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Broden Legal #1
Dead Certain
Ella Broden is living a double life.
By day, Ella works as a buttoned-up attorney on some of the city’s most grueling cases. By night, she pursues her passion for singing in the darkest clubs of Manhattan.
No one knows her secret, not even Charlotte, the younger sister she practically raised. But it seems she’s not the only one in the family with something to hide. When Charlotte announces she’s sold her first novel, Ella couldn’t be more thrilled…until she gets a call that her sister’s gone missing.
Ella starts investigating with the help of Detective Gabriel Velasquez, an old flame in the NYPD, and what she finds is shocking. If art imitates life, then her sister’s novel may contain details of her real-life affairs. And any one of her lovers could be involved in her disappearance.
Desperate to bring Charlotte home, Ella works through her list of suspects, matching fictitious characters with flesh-and-blood men. But will it be too late to save the sister she only thought she knew?
By day, Ella works as a buttoned-up attorney on some of the city’s most grueling cases. By night, she pursues her passion for singing in the darkest clubs of Manhattan.
No one knows her secret, not even Charlotte, the younger sister she practically raised. But it seems she’s not the only one in the family with something to hide. When Charlotte announces she’s sold her first novel, Ella couldn’t be more thrilled…until she gets a call that her sister’s gone missing.
Ella starts investigating with the help of Detective Gabriel Velasquez, an old flame in the NYPD, and what she finds is shocking. If art imitates life, then her sister’s novel may contain details of her real-life affairs. And any one of her lovers could be involved in her disappearance.
Desperate to bring Charlotte home, Ella works through her list of suspects, matching fictitious characters with flesh-and-blood men. But will it be too late to save the sister she only thought she knew?
348 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2017
5776 people are currently reading
8271 people want to read
About the author
Adam Mitzner
16 books533 followersI grew up in East Brunswick, New Jersey, which is about an hour outside of New York City. I graduated from Brandeis University with a B.A. and M.A. in politics, and from there went directly on to law school at the University of Virginia.
After law school, I joined the litigation department of a large New York City law firm, and after a few more stops, am currently the head of the litigation department of Pavia & Harcourt LLP, which is located in midtown Manhattan. Pavia & Harcourt.
I have written 8 novels -- A Conflict of Interest (2011); A Case of Redemption (2013); Losing Faith (2015); The Girl From Home (2016); Dead Certain (2017); Never Goodbye (2018); A Matter of Will (2019); and The Best Friend (2020).
Nothing pleases me more than hearing from readers, so please email me at adam@adammitzner.com
After law school, I joined the litigation department of a large New York City law firm, and after a few more stops, am currently the head of the litigation department of Pavia & Harcourt LLP, which is located in midtown Manhattan. Pavia & Harcourt.
I have written 8 novels -- A Conflict of Interest (2011); A Case of Redemption (2013); Losing Faith (2015); The Girl From Home (2016); Dead Certain (2017); Never Goodbye (2018); A Matter of Will (2019); and The Best Friend (2020).
Nothing pleases me more than hearing from readers, so please email me at adam@adammitzner.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,128 reviews
September 1, 2024
Is there is truth in fiction?
A dream come true! Charlotte has sold her upcoming book to a major publisher. She only has half the book completed so far, but when her sister Ella starts reading... she has to wonder if this is fictional or does Charlotte have a hidden life?
When Charlotte suddenly disappears, her sister Ella has one question. Is it possible the person responsible is actually one of the characters mentioned in the book?
This was so good! I devoured it in just a couple sittings!
Told primarily from Ella’s POV (you get an additional POV later in the book🤫) we witness Ella’s determination to find who’s responsible for taking her Sister. Hopefully, with the help of lead detective Gabriel Velasquez, they can find and rescue Charlotte.
I loved how the suspense ratcheted up as the storyline unfolded and the POV’s quickly alternated.
This is book one of a three part series and I’ve had all three sitting on my digital bookshelf for much too long! Can’t wait to jump into book two - Never Goodbye.
Adam Mitzner is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!
A dream come true! Charlotte has sold her upcoming book to a major publisher. She only has half the book completed so far, but when her sister Ella starts reading... she has to wonder if this is fictional or does Charlotte have a hidden life?
When Charlotte suddenly disappears, her sister Ella has one question. Is it possible the person responsible is actually one of the characters mentioned in the book?
This was so good! I devoured it in just a couple sittings!
Told primarily from Ella’s POV (you get an additional POV later in the book🤫) we witness Ella’s determination to find who’s responsible for taking her Sister. Hopefully, with the help of lead detective Gabriel Velasquez, they can find and rescue Charlotte.
I loved how the suspense ratcheted up as the storyline unfolded and the POV’s quickly alternated.
This is book one of a three part series and I’ve had all three sitting on my digital bookshelf for much too long! Can’t wait to jump into book two - Never Goodbye.
Adam Mitzner is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!
May 10, 2017
Different and pornographic.
There is a book inside the book, to solve the mystery. This kind of writing was different, that was the reason gave four stars. Two sisters, suppose to be very close but both keep secrets from each other. Main characters in this story lives double life's. Don't like main character Ella, all she thinks of sex, mystery is to find out which of her sex partner is the killer.
There is a book inside the book, to solve the mystery. This kind of writing was different, that was the reason gave four stars. Two sisters, suppose to be very close but both keep secrets from each other. Main characters in this story lives double life's. Don't like main character Ella, all she thinks of sex, mystery is to find out which of her sex partner is the killer.
June 11, 2017
I don't recall reading a book that started off so intriguing and then completely fell apart almost three-quarters of the way in. From characters that behaved unrealistically (the killer's motivation? Come on!) to needless, and very tedious, verbatim repetition of the same scenes over and over again, to an unsurprising villain that was still revealved much too soon, the whole book turned into a disaster that was as boring as it was incompetent. Listen to me, save yourself some time and grief and read something by Brian Freeman, Harlan Coben, Lincoln Child, Ruth Rendell, Laura Lippman, Patricia Highsmith, or any of a whole canon of superior thriller writers.
May 10, 2017
I obtained this book as a Kindle First choice for May 2017. It was very good, I would say 3.5 if we could give half points. The writing style is straightforward, not flowery or highly descriptive, and appropriate. Recommended if you like a quick read, and the story\action moves along quickly. My most memorable takeaway from this book is that the two sisters are sluts...or is that just me being old-fashioned? LOL
May 5, 2017
Ugh! This book had such promise for a good popcorn popping thriller; great characters and an interesting murder. Then it went all predictable:-(. Worse still when giving one characters point of view interactions were actually repeated verbatim. I give this book 2.5 stars
March 27, 2019
This book is not great, but I enjoyed it.
I read this book because it had 3,500 Amazon reviews, and 83% 4 or 5 stars. It also had a writer and her book in the book, so I decided it should be good.
Dad is a big time criminal attorney, and he has two daughters, mid 20’s and 30ish. The 30ish very successful lawyer sister is the main character and her younger sister writer wanttabe goes missing. The younger writer sister goes missing. But first she gave her half done manuscript to her sister to read and it has in the story her three thinly veils lovers.
The key components are New York City, a lawyer who did not pursue her passion, a younger sister who did (writing) and goes missing, an investment banker (who funds a penis-enhancing underwear (odd the things you remember), an artist, and a loser boyfriend type, a mob boss, a dead woman (not the sister).
One other thing, in my first novel, I had 15,000 words out of 82,000 in back story. 7,500 words was a complete short story within the book. It took me a long time to finally decide to take it all out because it slowed the story. I moved some stuff and added a few other things. My point is in this book, they keep giving you chapters of the manuscript the younger sister wrote. Although not really backstory, I felt it did the same thing. It slowed the story down. I found myself skimming those chapters. Not a big deal for you maybe, it was a real ah-ha moment for me.
Not bad. Not great. I’m glad I read the book.
I read this book because it had 3,500 Amazon reviews, and 83% 4 or 5 stars. It also had a writer and her book in the book, so I decided it should be good.
Dad is a big time criminal attorney, and he has two daughters, mid 20’s and 30ish. The 30ish very successful lawyer sister is the main character and her younger sister writer wanttabe goes missing. The younger writer sister goes missing. But first she gave her half done manuscript to her sister to read and it has in the story her three thinly veils lovers.
The key components are New York City, a lawyer who did not pursue her passion, a younger sister who did (writing) and goes missing, an investment banker (who funds a penis-enhancing underwear (odd the things you remember), an artist, and a loser boyfriend type, a mob boss, a dead woman (not the sister).
