Dead Heat

A battered teen. A devoted mentor. A bond that transcends the grave.

Alex is a machine whisperer. He can diagnose a broken-down car with a touch. But he’s trapped in a dead-end life, exploited by a father who’d sooner slap him upside the head than say good morning. 

For two years Cole mentored Alex, providing a glimpse of kindness and hope. All that vanished with Cole’s death. It’s a broken comfort when he reappears in spirit form, but Alex is willing to take what he can get—until he learns Cole’s efforts to protect him may have doomed his soul.

Caught in a deadly spin, Alex can’t get traction until an ailing ’59 Studebaker steers Jade into his life. With a love of the paranormal and the disarming ability to see the good in Alex, she assures him Cole can reach the Other Side—if Alex escapes his father. But a previous terrifying attempt has convinced him it’s impossible. Can he drum up the courage to try, or will Cole be earthbound forever?

If you like gritty, compelling stories with true-to-life characters who make you cry and cheer, you’ll love Lisa Nowak’s Dead Heat. Perfect for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson, John Green, and Chris Crutcher.

Download a copy today for a pulse-pounding story that’ll haunt you long after you turn the last page.

2014 Finalist in The Kindle Book Review's Best Kindle Book Awards.

“Dead Heat blew me away. It’s a gritty ghost story interwoven with all-too-real subject matter that will make you cry for Alex, ache for Cole, and thank God for Jade. I was invested in these characters’ lives and you will be too.” ~ Stacey Wallace Benefiel, author of the Zellie Wells trilogy

“Dead Heat is an amazingly well written story about one young man's struggle to stay on the straight and narrow…. As an Adult education teacher and a special education teacher of 12 years, I would recommend Lisa Nowak's Dead Heat and look forward to reading her Full Throttle series.” ~ Shannon Burne, M.Ed. Londonderry H.S.

*This book is not part of the Full Throttle series. It contains darker subject matter that kids under the age of 14 may find disturbing.*