Dead End

Dead #4

by Mariah Stewart

Bestselling author Mariah Stewart proved she can knock 'em dead with the best when she delivered the resounding one-two-three punch of her suspense "thrillogy"—Dead Wrong, Dead Certain, and Dead Even. Now, in her anticipated hardcover debut, she' s back to finish off this stunning series with her hottest shot yet.
When FBI agent Dylan Shields was killed in an undercover drug deal two years ago, his colleague (and fiancée) Annie Marie McCall was left alone with too many unanswered questions—and nothing to do but hit the job as hard as she could to escape the pain.

Only now is Annie allowing herself a chance at happiness, thanks to detective Evan Crosby. But before embracing a bright new future, she must grapple with a dangerous past and the demons that won't let her sleep. Maneuvering through a minefield of deadly threats and betrayals, Annie draws nearer to connecting a face to the trigger finger that blew away her dreams—and Dylan. What she doesn't know is that the killer she's closing in on is looking for closure too—the kind that only Annie's death can bring.

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Crime

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Mariah Stewart is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of forty-one novels and three novellas and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal. She is a RITA finalist in romantic suspense and the recipient of the Award of Excellence for contemporary romance, a RIO Award for excellence in women's fiction, and a Reviewers Choice Award from Romantic Times Magazine. A three-time winner of the Golden Leaf Award presented by the New Jersey Romance Writers, Stewart was recently awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award (which placed her in their Hall of Fame along with former recipients Nora Roberts and Mary Jo Putney — very excellent company, indeed!)

After having written seven contemporary romance novels, Stewart found true happiness writing murder and mayhem. She considers herself one lucky son of a gun to have landed the best job in the world: getting paid for making up stories. At home. In sweats and J. Crew flip flops. Could life be sweeter?

Reviews

[CD {Boulder Blvd} · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in a series with a lot of returning characters. It is best to read the prior books and even with reading them back to back, some of the characters seem underdeveloped. I also had a hard time throughout this 4 book series to figure out exactly what department(s) within the FBI these characters worked for.

I had a few problems at the beginning of the story with Annie and Dylan's relationship. He goes to her sister's wedding and she ignores him to spend the evening with her dead fiancé's family. And he's the jerk for getting pissed? She had no clue when he left because she totally ignored his presence. He may have said some things but her behavior was pretty bad and not recognized as such. It was hard to be pro them as a couple.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven't read the first three books in Mariah Stewarts "DEAD" series--DEAD WRONG, DEAD CERTAIN, and DEAD EVEN--go pick up a copy today. Although not necessary to enjoy DEAD END, you'll get a much better feel for some of the main characters--plus just three really good reads--if you read the other books first.

That said, DEAD END centers around Dr. Anne Marie McCall, an FBI profiler, and her new love, police Detective Evan Crosby. At a mutual friend's wedding, Evan is surprised over the jealousy he feels by how close Annie still is with the Shields family. Her fiancé, undercover agent Dylan Shields, was murdered two years ago during a covert op. The Shields family, with its many children all in FBI positions, is a close-knit one who still has a place for the memory of what Annie and Dylan were to each other.

Evan, attempting to get over his jealousy but knowing that Annie will never be at peace until she knows what really happened to Dylan, suggests that they take one last look at the file on his death--hoping that maybe this one last shot might provide Annie with the closure she needs, and that a new set of eyes might come up with new leads in the investigation.

What they uncover are more questions, missing files, and situations that prove more and more dangerous. Who was really the intended victim that night? Does the locale of Dylan's death have something to do with the current case Evan is working on? Why are members of the extended Shields family ending up in questioning situations?

Ms. Stewart has written another winner. I'm sad to see the "DEAD" series end, but I was happy to see that with the release of DEAD END all the questions from the last three books were answered. A real winner, you won't want to miss this book. It's an excellent offering in the romantic suspense genre!

[Barbara ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

FBI profiler Annie McCall finally gets her man. The surprises in this one are downright shocking! I figured out who Dylan's killer was early on but was intrigued how the author brought it to light.

Two years after her fiance's death (Dylan), Annie is still devastated and unable to get on with her life and romance with Evan Crosby, a cop in Philadelphia. Evan is determined to solve Dylan's murder for some closure for Annie. Of course, Evan has a full plate with a serial killer stalking his town. Somehow his case and Dylan's death intersect and all the questions bring the killer out of hiding.

Another excellent6 story by Mariah Stewart. I'll read anything she writes. They are always different but shocking and interesting as hell.

