THE DEAD SEASON

SYNOPSIS

After leaving the NYPD following her abduction by serial killer Blake Bram, Shana Merchant hoped for a fresh start in the Thousand Islands of Upstate New York. Her former tormentor has other plans. Shana and Bram share more than just a hometown, and he won’t let her forget it. When the decades-old skeleton of Shana's estranged uncle is uncovered, Bram issues a challenge: Return home to Vermont and solve the cold case, or the blood he spills next will be on her hands.

As Shana interviews members of her family and the community, mining for secrets that could help her solve her uncle's murder, she begins to realize how little she remembers of her childhood. And when Bram grows impatient and kidnaps again, leaving a trail of clues Shana alone can understand, she knows his new victim will only survive if she wins the psychopath’s twisted game. In order to solve one mystery, Shana must wade into her murky past to unravel another.

Title: The dead season

Author: Tessa Wegert

Series: Shana Merchant #2

Publisher: Berkley

Publication date: December 8, 2020

REVIEW

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Second book in the Shana Merchant series and I’m officially hooked!

I read the first one in the series a couple of weeks back and liked it a lot. I don’t usually read books in a series very close together but when my friend Kim proposed a buddy read of The Dead Season this week I had to say yes cause the ending of Death In The Family left me pretty intrigued.

I gotta say I liked this second installment much more than the first one. One of the issues I found in the first book was that Shana’s backstory and the case she was investigating felt like two complete different books, but this time it’s all about Shana’s past and her encounter with the serial killer who abducted her for a week.

I loved to learn more about Shana and her family. I think it was really interesting to read about some of her childhood experiences that helped me to understand her current persona. I also found her a much more sympathetic character this time around.

I like her relationship with her colleagues, Tim and Mac, and how they support her unconditionally despite her many issues. Also, a door has been left open for some interesting developments in the next book.

Even though she’s on suspension, pending a psych evaluation to asses if she’s fit to go back to work, Shana finds herself front and center of not one, but two investigations, one hitting too close to home, and that could give her some answers about her encounter with Bram, the serial killer.

I must confess I squealed a little bit when she revealed who Bram was, but I was left with some questions I hope will get answered in the next book.

Although both cases were closed the last chapter ends with a line that is a HUMONGOUS cliffhanger, so I’m guessing I will be reading Dead Wind sooner than expected.

Another fun buddy read with my friend Kim! Ms. Wegert, you have now two huge fans!