Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Dead Cold Mystery #19

Death in Dexter

Rate this book
There hadn’t been a crime in Dexter, upstate New York, since 1865. It was a long time coming, but when it came, on the 21st September, 2012, it was ugly. It was murder.

It was the murder of a seventeen year-old girl, beaten, raped and strangled, then stabbed in the heart with a hunting knife. The DNA recovered from the corpse was contaminated and corrupted, but the DNA recovered from her clothes at home was clear. It was her stepfather’s, just like the fingerprints on her arms and her face where she had been beaten. It should heave been an open and shut case, but there was a problem. When seventeen year-old Debbie was being murdered, her step father was drinking beer with the deputy.

So who killed Debbie Smith?

Seven years after the murder, the sheriff of Franklin County wants an answer. And he’s heard that the 43rd in the Bronx has a team who specialize in cracking cold cases. But as the fall sets in in upstate new York, this case may be just too cold to crack.

Or too hot…

146 pages, ebook

Published September 16, 2019

1451 people are currently reading
176 people want to read

About the author

Blake Banner

153 books400 followers
USA TODAY and Amazon #1 bestselling author of the OMEGA and DEAD COLD MYSTERY series. Learn more about Blake Banner at his website: www.blakebanner.com

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
885 (59%)
4 stars
460 (30%)
3 stars
115 (7%)
2 stars
19 (1%)
1 star
7 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
Profile Image for Phrynne.
4,065 reviews2,744 followers
November 27, 2020
These books are so addictive that every time I read one I have to read another. Five more and I have caught up with the author. Luckily he has another different series which I have not tried yet!

Death in Dexter stands out in this series as one in which Stone and Dehan's relationship changes. I am very interested to find out what happens next! Apart from that the book was exactly what I expect - a good story and an intriguing mystery with lots of action and plenty of humour.

Keep them coming Mr. Banner!
Profile Image for Ann.
485 reviews6 followers
September 22, 2019
After reading every new story in this series I think it is the best. Then I read the next and so it goes on. So here we are again, another really good one.

This time the Sheriff of Franklin County has asked for their help in finding the answers to a seven year old cold case. A seventeen year old girl had been raped and brutally murdered. Who was guilty was not properly answered. What seemed like a straightforward case soon showed signs of coming unstuck.

Did the 3 boys rape and kill Debbie? Or was it Bart? So many questions and not the right answers.
Stone and Dehan certainly have a mystery on their hands. Things aren't helped with the pair as Dehan has something on her mind and is reluctant to talk about it to Stone.

All is revealed eventually re both mysteries. A really satisfying read.
Profile Image for Jeffrey.
299 reviews3 followers
July 11, 2021
The team goes to north east NY state. Invited.to solve a 12 year old murder.

Great descriptions of the town and the area. Which one expects.

As usual some surprises at least one that becomes.obvious.

As to characters innvolved, that was a big stretch for me. Young guys who 12 years later haven't changed much at all. Not the sharpest.guys either. And why weren't they investigated more deeply to begin with? Just odd.

And I may have missed it, but who pays for.their.lawyer?

Not the best in this series but I'll read the next one
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Rosemary Dreyer.
1,549 reviews6 followers
November 24, 2022
What a disappointing book in this series. The plot was muddied and exaggerated. I felt like I was watching a bad tv show. There is just so much I didn’t like: I HATE how racist, sexist, and NYC-centric this writer is and how living outside of New York City the dialogue written is as if those people are hicks. I found much of the novella irritating and insulting. Plus, there were so many mistakes, from spelling to grammar to incorrect words used. I’ve said it over and over: this author needs a good editor. I would definitely skip this book.
Profile Image for Angela.
8,744 reviews122 followers
August 4, 2024
4.5 stars

Death in Dexter is the nineteenth book in the Dead Cold Mystery series by Blake Banner.
Great series. Cold Cases. Crime and investigation. Mystery. Suspense. Detectives. Police procedural. Intrigue. Tension. Dramatic developments. Action. Engrossing.
Would make a superb TV series.

Full Review to come.
1,000 reviews23 followers
December 17, 2021
Death in Dexter

Murder and mystery in the country woods where most everyone is a good ole boy or best friends with one. The ending was consistent with the territory and fitting for the overall scene.
324 reviews
October 15, 2022
Full of mystery and emotions.

