stillwater with her six-year-old daughter to find the peace she once knew in her hometown, and to work for the local police force while she's starting over. But when Clay's powerful enemies join forces to put him behind bars, Allie feels duty bound to uncover the truth. Her instincts tell her he didn't murder the Reverend Lee Barker.

Maybe Clay's a dark and brooding man with more than his share of secrets, but he was just sixteen at the time. And he's not a cold-blooded killer. At least, that's what Allie believes -- until she finds proof that behind the preacher's pious demeanor lurked the heart of a monster. Then she has to ask herself whether justice has already been done .

My Thoughts:

While the author maintained a certain tension about whether the Reverend Lee Barker disappeared or was killed nineteen years ago... I found the book to be more of a "his wide shoulders" and "her small breast" having encounters. I'm not sure if I will seek out the remainder of this trilogy. There are many suspects who MIGHT have killed the Reverend...or perhaps just SHOULD have killed the reverend and done everyone in Stillwater a big favor. Turns out that Reverend Lee was a bit of a pervert. SURPRISE! Almost make me wish I had a first stone to cast. ( )

Sometimes the second book in a series lags well behind the first, not so in this case. I couldn't wait to see what happened to Clay, Grace's brother. Clay had taken responsibility for the whole family at such a young age and the entire town is afraid of him. Enter Allie McCormick, new ton the local police force and with a history of solving cold cases. Allie begins trying to find the answers, and gets more than she bargained for. ( )

A few days ago I finished the first book in the Stillwater trilogy, Dead Silence. I enjoyed the book so much, I picked up the sequel Dead Giveaway right away, and started it. I read it in record time. I just couldn’t put it down. The plot was so intense. Even the sub-plots were interesting. The chemistry between Allie and Clay was electric. Their chemisty made Dead Giveaway seem a lot more spicy than Dead Silence, and really the romance/sex was kept to a minium, which should be the case for the books genre; romantic suspense. Personally, I think Brenda Novak could have pulled off having a few more love scenes between Allie and Clay. I also have to mention the ending to this book. Which was very smart thinking on Allie part. The Vincelli’s saw the truth in the end.Both books from the series have been page turners from start to finsih. I hope the 3rd book, Dead Right is just as exciting. I can’t wait to read it. ( )

Der zweite Teil der Stillwater Trilogie wird aus der Sicht von Clay und Allie erzählt, die Geschichte schließt sich aber nahtlos an den Ereignissen im ersten Band an.
Allie ist mit ihrer kleinen Tochter nach ihrer Scheidung wieder nach Stillwater zurückgekehrt. Die Polizistin hat in Chicago als als Spezialistin für ungelöste Fälle gearbeitet.
In Stillwater gibt es nur einen ungelösten Fall - das spurlose Verschwinden von Reverend Barker vor 19 Jahren. Doch während Madeline, seine Tochter, endlich wissen möchte, was geschehen ist, möchten die Montgomerys am liebsten nichts mehr, als alles zu vergessen.
Eines Abends wird Allie zu Haus von Clay Montgomery gerufen. Eine Frau behauptet, das Clay sie umbringen will. Nicht nur das, die Frau gibt auch an, das Clay ihr gegenüber den Mord an seinen Stiefvater gestanden haben soll.
Clay leugnet das jedoch alles. Es gibt auch keine weiteren Beweise, aber die Gerüchteküche in Stillwater brodelt mehr als je zuvor.
Doch Allie glaubt nicht an Clay Schuld. Stattdessen sucht sie den wahren Täter. Gegen den Willen von fast jedem in Stillwater - wozu soll man weiter nach dem Täter suchen, wenn der Schuldige schon feststeht.
Mir hat dieser Teil noch etwas besser gefallen als der erste. Die Liebesgeschichte ist für mich einleuchtender, und der Krimi ist recht spannend dargestellt. Sehr gespannt bin ich nun auf den dritten Teil - der wird aus der Sicht von Madeline erzählt. ( )