One other thing, in my first novel, I had 15,000 words out of 82,000 in back story. 7,500 words was a complete short story within the book. It took me a long time to finally decide to take it all out because it slowed the story. I moved some stuff and added a few other things. My point is in this book, they keep giving you chapters of the manuscript the younger sister wrote. Although not really backstory, I felt it did the same thing. It slowed the story down. I found myself skimming those chapters. Not a big deal for you maybe, it was a real ah-ha moment for me.
Not bad. Not great. I’m glad I read the book.
May 22, 2017
Well written but predictable
I enjoyed "Dead Certain" at times but I can't be the only one who saw the twist coming based on timing of the villain's appearance as well as the randomness of him coming into the picture for no other reason than being the murderer. Also, the main character goes from being clueless who the murderer is to certain enough to plan to kill him in a matter of seconds. It was all just a little too contrived for me.
I enjoyed "Dead Certain" at times but I can't be the only one who saw the twist coming based on timing of the villain's appearance as well as the randomness of him coming into the picture for no other reason than being the murderer. Also, the main character goes from being clueless who the murderer is to certain enough to plan to kill him in a matter of seconds. It was all just a little too contrived for me.
April 7, 2019
I listened to the audiobook as narrated by Erin Bennett, and she did a great job with this!
In Dead Certain, we follow Ella as she races to try to find her sister Charlotte, who has gone missing. Certain that Charlotte has not disappeared of her own volition, Ella pores over a book manuscript left behind by her sister hoping to find the right clues to track down the kidnapper. But can she solve the mystery before it's too late?
I have mixed feelings about this book. The good:
The not-so-good:
When I first finished reading this, I had mostly good feelings about the story -- I enjoyed it while listening and felt satisfied when it was done. That said, over the next few days, little threads that weren't fully resolved started to niggle at me, and my opinion dropped some. This is a decent enough book to kill some time, but there is definitely some room for improvement.
In Dead Certain, we follow Ella as she races to try to find her sister Charlotte, who has gone missing. Certain that Charlotte has not disappeared of her own volition, Ella pores over a book manuscript left behind by her sister hoping to find the right clues to track down the kidnapper. But can she solve the mystery before it's too late?
I have mixed feelings about this book. The good:
*The book within a book was a really interesting technique that Mitzner implemented well.
*In several places, I was expecting the book to zig and it totally zagged, and that's always a plus in a mystery like this.
*The narration for the audiobook was solid and, I really enjoyed listening.
The not-so-good:
*It took me a bit to get into this one. I actually started and abandoned it a few times before it pulled me in.
*I had trouble suspending my disbelief a few times because Ella does some things that are unrealistic (e.g. the timing of some events doesn't ring true).
*Ella is the "holder of info" and chooses to tell or not tell very pertinent information to various other characters seemingly on a whim, and in some cases the plot only progresses because she does not divulge information in the way that any other normal and sane person would.
*The ending didn't satisfactorily tie up all the loose ends.
When I first finished reading this, I had mostly good feelings about the story -- I enjoyed it while listening and felt satisfied when it was done. That said, over the next few days, little threads that weren't fully resolved started to niggle at me, and my opinion dropped some. This is a decent enough book to kill some time, but there is definitely some room for improvement.
March 11, 2017
** Review is based on an Advance Review Copy (ARC) / Details and specifics may change once book is actually published June 2017 **
I am up to date. Ahead of schedule, actually. I have now read all five novels by Adam Mitzner, and it has been an awesome adventure.
DEAD CERTAIN, much like THE GIRL FROM HOME, steps away from the legal thriller, and moves more into mystery / suspense. There is still a legal aspect, and the main character, Ella Broden, is an attorney --but those facts are secondary to the plot. (Although it was kind of cool seeing Ella's father --also an attorney-- representing a notorious criminal from an early Adam Mitzner tale. Mitzner likes to do that, I've noticed. Splash a bit of this and that from one book into the next. Kind of a treat --an Easter Egg-- for readers).
In DEAD CERTAIN, Ella's kid sister, Charlotte has some big news. She's sold her first novel. It's a murder mystery. She hasn't yet completed the book. Regardless, one of the largest publishers offered up a contract. With the first half done, and a copy given to Ella to read ASAP, Charlotte is anxious to celebrate, and tell their father the cool news!
Ella is a lawyer by day, and a lounge singer by night. She takes on a complete different persona. A new new name, a different look. After the death of her mother, Ella pursued a career as an attorney to make her father proud. She set aside her dream of becoming a professional singer. She realized it was time to grow up back then --and only now does she allow herself the chance to sing one night a week. It is also why when Charlotte shares her good news, Ella can't help but feel a little bit of jealousy.
Everything changes when two days later no one has heard from Charlotte. Charlotte is unreachable. Police initially think Charlotte's boyfriend may be the only suspect. However, after Ella reads the first half of her sister's manuscript, and although she knows the work is fiction, she can't help but wonder if Charlotte might have been leading a double-life as well.
In the manuscript, the main character has a boyfriend, and two other lovers. The boyfriend who is the artist, a student with little experience, and a banker, who is married. Working with the police, Ella tries to fit together parts of her sister's life with with pieces she never knew existed.
The question is simple. What else was Charlotte hiding? And on a more basic level, is Charlotte still alive?
As I have come to expect, Adam Mitzner weaves together a plot that just keeps you reading, and your mind churning with thoughts, and ideas, and guesses, all the while hoping for the best, but fearing the worst! Tension is high, and the suspense just builds and builds in DEAD CERTAIN. Well worth the read, folks. Well worth it!
Phillip Tomasso
Author of the Severed Empire Series
and The Vaccination Trilogy
I am up to date. Ahead of schedule, actually. I have now read all five novels by Adam Mitzner, and it has been an awesome adventure.
DEAD CERTAIN, much like THE GIRL FROM HOME, steps away from the legal thriller, and moves more into mystery / suspense. There is still a legal aspect, and the main character, Ella Broden, is an attorney --but those facts are secondary to the plot. (Although it was kind of cool seeing Ella's father --also an attorney-- representing a notorious criminal from an early Adam Mitzner tale. Mitzner likes to do that, I've noticed. Splash a bit of this and that from one book into the next. Kind of a treat --an Easter Egg-- for readers).
In DEAD CERTAIN, Ella's kid sister, Charlotte has some big news. She's sold her first novel. It's a murder mystery. She hasn't yet completed the book. Regardless, one of the largest publishers offered up a contract. With the first half done, and a copy given to Ella to read ASAP, Charlotte is anxious to celebrate, and tell their father the cool news!
Ella is a lawyer by day, and a lounge singer by night. She takes on a complete different persona. A new new name, a different look. After the death of her mother, Ella pursued a career as an attorney to make her father proud. She set aside her dream of becoming a professional singer. She realized it was time to grow up back then --and only now does she allow herself the chance to sing one night a week. It is also why when Charlotte shares her good news, Ella can't help but feel a little bit of jealousy.
Everything changes when two days later no one has heard from Charlotte. Charlotte is unreachable. Police initially think Charlotte's boyfriend may be the only suspect. However, after Ella reads the first half of her sister's manuscript, and although she knows the work is fiction, she can't help but wonder if Charlotte might have been leading a double-life as well.
In the manuscript, the main character has a boyfriend, and two other lovers. The boyfriend who is the artist, a student with little experience, and a banker, who is married. Working with the police, Ella tries to fit together parts of her sister's life with with pieces she never knew existed.
The question is simple. What else was Charlotte hiding? And on a more basic level, is Charlotte still alive?
As I have come to expect, Adam Mitzner weaves together a plot that just keeps you reading, and your mind churning with thoughts, and ideas, and guesses, all the while hoping for the best, but fearing the worst! Tension is high, and the suspense just builds and builds in DEAD CERTAIN. Well worth the read, folks. Well worth it!
Phillip Tomasso
Author of the Severed Empire Series
and The Vaccination Trilogy
May 26, 2017
This book had so much potential. The beginning was really intriguing, I liked the main character, and i loved the idea of the story within the story. All the two stars go to this part of the book.
It all went downhill after the halfway point, when the author introduced a new point of view and repeated earlier scenes from this perspective. The ending was predictable.
For some reason, the book left me feeling angry. I'm not sure why.
Okay, that's a lie.
I don't usually include spoilers in my review but...
It all went downhill after the halfway point, when the author introduced a new point of view and repeated earlier scenes from this perspective. The ending was predictable.
For some reason, the book left me feeling angry. I'm not sure why.