[OzGirl317 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just started reading the 4th book in this series - and after reading all the 'Chesapeake/Home' series by Mariah Stewart, the Shields family in this series marries into the Chesapeake series - Grady Shields in 'Coming Home'. I was shocked, yet also pleasantly surprised that the characters have jumped across the the 2 series (and for true fans, I am sure they will have realised this as well!)

Okay! I have read this book in one sitting, and have to say that it wraps up the series, and also resolves a lot of questions raised in 'Coming Home' in a solid way!

I thouroughly enjoyed it.

[Ayu Wirdha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Semestinya baca seri ini terlebih dulu (khususnya buku 4 ini) sebelum masuk ke seri Last dan Chesapeake karena benang merahnya ada disini. Karena saya baca buku ini terakhir jadinya malah jadi kurang misteri lagi siapa penjahatnya. Tetapi menjadi lebih mengerti emosi dan kesedihan yang dialami oleh keluarga Shields dimana salah satu diantaranya menjadi penghianat yang tidak segan-segan membunuh sepupunya, ikut andil juga membunuh istri kakaknya sendiri. Keluarga Shields ini terdiri dari kakak beradik Thomas dan Frank dimana keduanya mempunyai total 8 anak yang kesemuanya berkecimpung di FBI seperti ayah mereka. Semua dibuatkan cerita tersendiri walau di seri yang berbeda.

Annie seorang profiler FBI mencoba menelusuri kematian tunangannya Dylan Shields pada saat penggebrekan narkoba. Saat itu adik Dylan, Aidan juga menderita luka parah. Dua tahun berikutnya dengan support Shields Family tetap tidak ditemukan siapa yang bertanggungjawab atas tewasnya Dylan. Annie yang dibantu teman dekatnya Evan, seorang detektif pembunuhan mencoba mencari sudut pandang baru. Evan sendiri juga mesti mencari siapa pembunuhan berantai gadis-gadis abege. Ditambah kakak Annie yang menikah dengan Aidan yang membuat Annie tidak dapat terlepas dari keluarga Shields yang membuat Evan merasa tersisih. Btw, endingnya agak antiklimaks dengan langsung tertembaknya Brendan oleh sesama temen FBI yang sekaligus sebagai mitra bisnis prostitusi anak. Jadi tidak ada kesempatan menanyai motif Brendan setega itu. Hal inilah yang menjadi beban berat keluarga Shields yang tersisa ketika mereka menjalani karir di FBI. Adegan romance-nya bersih mungkin karena lebih fokus ke penyelidikan kriminalnya.

3,5🌟

[Cindy (BKind2Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good conclusion to the series. I definitely recommend reading these in order to get the most out of them. I will say that this one is more on the thriller/suspense (versus romance) end of the spectrum, and that's fine with me. I think that more romance would have detracted from the serious themes (child slavery / sex trafficking) that the characters are dealing with.

There were a few things that require a suspension of disbelief. The way that Annie is pulled into her former fiancee's family at a wedding where she's with her current main squeeze, Evan. The way that the characters (mostly FBI, but also other law enforcement types) can just go at the drop of a hat across country. The FBI's apparent overstepping in international cases - I understand that they do have operations in other countries but I thought that it was mostly consultative or involved in the protection of US citizens and not operational.

It was written in the mid-2000's, so some of the action is a little dated. Lots of maps. Some cell phone use but not like smart phones with information at your fingertips. One of the characters gets a fax of some info and wonders "How did anyone ever get anything done without all of this modern technology?" (Snort. Yep, faxes were a thing back then, but that comment did not age well.)

Overall, this was a good series and I don't regret reading it.

[Christie Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead End

Man oh man oh man. I like to think that Brendan got roped into a security detail and didn't realize what it was for. Then he was trapped because no matter what he was looking at time, and when the money started rolling in he got off track and lost in the mess of it all. He had to clean up some loose ends and ended up killing Dylan. He didn't particularly want to kill Connor at first but things kept escalating with every question Connor has asked. So he messed up and got pulled further away from his family. Not saying he wasn't wrong but that I don't think he started out bad. It just got out of control and Luther didn't help things. But anyway....I love Annie and Evan and all the other characters I've been reading from the beginning.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explosive Police\FBI suspense!

A great series of suspense, FBI, home town cops, and city cops going thru the motions of how they solve a case.
Who will be the next to die?
A Dectective, a FBI Profiler, a bit of romance, an unsolved death, a serial killer on the loose and more.
This book pulls all the loose threads together.
But who actually shot FBI Special Agent Dylan Shields? A shocking conclusion?
Engaging read.
Well written.
Only issue would have loved this book 4 and the 3rd Death Series book on Audible please!!!

[Helen Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Evan Crosby, a Pennsylvania police department detective, vows to find the murderer of six teenage girls; 3 from wealthy families, and 3 who are apparently part of a prostitution ring supplied by children stolen in Central American countries. Evan's girlfriend, an FBI profiler, is involved in a case of her own, which eventually turns out to coincide with Evan's. The novel is very suspenseful at first, but lacks depth in the final chapters.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed this crime drama series. Book 4 was my least favorite though. It didn’t follow the same pattern as the others and it honestly just seemed sloppy. The ending seemed like the author just gave up and the climax was just bland. There are also a lot of characters who don’t get resolution.

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, engaging read. Continues to build upon the cast of characters from the last 3 novels. Could be read as a stand alone. I enjoyed this book, but at times it felt a little rushed. I could see these characters/books made into a tv show.

[Ada Iaboni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book very well. But gave it 3 stars because, once again, the ending lacked drama and the finality that makes you want to jump up and down. I've enjoyed Ms Stewart's books but on some occasions she lakes that big bang finish that makes you say: "can't wait for the next one!"

[Emily Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no idea how I didn’t know this was connected to Grady from the Chesapeake diarie series !!!!

I loved hearing more of the back story and a lot of returning characters too ! So good. Glad I read !

[Nell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great ending to the mini series within a series. Hope to see more of them in the next mini series...

[Cruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story with enough romance to make it a romantic suspense. Links firmly with other stories in the series, many references to past and future MCs and storylines.

[Mindy Cossins · Rating 4 out of 5]

this one was hard to put down since it was the last one out of 4 books and you knew all the characters so well
except for the last part of who did it

[Sharyn Wheatley]

Very very good

[Jennifer Lord · Rating 4 out of 5]

her three other books for this series were good I didn't like this one.

[Clair H. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead Series

Great series. Easy flowing read that you get into right from the start.After reading the first book I just had to read the rest.

[Dotti Elrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Anne Marie McCall is a profiler with the FBI. She has seen a lot in her career. Dealt with the kidnapping of her young niece, two separate attempts on her sisters life and buried her fiance, FBI agent Dylan Shields. Now Annie has been lucky enough to fall in love for a second time. This time with her long time friend and detective Evan Crosby.
Evan would like to move their relationship forward, but Annie just doesn't seem to be able to put the death of Dylan behind her. Evan knows until she finds closure, she will always wonder what really happened to Dylan and his brother Adian on that undercover mission.
So Evan suggests they take one more look into the case, see if new eyes can catch something others have missed.
Meanwhile, Evan is pulled into a case where young school aged girls are being kidnapped and murdered. This case hits Evan hard and he pours everything into it. Makes it his personal mission to bring this killer to justice. Little does he know that as his case runs it's course, it starts to parallel the investigation into Dylan's shooting. Similar locations, and names seem to be prominent in both cases. By the time they put Dylan's case to rest and find the man killing these young girls, they discover in both cases the killers are much closer than they would ever have expected.
Dead End brings to a close the "Dead" series. I have enjoyed all four books in this series. It wraps up some questions posed in the first book. Brings one family some closure and heartbreak to another. It does not have to be read as part of the series, it can be read on it's own. You are given plenty of back story to get up to speed with the story. I really enjoyed this book.

[Mo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many characters, too much unnecessary information, and even though it was the shortest book in the series, it felt too long.

Sean Mercer & Greer Kennedy's family tree situation (in book 2) was never resolved in this series, so why was it even brought up at all? Each of the other side stories' loose ends got tied up, so why not that one?

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my least favorite of the series. I kept reading just to get thru it. It was good to see how she tied the loose ends together, but I almost think it could have been done in the 3rd book. But that's me. Other reviewers indicate it was their favorite.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the last of its series. As a sequel, I didn't like it. It seemed too divorced from what came before. It could easily be read as a stand-alone book, in which case it would be okay. This was a lesser effort from most of her writing, but still she is good and it comes through.

[Dave Thorner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like this book. It seemed to me like a child wrote it. The characters were fairly unbelievable, boring and unrealistic. The story was predictable so much so that I knew the ending about 1/4 of the way into the book.

[Biba · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, I loved Annie and Evan. It was good to finally have a closure to Dylan's death. I just wish there was an epilogue, but hopefully we will learn more about them and everyone from this series in other books. On to the next one.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. Predictable. Part of a series that overall is pretty good.

[~stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good read, but didn't really follow with the first three in the series. It was pretty unrelated.

[Jennifer]

I swear I read this one, but I can't remember what it's about. Looks like it's back on my "to-read" list.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoy this series.

[Lynn Calvin]

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