Senior Investigator Shana Merchant has spent years running from her past. But she never imagined a murder case would drive her to the most dangerous place of all—home. 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 … 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.
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I absolutely loved everything about this book!!
It was exciting, suspenseful, a thriller, and lad me captivated through out the whole book!!!
“ the Dead Season” is a wonderful book!!!!!
I loved DEATH IN THE FAMILY, a locked-room (or locked-island…) mystery that serves as the first novel in the Shana Merchant series, so I dove into its follow-up, THE DEAD SEASON, with high expectations. Turns out: I enjoyed this one even more than the first! In that novel, it was teased that Blake Bram, the serial killer who abducted detective Shana Merchant a year ago, has a childhood connection to Shana—besides just the same Vermont hometown—and in this novel, we finally learn what it is (but you’ll have to read it to find out yourself!). When the decades-old remains of Shana’s estranged uncle are discovered, Bram lures Shana into returning home to solve the case, which soon becomes intertwined with the case of a kidnapped boy in the Thousand Islands, where Shana now lives. As she races against the clock to try to figure out who murdered her uncle and where the kidnapped boy is being held, Bram continues his twisted game of cat and mouse, forcing Shana to confront parts of her past she’d prefer to forget. Once again, the setting is so vividly and eerily drawn in this book. The action zips back and forth between Vermont and upstate New York as Shana tries to balance both cases, and Tessa Wegert is particularly skilled at making each place come alive. I also loved that, in this book, we got more of a glimpse at Shana’s family history and dynamics, which helped to deepen and flesh out her character even more. The mystery itself is gripping, with so many suspects that seem to be tangled up in one fateful night, and Shana’s voice leaps off the page. This is a confident, riveting story that kept me playing the “one more chapter” game well into the night, and I can’t wait to see what happens next in this series.
HOT NEW RELEASE!!
“CHILLING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER meets GRIPPING police procedural in this relentlessly compelling cat and mouse game of BURIED SECRETS and FAMILY HEARTBREAK.
Tessa Wegert is such a skilled and confident storyteller! I COULD NOT PUT THIS DOWN.”–
@hankpryan , USA Today bestselling author of THE FIRST TO LIE.
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This is a SERIES!
THE SHANA MERCHANT NOVEL;
1. Death In The Family
2.THE DEAD SEASON.
352 pages, 37 chapters, it is one intriguing read!
The story begins in Vermont Aug 1995, the protagonist’s hometown when she is around 10 years old. The 2nd most important character is also introduced here, who is also around 9.5 years old.
This intro is to build an atmospheric vibe about the story.
Chapter 1, jumps the timeline and brings us straight to the present.
Shana Merchant is a senior investigator, who is RUNNING AWAY FROM HER PAST. She was held hostage by a serial killer, Blake Bram who murdered three women and a rookie police officer. She hopes for a fresh start.
But..
Is it easy to run away from your past & start afresh
#ᴀᴏᴛᴅ I believe instead of running away, we need to make peace with our past. Accept it and move forward. But it’s easier said than done!
Well, her past pulls at her and forces her to relive her childhood memories, solve a riddle, a murder mystery if she wants to save someone from getting targeted next!
it’s a TWISTED GAME played by a psychopath with a victim, the protagonist.
WILL SHE COME OUT A STRONGER PERSON
Or
WILL SHE LOSE EVEN THE LITTLE THAT’S LEFT OF HER
read it to know more!
P. S. : The ending is a cliffhanger giving way to a probable next in the series!
Genre: Psychological thriller.
#noorthebookwormreviews
#thedeadseason
Guys…if you have not read this book…OMG you need to! I finished it the last part of December and guess what? It flew to the top of my 2021 top 10 list! Right?!
I loved Death in the Family..but I loved this one even more. My favorite thing about Death in the Family was Shana’s story…I wanted more…and we get it in this story!
Shana goes back to her small town after her missing uncle’s body is found…the thing is…home is also home to serial killer Blake Bram…the one that has taunted her that they have a past…the one that held her captive in his basement…the one that is in her thoughts…ever single day….We not only find out more about Shana…we get the scoop on Bram!!
I am not usually one to pick up a series…but now I am! This could be read as a stand alone…but it is even better if you have read the first book…and why wouldn’t you?! It was fantastic!
Wait…what?! Tessa Wegert you can’t do this to me!!! That ending!!! Now I can’t wait to get my hands on Dead Wind!!
The Dead Season is a fantastic, fast-paced crime novel that kept me on the edge of my seat and flipping pages. In this novel, Shana Merchant’s past and emotional problems come back to haunt her at an even deeper level as she deals with two crimes that are interconnected, thanks to the twisted mind and sadistic actions of her serial killer nemesis, Blake Bram. Through it all, the ticking clock of Shana’s upcoming psychological evaluation hangs over her head. She can’t just keep herself together, she must face the past and become stronger mentally and physically if she hopes to solve one murder and prevent another—and that’s not easy when a sadist like Bram is toying with you.
I recommend reading the series in order, but it isn’t entirely necessary.
The Dead Season is book two in the Investigator Shana Merchant series. Blake Bram, the serial killer who previously abducted Shana is back. Bram challenges Shana to return to their shared hometown in Vermont to solve a cold case. Everyone thought Shana’s uncle ran out on his family years ago, but his decades-old skeleton has just been located right in their hometown. Concurrently, Bram’s kidnapped a child in Shana’s new town in the Thousand Islands in upstate New York.
Definitely read book one in the series first – Death in the Family. There are major character arcs and plot points from book one discussed in The Dead Season, and those arcs continue to build through book two. The mystery is fast paced and the reveals regarding Bram are twisty!
Content Warnings: ableism
After finishing Death in the Family which is the first book in the Shana Merchant series, I could not wait to dive into The Dead Season. Once again I became immersed in Shana’s world and couldn’t read fast enough. We learn more about Shana’s background in this book and all that she has gone through and is trying to overcome. The Dead Season stands on it’s own but I am betting you will want to read the first book too!
The Dead Season by Tessa Wegert is the 2nd book in her Shana Merchant series. I read the first book in this series, and enjoyed it very much; especially the heroine, Shana Merchant. The Dead Season is another exciting mystery thriller with emphasis on Shana, as she becomes embroiled in a cold case that is totally centered on her family. Shana suffered with PSTD (she had been kidnapped two years ago, but escaped after 8 days, witnessing three innocent deaths), which caused her move to a quieter small town Thousand Islands in upstate N.Y. She is currently on suspension to pass a psych exam to be able to return to work.
Shana is called by her family to return home, since the body of her uncle, missing for twenty plus years, has been found, and evidence proves it was murder. She begins her own investigation to find out the truth about her uncle’s disappearance, meeting with members of her family (cousins, aunts, friends).
When her partner Tim, calls for some help with a missing young boy, Shana quickly returns and discovers a shocking revelation. Seems her former kidnapper has dropped clues for Shana, which involves the missing boy, as well as her receiving a challenge to find the murderer of the Uncle, or the boy may die. Shana does have a secret, which she has told no one. Her kidnapper, Bram, is someone she cousin she played clue like games, but when she got older, she stopped playing them and now her kidnapper is baiting her. Because Tim and her boss, Mac are deeply involved in this case, with their own personal lives becoming too close to home, Shana must reveal the truth about who her kidnapper was.
What follows is an exciting story line with our heroine deep into trying to solve two different cases, though partially tied together. Shana is a wonderful, strong, savvy detective, who uses her expertise to find the secrets of the past; as well as stop Bram from killing the boy. To tell too much more would be spoilers.
The Dead Season was very well written by Tessa Wegert, with an exciting, gripping thriller all the way, as well as the many twists and turns that kept throwing us off. If you have not read the first book, this does read very well as a stand alone; but I do suggest to read the first book to learn more about Shana, and her new teammates. If you enjoy an old fashion mystery thriller, look no further than the The Dead Season.
Uhm, can we just talk about how crazy this series is?! I don’t often pick up crime/thriller books, and I don’t know why because I actually really love this genre. But this series is now a particular favorite in the genre because it reminds me of the OG Agatha Christie. And who doesn’t love Christie?
This book just took us down so many roads and it was such a wild ride. I loved how everything wove together and how the past came back to haunt the present. And this book is going to hook you and make you incredibly invested in what might happen next. I mean, you’re not going to just WANT to know, you’re going to NEED to know. So, maybe set some time aside for this book so you don’t have to set it down.
There’s something oddly relaxing about a crime book. They’re haunting and terrifying in all of the scarily realistic ways, but they’re also always so gripping. And The Dead Season is one of those books that fits that description like a perfect puzzle piece. I look forward to seeing what comes next in this series!
The Dead Season by Tessa Wegert is an edge of your seat thriller.
I went into reading this book not knowing that this was the second book in the series.
I think I would of understood the main character, Shana Merchant a little bit more if I had.
I really liked this book and I will go back and read the first book in the series.
Shana is on medical leave after something that happened in the first book so traumatic that she is waiting to be reinstated to go back to work.
The story line alternates between the past and the present as it relates to events and secrets and this is very well done.
Shana’s uncles body turns up after being missing for 20 years.
This was a great page turning thriller. I highly recommend it!
Tessa Wegert, the author of “The Dead Season” has written an intense, intriguing, captivating, and edgy novel. The genres for this novel are Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, and Fiction. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events. The author describes her dramatic characters as complex, complicated, flawed, have psychological issues and problems. The author discusses the topics of drugs, torture, violence, threats, danger, and murders. This is the second book in this series and can be read alone.
Shana Merchant, an investigator is on leave after trauma from her last case, and it will be determined when she can be reinstated for work. Shana has deep secrets and has tried to protect her family. The current crimes seem to literally be close to Shana’s home and family. The last case where Shana had been abducted by a serial killer Blake Bram, is not really closed. Shana knows that Blake is stalking and following her and trying to get her attention again. Both criminal and law enforcer come from the same town but have much more in common.
When the body of Shana’s uncle is found after he was missing for 20 years, there are many suspects, and some are from Shana’s family. Blake is a psychopath and wants something from Shana, or there will be more bloodshed. I highly recommend this chilling thriller.
The Dead Season by Tessa Wegert is book 2 of the Shana Merchant series and what a book it was. Shana really has to face a big part of her past in this novel, and I don’t think I will ever really understand why she does the things she does. It is my opinion that this series should be read in order, and you will understand more about Shana if you start with Death in the Family. You get to know Shana a bit better in this book as well as her relationship with various family members, and I loved the dive into her life. The mystery surrounding the murder of her uncle and the rush to find the missing boy made this a very suspenseful read and I was glued to the pages. The stakes keep getting higher in the game between Shana and Bram, and the end of the book made me need book 3 RIGHT NOW.
The audiobook for The Dead Season is again narrated by Callie Beaulieu and I love that they are keeping her as the narrator and staying consistent. She makes the perfect Shana and I always enjoy listening to her. The audio is very short at just over 9 hours and if you are as big a fan of audio as I am, I definitely suggest going that route but maybe having a physical copy on hand as well. There are a lot of characters and a lot going on, so it’s really nice to have something to look back at. Wegert’s writing is very immersive and engaging, and that was just as evident in this novel. I love crime fiction and The Dead Season has all the crime you could want while also feeling like a police procedural which I also love. This was another fantastic installment to the series, and I clearly can’t wait until the next book comes out!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Reading book 2 before book 1 is not the way to do things!! However, I still enjoyed this second installment of Senior Investigator Shana Merchant.
When a body is found near her hometown, Shana returns to help her parents, and finds herself also investigating the abduction of a young boy.
This novel dredges up much of Shay’s past, including Bram Blake, and his many ties to her.
I am going to read the first book, and I can’t wait for the third!! This book was quite intricate, a little gory, and ends with a cliffhanger!
I read this one immediately following its predecessor, and enjoyed both very much.
This one picks up shortly after the first with Shana having undergone therapy to deal with past and recent trauma/psychological issues. She is a few days away from her reinstatement hearing when a child disappears from a field trip to a nearby island. At the same time the remains of her uncle who had supposedly relocated 20 years before are discovered in her nearby hometown. She pieces together the identity of the psychopath who may be responsible for both crimes as well as her own abduction a year before.
Twisty and creepy with a good supporting cast and plenty of suspense, I also liked to discover how much Shana had progressed since the previous book. Wonderful heroine, good book. Hope there are more to come.