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Dead Ringers #1-3
Dead Ringers: Volumes 1-3
A paranormal mystery serial for young adults on up. All nine 25,000-word volumes now available individually and in boxed sets of three!
Dead Ringers 1: ILLUSION
Jade Greene’s memories of the two days she went missing are slowly returning, but they involve a blinding headache and an evil clown with a syringe. Not exactly the stuff of sanity.
Dead Ringers 2: INVERTIGO
Max Harper insists Jade’s best chance to find out why she remembers so little of her abduction is to team up with him. But can she trust him?
Dead Ringers 3: THE SPIDER
Someone in Midway Beach isn’t who they seem and unless Jade and Max can figure out what’s going on, they could become the next victims.
Dead Ringers 1: ILLUSION
Jade Greene’s memories of the two days she went missing are slowly returning, but they involve a blinding headache and an evil clown with a syringe. Not exactly the stuff of sanity.
Dead Ringers 2: INVERTIGO
Max Harper insists Jade’s best chance to find out why she remembers so little of her abduction is to team up with him. But can she trust him?
Dead Ringers 3: THE SPIDER
Someone in Midway Beach isn’t who they seem and unless Jade and Max can figure out what’s going on, they could become the next victims.
- GenresMystery
244 pages, Paperback
First published July 26, 2013
31 people are currently reading
858 people want to read
About the author
Darlene Gardner
90 books46 followersDarlene Gardner left her life as a newspaper sportswriter behind for love and romance. She has more than 30 books in print, from single-title romantic comedies to emotionally charged family dramas. She’s currently self publishing updated editions from her backlist and working on a series of Young Adult romances with paranormal elements. That is, when she’s not playing tennis.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 1, 2016
There are a lot of things going on in this book. Hang on and see if you can keep up. Jade Green is an 18-year-old resident of the small vacation town of Midway Beach. Jade is a fan of horror movies and books.
I like that the serial is written from her point of view, to the point that she tells us what
she would like to say to the people and not just what she actually says. Jade talks like a teenager, and sometimes uses a bit of crude language. Her life is complicated….
Jade Green knows she was abducted, and can’t remember what happened during the two days she was missing. Trouble is, no one believes that she was missing. That’s not the only complication in her life though. Jade’s mom is a paranoid schizophrenic and took off for 6 months, during which time her step-father was arrested and jailed for armed robbery. Now her mother has returned and is telling Jade she is in danger - “Not my enemies”… “Yours.”
Then there’s the handsome Max Harper. He’s missing a couple of days too, so he and Jade team up to figure out what happened. But is Max who he truly claims to be? When he suggests that they let people think they are dating each other so they can work together on the why they were abducted, Jade agrees, but only to using it as a cover. My favourite quote of the book is Max’s response to this. “If I have to be a fake boyfriend,” he says with gusto, “I’m gonna be the best fake boyfriend I can be.”
Jade and Max get caught up in murders, bomb scares, and memory flashbacks of their abductions as they seek to figure out what happened to them. There are so many plot twists and turns that you’ll want to keep reading until you’ve finished the entire book. While working to discover their mystery, they discover what happened to the “Black Widow” and they believe that what happened to her is related to their disappearances. This twist in the plot is not something could have been predicted.
Since this is the first three installments in a nine installment serial, the story is not yet complete. You’ll need to read the rest to discover all that is going on. However, the book did end at a point where there were some conclusions to the mysteries, but then Darlene Gardner leaves us with a new one.
This book was an amazing mix of genres, a little romance, a lot of mystery, some fantasy or paranormal. It was a very fascinating read. While I didn’t care for some of the language, I would read this book again. I gave it 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley who provided me with a free copy of the book in exchange for my fair and honest review. A free copy does not influence my opinion. All thoughts are my own.
I like that the serial is written from her point of view, to the point that she tells us what
she would like to say to the people and not just what she actually says. Jade talks like a teenager, and sometimes uses a bit of crude language. Her life is complicated….