Okay, that's a lie.
I don't usually include spoilers in my review but...
May 27, 2017
I picked up Dead Certain by Adam Mizner, partially because of some of the pearl-clutching negative reviews on Amazon about how pornographic it is, how the writing was terrible, and how it was contrived and confusing. Since I’m a writer, I like to read across the spectrum to get an idea of what works and what doesn’t. I’m glad I decided to read this book, since it explained why it received largely positive reviews instead of negative.
This is not a typical murder mystery, more of a whydunnit than whodunnit, which comes with pros and cons. I think this novel lends itself more to a character study than a mystery or thriller. The point of view character, Ella, is a district attorney who recently crossed enemy lines to work at her father’s prestigious criminal defense firm. Her true passion, however, is singing. Her little sister, Charlotte, is studying for her MFA in writing and has received news that her novel-in-progress is going to be published. Right after Charlotte shares this exciting news with her older sister, she mysteriously goes missing.
The structure of the book can lend to some confusion; it functions somewhat as a frame story, beginning with Ella’s point of view and interspersed with segments from the novel Charlotte had written. As we come to find out, Charlotte draws largely from her life to fuel her fiction, and since she goes missing early on, the excerpts of her novel serve as her point of view. Halfway through the book, the narrative shifts again to include a third POV – that of the killer. Since these points of view are first-person, the shifting can prove to be a little off-putting and as the switching becomes more frequent, it can pull the reader out of the story for a moment to become oriented as to which character we are now following. I feel, personally, that it may have served the narrative better to portray Ella and the killer’s points of view from the third person, but I suspect the author might have felt that the first person accounts paralleled Charlotte’s novel better, so I understand why he chose to use first-person across the board.
Since the book favors characters over the mystery, I felt that they were well fleshed out and interesting. We get a lot of insight into Ella, who is a seemingly strong woman but carries a lot of self-doubt and regret for the choices she has made in her life. Charlotte isn’t quite as fleshed out. Like the protagonist in her novel, we find out that Charlotte has been having an affair with three different men, and while that serves for some interesting conflict, we never really learn why Charlotte made the choices she did, or why she carried on with all three men. I feel like the use of her novel could have served to flesh out her own psychology a little bit more. Once the killer is revealed and we get his point of view, I found that there was a lack of any facet of him that was particularly sinister or interesting. His reveal was surprising, but I don’t know if dedicating as much of the book to his point of view was worth it. His point of view just wasn’t as interesting as Ella or Charlotte’s.
Like others, I also had suspected who the killer was relatively quickly, although I was pleasantly surprised to find I was correct. I have never been a fan of mystery books who throw in showdown with a random killer into the last few pages; I would much rather have the opportunity to guess who the killer is based on the characters and suspects that have been introduced. As I mentioned, I feel like this story was much more about the lives of all the characters wrapped up in this horrible event and what led them to make the choices they did, and less about the mystery itself.
The author relied on a lot of contrived devices to draw the killer and Ella together, ones that, as I mentioned, weren’t really fleshed out in his side of the story. Ella also jumped to several conclusions throughout the story, such as assuming her sister was dead after she had been missing for about a day (it just seemed like a sudden jump for her to make, even if the reader knew it was the case). She seems to heavily rely on Charlotte’s unpublished manuscript to drive the investigation, even though she knows Charlotte often makes changes to her stories to hide who the characters are based on. For example, Charlotte is a writer and her boyfriend is an actor, while in the book, she is an actress and her boyfriend is a painter. However, Ella immediately assumes since the fictional lovers are a college student and a banker, their real-life counterparts would be as well. Ella is the one that seems up to mostly come up with new information and leads based purely on Charlotte’s novel and never experiences any pushback from investigators. At one point, Ella confronts one of the suspects and pulls a knife on him before running away. For a respected, established lawyer, she doesn’t seem to meet any resistance at any point of some of her irrational behavior.
That said, one thing that was strong in this book was the fact that the author clearly knows the legal and law enforcement system. Mr Mizner is a lawyer, and it was kind of refreshing to have a more accurate outlook on the investigations taking place in the story.
While there is some sex in the book, I didn’t find it obscene or unnecessary. There are only a few sex scenes and while they are a bit provocative, they aren’t pornographic. I guess if you are terrified of female sexuality you might want to avoid this book, but since the basis of the investigation is wrapped up in Charlotte’s (terrible) relationship choices, it wasn’t unwarranted. Ella is also involved in a bit of a love triangle which I felt was a little more out of place. While, from the perspective of a human being, I can understand why she would reach out for companionship during that time, I would have liked a little more insight into why she chose the company she did, as opposed to seeking out the support of established friends or female friends, although their absence in the book seems to imply she doesn’t have any. One of her potential beaus could have also served to have been present more to better explain their relationship, both past and present, and its progression.
All and all, I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read, which I don’t think should be insulting. I read it in two sittings and found myself invested in Ella, her father, and in finding out what happened to Charlotte. I personally wish the author would have spent less time fleshing out the lackluster killer and put more into fleshing out Ella and other characters, and giving us a better array of interesting protagonists. I would have liked to have met other friends of Ella’s, or seen the police officer on Charlotte’s case be more involved, and I would have liked to have been strung along a little longer on who the killer might be and had the reveal take place later in the book. From a mystery or thriller standpoint, this book was okay. But when it comes to the characters, I felt like, for its faults, the author created two interesting, dynamic characters, and I found myself experiencing Ella’s grief along with her. The book is not just about the relationship between sisters but also about the secrets we keep from each other, no matter how close we are to another person, and the writer ties in that theme very well throughout the book. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read who wants a story with a lot of character and a little mystery.
This is not a typical murder mystery, more of a whydunnit than whodunnit, which comes with pros and cons. I think this novel lends itself more to a character study than a mystery or thriller. The point of view character, Ella, is a district attorney who recently crossed enemy lines to work at her father’s prestigious criminal defense firm. Her true passion, however, is singing. Her little sister, Charlotte, is studying for her MFA in writing and has received news that her novel-in-progress is going to be published. Right after Charlotte shares this exciting news with her older sister, she mysteriously goes missing.
The structure of the book can lend to some confusion; it functions somewhat as a frame story, beginning with Ella’s point of view and interspersed with segments from the novel Charlotte had written. As we come to find out, Charlotte draws largely from her life to fuel her fiction, and since she goes missing early on, the excerpts of her novel serve as her point of view. Halfway through the book, the narrative shifts again to include a third POV – that of the killer. Since these points of view are first-person, the shifting can prove to be a little off-putting and as the switching becomes more frequent, it can pull the reader out of the story for a moment to become oriented as to which character we are now following. I feel, personally, that it may have served the narrative better to portray Ella and the killer’s points of view from the third person, but I suspect the author might have felt that the first person accounts paralleled Charlotte’s novel better, so I understand why he chose to use first-person across the board.
Since the book favors characters over the mystery, I felt that they were well fleshed out and interesting. We get a lot of insight into Ella, who is a seemingly strong woman but carries a lot of self-doubt and regret for the choices she has made in her life. Charlotte isn’t quite as fleshed out. Like the protagonist in her novel, we find out that Charlotte has been having an affair with three different men, and while that serves for some interesting conflict, we never really learn why Charlotte made the choices she did, or why she carried on with all three men. I feel like the use of her novel could have served to flesh out her own psychology a little bit more. Once the killer is revealed and we get his point of view, I found that there was a lack of any facet of him that was particularly sinister or interesting. His reveal was surprising, but I don’t know if dedicating as much of the book to his point of view was worth it. His point of view just wasn’t as interesting as Ella or Charlotte’s.
Like others, I also had suspected who the killer was relatively quickly, although I was pleasantly surprised to find I was correct. I have never been a fan of mystery books who throw in showdown with a random killer into the last few pages; I would much rather have the opportunity to guess who the killer is based on the characters and suspects that have been introduced. As I mentioned, I feel like this story was much more about the lives of all the characters wrapped up in this horrible event and what led them to make the choices they did, and less about the mystery itself.
