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dantastic's review
4.0
A man's wife is murdered and he's understandably wrecked. When he finds a notebook in her luggage, he finds that his wife may not have been the person he thought she was...
I got this from Darkfuse via Netgalley.
Imagine you find evidence that your recently deceased spouse was a serial killer. That's the boat Matt Newman is in in Deceiver. He gradually slides from being the grieving husband to brimming with anger as he reads the entries in his deceased wife's notebook.
I've never read a Kelli Owen book before but she knows about building tension and conveying feelings of loss and anger like nobody's business. I sympathized with Matt at the various stages of his emotional journey.
The payoff at the end is pretty damn sweet. I don't have a bad thing to say about this book. It's an easy four star read.
I got this from Darkfuse via Netgalley.
Imagine you find evidence that your recently deceased spouse was a serial killer. That's the boat Matt Newman is in in Deceiver. He gradually slides from being the grieving husband to brimming with anger as he reads the entries in his deceased wife's notebook.
I've never read a Kelli Owen book before but she knows about building tension and conveying feelings of loss and anger like nobody's business. I sympathized with Matt at the various stages of his emotional journey.
The payoff at the end is pretty damn sweet. I don't have a bad thing to say about this book. It's an easy four star read.
sjj169's review
4.0
Dang you book.
I picked this up and started reading. Matt's wife recently was murdered. He is heartbroken. After everyone leaves he starts going through her suitcase and finds a notebook.
He sees that the awful ties she brings him may not be so innocent. He realizes his wife was up to more than just her job.
This book had me wrapped up in it so very much. Then the damn thing ended. It wrapped up the story so don't think it leaves you hanging. It was just so good I want more.
I picked this up and started reading. Matt's wife recently was murdered. He is heartbroken. After everyone leaves he starts going through her suitcase and finds a notebook.
He sees that the awful ties she brings him may not be so innocent. He realizes his wife was up to more than just her job.
This book had me wrapped up in it so very much. Then the damn thing ended. It wrapped up the story so don't think it leaves you hanging. It was just so good I want more.
stewie's review against another edition
4.0
Deceiver isn't horror in the traditional sense, as there's nothing at all supernatural found in its pages. But its terrifying story is horrific nonetheless, delivering unease not unlike that of movies like Se7en and Silence of the Lambs.
What stands out most in this book is the high level of tension Owen maintains throughout. There was never a point I was truly comfortable reading it, and there were times when I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding. You would think that most interesting part of Deceiver would be what's in the notebook, and in fact you will get caught up just as Matt does reading it. And there's a part of you who gets annoyed with Matt when he stops reading it because you are just intrigued as he is. But Owen is such a skilled author that within a few words, you are engrossed in the next part of the story and you don't realize you have missed the mystery unravelling in the notebook until Matt picks it up again. The best way I can describe this is when I watch Game of Thrones and the story is following Ayra Stark's adventures and then jumps to Tyrion Lannister and the trouble he's getting into, I'm mad for a moment because I really like the Arya character. But then I remember I really like Tyrion too, so things are fine. It's like that. Sure I want to find out where that story in the notebook is heading, but I'm also caught up in how Matt is dealing with this tragic loss. That's a tough balance to pull off, and Owen does it with ease.
You can read my full review here at Horror DNA.
What stands out most in this book is the high level of tension Owen maintains throughout. There was never a point I was truly comfortable reading it, and there were times when I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding. You would think that most interesting part of Deceiver would be what's in the notebook, and in fact you will get caught up just as Matt does reading it. And there's a part of you who gets annoyed with Matt when he stops reading it because you are just intrigued as he is. But Owen is such a skilled author that within a few words, you are engrossed in the next part of the story and you don't realize you have missed the mystery unravelling in the notebook until Matt picks it up again. The best way I can describe this is when I watch Game of Thrones and the story is following Ayra Stark's adventures and then jumps to Tyrion Lannister and the trouble he's getting into, I'm mad for a moment because I really like the Arya character. But then I remember I really like Tyrion too, so things are fine. It's like that. Sure I want to find out where that story in the notebook is heading, but I'm also caught up in how Matt is dealing with this tragic loss. That's a tough balance to pull off, and Owen does it with ease.
You can read my full review here at Horror DNA.
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