Jade Green knows she was abducted, and can’t remember what happened during the two days she was missing. Trouble is, no one believes that she was missing. That’s not the only complication in her life though. Jade’s mom is a paranoid schizophrenic and took off for 6 months, during which time her step-father was arrested and jailed for armed robbery. Now her mother has returned and is telling Jade she is in danger - “Not my enemies”… “Yours.”
Then there’s the handsome Max Harper. He’s missing a couple of days too, so he and Jade team up to figure out what happened. But is Max who he truly claims to be? When he suggests that they let people think they are dating each other so they can work together on the why they were abducted, Jade agrees, but only to using it as a cover. My favourite quote of the book is Max’s response to this. “If I have to be a fake boyfriend,” he says with gusto, “I’m gonna be the best fake boyfriend I can be.”
Jade and Max get caught up in murders, bomb scares, and memory flashbacks of their abductions as they seek to figure out what happened to them. There are so many plot twists and turns that you’ll want to keep reading until you’ve finished the entire book. While working to discover their mystery, they discover what happened to the “Black Widow” and they believe that what happened to her is related to their disappearances. This twist in the plot is not something could have been predicted.
Since this is the first three installments in a nine installment serial, the story is not yet complete. You’ll need to read the rest to discover all that is going on. However, the book did end at a point where there were some conclusions to the mysteries, but then Darlene Gardner leaves us with a new one.
This book was an amazing mix of genres, a little romance, a lot of mystery, some fantasy or paranormal. It was a very fascinating read. While I didn’t care for some of the language, I would read this book again. I gave it 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley who provided me with a free copy of the book in exchange for my fair and honest review. A free copy does not influence my opinion. All thoughts are my own.
January 28, 2014
My copy was provided to me by Netgalley.
This book reeled me in. It practically sucked me in right from the start. A good book must always start off interesting even if it becomes boring in the middle just so it grabs your attention and makes you want to read more.
Some books start off boring with everyday, mundane things. Well, not this. It starts off with Jade learning she was missing for two days and all she can remember is the sound of an animal whining and a creepy clown plunging a syringe into her.
Now, after learning this, I couldn't wait to read more! This is the type of book that absolutely engrosses me. I love mysteries and trying to figure out who killed who, who is the traitor, etc. This book didn't disappoint with its number of suspects.
All three books were filled with suspense, mystery, and cliffhangers. Good thing I got three books or I would have died after the first one. The plot twists kept these books absolutely unpredictable and kept me excited the whole time. I was never bored while reading these books.
There are TV shows or books where you can guess almost instantly who the killer is. Not these books. You think someone is suspicious and then you get lots of evidence on him until it turns out it was someone totally different. I kept guessing myself and wondering what the heck was happening, but in a good way.
The characters also had some depth. Jade had feelings and felt scared. She wasn't a typical teenage bimbo who screams and gets killed first. She never stopped trying to find answers even when she thought she was going crazy. The only thing I didn't like about her was how she got herself into dangerous situations without thinking about the consequences or thinking that she might die.
It was the sidekicks, the side characters I didn't connect with. Jade's friends and enemies didn't really invoke any feelings in me. They were just kinda there and I forgot who they were and messed up their names.
This book got kinda weird during the third book. It only confused me because I wasn't expecting it at all and it wasn't at all what I expected. I didn't like the plot twist until it all made sense to me and it tied up some loose ends as well.
This book reeled me in. It practically sucked me in right from the start. A good book must always start off interesting even if it becomes boring in the middle just so it grabs your attention and makes you want to read more.
Some books start off boring with everyday, mundane things. Well, not this. It starts off with Jade learning she was missing for two days and all she can remember is the sound of an animal whining and a creepy clown plunging a syringe into her.
Now, after learning this, I couldn't wait to read more! This is the type of book that absolutely engrosses me. I love mysteries and trying to figure out who killed who, who is the traitor, etc. This book didn't disappoint with its number of suspects.
All three books were filled with suspense, mystery, and cliffhangers. Good thing I got three books or I would have died after the first one. The plot twists kept these books absolutely unpredictable and kept me excited the whole time. I was never bored while reading these books.
