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Payback: A Detective Dex Stafford Mystery Book 1
A forest fire burning in the mountains surrounding a remote California village interrupts the Oktoberfest celebration, followed by the discovery of the mayor who has been beheaded. Sheriff's Detective Dex Stafford concludes everybody hated the mayor for different and very good reasons, but nobody will talk. His nerves fraying, Stafford finds himself involved with his partner's hysterical daughter, at a time when he fears his partner is on the take. His mother moves in with him, bringing a Jack Russell who hates him, and stories about his father he doesn't want to hear. Patrol Officer Holly Seabright of the village's security force becomes a prickly ally in uncovering the hints and whispers of something much worse than the murder of the mayor. Stafford pools resources with the attractive and smart patrol officer on a twisted trail of discovery as winter and the big snows shut down the town. A killer beyond his imagining haunts the town. Sometime soon, unless he can stop it, there will be another death, and then still another.
- GenresMystery
364 pages, Paperback
First published February 27, 2013
8 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Mar Preston
20 books47 followersI came to writing fiction late in life and am surprised to find myself the author of eight gritty police procedurals, five of them set in southern California and featuring Detective Dave Mason of the Santa Monica Police Department. He’s a good guy cop with a social justice warrior girlfriend.
I was a long-time Santa Monica activist and once divided my time between glitzy Santa Monica and a village similar to the one in Payback, the debut of my second series. But I assure you only nice people live there.
These books follow the Chief of the village patrol department and animal activist, and her sometimes boyfriend, a Sheriff’s Department homicide detective based in Bakersfield. Nothing Ever Happens Here is the third in this series.
I've distilled what I've learned writing whodunits into a series of 7 eBooks on “Writing Your First Mystery.” They are a pleasure to write, and I hope useful to new writers.
I'm a habitual do-gooder with a long track record of sticking my nose into good causes. I was a co-founder of the local SPCA in the mountains, a dog park, and picked up roadkill for my wildlife rehab buddies to feed the big raptors. I'd like to tell you that I have a writing and blogging schedule that I adhere to rigidly, but this is not true.
I like to write crime fiction because I get to think up fabulous lies and live with the kind of people between my ears that I will never meet in real life. I can also pretend I'm 5'10 and 28 years old. This also is not true.
In 2019 I upended a 40-year hiatus in California, 20 of it in Pine Mountain Club, where “Nothing Ever Happens Here” is set. and returned to my roots in Ottawa, Canada. I have almost convinced myself I can stand the Canadian winter.
I was a long-time Santa Monica activist and once divided my time between glitzy Santa Monica and a village similar to the one in Payback, the debut of my second series. But I assure you only nice people live there.
These books follow the Chief of the village patrol department and animal activist, and her sometimes boyfriend, a Sheriff’s Department homicide detective based in Bakersfield. Nothing Ever Happens Here is the third in this series.
I've distilled what I've learned writing whodunits into a series of 7 eBooks on “Writing Your First Mystery.” They are a pleasure to write, and I hope useful to new writers.
I'm a habitual do-gooder with a long track record of sticking my nose into good causes. I was a co-founder of the local SPCA in the mountains, a dog park, and picked up roadkill for my wildlife rehab buddies to feed the big raptors. I'd like to tell you that I have a writing and blogging schedule that I adhere to rigidly, but this is not true.
I like to write crime fiction because I get to think up fabulous lies and live with the kind of people between my ears that I will never meet in real life. I can also pretend I'm 5'10 and 28 years old. This also is not true.
In 2019 I upended a 40-year hiatus in California, 20 of it in Pine Mountain Club, where “Nothing Ever Happens Here” is set. and returned to my roots in Ottawa, Canada. I have almost convinced myself I can stand the Canadian winter.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 16, 2013
Anything written by Mar Preston is good value and Payback is no exception! Holly Seabright, ex-cop now security officer and animal rescuer in a small town high in the mountains, is drawn into a nasty murder investigation when the hands and feet of the victim are found by one of the town children. Shortly after, an even more gruesome discovery is made on the seat of a golf cart.
