Dead Silence

I loved this book! Definitely a page turner. But Soooo mannnnyyg Grammer errors OMG!

Loved this book! Hoping all turns out for the Montgomerys.

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

Though the subject is a difficult one to write about, Ms. Novak does so flawlessly, by using imagery and subtlety. The characters are wonderfully believable, the tension is palpable, there is mystery and suspense, and a cliffhanger. Not to mention it is technically superb. I am a busy work-from-home-mom, I have a degree in creative writing, and am very picky about the quality of books I read. I stayed up two nights in a row just to read this book and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Simply put, the reason why I will always pick up a new Brenda Novak book, is because they just keep getting better and better. So go buy this book! You'll enjoy it.

Grace Montgomery has always known where her stepfather's body is buried. She's held on to the secret out of guilt and to protect her family. She's tried to rebuild her life from the devastation of her childhood and is now a successful D.A. in Jackson, but the past still holds a grip on her. In an effort to finally overcome the abuse, which is still controlling her life, she returns to the small town she grew up in, Stillwater. What she never expects when she returns is to find herself becoming more and more involved with Kennedy Archer. A widower, Kennedy had been among those to condemn her in high school, but the more time they spend together, the more they fall in love. When Grace finally confides the truth in Kennedy will their love be strong enough to handle it? Dead Silence grabbed me from the first page and left me unable to stop reading. Brenda Novak has woven a tale of mystery, suspense, secrets and love with such skill that the story literally leapt off the pages. As the death Grace's stepfather, Reverend Baker, and the events that precipitate it are slowly revealed I became more and more involved with the Montgomery family. Added to this is the growing love between one of the town's favorite sons, Kennedy, and the girl with the bad reputation, Grace that no one approves of. As Grace opens up to Kennedy with the pain of her past I came to love her and to desperately want her to find the happiness that has eluded her for years. Kudos to Ms. Novak for delivering a tale of a family destroyed by one man's evil. I will be anxiously looking for Grace's brother Clay's story, Dead Giveaway to see how the secrets of Reverend Baker's death continue to unfold. Melissa Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Grace Montgomery has returned to Stillwater, Mississippi. She left to forget what happened that long ago night when her step-father was killed. She returns to make peace with event that she feels responsible for, regardless of the fact that it was out of her control. Only four people know what really happened on that night, 18 years ago. Only four people know where Reverend Lee Baker is buried. Kennedy Archer remembers Grace from high school. He remembers his friends taunting her. He remembers his friends bragging about "Grinding Gracie". He knows that he never said one word against her. He also knows that he never said one word to stop it. When Kennedy finds himself attracted to Grace, he knows that he can't do anything about it. Part of the most powerful family in town, he is also running for Mayor and he can not have any scandal attached to his name. He didn't count on his two young boys taking that decision out of his hands. Soon he found himself falling for her, even though he knew she was keeping a secret that could destory them both. The town of Stillwater have blamed the Montgomery family for the dissapearence/death of their beloved Preacher. There are still some people who will do anything to have the truth come out, even though it's for all the wrong reasons. There are also some people who will do anything to protect the secrets of the Montgomery's. This book is about a woman who is trying to come to terms with her past. It's about the abuse of a child who had nowhere to turn. It's about the shame of that child, shame that was carried through into adulthood. It's also about two people finding each other at the most unexpected time. I highly recommend this book. I am looking forward to the next in the series, which is about Clay Montgomery, Grace's brother.

I'm moving; no time to write reviews, let alone read... However, the intro on the back of this was SO intriguing... I started it very early Saturday morning and finished by lunch! The story is not for the faint-of-heart. It deals with a sensitive subject, however Ms. Novak does not go into unnecessary descriptions and nothing is sensationalized. The first book of an ongoing series, involves a family living a comparatively normal life, considering the Reverend (their step-father) had disappeared OR had he been murdered; by one of them? The story centers around Grace, who was a young teen at the time and her horrid high school experience with "affluent boys" and how she deals with them and the family mystery 13 years later. She's now a successful assistant DA; upon her return to her hometown, (in an attempt to salvage her present, by resolving this issue from her past) she has to suffer the rude and insulting small-town people, who can't get over the unsolved mystery surrounding her step-father. She knows who and why; it's time to confront the truth. A special character, who was just precious, in the little 8 year old boy that befriends her, on her first day back in town. Her interaction with him is just heart-warming. Grace's subsequent meeting of the young boy's family is part of what makes this book so compelling. This story was so well written, I'm waiting anxiously for the next in the series... "Dead Giveaway" coming Feb.2007, and I'm looking into her prior series as my next reading project. I LOVE finding a new author.