Well, I did have the answer well before the end.
But NOTHING kept the ball running like Mr. Banner.
Three cheers to Blake!!
Monica Beltrami. Montevideo, Uruguay.
23 reviews1 follower
August 25, 2023
From Start to Finish

Always grabs you from the very start. Twists and turns till it all comes together after struggling to get to the bottom of the mystery that everyone before has missed.
Profile Image for Jannie.
390 reviews3 followers
August 3, 2020
I really like the characters in these books! Easy, quick, enjoyable read.
22 reviews
October 7, 2020
Another good one!

Great read. The ending was great and unexpected. The only disappointment was Dehan news. I was left hanging. I don't want give away. Read!!!
13 reviews1 follower
November 30, 2020
Another page turner with a twist that will leave you surprised just. Like all the other books in the series so far
Profile Image for Kelly.
175 reviews9 followers
June 27, 2021
Wow! So exciting…as always…a very good mystery. But one thing was not answered…hope to have it in the next book! Lol… gotta read it to know what I am talking about. Hahaha.
Profile Image for Marianne.
315 reviews1 follower
June 27, 2021
This was good I thought it was the wife dianne...but again you flipped it. Loved it. Oh and what happened with Dehan...was it positive or negative....left us hanging..
5 reviews
January 2, 2023
Another great read as always!

Writing this review after reading the next in the series, Kindle version didn’t have an Epilogue and think something key is missing, anyone confirm?
Profile Image for D. George.
337 reviews
December 17, 2023
Actually less of the normal problem with this series in this entry, but the ending was also too easy to see coming, so it's still not quite five stars for me.
Profile Image for Matthew O'Sullivan.
181 reviews8 followers
October 24, 2024
Another solid entry in the series. I wish Dehan was the one solving the case one of these novels.
1,477 reviews25 followers
September 19, 2019
Death In Dexter Blake Banner

Cold case NYPD homicide detectives Stone and Dehan are assigned a cold case in a small town called Dexter. A small enough town where families go back for a very long time , hundreds of years. A brutal rape and murder occurred to a beautiful young girl. She was a beautiful, seductive, manipulating evil girl with no moral compass. Her rapist, actually the wrong one was convicted but the murder was never solved. Stone and Dehan will leave no stone unturned. It will almost break the back of this small town. Justice is never simple. A magnificent read, another classic murder mystery. Enjoyed immensely!
Profile Image for Steve Edelman.
74 reviews2 followers
October 8, 2019
ANOTHER 5-STAR EPISODE TO THE ‘DEAD COLD MYSTERY’ SERIES

As if there weren’t enough at the 43rd Precinct, now Stone & Dehan find themselves in upstate New York trying to unravel a 7-year-old rape-murder of a 17-year-old teenaged girl.

What follows is another Blake Banner adventure into the Cold Case files.
114 reviews1 follower
November 8, 2019
Death in Dexter

I have thoroughly enjoyed this entire series of books. I have read all of the Dead Cold Books, and I have enjoyed every single one of them. I am looking forward to the next book already and highly recommend this series. Please keep them coming. Blake Banner is a truly talented author and a great storyteller.
11 reviews
September 21, 2019
Suspense to the end,. Stone & Dehan show they are just as skilled in sm

Stone &Dehan show they're just as capable working a case in a small town as in the big city. They keep us guessing till the end. Another great plot.
18 reviews
October 17, 2019
A Great Series

What a fun read! I loved the ending and I'm so looking forward to finding out how the next chapter in Stone and Dehan's lives will play out while solving their next cold case.
136 reviews4 followers
September 21, 2019
DO NOT BOTHER. The series started out well, but has gotten formulaic. Not worth it.
457 reviews6 followers
September 23, 2019
Blake Banner

Excellent book! This is a fantastic series! I realize that these books are short but they are packed with a punch! I highly recommend!
7 reviews7 followers
September 24, 2019
This was one of my favorites in the Dead Cold Mystery series to date. The relationship between Stone and Dehan makes every book a delight to read.
1 review
October 16, 2019
Death in Dexter

Absolutely riveting. Have been a fan of Stone and Dean since book one. Can’t wait to see how their saga enfolds.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.