There are TV shows or books where you can guess almost instantly who the killer is. Not these books. You think someone is suspicious and then you get lots of evidence on him until it turns out it was someone totally different. I kept guessing myself and wondering what the heck was happening, but in a good way.
The characters also had some depth. Jade had feelings and felt scared. She wasn't a typical teenage bimbo who screams and gets killed first. She never stopped trying to find answers even when she thought she was going crazy. The only thing I didn't like about her was how she got herself into dangerous situations without thinking about the consequences or thinking that she might die.
It was the sidekicks, the side characters I didn't connect with. Jade's friends and enemies didn't really invoke any feelings in me. They were just kinda there and I forgot who they were and messed up their names.
This book got kinda weird during the third book. It only confused me because I wasn't expecting it at all and it wasn't at all what I expected. I didn't like the plot twist until it all made sense to me and it tied up some loose ends as well.
January 28, 2014
Sometimes I read so much YA that I need something different. I don't want you average love story. What grasped me from day one with the Dead Ringers series was the main character Jade and the opening scene. A good book needs to grip you or reel you in within the first few chapters and Dead Ringers did exactly that for me within 1.
I also loved the depth to the characters. With the exception of Jade, just when you think you have them sussed out and their motives, you then have the carpet pulled out from underneath you - that makes a good author.
This book is full of surprise, there are cliff hangers and mysteries a foot. I loved the plot twists and turns but most of all I loved Jade. She is exceptionally well written. You can feel her age, yet see she's turning into an adult and working through her thoughts and feelings (Even with the hint of being juvenile still).
After reading the first 3 volumes of this series I am not waiting (Not so patiently) for the next set. The cliff hanger on the last few pages really annoyed me! To leave you there wondering about that person (I don't want to give stuff away with my reviews!)... Well, I had a feeling it was going to happen lets just say, but still Darlene Gardener was mean to do it on Volume 3 with no release date for Volume 4!!
If you are looking for a Young Adult book filled with Mystery, some exciting action, humour and a little love and intrigue - this is for you! I gave this series 4 out of 5 stars and cannot wait for the next instalments!
Review also featured on my blog - http://www.bewitchedbooks.co.uk/
I also loved the depth to the characters. With the exception of Jade, just when you think you have them sussed out and their motives, you then have the carpet pulled out from underneath you - that makes a good author.
This book is full of surprise, there are cliff hangers and mysteries a foot. I loved the plot twists and turns but most of all I loved Jade. She is exceptionally well written. You can feel her age, yet see she's turning into an adult and working through her thoughts and feelings (Even with the hint of being juvenile still).
After reading the first 3 volumes of this series I am not waiting (Not so patiently) for the next set. The cliff hanger on the last few pages really annoyed me! To leave you there wondering about that person (I don't want to give stuff away with my reviews!)... Well, I had a feeling it was going to happen lets just say, but still Darlene Gardener was mean to do it on Volume 3 with no release date for Volume 4!!
If you are looking for a Young Adult book filled with Mystery, some exciting action, humour and a little love and intrigue - this is for you! I gave this series 4 out of 5 stars and cannot wait for the next instalments!
Review also featured on my blog - http://www.bewitchedbooks.co.uk/
October 15, 2018
I left my reviews broken out with each book of the series 1, 2 and 3.
Overall, my rating is 3 stars - for each book
The first book, Illusion intro's Jade and her story. Her lost days and her confusion and alarm that no one believes her, not knowing what's happened and her worry about her mother's growing schizophrenia. her life is a little crazy
with Invertigo & The Spider you get to know the characters even more AND the answers start getting revealed. The story takes a lot of twist and turns, but I was okay with all of them - because the writing is really smooth and easy to read and I really liked the characters by the time it got crazy. This is not typically something I would enjoy, but I really did love it.
I will definitely keep reading the series!
Overall, my rating is 3 stars - for each book
The first book, Illusion intro's Jade and her story. Her lost days and her confusion and alarm that no one believes her, not knowing what's happened and her worry about her mother's growing schizophrenia. her life is a little crazy
with Invertigo & The Spider you get to know the characters even more AND the answers start getting revealed. The story takes a lot of twist and turns, but I was okay with all of them - because the writing is really smooth and easy to read and I really liked the characters by the time it got crazy. This is not typically something I would enjoy, but I really did love it.
