Celebrate Lit / December 19, 2024

Dead Weight

About the Book Dead Weight

Book: Dead Weight: An Abbi Kincaid Suspense Novel

Author: Kathy Cassel

Genre: Suspense

Release date: August 29, 2023

When Florida Panhandle police officer Abbi Kincaid obtains a coveted position on the Bay County dive team, she has no inkling her first mission will be anything but routine. Recovering a murder weapon eighty feet below the ocean surface is a simple assignment until Abbi finds herself face-to-face with a mutilated body.

Then a fisherman pulls up a second body, and the similarities set off a search for a connection between the two murder victims. The quest leads to the murky world of high-stakes underwater salvage and treasure-hunting.

But what instigated this killing spree, and why now?

A horrific new trail of evidence is uncovered, and Abbi begins to wonder if her beloved brother Brad’s recent death is unrelated or whether he is yet another victim of this predator, even as she wrestles with age-old questions of why God allows good people to die.

When one more salvage diver goes missing, Abbi is pulled into a dangerous mission to rescue him. Trapped by the killer in an underwater cave, Abbi can no longer keep running but must face her worst fears head-on. With time and air running out, can she find a way to save not just herself but the others trapped with her? Does she have the strength, courage, and faith to do so before time runs out?

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts on Dead Weight

Dead Weight is a fun suspense novel that is going to take you into the deep dark and dangerous depths of the sea. Maybe you’ll come out alive.

This was a fast-paced novel. I really enjoyed getting into the pages. And then I found that it had captivated me and I could not get out. Not that I actually wanted to get out though. I was perfectly content being stuck within the pages of a book. It’s a place I am known to be and do love to be there.

I think you’ll love this new version of the standard police crime novel. Instead of being on land most of the sleuthing is going on underwater. Because that’s where the dead bodies are found. And maybe our heroine has a closer connection to the crime than she thought when things start to heat up. Oh, and it’s dangerous down there even without a killer.

This was a well-written novel. Abbi is our main character. She’s great. She’s tough. And um she rides a motorcycle. Too much for me. I’m not into that. Though, I have ridden a horse so maybe?

If you’re not ready to start a novel that is going to move at a fast clip don’t read this one. If you’re not ready to read a murder mystery novel with tons of suspense and edge-of-your-seat pages, don’t read this one. So now go grab a copy and read it! Because you know you want to.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

About the Author of Dead Weight

Kathy Cassel is the author of more than a dozen fiction and non-fiction titles for preteens and teens, including 2021 Selah Award finalist Freerunner, Catching Hope, and 2023 Selah Award finalist and Christian Indie Award finalist, A Thousand Lies. Dead Weight is her first adult suspense novel and the first book in the Abbi Kincaid Suspense series.

Kathy has lived on three continents with her USAF husband and has eight children, five adopted of them adopted, three from Haiti, and six grandchildren. To better relate to her characters, she enjoys learning their skills such as whitewater rafting, scuba diving, and riding a motorcycle, but draws the line at sky diving.

More from Kathy

In 2015, my daughter Jessica and I had the idea to write an underwater crime scene series. She was in the FSUPC’s underwater crime scene program, but I had never dived. I kept asking her questions about scuba techniques to make the scenes authentic, but I didn’t have a feel for it. So I took the four-hour intro to scuba class. I did not expect to like it because I am a bit claustrophobic and also didn’t think I had enough air to clear my mask.

But in reality, I did fine.

In fact, I liked it enough that I signed up for Padi Basic on the spot.

Jessica and I worked on the book, and I continued learning to dive, ending up with my SDI open water advanced with some specialities. But it turns out we didn’t know what we were doing when it came to writing a fiction novel. So I enlisted the help of a fiction coach.

We basically started the whole book over.

But by this time, my daughter and her husband were starting a family, and she decided to go to nursing school instead of going into law enforcement. Meanwhile, I pressed on alone with the book.

I decided that since my main character rode a motorcycle, it might be helpful to try that, too, so that the scenes where she rides would sound realistic. That was not without its own challenges, but I eventually got my certification, bought a cycle, and also learned to shoot a gun.

So, because of Abbi, I learned to dive, ride, and shoot!

The plot had changed drastically by now. I became so overwhelmed that I quit three times! During those times, I wrote three YA novels (Freerunner, Catching Hope, and A Thousand Lies). But I always knew I’d return to the underwater crime scene story. And I did. I kept pushing, and finally, with the help of my fiction coach, I finished the book. I hope you enjoy it.