Dead Wrong

A wonderful series of contemporary mysteries with a bit of passion added to the suspenseful mix.

I enjoy this series of books. I'm looking forward to the next one in paperback!

The twist here is that the reader knows while the characters do not. In a matter of minutes, nine people's fates are determined by three men sitting in a jail cell. Simply playing a "game" to pass the time, each man names three people he'd like to see killed. When the first man is released, three people become a target as he follows through with the game. The first in a trilogy, Dead Wrong gets it dead right. Mara Douglas is on one of the men's list, and it's up to Aidan Shields to protect her. While the book is decidedly light on the traditional sex part of a romantic suspense, it is implied. I liked both characters, and Aidan avoids being the atypical surly alpha male with surprising charm and affection. I can't wait for Dead Certain, which follows the second man as he is released from jail and takes up the gauntlet thrown down by the first man. I got this one from the library, but I certainly will buy the next two.

On a cold morning in February three men waiting their turn to appear before a criminal court judge find themselves locked down in one room while every lawman in the vicinity searches for a fourth convict, who has escaped. As time passes, the men discuss why they are there. Channing claims he's been mistaken for another C.A.Channing and will be released; Lowell was arrested for stalking; and Giordano is appealing his sentence for killing his wife and children because the detective lied in court. To while away the time, these three violent men play a 'pretend' game, naming three people they would like to kill if they knew they wouldn't be caught. Channing is released and Giordano and Lowell return to jail to wait for their time in court. The suspense in DEAD WRONG is not who-done-it; since readers have a prologue that sets up the story, an advantage our leading characters do not have. The mystery of why women named Mary Douglas are being murdered baffles law enforcement and profilers are called in to help solve the case. When the third woman named Mary Douglas falls victim to another heinous crime, detectives deduce they are being killed in the order they appear in the phone book; M. J. Douglas is next on the list. Her sister Annie McCall, an FBI agent, and colleague Miranda Cahill (fans will remember her from a previous story) warn Mara to take extra precautions as they believe she is the next victim. Annie doesn't stop with the warning; she calls in a favor from another agent who is on medical leave. Aiden Shields and his brother Dylan were undercover agents setting up a big drug sting that turned bad, leaving Dylan dead and Aiden badly wounded. He hasn't recovered from the shooting or the psychological wounds and feels guilty for not saving his brother. He's on leave from the FBI and doesn't believe he will ever be able to pass a physical exam to return to the force in any capacity. He's at about the lowest a man can be when Annie tells him she needs him to guard and protect her sister. Annie was Dylan's girlfriend and Aiden can't refuse her anything, so reluctantly he packs up his bag and heads for the Douglas home, where he is anything but welcomed by Mara Douglas. DEAD WRONG is the first in a trilogy and a thriller to hold you entranced - if that is even the right word for what you will be as you read this one. In my lifetime of reading, there is only one other book I've turned from the back page to the front to completely re-read, as I have done with this suspenseful story. Mariah Stewart captures readers immediately, bringing a bizarre mystery to the pages. You'll know who, but not what, when, nor where! Clues will be dropped and twists and turns will develop. As readers, you'll want to chew your fingernails waiting for this killer to be caught. The family thread is once again evident in Ms. Stewart's writing through her strong characters, as well as old friendships being renewed when her former characters return to help solve this cas

Archer Lowell, Curtis Alan Channing, and Vince Giordano share a jail holding cell waiting for the law to process them when all hell breaks loose as someone escapes custody. To pass time while the complex is totally shut down, the trio discusses why they are here when the conversation turns to who would they like to kill. They agree that to be successful they would have to exchange victims like the Hitchcock and DeVito movies did.Not long afterward a serial killer appears murdering three females with the same name M. Douglas as listed in order in the phone book. Next on the list is court appointed children?s advocate Mara Douglas. Her sister FBI profiler Dr. Anne McCall calls in a favor owed her by FBI agent Aidan Shields. She wants Aidan to protect her sibling. However, Aidan wants to refuse as he wants to go into guilty seclusion following the death of his brother on his last assignment. Still for Anna he will do what he cam to keep Mara safe. Moving in with her in her Philadelphia area home, Aidan and Mara fall in love, but he fears if something happens to her he will die too.The first of Mariah Stewart?s ?Dead? books is a stupendous serial killer romance starring two wonderful lead characters. The twist of who performs the killing is provided in plain sight yet the audience will wonder whether Strangers on the Train really occurred. Fans of tense thrillers that never let up until the climax will know that this novel is dead on in exciting action and a breathtaking romance.Harriet Klausner