The author relied on a lot of contrived devices to draw the killer and Ella together, ones that, as I mentioned, weren’t really fleshed out in his side of the story. Ella also jumped to several conclusions throughout the story, such as assuming her sister was dead after she had been missing for about a day (it just seemed like a sudden jump for her to make, even if the reader knew it was the case). She seems to heavily rely on Charlotte’s unpublished manuscript to drive the investigation, even though she knows Charlotte often makes changes to her stories to hide who the characters are based on. For example, Charlotte is a writer and her boyfriend is an actor, while in the book, she is an actress and her boyfriend is a painter. However, Ella immediately assumes since the fictional lovers are a college student and a banker, their real-life counterparts would be as well. Ella is the one that seems up to mostly come up with new information and leads based purely on Charlotte’s novel and never experiences any pushback from investigators. At one point, Ella confronts one of the suspects and pulls a knife on him before running away. For a respected, established lawyer, she doesn’t seem to meet any resistance at any point of some of her irrational behavior.
That said, one thing that was strong in this book was the fact that the author clearly knows the legal and law enforcement system. Mr Mizner is a lawyer, and it was kind of refreshing to have a more accurate outlook on the investigations taking place in the story.
While there is some sex in the book, I didn’t find it obscene or unnecessary. There are only a few sex scenes and while they are a bit provocative, they aren’t pornographic. I guess if you are terrified of female sexuality you might want to avoid this book, but since the basis of the investigation is wrapped up in Charlotte’s (terrible) relationship choices, it wasn’t unwarranted. Ella is also involved in a bit of a love triangle which I felt was a little more out of place. While, from the perspective of a human being, I can understand why she would reach out for companionship during that time, I would have liked a little more insight into why she chose the company she did, as opposed to seeking out the support of established friends or female friends, although their absence in the book seems to imply she doesn’t have any. One of her potential beaus could have also served to have been present more to better explain their relationship, both past and present, and its progression.
All and all, I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read, which I don’t think should be insulting. I read it in two sittings and found myself invested in Ella, her father, and in finding out what happened to Charlotte. I personally wish the author would have spent less time fleshing out the lackluster killer and put more into fleshing out Ella and other characters, and giving us a better array of interesting protagonists. I would have liked to have met other friends of Ella’s, or seen the police officer on Charlotte’s case be more involved, and I would have liked to have been strung along a little longer on who the killer might be and had the reveal take place later in the book. From a mystery or thriller standpoint, this book was okay. But when it comes to the characters, I felt like, for its faults, the author created two interesting, dynamic characters, and I found myself experiencing Ella’s grief along with her. The book is not just about the relationship between sisters but also about the secrets we keep from each other, no matter how close we are to another person, and the writer ties in that theme very well throughout the book. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read who wants a story with a lot of character and a little mystery.
May 18, 2017
Facile silly book
There is little intrigue coupled with horrendous amounts of useless repetition. It is astonishing that such a book gets published with little more to recommend it other than gratuitous sex and violence, all tied up in a neat little bow. What a waste of time!
There is little intrigue coupled with horrendous amounts of useless repetition. It is astonishing that such a book gets published with little more to recommend it other than gratuitous sex and violence, all tied up in a neat little bow. What a waste of time!
June 30, 2017
Ella Broden works for her father’s law firm. They are well known criminal defense attorneys. Ella’s sister, Charlotte, is a graduate student in creative writing. She tells Ella that her book from class has just been accepted by a publisher. She gives Ella a copy of the manuscript to read. Charlotte goes missing and is presumed murdered. Ella sets out to find her murderer.
The book is mostly well written. The majority of the book is written in the first-person present viewpoint of Ella Broden. The last quarter of the book the first person present viewpoint alternates between Ella and the murderer. The plot is interesting and twists and turns. The idea of a book within a book is intriguing. The characters are well developed. The book starts out as one that is difficult to put down. Just over half way through the book, it falls apart. I felt the author was padding the story with very tedious, verbatim repetitions. I found the useless repetition annoying.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is eight and a half hours long. Erin Bennett does a good job narrating the book. The narration is one of the great things about the book. Bennett has narrated other books I have obtained from Audible. Bennett is a voice over artist and audiobook narrator.
The book is mostly well written. The majority of the book is written in the first-person present viewpoint of Ella Broden. The last quarter of the book the first person present viewpoint alternates between Ella and the murderer. The plot is interesting and twists and turns. The idea of a book within a book is intriguing. The characters are well developed. The book starts out as one that is difficult to put down. Just over half way through the book, it falls apart. I felt the author was padding the story with very tedious, verbatim repetitions. I found the useless repetition annoying.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is eight and a half hours long. Erin Bennett does a good job narrating the book. The narration is one of the great things about the book. Bennett has narrated other books I have obtained from Audible. Bennett is a voice over artist and audiobook narrator.
May 20, 2017
It's Dead Certain This Book's Average Rating Has Been Over-Inflated
I actually started to write a review of this book a week/2 weeks ago after reading it for free as a Kindle First -a 2-star rating with a long-drawn out critique about the superficial depictions of characters, the implausible coincidences, and the general sense fostered by the book that I was reading a not-particularly well-crafted mystery. I didn't follow through with my review, however. Then, tonight, while searching for other books to read on Amazon, I was surprised to see this book listed under Amazon's "Best Seller/Selling" Banner, and decided I needed to go look at the reviews, and see what others found that I didn't. What I saw, however, was that while this book had an averaged rating of 4.2, the percentages of positive reviews and negative reviews didn't "add up" arithmatically to a 4.2 average (too many 1 & 2 ratings) - which is when I read the "fine, but not fully elucidating, print" re how Amazon computes its rating average - essentially, it/Amazon uses a system based on some type of discretionary weighting system that may or may not mirror customer feedback. Anyway, for what it is -or is not worth - my "2 rating" of this book stands.
I actually started to write a review of this book a week/2 weeks ago after reading it for free as a Kindle First -a 2-star rating with a long-drawn out critique about the superficial depictions of characters, the implausible coincidences, and the general sense fostered by the book that I was reading a not-particularly well-crafted mystery. I didn't follow through with my review, however. Then, tonight, while searching for other books to read on Amazon, I was surprised to see this book listed under Amazon's "Best Seller/Selling" Banner, and decided I needed to go look at the reviews, and see what others found that I didn't. What I saw, however, was that while this book had an averaged rating of 4.2, the percentages of positive reviews and negative reviews didn't "add up" arithmatically to a 4.2 average (too many 1 & 2 ratings) - which is when I read the "fine, but not fully elucidating, print" re how Amazon computes its rating average - essentially, it/Amazon uses a system based on some type of discretionary weighting system that may or may not mirror customer feedback. Anyway, for what it is -or is not worth - my "2 rating" of this book stands.
June 24, 2017
A skillfully crafted, fast-paced story of a sister that goes missing, the struggle to find her, and the secrets that sisters keep from each other.
SUMMARY
Two sisters, Ella and Charlotte Broden are having a celebratory lunch together in Manhatten. Ella is an attorney in her father’s law firm and Charlotte is getting her MFA at NYU and has written half of a novel. Charlotte the younger of the two, has reason to celebrate, a publisher has agreed to publish her book upon completion. She is excited and the first person she wants to tells is her best friend and sister, Ella. Ella is so pleased for Charlotte, but gets called away from the lunch by the office, to meet with a new client who may soon be question by the NYPD about a missing women.
A day later Charlotte too goes missing. Ella, a past assistant district attorney, pushes the NYPD for an immediate investigation. Could the two missing women be connected? As Ella reads Charlotte’s novel, she is surprised by her sister proclivities, but believes the novel may hold the clues to who may be responsible for Charlotte’s disappearance. The novel describes a fictional account of Charlotte’s real life affairs with three different men. Ella intends to find out exactly who these men really are.
REVIEW
The entire story in DEAD CERTAIN takes place over a ten-day fast paced period. The novel that Charlotte pens is also called DEAD CERTAIN. It’s a clever book within a book. I was immediately engaged in the book, and immensely curious about what happen to the free spirited Charlotte and how she could come to harm. I appreciated the uniqueness and breadth of Ella’s character, and her perseverance in the investigation into Charlotte's disappearance.
The structure of the book is interesting, and is what makes it intriguing. In the first part of the book a portion of the days are creatively told from Ella perspective. Charlotte book’s text is interspersed as Ella is reading it. Ella reading of Charlotte’s novel dictates the direction of Ella’s investigation. In the second part of the book, the days are interestingly told from one of the other character’s perspective.
Most surprising about the book is that Charlotte and Ella are as close as sisters can be, they talk every single day. But there are some big secrets that neither one of them tell each other!
September 19, 2018
A missing girl / possible murder mystery. Is she dead? If so who is the killer and does a half written novel by the missing girl provide any clues? Of course it does.
This was a very easy and quick read. I enjoyed it in a trashy sort of way. The writing is clear and the story zips along. The characters are well defined but of course some information is kept back to keep you thinking and guessing. The real story is mixed with the novel so you can see the parallels and the intrigue is heightened.
I am not going to give anything away in this review. Set in New York where two sisters are close and it is the youngest that goes missing. The older one, Ella, is on a mission to find her. This is not the first young woman to go missing. Is there a connection between the two? With characters being lawyers and investment bankers, you can bet there are some slimy individuals on show. It has that slight ‘American Psycho’ vibe and the lead character even says about a banker’s apartment, ‘It reminds me of Patrick Bateman’s place in the movie American Psycho’. I don’t want to think that I am really comparing the two. American Psycho is superlative in every way. It’s just the way that one of the banker’s portrays himself.
This was my first book by Adam Mitzner. The praise for his previous books likens him to Turow and Grisham. This book is not a legal thriller although the lead character does work in her father’s law firm defending those with a lot of money that need defending like Russian terrorists. Maybe I should check out one of his previous novels to see if the Turow and Grisham references are based in reality as this one is nothing like them.
It is more TV movie than Hollywood blockbuster but if you want to while away a few hours with a bit of a silliness you could do far worse.
This was a very easy and quick read. I enjoyed it in a trashy sort of way. The writing is clear and the story zips along. The characters are well defined but of course some information is kept back to keep you thinking and guessing. The real story is mixed with the novel so you can see the parallels and the intrigue is heightened.
I am not going to give anything away in this review. Set in New York where two sisters are close and it is the youngest that goes missing. The older one, Ella, is on a mission to find her. This is not the first young woman to go missing. Is there a connection between the two? With characters being lawyers and investment bankers, you can bet there are some slimy individuals on show. It has that slight ‘American Psycho’ vibe and the lead character even says about a banker’s apartment, ‘It reminds me of Patrick Bateman’s place in the movie American Psycho’. I don’t want to think that I am really comparing the two. American Psycho is superlative in every way. It’s just the way that one of the banker’s portrays himself.
This was my first book by Adam Mitzner. The praise for his previous books likens him to Turow and Grisham. This book is not a legal thriller although the lead character does work in her father’s law firm defending those with a lot of money that need defending like Russian terrorists. Maybe I should check out one of his previous novels to see if the Turow and Grisham references are based in reality as this one is nothing like them.
It is more TV movie than Hollywood blockbuster but if you want to while away a few hours with a bit of a silliness you could do far worse.
August 29, 2017
On the one hand, I DID enjoy this book and devoured almost all of it in one day! BUT there are a few things that would make me hesitate to give it a solid 4! The positive, the author writes with authority on the legal system, and I was never bored or wanting to skim ahead. I enjoyed hearing from our protagonist Ella, as she read her sister's "unfinished novel" and attempted to identify the men in her sister's life, that the characters in her book were loosely based on. And, in part two, you get to delve into the psyche of Charlotte's murderer as well. The negative was that I correctly guessed who the murderer was early on and I am a terrible sleuth! (Probably one of the reasons I enjoy thrillers, I am usually totally surprised!) It did not really detract from my enjoyment however, as I was reading and saying to myself "Could I actually have this one right?!"
Also a negative for me was that Ella either is or was romantically involved with every male character in her age range, and her sister was involved with all of the rest! So yes, the book is definitely at least "R" rated! I would've deleted the last paragraph of the book, if I were editing...it was unnecessary, and kind of sappy, making the author's work feel less polished! 3.5 stars
Also a negative for me was that Ella either is or was romantically involved with every male character in her age range, and her sister was involved with all of the rest! So yes, the book is definitely at least "R" rated! I would've deleted the last paragraph of the book, if I were editing...it was unnecessary, and kind of sappy, making the author's work feel less polished! 3.5 stars
May 12, 2017
A tale of two slut sisters.
If I hadn't started this book I wouldn't have bothered to finish it.
When you lay down with dogs you get up with worse than fleas.
If I hadn't started this book I wouldn't have bothered to finish it.
When you lay down with dogs you get up with worse than fleas.
December 22, 2017
My second legal thriller by Adam Mitzner. This one was a little different, being written with a first-person female protagonist as narrator, except half the novel is meta as the main character, Ella, reads a novel written by her sister, Charlotte, which presciently foretells Charlotte's murder and who the murderer is. And then towards the end, instead of dragging out the suspense, we get alternating chapters from the murderer's POV. Here, I think Mitzner was trying to experiment a bit by giving us a glimpse into the mindset of a killer. It wasn't entirely successful, but it was interesting.
Ella is a lawyer in Manhattan. She quit her job as a DA a few years ago to work for her father, a famous high-priced criminal defense attorney. Feeling stifled by her button-down life as Daddy's flunky, and the fact that she gave up her dream of being a singer to become a lawyer after her mother died, Ella moonlights as a husky-voiced, tight pants-wearing singer at dive bars, which is mostly just a plot device for her to meet one of the characters in the book.
Meanwhile, free spirited sister Charlotte has just sold a novel, and then disappears. As the days go by, Ella becomes convinced her sister was murdered. She starts reading the manuscript Charlotte gave her, knowing her sister always wrote very thinly veiled pastiches of her own life and her family. In it, the main character is juggling three different boyfriends, all of whom Charlotte (the author) establishes have a possible motive to kill her. Ella quickly figures out that this did indeed mirror Charlotte's actual life, so she goes about trying to identify her vanished sister's boyfriends and figuring out which one killed her in real life.
It's an interesting idea to run with, but I thought the degree to which Charlotte's novel actually predicts her murder was far too prescient (Charlotte may have had an inkling she was in danger, but if she knew that many details about which of her lovers was going to kill her, and the hows and whys, one would think she'd have done something more than leave a manuscript with her sister beforehand). Likewise, the mystery could have been prolonged a bit more effectively; I felt like about midpoint in the novel, the author just decided to drop the whodunnit and switch to a cat and mouse game between Ella and the killer. Also, the twist regarding who the killer was was telegraphed very early.
This wasn't even really a legal thriller per se as very little of the story happens in a courtroom. This is really a 3.5 star book - I liked the plot, and Mitzner's writing is definitely good enough to keep you turning pages (or listening to the audiobook). Hoping that he stretches out a bit more in future novels.
Ella is a lawyer in Manhattan. She quit her job as a DA a few years ago to work for her father, a famous high-priced criminal defense attorney. Feeling stifled by her button-down life as Daddy's flunky, and the fact that she gave up her dream of being a singer to become a lawyer after her mother died, Ella moonlights as a husky-voiced, tight pants-wearing singer at dive bars, which is mostly just a plot device for her to meet one of the characters in the book.
Meanwhile, free spirited sister Charlotte has just sold a novel, and then disappears. As the days go by, Ella becomes convinced her sister was murdered. She starts reading the manuscript Charlotte gave her, knowing her sister always wrote very thinly veiled pastiches of her own life and her family. In it, the main character is juggling three different boyfriends, all of whom Charlotte (the author) establishes have a possible motive to kill her. Ella quickly figures out that this did indeed mirror Charlotte's actual life, so she goes about trying to identify her vanished sister's boyfriends and figuring out which one killed her in real life.
It's an interesting idea to run with, but I thought the degree to which Charlotte's novel actually predicts her murder was far too prescient (Charlotte may have had an inkling she was in danger, but if she knew that many details about which of her lovers was going to kill her, and the hows and whys, one would think she'd have done something more than leave a manuscript with her sister beforehand). Likewise, the mystery could have been prolonged a bit more effectively; I felt like about midpoint in the novel, the author just decided to drop the whodunnit and switch to a cat and mouse game between Ella and the killer. Also, the twist regarding who the killer was was telegraphed very early.
This wasn't even really a legal thriller per se as very little of the story happens in a courtroom. This is really a 3.5 star book - I liked the plot, and Mitzner's writing is definitely good enough to keep you turning pages (or listening to the audiobook). Hoping that he stretches out a bit more in future novels.
May 9, 2017
Attorney Ella Broden's sister Charlotte has gone missing, the second blonde twenty-something from Manhattan in as many weeks. Charlotte leaves behind an unfinished novel, a thinly veiled story of three lovers, one of who may be responsible for her disappearance. Or murder. Ella races to discover the guilty person, but he, or she may be even closer than she realizes.
I would have never read DEAD CERTAIN if not for getting a free copy from Kindle First. Adam Mitzner's latest novel has everything I want in a mystery/thriller: a good story, compelling characters and a worthy payoff. I've never enjoyed a book within a book before DEAD CERTAIN and I usually skim or skip, but Charlotte's half -finished story was more than a gimmick. It was essential to Ella's search.
Few men write female first person characters as believable and authentic as Mitzner did Ella. Chris Bohajalian is the only other writer I've found who doesn't sound like a man trying to sound like a woman. I hope that doesn't sound too sexist.
DEAD CERTAIN is a worthwhile read.
I would have never read DEAD CERTAIN if not for getting a free copy from Kindle First. Adam Mitzner's latest novel has everything I want in a mystery/thriller: a good story, compelling characters and a worthy payoff. I've never enjoyed a book within a book before DEAD CERTAIN and I usually skim or skip, but Charlotte's half -finished story was more than a gimmick. It was essential to Ella's search.
Few men write female first person characters as believable and authentic as Mitzner did Ella. Chris Bohajalian is the only other writer I've found who doesn't sound like a man trying to sound like a woman. I hope that doesn't sound too sexist.
DEAD CERTAIN is a worthwhile read.
February 21, 2019
I Like Honest Critical Reviews
Just because you don't like a book doesn't mean you're a troll.
I find those with negative feedback to be well thought out, more truthful, more insightful than the 5 star reviews.
I Can understand the 2 star reviews on this book although i disagree.
I liked the book inside a book. Effortless writing makes it an easy, quick read while sitting on the train or on the beach.
Wanted the father to play a bigger role and wanted a little more time to get to know Charlotte and her killer.
Just because you don't like a book doesn't mean you're a troll.
I find those with negative feedback to be well thought out, more truthful, more insightful than the 5 star reviews.
I Can understand the 2 star reviews on this book although i disagree.
I liked the book inside a book. Effortless writing makes it an easy, quick read while sitting on the train or on the beach.
Wanted the father to play a bigger role and wanted a little more time to get to know Charlotte and her killer.
June 21, 2017
My rating: 4 stars – close to a 5 star rating.
Published: June 1, 2017
#17 – Amazon Charts/Fiction/Most Read – Week of June 18, 2017 – Available on Kindle Unlimited
Exciting, unputdownable read!!! Oh, but life got in the way of my reading this book as fast I would have liked!!!
DEAD CERTAIN is a psychological suspense thriller which is my favorite type of book to read. This is the first book by Adam Mitzner that I have read and it did not disappoint. He is now at the top of my TO BE READ list. There are four more standalones to devour!!! I am excited about that!!! And here is a male author writing a book from a woman’s standpoint and it was very easy to forget that fact!!! He was right on target in terms of showing Ella’s emotional nuances.
The book focuses on the relationship between the two sisters named Ella and Charlotte Broden and takes the reader on a journey to discover the truth of what exactly happened in their lives. There are many twists, turns and surprises to be uncovered.
Ella Broden is an attorney/aspiring singer who embarks on a search for her missing sister Charlotte, an writing student. She works at her father’s law firm during the day, defending high profile potential criminals so it could also be considered to be a legal thriller, however, it moves into the general suspense genre.
I liked the setup of the book which initially divided the events into days and then this setup evolves a little as the story unfolds. Even the setup of the book contains surprises. There is a story within the story which I found added a lot to the plot. I was kept on the edge of my seat and held on tight as the ride got twistier and twistier.
A varied cast of characters is introduced. Who is to be trusted? Has Charlotte been abducted? If so, who is involved? Is another missing girl’s case connected to Charlotte’s disappearance?
In the interest of not revealing any spoilers, I am intentionally leaving out specific details of the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishing for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Published: June 1, 2017
#17 – Amazon Charts/Fiction/Most Read – Week of June 18, 2017 – Available on Kindle Unlimited
Exciting, unputdownable read!!! Oh, but life got in the way of my reading this book as fast I would have liked!!!
DEAD CERTAIN is a psychological suspense thriller which is my favorite type of book to read. This is the first book by Adam Mitzner that I have read and it did not disappoint. He is now at the top of my TO BE READ list. There are four more standalones to devour!!! I am excited about that!!! And here is a male author writing a book from a woman’s standpoint and it was very easy to forget that fact!!! He was right on target in terms of showing Ella’s emotional nuances.
The book focuses on the relationship between the two sisters named Ella and Charlotte Broden and takes the reader on a journey to discover the truth of what exactly happened in their lives. There are many twists, turns and surprises to be uncovered.
Ella Broden is an attorney/aspiring singer who embarks on a search for her missing sister Charlotte, an writing student. She works at her father’s law firm during the day, defending high profile potential criminals so it could also be considered to be a legal thriller, however, it moves into the general suspense genre.
I liked the setup of the book which initially divided the events into days and then this setup evolves a little as the story unfolds. Even the setup of the book contains surprises. There is a story within the story which I found added a lot to the plot. I was kept on the edge of my seat and held on tight as the ride got twistier and twistier.
A varied cast of characters is introduced. Who is to be trusted? Has Charlotte been abducted? If so, who is involved? Is another missing girl’s case connected to Charlotte’s disappearance?
In the interest of not revealing any spoilers, I am intentionally leaving out specific details of the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishing for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
July 5, 2019
Rating: 3.5/5.0
The good thing is that this book was an easy read. Not too long, not too short, not very heavy on describing sets or characters unnecessarily and has short chapters. The story is about the two sisters Ella and Charlotte. One day the younger sister (Charlotte) hands a novel (Dead Certain) she has written to her elder sister and then she disappears. The elder sister gradually unfolds the mystery of her sister's disappearance by using the information she provided in her novel which is not fully fictional.
The first half of the book was intriguing and has lots of suspense to it but the second half gets very predictable. The book is told from the perspective of the the two sisters and the killer. There is some cheesiness to the story specially where the sisters are concerned. The younger one dating with 3 guys at the same time (What a slut!) and the elder sister is a lawyer by day and a singer at night in bars picking up guys! (Another slut?)
What I really was not convinced with was the murder. I mean the motive was very weak. The guy already knew that the girl was fooling around so what was the motive? Jealousy? That is the least convincing motive in this story to commit a murder. Despite all the shortcomings this was still an enjoyable read.
The good thing is that this book was an easy read. Not too long, not too short, not very heavy on describing sets or characters unnecessarily and has short chapters. The story is about the two sisters Ella and Charlotte. One day the younger sister (Charlotte) hands a novel (Dead Certain) she has written to her elder sister and then she disappears. The elder sister gradually unfolds the mystery of her sister's disappearance by using the information she provided in her novel which is not fully fictional.
The first half of the book was intriguing and has lots of suspense to it but the second half gets very predictable. The book is told from the perspective of the the two sisters and the killer. There is some cheesiness to the story specially where the sisters are concerned. The younger one dating with 3 guys at the same time (What a slut!) and the elder sister is a lawyer by day and a singer at night in bars picking up guys! (Another slut?)
What I really was not convinced with was the murder. I mean the motive was very weak. The guy already knew that the girl was fooling around so what was the motive? Jealousy? That is the least convincing motive in this story to commit a murder. Despite all the shortcomings this was still an enjoyable read.
June 21, 2017
Dead Certain was totally fabulous
July 6, 2017
Review also posted at: https://underthebookcover.blogspot.co...
3.5/5
Thank you to Ashley Vanicek and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for review! All opinions are my own.
I really never thought I'd say that I enjoyed a book that could be classified as a legal thriller. And really, this isn't exactly a legal thriller, but more so a thriller that has lawyer characters in it. Dead Certain was unique and thrilling and Adam Mitzner has certainly captured my interest as an author.
Plot:
This story follows Ella Broden, a lawyer living a double life that no one else knows about. Her sister Charlotte has just shared the news that she's sold her first novel and Ella couldn't be more thrilled. That is, until she gets a call that Charlotte is missing. Nothing makes sense until Ella starts reading Charlotte's novel and realizes that it may contain the details of Charlotte's real-life affairs. Any one of her lovers could be involved and Ella desperately searches to match the fictitious characters to the real ones and solve the mystery before it's too late.
Dead Certain had a very interesting format and way of unfolding its plot. You get the initial plot of Charlotte going missing and Ella beginning to search for her, and then it switches over to chapters of Charlotte's book. I wasn't sure at first how the change in perspective would be, but getting to read bits of Charlotte's story while reading about Ella trying to find her was actually really cool! It definitely got me thinking as to which guy, if any, was the one that caused her disappearance, but never gave anything away directly. There was also a third point of view that we got that honestly had me jump out of my chair, book in hand, screaming "NO WAY!" when I found out who it was. It was such an unexpected twist that took me by such surprise I had no choice but to audibly express my feelings at the time. There was a bit of repetition in that section of the book, but it didn't bother me in the slightest. I got to see a side that I hadn't previously gotten to see, and saw reactions that I never thought I'd get to see. It's very vague, but I can't say much without giving away the crazy good twist that's in this book! Honestly, I loved the plot and how the author went about delivering it. It was a slow build-up that has the reader guessing up until all is revealed. And then, if you're like me, you're jumping out of your chair at two in the morning screaming about how you can't believe it.
Characters:
I thought Ella was a great character to follow. I enjoyed how different she was from her sister and I also think that her being so different was beneficial. She was able to use not only the skills she had as a lawyer, but also from working in the DA's office for so many years. Where Charlotte was more of a free spirit and kind of just doing what she wanted, Ella tried to be more practical and do what she thought she was supposed to do. She did have the secret singer life, but I didn't feel it was all that relevant since it's only really addressed once. Ella was very smart and protective of her sister and I think that while that may have been good, it also lead her to make rash decisions based on feeling rather than complete fact. She did accuse several people of having hurt her sister but never really had any concrete evidence. However, I can understand why she did that, so I wasn't too upset over it. I really enjoyed how determined she was to find her sister because I think that a huge part of solving the mystery was due to her determination. She was smart, and strong, and a character that I truly enjoyed reading about.
I enjoyed the other characters outside of Charlotte as well, especially the father. One thing that I appreciated was the change in the father that happens throughout the book. At first, you're introduced to him as a semi-popular lawyer that's tough and does whatever it takes to get the job done. Ella and Charlotte tend to not divulge information to him much regarding their personal lives likely due to his job and how he behaves. You're also told that when Ella and Charlotte's mother passed away, he basically buried himself in his work and didn't grieve or anything like that. You basically get the impression that he's a cold person who is really only a father in name and not in his actions. But when Charlotte disappears, he becomes a completely different person. He's hardly in the office anymore, he's disheveled and out of sorts, not keeping up with his looks as much. You could really tell that the potential loss of his daughter hit him hard and this time, he was allowing himself to experience that instead of trying to get lost in his work again. There was just something about his character change as the book went on that I really appreciated and I had to comment on how much I enjoyed it. It was very real and added a deeper level to the story than it just being about Ella looking for her sister. It showed that this one girl disappearing was affecting several people, and it allowed you to see how if affected each person differently. The father just stood out to me the most and I think his character development was the one I enjoyed out of everyone.
Writing:
I do want to address something that I've seen in several reviews regarding this book being incredibly pornographic/filled with sex. Charlotte did have multiple partners in this book, but there were never any incredibly graphic scenes involving her and someone else. Nothing was ever gone into extreme detail to where I would consider this being pornographic in any sense of the word. There were a few instances where Charlotte was with someone, but it was never described in detail to where I could easily picture it in my head and say that this was graphic. Ella also had one encounter with someone in this book, but again, not detailed in the slightest. I don't want anyone to be put off by the idea that this might be a book filled with characters that just sleep around and are only concerned with sex or anything like that. This is a great thriller that may have scenes of intimacy, but nothing that could be considered pornographic. To be honest, I don't even know where those comments came from, but I never encountered anything like that, and I don't want people to not pick up this book for fear of it being filled with nothing but sex scenes and slutty characters.
The writing of this book definitely kept me interested and turning the pages until all hours of the night. I honestly sat up reading by the light of my computer monitor to get this book finished because I was so into this story! It unfolded at a pretty decent pace and revealed the twist kind of out of nowhere, which I thought was perfect. You're reading the book and out of nowhere, you're hit with something that makes you go, "Wait what?" I love books that do that, and I don't get to read them very often, so I was really excited when it happened with Dead Certain. The writing was really easy to read and very enjoyable and I think it has the right amount of suspense to keep you turning the pages until the end!
Dead Certain is a great thriller that has easy to read writing, a plot that keeps you guessing, and a twist that you truly won't see coming. If you're looking for a book that is sure to have you sitting up late at night trying to find out what happens to the characters, then this is the book for you!
3.5/5
Thank you to Ashley Vanicek and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for review! All opinions are my own.
I really never thought I'd say that I enjoyed a book that could be classified as a legal thriller. And really, this isn't exactly a legal thriller, but more so a thriller that has lawyer characters in it. Dead Certain was unique and thrilling and Adam Mitzner has certainly captured my interest as an author.
Plot:
This story follows Ella Broden, a lawyer living a double life that no one else knows about. Her sister Charlotte has just shared the news that she's sold her first novel and Ella couldn't be more thrilled. That is, until she gets a call that Charlotte is missing. Nothing makes sense until Ella starts reading Charlotte's novel and realizes that it may contain the details of Charlotte's real-life affairs. Any one of her lovers could be involved and Ella desperately searches to match the fictitious characters to the real ones and solve the mystery before it's too late.
Dead Certain had a very interesting format and way of unfolding its plot. You get the initial plot of Charlotte going missing and Ella beginning to search for her, and then it switches over to chapters of Charlotte's book. I wasn't sure at first how the change in perspective would be, but getting to read bits of Charlotte's story while reading about Ella trying to find her was actually really cool! It definitely got me thinking as to which guy, if any, was the one that caused her disappearance, but never gave anything away directly. There was also a third point of view that we got that honestly had me jump out of my chair, book in hand, screaming "NO WAY!" when I found out who it was. It was such an unexpected twist that took me by such surprise I had no choice but to audibly express my feelings at the time. There was a bit of repetition in that section of the book, but it didn't bother me in the slightest. I got to see a side that I hadn't previously gotten to see, and saw reactions that I never thought I'd get to see. It's very vague, but I can't say much without giving away the crazy good twist that's in this book! Honestly, I loved the plot and how the author went about delivering it. It was a slow build-up that has the reader guessing up until all is revealed. And then, if you're like me, you're jumping out of your chair at two in the morning screaming about how you can't believe it.
Characters:
I thought Ella was a great character to follow. I enjoyed how different she was from her sister and I also think that her being so different was beneficial. She was able to use not only the skills she had as a lawyer, but also from working in the DA's office for so many years. Where Charlotte was more of a free spirit and kind of just doing what she wanted, Ella tried to be more practical and do what she thought she was supposed to do. She did have the secret singer life, but I didn't feel it was all that relevant since it's only really addressed once. Ella was very smart and protective of her sister and I think that while that may have been good, it also lead her to make rash decisions based on feeling rather than complete fact. She did accuse several people of having hurt her sister but never really had any concrete evidence. However, I can understand why she did that, so I wasn't too upset over it. I really enjoyed how determined she was to find her sister because I think that a huge part of solving the mystery was due to her determination. She was smart, and strong, and a character that I truly enjoyed reading about.
I enjoyed the other characters outside of Charlotte as well, especially the father. One thing that I appreciated was the change in the father that happens throughout the book. At first, you're introduced to him as a semi-popular lawyer that's tough and does whatever it takes to get the job done. Ella and Charlotte tend to not divulge information to him much regarding their personal lives likely due to his job and how he behaves. You're also told that when Ella and Charlotte's mother passed away, he basically buried himself in his work and didn't grieve or anything like that. You basically get the impression that he's a cold person who is really only a father in name and not in his actions. But when Charlotte disappears, he becomes a completely different person. He's hardly in the office anymore, he's disheveled and out of sorts, not keeping up with his looks as much. You could really tell that the potential loss of his daughter hit him hard and this time, he was allowing himself to experience that instead of trying to get lost in his work again. There was just something about his character change as the book went on that I really appreciated and I had to comment on how much I enjoyed it. It was very real and added a deeper level to the story than it just being about Ella looking for her sister. It showed that this one girl disappearing was affecting several people, and it allowed you to see how if affected each person differently. The father just stood out to me the most and I think his character development was the one I enjoyed out of everyone.
Writing:
I do want to address something that I've seen in several reviews regarding this book being incredibly pornographic/filled with sex. Charlotte did have multiple partners in this book, but there were never any incredibly graphic scenes involving her and someone else. Nothing was ever gone into extreme detail to where I would consider this being pornographic in any sense of the word. There were a few instances where Charlotte was with someone, but it was never described in detail to where I could easily picture it in my head and say that this was graphic. Ella also had one encounter with someone in this book, but again, not detailed in the slightest. I don't want anyone to be put off by the idea that this might be a book filled with characters that just sleep around and are only concerned with sex or anything like that. This is a great thriller that may have scenes of intimacy, but nothing that could be considered pornographic. To be honest, I don't even know where those comments came from, but I never encountered anything like that, and I don't want people to not pick up this book for fear of it being filled with nothing but sex scenes and slutty characters.
The writing of this book definitely kept me interested and turning the pages until all hours of the night. I honestly sat up reading by the light of my computer monitor to get this book finished because I was so into this story! It unfolded at a pretty decent pace and revealed the twist kind of out of nowhere, which I thought was perfect. You're reading the book and out of nowhere, you're hit with something that makes you go, "Wait what?" I love books that do that, and I don't get to read them very often, so I was really excited when it happened with Dead Certain. The writing was really easy to read and very enjoyable and I think it has the right amount of suspense to keep you turning the pages until the end!
Dead Certain is a great thriller that has easy to read writing, a plot that keeps you guessing, and a twist that you truly won't see coming. If you're looking for a book that is sure to have you sitting up late at night trying to find out what happens to the characters, then this is the book for you!
May 31, 2017
Review to follow.
May 3, 2017
This was a very good book. I knew from page one I was going to enjoy it and I did. In fact, I read it in one sitting, not wanting to put it down. Ella and Charlotte were sisters, six years apart. Their mother was dead, their father a very well-known attorney with a lucrative practice. After the girls' mother passed, he threw himself into his work, leaving Ella to pretty much look after Charlotte. Although Ella's dream was to be a singer, in order to please her father and earn his approval, she went to law school. After working for the DA's office for awhile she is now a criminal defense attorney. One day she gets a call from Charlotte asking her to meet her. When they get together Charlotte announces she's writing a book and a publisher wants to buy it. She gives Ella a copy of the first half of her manuscript and asks her to read it.
When Charlotte goes missing, Ella starts reading the book in the hope it will give her some idea of where her sister might be. She immediately recognizes that some of the characters represent real life people in Charlotte's life, thinly disguised by changing their names or a fact or two along the way. The main character, of course is supposed to be Charlotte and she has an older sister. She also has a live-in boyfriend who can only be Charlotte's real life boyfriend, Zach. So who does Matthew, a married man and Jason, one of her students, represent? Was Charlotte seriously involved with three different men? Was one of them responsible for her disappearance?
Ella reaches out to Detective Gabriel Velasquez, whom she once dated and broke up with. He launches an immediate investigation although Ella does some digging of her own. What she doesn't realize is that the killer is closer than she thinks and she is in danger of suffering the same fate of her sister if she isn't careful.
I loved the whole premise of the book and the fact Ella is trying to figure things out from her sister's manuscript where Charlotte predicts her own death. Glad I picked this one up and look forward to whatever the author has next.
When Charlotte goes missing, Ella starts reading the book in the hope it will give her some idea of where her sister might be. She immediately recognizes that some of the characters represent real life people in Charlotte's life, thinly disguised by changing their names or a fact or two along the way. The main character, of course is supposed to be Charlotte and she has an older sister. She also has a live-in boyfriend who can only be Charlotte's real life boyfriend, Zach. So who does Matthew, a married man and Jason, one of her students, represent? Was Charlotte seriously involved with three different men? Was one of them responsible for her disappearance?
Ella reaches out to Detective Gabriel Velasquez, whom she once dated and broke up with. He launches an immediate investigation although Ella does some digging of her own. What she doesn't realize is that the killer is closer than she thinks and she is in danger of suffering the same fate of her sister if she isn't careful.
I loved the whole premise of the book and the fact Ella is trying to figure things out from her sister's manuscript where Charlotte predicts her own death. Glad I picked this one up and look forward to whatever the author has next.
August 6, 2020
4 Stars
Read full review here: Brina and the Books
As in A Conflict of Interest , the main characater in this legal crime thriller, Ella Broden, is a criminal defense attorney in Manhattan, just like Adam Mitzner who is an attorney in Manhattan himself. Because of Mitzner's background and profession, the legal parts of the book which are sometimes quite challenging to follow but still interesting to read about make the story even more authentic and real. I also appreciate Mitzner explaining certain legal terms throughout the story. I don't need to interrupt my reading time and do the research myself.
Mitzner came up with a really cool and great concept for this book. Ella Broden's younger sister, Charlotte Broden, wrote a fictional novel which was more of a autobiography of her actual life, although she claimed otherwise. Mitzner not only mentioned Charlotte's novel, the reader was able to read parts of it throughout the book, too. I really enjoyed reading about Ella and her trying to solve the missing's persons case with the help of "only" a novel. Who would've thought that a novel would ever be an important trace in a criminal investigation.
Unfortunately, the story was slightly predictable because I figured out the 'whodunnit' after a little over the halfway mark although it was revealed much later into the story.
The pace of the story was just right. The short chapters and small cliffhangers after every few chapters made me turn the pages quickly. I just wanted to find out what happened to Charlotte.
Read full review here: Brina and the Books
As in A Conflict of Interest , the main characater in this legal crime thriller, Ella Broden, is a criminal defense attorney in Manhattan, just like Adam Mitzner who is an attorney in Manhattan himself. Because of Mitzner's background and profession, the legal parts of the book which are sometimes quite challenging to follow but still interesting to read about make the story even more authentic and real. I also appreciate Mitzner explaining certain legal terms throughout the story. I don't need to interrupt my reading time and do the research myself.
Mitzner came up with a really cool and great concept for this book. Ella Broden's younger sister, Charlotte Broden, wrote a fictional novel which was more of a autobiography of her actual life, although she claimed otherwise. Mitzner not only mentioned Charlotte's novel, the reader was able to read parts of it throughout the book, too. I really enjoyed reading about Ella and her trying to solve the missing's persons case with the help of "only" a novel. Who would've thought that a novel would ever be an important trace in a criminal investigation.
Unfortunately, the story was slightly predictable because I figured out the 'whodunnit' after a little over the halfway mark although it was revealed much later into the story.
The pace of the story was just right. The short chapters and small cliffhangers after every few chapters made me turn the pages quickly. I just wanted to find out what happened to Charlotte.
July 11, 2018
I got an ARC of Never Goodbye and read it, not realizing it was a sequel. Nearly all detective/mystery novels are really good about recapping and outlining characters and relationships so I didn’t feel lost, and I enjoyed the book. So when I reached the end, I stumbled across a little afterword by the author where he mentioned that the book was a sequel and invited readers to reach out to him via email with any thoughts. I did so, and he actually wrote back! Very nice personal touch.
But, I digress. I immediately went to Amazon and grabbed a copy of Dead Certain. I have to say, I loved it even more than the second! Great multilayered story, gasp-worthy twists with a clever reveal, and enough tragedy to bring humanity to the story and make you feel for the characters. Full disclosure - I did cry. Really fun read, looking forward to the third installment now! I’ll read them in order from now on.
But, I digress. I immediately went to Amazon and grabbed a copy of Dead Certain. I have to say, I loved it even more than the second! Great multilayered story, gasp-worthy twists with a clever reveal, and enough tragedy to bring humanity to the story and make you feel for the characters. Full disclosure - I did cry. Really fun read, looking forward to the third installment now! I’ll read them in order from now on.
May 17, 2019
There was something "off" about this book.
I got this book as the free download of the month from Amazon.
I know I lost interest and started skimming about 60% of the way through. I'm glad I did because the murderer (whose identity was NOT a surprise) got a series of chapters in which, to re-tell the WHOLE story from their point of view. I mean the WHOLE STORY, right down to repeating ENTIRE SECTIONS of dialogue. Look, I've already read it once (and was barely able to sustain interest). I just found it incredibly annoying to have to read the whole thing again.
I also thought the murderer's motive was absolutely ridiculous. Maybe there are people who murder with so little provocation, but if this person is so sensitive, they'd be responsible for hundreds of murders.
The rainbow at the end was a ridiculous, unnecessary touch.
I got this book as the free download of the month from Amazon.
I know I lost interest and started skimming about 60% of the way through. I'm glad I did because the murderer (whose identity was NOT a surprise) got a series of chapters in which, to re-tell the WHOLE story from their point of view. I mean the WHOLE STORY, right down to repeating ENTIRE SECTIONS of dialogue. Look, I've already read it once (and was barely able to sustain interest). I just found it incredibly annoying to have to read the whole thing again.
I also thought the murderer's motive was absolutely ridiculous. Maybe there are people who murder with so little provocation, but if this person is so sensitive, they'd be responsible for hundreds of murders.
The rainbow at the end was a ridiculous, unnecessary touch.
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