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Cassandra Sato #0.5
Dead End
A massive earthquake strikes Japan. A tsunami warning threatens Oahu.
Suddenly, Dean of Students Cassandra Sato is racing the clock. With just hours to act, she must evacuate 1,000 college students from their beachfront dorms before the first wave hits. But with traffic gridlock, panicked students, and a boss who won’t take the threat seriously, Cassandra must rely on grit, teamwork, and a whole lot of improvisation to keep everyone safe.
Smart, fast-paced, and character driven, Dead End delivers suspense and emotional depth in a tightly woven short story starring the heroine readers have come to love. Perfect for fans of ordinary women facing extraordinary stakes with a touch of dry humor and plenty of heart.
Discover the thrilling prequel to the Cassandra Sato Mystery series. The journey starts here—before the snow, before the murders, before Cassandra became a sleuth.
Suddenly, Dean of Students Cassandra Sato is racing the clock. With just hours to act, she must evacuate 1,000 college students from their beachfront dorms before the first wave hits. But with traffic gridlock, panicked students, and a boss who won’t take the threat seriously, Cassandra must rely on grit, teamwork, and a whole lot of improvisation to keep everyone safe.
Smart, fast-paced, and character driven, Dead End delivers suspense and emotional depth in a tightly woven short story starring the heroine readers have come to love. Perfect for fans of ordinary women facing extraordinary stakes with a touch of dry humor and plenty of heart.
Discover the thrilling prequel to the Cassandra Sato Mystery series. The journey starts here—before the snow, before the murders, before Cassandra became a sleuth.
55 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 22, 2020
42 people are currently reading
242 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Brakenhoff
33 books262 followersKelly Brakenhoff is the author of 17 books and a seasoned ASL interpreter. She splits her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and children’s books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog.
In 2025, two of her children’s books were selected for the CBC Favorites Award Lists, honored by teachers and librarians nationwide for excellence in children's literature. Parents, kids, and educators love the Duke the Deaf Dog books and activity guides because they introduce ASL and the Deaf community through engaging stories.
And if you enjoy a smart female sleuth, want to learn more about Deaf culture, or have lived in a place where livestock outnumber people, the Cassandra Sato Mystery series will have you connecting the dots faster than a group project thrown together the night before it’s due.
A proud mom to four adults, head of the dog-snuggling department, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.
In 2025, two of her children’s books were selected for the CBC Favorites Award Lists, honored by teachers and librarians nationwide for excellence in children's literature. Parents, kids, and educators love the Duke the Deaf Dog books and activity guides because they introduce ASL and the Deaf community through engaging stories.
And if you enjoy a smart female sleuth, want to learn more about Deaf culture, or have lived in a place where livestock outnumber people, the Cassandra Sato Mystery series will have you connecting the dots faster than a group project thrown together the night before it’s due.
A proud mom to four adults, head of the dog-snuggling department, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 14, 2020
Dead End is the prequel short story for the Cassandra Sato Mysteries written by Kelly Brakenhoff. I read the first book before I realized there was an earlier one... oops! No worries tho, it's easy to figure it out. In this one, Cassandra is still working in Hawaii... and by the end, we know why she decides upon moving to Nebraska. What a job offer!
So... if you'd like to get to know a little of Hawaii's culture, understand where Cassandra's roots come from, and experience what happens when a tsunami is headed your way (courtesy of an awful earthquake in Japan), then dive right in. Students arguing with professors. Best friends deciding next steps in their careers. Exams floating around the campus. And a deadly and tragic onslaught of waves. While not a major mystery, it perfectly sets off the style and some of the supporting cast's fun personalities.
I enjoyed learning how Cassandra lived before the move the main island, and I really love the growth in the writing, storytelling, and character development from this book to the next one. Definitely a series to pick up... will take an hour to read and you can grab it for a very low cost on Amazon... then you'll be hooked on the author's style.
So... if you'd like to get to know a little of Hawaii's culture, understand where Cassandra's roots come from, and experience what happens when a tsunami is headed your way (courtesy of an awful earthquake in Japan), then dive right in. Students arguing with professors. Best friends deciding next steps in their careers. Exams floating around the campus. And a deadly and tragic onslaught of waves. While not a major mystery, it perfectly sets off the style and some of the supporting cast's fun personalities.
I enjoyed learning how Cassandra lived before the move the main island, and I really love the growth in the writing, storytelling, and character development from this book to the next one. Definitely a series to pick up... will take an hour to read and you can grab it for a very low cost on Amazon... then you'll be hooked on the author's style.
September 29, 2021
Booooooring.
November 30, 2020
I couldn’t put the book down. It was excellent! I could picture myself there as they were running away from the tsunami. Fantastic book! I’m looking forward to reading her other books.
June 15, 2025
Really?
I wouldn’t call this a “short story”, but rather the first few chapters to what appears to be a really enjoyable book. I’m going to start book 1 right away - and all I can say is, it better continue this “here comes the tsunami” event in Oahu.
I wouldn’t call this a “short story”, but rather the first few chapters to what appears to be a really enjoyable book. I’m going to start book 1 right away - and all I can say is, it better continue this “here comes the tsunami” event in Oahu.
March 21, 2025
Sweet Short Story
This little story was a fun read. It put a dampener on my idea of Hawaii. But realistically, weather is a fact of life. I enjoyed Kelly’s approach to how she let her readers know that no matter what emergency happens, no matter where you are; when there is a plan in place, nothing is as dire as we might first imagine. Besides…who doesn’t love Hawaii?!
This little story was a fun read. It put a dampener on my idea of Hawaii. But realistically, weather is a fact of life. I enjoyed Kelly’s approach to how she let her readers know that no matter what emergency happens, no matter where you are; when there is a plan in place, nothing is as dire as we might first imagine. Besides…who doesn’t love Hawaii?!
October 18, 2023
I like this prequel story to the Cassandra Sato mystery series. it really gave a fresh look on the character or she came to Nebraska and was at Norton college.
November 13, 2022
Even though this is part of a mystery series it's not really a mystery. It's the prequel to the series, explaining why the protagonist Cassandra Sato left Hawai'i for Nebraska (i.e. in academia you can't often chose where you live because jobs are few and in between).
Cassandra wants to move up the administrative ladder and has been wondering what her next step is. Meanwhile at her university there is a tsunami watch that becomes a warning but no one above her will listen to her about the dangers. The whole plot is really in the blurb. As Dean of Students she has to get the students to safety but for some reason a group of them won't leave the dorms and she has to figure out why (that's the 'mystery').
It's a straight forward short story that I have to wonder was originally written as a newsletter freebie or something because there isn't much to it. It's okay but I'm not sure it gives much insight into the character and I didn't feel particularly interested. It doesn't really play that much of a role into why she leaves home except the last paragraph (i.e. plum job offer).
Cassandra wants to move up the administrative ladder and has been wondering what her next step is. Meanwhile at her university there is a tsunami watch that becomes a warning but no one above her will listen to her about the dangers. The whole plot is really in the blurb. As Dean of Students she has to get the students to safety but for some reason a group of them won't leave the dorms and she has to figure out why (that's the 'mystery').
It's a straight forward short story that I have to wonder was originally written as a newsletter freebie or something because there isn't much to it. It's okay but I'm not sure it gives much insight into the character and I didn't feel particularly interested. It doesn't really play that much of a role into why she leaves home except the last paragraph (i.e. plum job offer).
July 16, 2021
Tsunami hits Oahu, frustration hits college staffer
When a tsunami warning is issued, Cassandra wants to move students to safety as soon as possible. Her immediate boss downplays the danger until it becomes obvious to everyone. He lets her arrange transportation for the students while he drives off to check on his family. Not all the students cooperate and some have to be rescued. All the characters mentioned survive with little fanfare, though Cassandra has lost respect for her boss, who apparently receives no reprimand for deserting the students. Back at work, she is offered a new job on the mainland. The end. You have to read the sample and description of the next book to find out that she takes the job and there is a murder at her new college which she is going to end up solving. This is not a very exciting introduction to a murder mystery series. There were a lot of loose ends that never got tied up and not much action.
When a tsunami warning is issued, Cassandra wants to move students to safety as soon as possible. Her immediate boss downplays the danger until it becomes obvious to everyone. He lets her arrange transportation for the students while he drives off to check on his family. Not all the students cooperate and some have to be rescued. All the characters mentioned survive with little fanfare, though Cassandra has lost respect for her boss, who apparently receives no reprimand for deserting the students. Back at work, she is offered a new job on the mainland. The end. You have to read the sample and description of the next book to find out that she takes the job and there is a murder at her new college which she is going to end up solving. This is not a very exciting introduction to a murder mystery series. There were a lot of loose ends that never got tied up and not much action.
May 14, 2022
I live in Nebraska where we have tornadoes, flash floods, wildfires and blizzards, but never tsunamis. It was interesting to read about how a tsunami emergency would be handled.
I enjoyed Kelly Brakenhoff's style of writing. She gave enough detail and description so the reader can visualize and follow the story but not too much description so the reader loses interest. One thing I fail to understand is why the title "Dead End".
Since the main character gets the chance to move to Nebraska I am particularly interested in reading her next book!
I enjoyed Kelly Brakenhoff's style of writing. She gave enough detail and description so the reader can visualize and follow the story but not too much description so the reader loses interest. One thing I fail to understand is why the title "Dead End".
Since the main character gets the chance to move to Nebraska I am particularly interested in reading her next book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2021
A great introduction for the following A Cassandra Sato Mystery Series. This is a short story which you can probably finish in two to three hours. A tsunami is about to hit Hawaii, and Dean of Students Cassandra Sato must evacuate over a thousand student to the interior. This could very easily be a true life event. The story line is solid until the last chapter when I was kind of thrown off course. I can't wait to read the upcoming series and see how it all links together
March 18, 2025
🖊️ I betta make dis short. The dialogue is stiff and somewhat forced, which made it difficult to plod through the first couple of chapters. So, I wikiwiki with closing the book and went on to another task. 🗑️ Though this book was not for me, I couldn’t help but laugh and laugh lots more. And then Jocelyn said, ‘Oh no! An earthquake. That’s scary.’” Phony, yet a comedic reading of cue cards. I betta stop now before I hit a dead end.
જ⁀🍇 Kindle.
༇✲༆✲༻⇜⇝༺✲༆✲༻
18%
જ⁀🍇 Kindle.
༇✲༆✲༻⇜⇝༺✲༆✲༻
18%
September 24, 2021
This is a short story and the first time reading this author. The main characters are Cassandra and Jocelyn. The are both working at a college in Hawaii and they get a warning for a tsunami coming at their college and are working to get all the students to a safe place even though no one wants to believe they are in danger. Can they get everyone to safety before it's too late ?
April 28, 2022
Back story
Dead End is basically a background story for Cassandra, which makes it fitting that this is the first book I've read in the series.
It was interesting & gives some explanation for why she'd choose to leave Hawaii to work in the midwest.
Dead End also includes the first chapter of Death By Dissertation.
Dead End is basically a background story for Cassandra, which makes it fitting that this is the first book I've read in the series.
It was interesting & gives some explanation for why she'd choose to leave Hawaii to work in the midwest.
Dead End also includes the first chapter of Death By Dissertation.
August 9, 2024
Cassandra Soto is the Dean of Students at a college in Oahu, Hawai'i, when they are given a warning about a possible tsunami. With the welfare of her students in mind, she comes up with an evacuation plan to implement as soon as the Associate Provost agrees. When 4 students are missing after the evacuation Cassandra goes into action to find them and get them to safety.
October 30, 2024
Cassandra Sato #0.5
Dead End
Kelly Brakenhoff
Upper management err on the side of complacency when a Tsunami warning is issued and students and the general public fail to acknowledge a danger they cannot see. Like the people who remained on the side of Mount St Helens before it blew. Or all those people who denied global warming before the hurricanes and tornadoes arrived.
Dead End
Kelly Brakenhoff
Upper management err on the side of complacency when a Tsunami warning is issued and students and the general public fail to acknowledge a danger they cannot see. Like the people who remained on the side of Mount St Helens before it blew. Or all those people who denied global warming before the hurricanes and tornadoes arrived.
January 10, 2022
I really loved this short story! I cannot wait to continue on to the next book! Interesting, complex and quirky characters, intense situations during a tsunami, make this a page turner and a must read!
November 9, 2022
The thing that I found hard to believe was the attitude of the head of the school towards the tsunami warnings - 'Nothing to worry about'. An organisation that is responsible for hundreds of young adults should take proper care of them.
The waves are coming
The waves are coming
August 14, 2024
It was an okey book, however I would have loved to see how they survived the tsunami. The whole book is about the moments before it and I get that you can't put everything in a short book, but I'd rather have read about how it happened instead of skipping it
August 20, 2021
Fair little short story that moves along nicely. But frankly this isn't for me. Not my kind of heroine.
September 2, 2022
Prequel to the series. Gives the background of why Cassandra would want to leave Hawaii. Not really a mystery to solve, in the usual sense. Quick read!
February 22, 2023
This served no purpose, even as an introduction to the series.
January 7, 2026
Short story. I thought there was not a lot of substance.
Thank you for the opportunity to read your book
Thank you for the opportunity to read your book
December 25, 2021
Not much substance and not much of a mystery. This is the backstory for how the main character ended up at a small college in Nebraska.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews