Madeline is the daughter of Reverend Barker who has been missing for twenty years and whose disappearance is still front and center in the minds of just about every person who lives in Stillwater. But she can't accept that the father who was beloved by his entire congregation and who loved and protected her, especially since her mother's suicide, would take off and desert her. Although fully aware of the estrangement it will cause between her and her step family, the Montgomery's, she is determined to continue her investigation and hires P.I. Hunter Solozano holding steadfast to the hope that her father is still alive. But the Montgomery's know her investigations can't help but lead to a dead end, literally, since the reverend is buried under the cement floor of their barn. The truth can only hurt Madeline and they have been diligent in keeping her in the dark about what transpired the night her father went missing.

Hunter begins to uncover a series of seemingly unconnected events that hint that the reverend had actually been a very active pedophile operating right there in the small town of Stillwater. Hunter finds evidence of cruel and sadistic sexual rituals that point to the reverend but also disturbing is the possibility that there was another participant and observer to the raping of these young girls. Someone who has carefully hidden his obsession all these years; is getting nervous about the very thorough investigation of the reverend; will stop at nothing to eliminate the threat of disclosure. The story begins with the discovery of the reverends car in the quarry and the discovery of a bag containing items that strongly suggest sexual activity with young girls. Madeline is sure these items did not belong to her father, believing anything else would break her heart. Hunter's job is to find the truth behind these items realizing that the more he uncovers the more damaging to Madeline. Madeline believes the truth will set her free. The truth may prove to be fatal.

The first two books of the Stillwater saga were spellbinding which is amazing considering that from the beginning you know exactly what happened between the Montgomery family and the Reverend Barker. Brenda Novak leads you to believe that you know all about the odious reverend and the three books are stories of how the family copes. Think again. DEAD RIGHT is a page-turner about an obsession that is so sick and depraved you wonder how it went unnoticed for so long. It is a story about how people are fooled by the appearance of normal when the culprit hides in plain sight. It cautions us to be careful not to blindly accept righteousness of people in power or authority. When the target is children there is no such thing as too much diligence in protecting them from the deviates of society.