The town is filled with revellers attending the Oktoberfest, so there are plenty of people available to "muddy the waters" and criticize the police. Detective Dex Stafford soon realizes that there is no shortage of people who hated the victim, but Stafford's troubles do not stop with the murder investigation. His mum moves in with her dog - who hates him - and his father is determined to divorce his mother. Trying not to get into the middle of the situation, Dex finds himself entangled with his partner's daughter who is apparently everything any red-blooded man could want!
Meanwhile, Holly is a thorn in his side. Cranky and stand-offish, she hovers on the fringe of his investigation, helping with the occasional clue - reluctantly it seems and assisting Dex by accompanying him when he needs to talk to the widow of the deceased, who has unique problems.
The town council keep the law enforcement team on their toes by spreading rumours that their jobs are going and the law is to be outsourced. As they dig deeper into the murk surrounding the murder, Stafford and Harry Price discover that there is a lot more motive for the murder than at first thought.
The main characters are sympathetically presented, likeable and more importantly, believable and of course the manuscript is well written.
Slowly the investigation unfolds, all the time with a hint of menace between the lines. There are glimpses into the minds of the killers which succeed in keeping the reader focused on the enormity of the murder and what may yet come.
Well-paced and beautifully written, this novel is for the discerning reader, one who is prepared to put all distractions aside for the time it takes to immerse him or herself in this terrific story.
The town is filled with revellers attending the Oktoberfest, so there are plenty of people available to "muddy the waters" and criticize the police. Detective Dex Stafford soon realizes that there is no shortage of people who hated the victim, but Stafford's troubles do not stop with the murder investigation. His mum moves in with her dog - who hates him - and his father is determined to divorce his mother. Trying not to get into the middle of the situation, Dex finds himself entangled with his partner's daughter who is apparently everything any red-blooded man could want!
Meanwhile, Holly is a thorn in his side. Cranky and stand-offish, she hovers on the fringe of his investigation, helping with the occasional clue - reluctantly it seems and assisting Dex by accompanying him when he needs to talk to the widow of the deceased, who has unique problems.
The town council keep the law enforcement team on their toes by spreading rumours that their jobs are going and the law is to be outsourced. As they dig deeper into the murk surrounding the murder, Stafford and Harry Price discover that there is a lot more motive for the murder than at first thought.
The main characters are sympathetically presented, likeable and more importantly, believable and of course the manuscript is well written.
Slowly the investigation unfolds, all the time with a hint of menace between the lines. There are glimpses into the minds of the killers which succeed in keeping the reader focused on the enormity of the murder and what may yet come.
Well-paced and beautifully written, this novel is for the discerning reader, one who is prepared to put all distractions aside for the time it takes to immerse him or herself in this terrific story.
April 22, 2013
Very good book! Definitely different from other mysteries I've read. Just felt fresher and more complex, but it was still easy to follow. The why was very surprising and I couldn't wait to find that part out. Would love to read more mysteries featuring Holly and/or Dex!
June 10, 2013
Mix a spoonful of suspense and a cup of mystery with a dish of murder and a bowlful of dismembered body parts, sprinkle in a touch of romance and you have a story that will keep you guessing who done it, to whom, and why?
In Author Mar Preston’s new novel, PAYBACK, Security Patrol Officer Holly Seabright usually answers calls about snakes, fistfights, barking dogs and checking on old people to make sure they’re all right. The weekend of the festival in Sierra Mountain Village, California, isn’t as peaceful as Holly had expected, however. In fact, it’s downright trouble. Gun fire, a forest fire, a hand and two feet, minus the body, found in the pond guarantee lots of action and adventure, with some surprises along the way.
Mar Preston has written a novel that will appeal to mystery lovers and everyone that likes to solve the crime or problem before the characters in the story solve it. A variety of characters, many of them suspicious acting, give the reader a choice of the bad guy(s), the good, and those in between. Holly is a woman with likes and dislikes, not perfect, (no one is which makes her human) but someone I could consider a friend. I don’t want to give away the plot, so that’s all I’ll say.
The language is blunt but realistic for the characters. One problem that kept pulling me out of the story was the formatting. I don’t know about the print edition, but the iPad version had a lot of mistakes: No capital letters for proper nouns and the beginnings of sentences. Sometimes two different characters spoke on the same line. I know formatting for ebooks is different from print and a few errors will occur. But it does distract the reader from the story.
That aside, PAYBACK is an enjoyable novel. So pick up a copy and journey to a small town in California where people are not always what they seem. You’ll be glad you did.
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In Author Mar Preston’s new novel, PAYBACK, Security Patrol Officer Holly Seabright usually answers calls about snakes, fistfights, barking dogs and checking on old people to make sure they’re all right. The weekend of the festival in Sierra Mountain Village, California, isn’t as peaceful as Holly had expected, however. In fact, it’s downright trouble. Gun fire, a forest fire, a hand and two feet, minus the body, found in the pond guarantee lots of action and adventure, with some surprises along the way.
Mar Preston has written a novel that will appeal to mystery lovers and everyone that likes to solve the crime or problem before the characters in the story solve it. A variety of characters, many of them suspicious acting, give the reader a choice of the bad guy(s), the good, and those in between. Holly is a woman with likes and dislikes, not perfect, (no one is which makes her human) but someone I could consider a friend. I don’t want to give away the plot, so that’s all I’ll say.
The language is blunt but realistic for the characters. One problem that kept pulling me out of the story was the formatting. I don’t know about the print edition, but the iPad version had a lot of mistakes: No capital letters for proper nouns and the beginnings of sentences. Sometimes two different characters spoke on the same line. I know formatting for ebooks is different from print and a few errors will occur. But it does distract the reader from the story.
That aside, PAYBACK is an enjoyable novel. So pick up a copy and journey to a small town in California where people are not always what they seem. You’ll be glad you did.
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March 26, 2014
Murder in the mountains. A small, fairly remote mountain town in California, a place where you would think the biggest crime wave would be a couple of breakins at summer cottages, is the scene for this really nifty mystery.
Ok, so let's see. We've got the Security Patrol for the village, we've got a bunch of villagers, We've got a body. Well, parts of a body. We've got the hands and feet. And the head. What more do you want? Don't be so picky. You can't have everything.
So, it turns out the head belonged to the Mayor of the village, whom nobody liked, so most of them weren't all that broken up over seeing the Mayor being head over heels, if you will pardon the expression. Therefore, the list of possible suspects is seriously long, but the perps did a good job. No clues. The County Sheriff's station in Bakersfield, an hour and a half away sends up a couple of detectives to do some detecting. Fat lot of good THAT did. Still no clues.
But of course, if you do the scut work, and have some patience, things start to turn up, little by little. And so they do, even in little Sierra Mountain Village.
Lots of interesting characters, and the story is told from the point of view of the second in command of the Security Patrol, Holly Seabright, an ex-cop who left the Arizona force a number of years before after being shot in a take down, then spending a lot of time in rehab, and finally deciding she wanted a more peaceful life. Couldn't get much more peaceful than Sierra Mountain Village. Well, up until the body parts turn up in the golf club lake ---- during a major festival weekend.
Exciting ---- and unexpected ending that will just knock your socks off! When I was done reading, I had to go searching around the room for my socks. So I recommend you read this excellent mystery barefoot.
Ok, so let's see. We've got the Security Patrol for the village, we've got a bunch of villagers, We've got a body. Well, parts of a body. We've got the hands and feet. And the head. What more do you want? Don't be so picky. You can't have everything.
So, it turns out the head belonged to the Mayor of the village, whom nobody liked, so most of them weren't all that broken up over seeing the Mayor being head over heels, if you will pardon the expression. Therefore, the list of possible suspects is seriously long, but the perps did a good job. No clues. The County Sheriff's station in Bakersfield, an hour and a half away sends up a couple of detectives to do some detecting. Fat lot of good THAT did. Still no clues.
But of course, if you do the scut work, and have some patience, things start to turn up, little by little. And so they do, even in little Sierra Mountain Village.
Lots of interesting characters, and the story is told from the point of view of the second in command of the Security Patrol, Holly Seabright, an ex-cop who left the Arizona force a number of years before after being shot in a take down, then spending a lot of time in rehab, and finally deciding she wanted a more peaceful life. Couldn't get much more peaceful than Sierra Mountain Village. Well, up until the body parts turn up in the golf club lake ---- during a major festival weekend.
Exciting ---- and unexpected ending that will just knock your socks off! When I was done reading, I had to go searching around the room for my socks. So I recommend you read this excellent mystery barefoot.
March 24, 2015
I am a tad confused on this book. After reading the reviews for it I could not wait to read it. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the entire story. After a man in the mountain village is found dismembered, the local police, security patrol, and out of town detectives come together to solve the grisly murder.
After forcing myself to finish the story I was at first hesitant to write a review but after thinking about it I figure it is owed to the author. In my opinion the story was all over the place and did not seem to have been edited at all. Full of sentences that made no sense, improper use of sentence structure, not to mention loads of misspelled words. I am the first to admit I am not a professional when it comes to writing, however I feel that issues in this story could be found easily by any reader of just about any level of schooling.
Character development in the story was for me nonexistent. Upon reading the entire story, I still have no idea who any of the characters really are. They are the same strangers they were when I first began the story. Part of this may have been due to the writers writing style. That in itself was something I did not enjoy and struggled to relate with. Jumping from one subject to another in what seems to me a haphazard manner was not enjoyable. Reading seemed like the author had taken bunches of notes, shuffled them together and then began to write in whatever order they came up from the stack.
The story plot was the only part of the story I did enjoy although I do feel it could have been put together better. Once again, the lack of any character development for me was a huge turnoff and if this had been done better it would have helped the plotline come together smoother.
After forcing myself to finish the story I was at first hesitant to write a review but after thinking about it I figure it is owed to the author. In my opinion the story was all over the place and did not seem to have been edited at all. Full of sentences that made no sense, improper use of sentence structure, not to mention loads of misspelled words. I am the first to admit I am not a professional when it comes to writing, however I feel that issues in this story could be found easily by any reader of just about any level of schooling.
Character development in the story was for me nonexistent. Upon reading the entire story, I still have no idea who any of the characters really are. They are the same strangers they were when I first began the story. Part of this may have been due to the writers writing style. That in itself was something I did not enjoy and struggled to relate with. Jumping from one subject to another in what seems to me a haphazard manner was not enjoyable. Reading seemed like the author had taken bunches of notes, shuffled them together and then began to write in whatever order they came up from the stack.
The story plot was the only part of the story I did enjoy although I do feel it could have been put together better. Once again, the lack of any character development for me was a huge turnoff and if this had been done better it would have helped the plotline come together smoother.
May 7, 2013
Payback in a new series written by Mar Preston who has three previous
mystery suspense novels set in the Santa Monica Police Department.
Payback is set in a fictional town called Sierra Mountain Village,
Preston says, somewhat like the place where she lives in California. In Payback the village residents relish the excitement of the grisly murder of a local politician, which provides endless speculation and gossip until the thrill becomes fear and dread of what is going to happen next.
Human nature is drawn here with an acid pen, both villains and the town residents. The Sheriff's Detective from Bakersfield is out of his depth and is forced to draw on the local knowledge of one of the town's patrol officers. This is tough for a big city boy and his prickly informant doesn't make it easy for him. There are thing about each other neither one knows, and that discovery leads to exciting possibilities.
Other reviewers have called this a page turner and I would agree.
mystery suspense novels set in the Santa Monica Police Department.
Payback is set in a fictional town called Sierra Mountain Village,
Preston says, somewhat like the place where she lives in California. In Payback the village residents relish the excitement of the grisly murder of a local politician, which provides endless speculation and gossip until the thrill becomes fear and dread of what is going to happen next.
Human nature is drawn here with an acid pen, both villains and the town residents. The Sheriff's Detective from Bakersfield is out of his depth and is forced to draw on the local knowledge of one of the town's patrol officers. This is tough for a big city boy and his prickly informant doesn't make it easy for him. There are thing about each other neither one knows, and that discovery leads to exciting possibilities.
Other reviewers have called this a page turner and I would agree.
November 28, 2013
Sierra Mountain Village (SMV) seems like the perfect small town. Quaint, peaceful, caring. Looks can be deceiving. The discovery of the town's mayor's body....well, most of it...leads to an uncovering of well-kept secrets and petty jealousies that seem to simmer in all small towns. Payback is a great mystery. I believe it is considered a police procedural but the setting (Sierra Mountain Village) and cast of characters felt a bit more like a cozy or a classic British village mystery. Nothing particularly graphic or gruesome but plenty of suspense. The lead character seemed to shift between (IMHO) Sheriff’s Detective Dex Stafford (an outsider in SMV) and Patrol Officer Holly Seabright ( from the village’s security force). I was fine with that as I grew to like them both and look forward to their further adventures.
The characters were well defined and never stereotypical. Great plot twists and red herrings along the way.
I can highly recommend Mar Preston's Payback.
The characters were well defined and never stereotypical. Great plot twists and red herrings along the way.
I can highly recommend Mar Preston's Payback.
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January 2, 2016ex-cop and security patrol officer Holly Seabright spends most of her days on call, dealing with snakes, barking dogs, and the occasional fistfight to break up. Not much happens in the sleepy little town of Sierra Mountain Village. until one day a local kid spots body parts in the pond at the golf course and everything changes in a heart beat. the alert of a murder brings into the sleepy little town County Sheriff Homicide Detective Dex Stafford into Holly town and her investigation. which is now his investigation and he sees her as a just another wannabe rent a cop.
Holly is a really great character and thought out very well. Holly was a cop before until she was put off the force after an accident torn a bullet thought he shoulder and left her at the bottom of a bottle.
Holly is a really great character and thought out very well. Holly was a cop before until she was put off the force after an accident torn a bullet thought he shoulder and left her at the bottom of a bottle.
November 29, 2013
In a small mountain village in California dismembered body parts are found during Oktoberfest. The local security patrol calls in homicide detectives and the search for a murderer begins. This story is a police procedural with a dash of romance. The murderer is not exposed in the beginning leaving the reader to wait quite awhile as the story unfolds. This book includes a desire for love, finding of love, forest fires, an abused animal saved, good hearted and not so good hearted people and an ultimate ending that will satisfy any reader.
May 16, 2014
Payback by Mar Preston was a very good mystery. There was suspense, mystery, twists and turns on every other page. The mystery and suspense was carried out throughout the whole book. I never did figure out who the murderers were, I found out when it was revealed at the end of the book. The characters were well developed and realistic, having the ups and downs we all have in life. The writing style flowed easily and was an easy read. I would recommend this book to any one who likes a well written mystery with twists and turns galore. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
October 19, 2013
This author knows how to set up a plot. And her characters have great dimension to them so that I feel like I wandered into town as a small-time newspaper reporter and started meeting these people. In Payback (Sierra Mountain Village series) by Mar Preston we are treated to a real mystery after a grizzly murder and all the complications the author can dream up. Yet somehow she pulls it all together to make this an intense but readable book. Recommended 5-stars.
October 22, 2013
I was entertained and enjoyed the book very much. The narrative was funny and amusing. I enjoyed each character, as distinctive as they were, and what they had going on throughout the story. I often rate a book by my willingness to pick it up at night before I go to sleep. And, that I did, usually reading later than I had planned. So, I would say a good read for anyone.
June 29, 2013
I received a free copy for an honest review from Mar. I really enjoyed reading this book. Great characters and storyline. I can add Mar Preston to my favourite authors along with James Patterson and Lee Child. Great Book can't wait to read the next chapter in Dex Stafford's story!
October 23, 2013
I loved this book! A very well written story and a page turner for sure. I read it in two sittings, I didn't want to put it down, though. I highly recommend this book. It's a great read for everyone and I will definitely read other stories by this author. Well done!
February 11, 2014
It's an Oktoberfest celebration in Sierra Mountain Village, California, where a murder investigation starts when the hands and feet of the victim are found by one of the town children. Then more is found on the seat of a golf cart.
Liked the characters and storyline
Liked the characters and storyline
April 6, 2013
Great story. Well written with believable human characters. Preston has delivered. Again.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews