Yesterday, I shared my thoughts about Deception on my social media channels. I wanted to post it on here too for you to read. Thank you to Random Things Tours for my spot on the tour and a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
If you want to read my other book reviews, click here.
Synopsis
Lily Anderson has it all. A beautiful son, a wealthy fiancé, and a luxury apartment in Edinburgh. But Lily is living a lie. Estranged from her family, she’s tired of covering up the truth about her relationship with Nathan Collesso.
Lily’s not the only one with troubles. Her friend, Sam, is being pursued mercilessly by a rogue cop determined to silence him. Living on the streets, Sam sees and knows too much.
As Lily’s wedding approaches, a desperate bid to escape leaves her with a head injury and a missing fiancé. Did she harm Nathan? Did she kill him? She can’t remember. The net tightens, entangling Lily and Sam in a web of deception that stretches from Edinburgh to Poland. Hard truths come to light, and every decision Lily has made since the day she met Nathan Collesso comes back to haunt her.
One false move, and she could lose her son, her friends and her life.
My Review
Set in one of Scotland‘s, and arguably the United Kingdom’s most beautiful cities, Edinburgh, Helen Forbes’ thriller transports is to each scene with stunning descriptions and atmosphere. The characters were well developed and three dimensional, which made them so much easier to like, or dislike, as appropriate. That said, some of the characters keep you guessing about their personalities.
There were the obligatory twists, only one or two that I saw coming, and which changed my mind a few times about what I thought I knew. I read this compelling thriller in only two sittings, and I found it to be a most satisfying read, so it isn’t surprising that I would recommend it to any reader. I gave Deception, by Helen Forbes, four stars.
Meet The Author
Crime fiction was not what lawyer, Helen Forbes, expected to write. As a single parent and mature law student, she used her limited spare time to write contemporary and historical Scottish fiction. It was a chance remark at a writing club that led her to develop a short story into her debut crime novel, In the Shadow of the Hill, featuring DS Joe Galbraith. The novel is set in Inverness and Harris, and it was described in one newspaper review as having ‘more twists and turns than the road to the isles, making it impossible to put down.’
The novel and characters proved popular with readers, leading to the publication of a second book in the DS Joe Galbraith series. Madness Lies is set in Inverness and North Uist. Helen has now taken to crime with a passion, and has published two psychological thrillers. Unravelling is set in Inverness, against the background of a former psychiatric hospital.
Deception is set in Edinburgh, and tackles the themes of domestic violence, prostitution and trafficking. Helen has also completed a further thriller set in Edinburgh, which she hopes to publish next year.
Queen of Grime’s main character is a crime and trauma scene cleaner, with a big secret. It is gritty and dark, but also funny and uplifting. Helen hopes to expand Queen of Grime into a series.
Where To Buy
These Amazon links are a convenient way to buy the book online. For print copies, please consider supporting your local bookshop.
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