I will definitely keep reading the series!
November 4, 2016
I received a free ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Illusion
Jade has lost forty-eight hours of her life; she believes that she was kidnapped but no one else believes that except Max. At first she thinks that he might be involved in kidnapping her but she also seems to have these feelings for him...
Invertigo
Max and Jade both find the Black Widow's dead body. And everybody in town is very intrigued by the Black Widow. Jade later finds out that Max was also kidnapped and maybe kept in some place similar to her. And with all these dead bodies, Jade and Max seem to think they might possibly be linked in some way.
The Spider
Jade continues to be suspicious of Max despite her feelings for him. And while there are more dead bodies coming up, Max and Jade both find out that the Black Widow might still be alive, but in another's body!
I quite enjoyed these books; the suspense and romance really got me hooked.
Illusion
Jade has lost forty-eight hours of her life; she believes that she was kidnapped but no one else believes that except Max. At first she thinks that he might be involved in kidnapping her but she also seems to have these feelings for him...
Invertigo
Max and Jade both find the Black Widow's dead body. And everybody in town is very intrigued by the Black Widow. Jade later finds out that Max was also kidnapped and maybe kept in some place similar to her. And with all these dead bodies, Jade and Max seem to think they might possibly be linked in some way.
The Spider
Jade continues to be suspicious of Max despite her feelings for him. And while there are more dead bodies coming up, Max and Jade both find out that the Black Widow might still be alive, but in another's body!
I quite enjoyed these books; the suspense and romance really got me hooked.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2013
Dead Ringers by Darlene Gardner
Volumes 1-3
This YA mystery series of novella’s by Darlene Gardner was just ok for me. I love YA and mystery, but I couldn’t connect with the characters in this series. I loved the black widow murder and the who-done-it aspect. The plot was interesting and well thought out. The characters were lacking depth and that spark that usually draws me in. I was difficult for me to be totally involved with this one. I really was hoping for more of a connection between Jade and Max.
This review is also posted on my blog
Volumes 1-3
This YA mystery series of novella’s by Darlene Gardner was just ok for me. I love YA and mystery, but I couldn’t connect with the characters in this series. I loved the black widow murder and the who-done-it aspect. The plot was interesting and well thought out. The characters were lacking depth and that spark that usually draws me in. I was difficult for me to be totally involved with this one. I really was hoping for more of a connection between Jade and Max.
This review is also posted on my blog
July 22, 2014
What a cliff hanger of an ending. I have to read the next book.
It was slow to begin with but from 7 chapters in it began to pick up pace and turned into a page-turner. A mystery needing solving.
I really enjoyed the book, the characters were good and bad. A good, bad if you know what I mean.
Loved it...
Just purchased the next 3 books on my kindle...
Gonna be up late reading these...
It was slow to begin with but from 7 chapters in it began to pick up pace and turned into a page-turner. A mystery needing solving.
I really enjoyed the book, the characters were good and bad. A good, bad if you know what I mean.
Loved it...
Just purchased the next 3 books on my kindle...
Gonna be up late reading these...
November 6, 2016
Kidnapping to Mind swapping
I gave this set of books a rating of 5 because I love them . They had a lot of suspense and mystery to them. Jade has a lot going on. She starting to wonder who she can trust, because of everything that has been going on. Also because no one believes that she was kidnapped for a period of time. I would recommend this set of books to anyone that loves reading mysteries.
I gave this set of books a rating of 5 because I love them . They had a lot of suspense and mystery to them. Jade has a lot going on. She starting to wonder who she can trust, because of everything that has been going on. Also because no one believes that she was kidnapped for a period of time. I would recommend this set of books to anyone that loves reading mysteries.
October 11, 2013
It was compelling! I couldn't put the book down. It left you wanting more. I can't wait until volume 4 comes out!
January 11, 2017
Review to come.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews