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Cat Dupree #3

Bad Penny

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The scar across her neck ties her to the past.

Cat Dupree would love nothing more than to settle down and build a life with fellow bounty hunter Wilson McKay. But Soloman Tutuola — the man who murdered her father and slashed her throat when she was thirteen — haunts her even from the grave.

An investigator from Mexico is tracking down the person who is responsible for Tutuola's death — and the trail leads directly to Cat. To add to her bad luck, a junkie with a vendetta is stalking Wilson and is willing to kill anyone who gets in the way of his revenge.

Desperate to start their future together, Cat and Wilson turn the manhunt around — vowing to do whatever it takes to find freedom from the past and the scars that have damaged them both.

379 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 2008

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About the author

Sharon Sala

280 books2,304 followers

Biography



Sharon Sala is a Native Oklahoman and still lives within a two hour drive of where she was born.
First published in 1991, she is a New York Times/USA Today, best-selling author with a 135 plus books published in seven different genres, including Romantic suspense, Mystery, Young Adult, Western, Fiction, Women’s Fiction and Non-Fiction.

Industry Awards include:
Eight-time RITA finalist. (Romance Industry award)
The Janet Dailey Award.
Five-time Career Achievement winner from RT Magazine.
Five time winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award.
Five time winner of the Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence.
Heart of Excellence Award.,
Booksellers Best Award.
Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award RITA, presented by RWA.
Centennial Award from RWA for recognition of her 100th published novel.


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5 stars
681 (51%)
4 stars
397 (29%)
3 stars
207 (15%)
2 stars
33 (2%)
1 star
14 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
Profile Image for jenjn79.
723 reviews266 followers
October 22, 2008
Ever since reading the other 2 Cat Dupree books (Nine Lives and Cut Throat), I've been anxiously awaiting this book. Actually, when I finished Cut Throat, I was a bit disappointed because the ending was not very satisfying and I thought that was the end of Cat and Wilson. But then I saw that there was a 3rd book to come out featuring the two, and felt immensely relieved because even after 2 books, the story of Cat and Wilson didn't feel finished. Bad Penny rectifies all that and left me with a happy, satisfied feeling.

In order for this book to make sense, you really need to have read the other 2 books in the series. They are very closely tied together - with a 3 book romance and continuing storylines - and many things will be confusing if you jump in on the 3rd book.

Bad Penny concludes the saga of tragic heroine bounty hunter Cat Dupree and fellow bounty hunter Wilson McKay. At the end of Cut Throat, things are left a bit open ended (I won't say why so as not to spoil anyone) and this book picks up a short time after the last one ended. Cat and Wilson are settling into life together, but it seems like bad things keep happening to them...Cat has about the worst luck of any character I've ever read. But to make things worse, events from both their pasts come back to haunt them. A deranged druggie is intent on killing Wilson, and the Mexican police want to question Cat regarding the death of Soloman Tutuola - the man who murdered her father and cut her throat when she was just thirteen. And it seems like the happy future they are planning is going to fall completely apart. But neither will go down without a fight. They'll do anything to save their future together.

One of the things I loved about this book is that it almost has the feel of a really long, involved epilogue to the previous two books. Cat and Wilson are settled into their relationship, ready to move on to the next step and you get to read about their plans and their happiness. There's no angsty break-ups, fighting their feelings and whatnot. Their relationship in this book is just all about moving on to the future. And finally putting the past behind them - which means wrapping up the loose ends of the man who wants to kill Wilson, and Cat finally putting Soloman Tutuola behind her.

Cut Throat left readers feeling like there was a lot left undone, but Bad Penny solves all that. Any dissatisfaction I had with how book 2 ended was completely negated. And I enjoyed the flow of this book a lot. It's got its happy moments, its sad moments, its tense moments. I will say that Cat has to be the the biggest magnet for trouble ever. Bad things are constantly happening to her, especially in this book. And I did shake my head a little at the somewhat ridiculousness of it because it seems a bit unrealistic for someone to encounter that many problems, but at the same time, it was very fitting for her character. Plus is made the happy ending all that much sweeter.

I really don't have anything bad to say about this book. It had a fabulous romance. I loved Cat and Wilson, hated the fact that the book ended and this was last of them. It also had a good, engaging storyline that completely wrapped up any loose end from the series. And it left me smiling when I finished. What more could a romance reader ask for?

So for those of you who have read the other Cat Dupree books, I DEFINITELY recommend reading this one. And if you haven't read them, then go buy them and read the whole series! But if you do, don't be put off by the lack of a solid HEA in the first two, because Sala comes through in the end with the third book. And it was well worth the wait!
Profile Image for Carolyn.
2,233 reviews
June 15, 2022
This was a fantastic ending to a great series. Cat Dupree is such an unusual but memorable character. I just loved her. She never gave up, no matter what life threw at her. And Wilson was absolutely perfect for her. I will definitely be re-reading this series again.
Profile Image for D.B. Reynolds.
Author 39 books2,369 followers
October 11, 2017
First, this is a very unlucky couple. Between getting beaten and shot and ... a tornado, they've earned a peaceful life. But I can't quite buy Cat's 180 degree turn-around. She walks away from everything that defines her, and becomes a totally different person. The first two books are better.
102 reviews2 followers
August 18, 2017
I really liked this installment but then we finally got to see them act like a couple and start a life together which is what I most like to read. I only had two things that bugged me. First, if you're going to have a native Spanish speaker speak Spanish then for God's sake, make sure you're saying what you mean to say. "Bueno el diablo es muerte" means "Good, the devil is death" NOT "Good the devil is dead". Both sentences are grammatically correct but they don't mean the same thing. That might have been ok if the author hadn't right beneath written in English what she meant to say. That's a mistake my nephews who were born here in the US might make but it's a mistake no native speaker would make. So, please to any authors reading this, DON'T use a computer program to translators instead ask someone that speaks Spanish (and it seems to me there's always someone around who does) to do it. It might seem like a good thing to do to have books that are more diverse and inclusive but frankly, speaking as a native Spanish speaker, it's insulting more than anything else. It feels condescending and pandering. Sorry if it seems I'm going on and on but it really bothers me.
The other thing that bothered me was when at the end of the wedding said "what God had joined let no man torn asunder". It bothers me because a judge it's a government official and should thus end with "by the powers invested in me by the state of". Now this was set in Texas so they might do things differently there but as far as I know separation of church and state means a judge can't invoke god in civil ceremonies.
I know they're two small things that were really two lines out of the whole book but they were two things that completely took me out of the story and distracted me for at least five minutes each.
Other than those two things I really liked the conclusion to the trilogy.
Profile Image for Ellen Anderson.
1,251 reviews
August 10, 2019
My two cents...

This book and the entire Cat Dupree trilogy of novels were totally outstanding. I must admit I can't get enough of Sharon Sala's writing.
Profile Image for Gina.
447 reviews132 followers
November 20, 2008
Fast-paced, well written ending to an excellent trilogy!

Sala continues Cat’s story from the last novel. After Wilson’s shooting, they are now back at his parents wranch while he recuperates. Cat never understood how much Wilson actually meant to her until she almost lost him - and neither want to experience it again. Both have agreed to leave their bounty hunting careers behind and start fresh, with a family.

And while Cat doesn’t go looking for trouble, trouble sure finds her. First, she picks up a young hitchhicker with a bleeding nose and a fat lip. Seems she’s been taking abuse by her now ex-boyfriend and was headed for the station to buy a ticket and get out while she still could. However, the ex-boyfriend didn’t agree with that and went looking for her, continuously ramming Cat’s SUV with his truck. Thankfully, the worst were bruises.

A few days later, on the way back with parts for Wilson’s dad, Carter, a storm sweeps in, tornado and all. Cat gets caught up in it, literally. When Wilson goes looking for her in the aftermath, he finds his truck nose first into a pond. Twice he went down and back up, terrified. He can’t get the doors open; the truck is too far in the muck below. On his third attempt, he notices the windshield is gone, and so is Cat. The thought of losing her is unbearable, but he refuses to give up. Outside the pond, he finds a book, then a piece of was once her shirt, then finding Cat as she’s walking to him, completely naked and covered in muck, more bruises and cuts. Seems when the tornado sucked out the windshield of the truck, Cat was sucked out with it. All who hear/see the story believe it was nothing short of a miracle keeping her alive.

You’d think that would be enough - no way! While in the hardware store with Dorothy, Wilson’s mother, a crazy madman wielding a fun bursts in, intent on killing his ex-wife; if he can’t have her, no one can. Cat’s instincts kick into overdrive, knowing that once he shoots his wife, he’ll turn the gun on the rest of them. Pushing Dorothy down, she picks up a shovel and brains him; not once, but twice. The first to bring him down, the second to keep him down.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Franks, the man who shot Wilson is still at large and evading authorities. He’s on a mission - killing Wilson, and he’ll stop at nothing to accomplish it, mowing down anyone who stands in his way.

And while all this is going on, Homicide Detective Luis Montoya in Mexico, has been handed the Solomon Tutuola case; the man who Cat finally caught and killed for revenge in the last book, Cut Throat. He’s on a mission to find Tutuola’s killer. What he wasn’t prepared for was Cat.

This book was incredible, unputdownable, and fantastic! Not once did Cat and Wilson go looking for trouble, but trouble found them; they weren’t working on a case, they weren’t after bad men. All they wanted was to start a life of pure bliss together. But that trouble kept getting in the way. But even with all the trouble, we get good pieces of news along with sighs of happiness for them as well.

The characters are incredible! Cat, still as strong a woman as ever, finally realizing how much she really loves Wilson, and his family. She feels like a part of them, and now that Tutuola has been taking care of and her revenge is now at rest, neither are clouding her feelings anymore, and the love she feels for Wilson is deep and profound, nearly scaring her to death. Wilson, even while recovering from a near-fatal bullet wound, is determined to prove to Cat that she belongs with him and his family, that she deserves to be happy. You feel emotions so profound in this book, you choke up when Cat does. When Wilson thought he lost her after the tornado, the grief is unbearable, even to the reader. Jimmy’s determination to finish what he started is scary as hell. I’m most certainly glad I don’t have anyone like him after me or anyone I know. He gave me the creeps, big time. And even while trying to track down Tutuola’s killer, Detective Montoya has drama of his own in his life, with an upset wife, and the adoption of an 18-month-old baby girl.

Actions scenes left this reader breathless, wondering how many lives Cat actually has. And through it all, you’re rooting on Cat and Wilson. This story was incredible and the perfect ending to a wonderful trilogy. The epilogue had me smiling from the first sentence to the last. I’m so unbelievably glad that Cat has finally found happiness. She and Wilson are perfect for each other.
Profile Image for Wendy.
1,224 reviews13 followers
February 15, 2009
4.5 stars for this one. It is a fabulous read, but be warned, you really need to have read the other 2 books in this trilogy.

In actual fact this is more of a 3-book serial than a trilogy. The 3 books are so closely linked and follow directly from each other.

Bad penny concluded the trilogy very nicely. I completely agree with Isis' description that it was like one long epilogue. As soon as I read that comment of Isis, I completely agreed. The book was more a romance with a bit of suspense/drama thrown in. It was a completely satisfying end to a terrific trilogy.

I have to say, Sharon Sala writes an extremely touching dedication.
Profile Image for Cherise.
478 reviews52 followers
May 20, 2009
This book had a different feel to it than the first two books had. It lacked the edgier suspense filled ride that we got in the first ones. It was a little hokey here and there, especially in the dialogue, but a nice conclusion to a great series. I liked getting to be a part of Cat and Wilson's Happily Ever After.
Profile Image for Mary.
198 reviews2 followers
June 19, 2009
Another good book with my 2 favorite characters. Sharon Sala did a great job of winding up the story of Cat and Wilson. I couldn't put the book down.
Profile Image for Kari Ganske.
269 reviews26 followers
August 2, 2018
I picked this book up at a flea market having not read the others in the series. Since it just said "A Cat Dupree" novel, I figured it was one in a long series - like Stephanie Plum or Eve Dallas. I figured out about a 1/3 of the way through that this was actually the third and final book in a trilogy. Although I could follow the story and the author did a good job of briefly summarizing the main points of the other books, I definitely missed out on the character development that would have hopefully made me care more about the characters. As it was, I found that there was a lot of telling and all the showing the author did was superfluous. Twice Cat saves women from their murderous exes and those women and the exes are never mentioned again. I'm not sure what purpose these episodes added to the story and they seemed merely to serve to make the book longer than it needed to be. There was also a side story of the detective searching for her from Mexico that dragged on and added unnecessary events and details to this story. I found myself skipping a lot and not really missing any of the plot. Admittedly, this is partly my fault for not reading the first two in series, but in my defense, no where on this version does it say "third in a triology". And the added death-defying moments in the book would still be superfluous.
Profile Image for NayNay.
449 reviews31 followers
April 7, 2019
Fast-paced, well written ending to an entertaining trilogy!
Sharon Sala’s characters are incredible. Cat, still as strong a woman as ever, finally realizing how much she really loves Wilson, and his family. Wilson, he is determined to prove to Cat that she belongs with him and his family, that she deserves to be happy. The emotions are so profound in this book. The actions scenes leaves the reader breathless. this story was incredible and the perfect ending to a wonderful trilogy. I’m so glad that Cat and Wilson found happiness, they are perfect for each other.
181 reviews2 followers
August 7, 2019
Stupendous another Sharon Sala book

Cat Dupree was now Cat McCay, and she was carrying their baby. All that had brought her to this place was over, until the junkie that had tried to kill her husband was standing over her with a gun.
He tied her up, and taunted her, freeing herself she ran, the shot hit her, then hearing gunshots she came to with a Mexican policeman standing over her.
I won’t ruin it, read on my friends.
Profile Image for Debi.
374 reviews
December 15, 2021
The Best

Is thus great writing. I dont think so. Was this the Best Story Ever. You betcha. Sharon Sala tells a great story. I tend to lean towards fantasy and very rarely read contemporary novels. But Sharon Sala tells the best love stories without too much sex. Oh there a hot steamy side to these books but it's not the raison detre. I really lived this series and would highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Linda.
1,638 reviews
October 6, 2024
This was the third book in the Cat DuPree series and it finishes up all the stories and cases from the very beginning. Cats have nine lives but Catherine DuPree had used up almost all of hers but the future looks bright for her and Wilson. Nice finishing up all the loose ends in true romance fashion.
Profile Image for Jana Gundy.
1,919 reviews17 followers
May 26, 2018
Romantic suspense perfection!

This so the final book in the Cat Dupree series and while most things have been wrapped up, there are still a few loose ends that need to be finished. It was a great book full of what we come to expect in a romance and suspense.
Profile Image for ruby.
79 reviews
July 29, 2021
Nothing as spellbinding as one of Sharon Sala's masterpieces.

The charts come to life and you feel as though you are living a part of the story. You are silent!y praying the villain is taken out and Cat is safe.
Profile Image for Maggie Shanley.
1,601 reviews16 followers
February 27, 2022
This was the best in the Cat Dupree series because Cat finally stopped being an asshole to Wilson, but it was close. If there are more in this series I will read them, but will take a break for a while and try for something a bit different.
952 reviews2 followers
November 10, 2022
good way to end the trilogy

The story of Cat DuPree and Wilson McKay (Bounty Hunters) comes to a fulfilling end in this last book in the series. Truly enjoyed each from start to finish.
Profile Image for Betsy the Quilter.
160 reviews19 followers
March 14, 2023
Sad to see this series end...

I would have loved to have more of Cat Dupree, Bail Bondwoman! Maybe we could have some prequels? But appreciated the story arc here, which made sense. Or maybe more tales of Wilson McKay? Anyway, very enjoyable reads. Thanks to Sharon Sala.
1 review
August 23, 2024
Back for Cat?

Cat Dupree is a force of nature. Here, in Ms. Sala's last installment the story continues. Grit and strength define her hunt for justice. Jump in, and brace yourself for adventure.
3 reviews
December 7, 2025
awesome

This series of cat Dupree was excellent. I enjoyed every one of them and the way that she writes just amazing and filling and keeps you on your city of your pants and I just love it. It’s a good read.
Profile Image for Adrianna Lamm.
677 reviews12 followers
February 9, 2020
This book and the entire Cat Dupree trilogy of novels were totally outstanding. I must admit I can't get enough of Sharon Sala's writing
Profile Image for Rhonda.
318 reviews3 followers
April 28, 2021
A very satisfying ending to the trilogy!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews

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