Deception by Patricia Bradley

Deception
by Patricia Bradley

ISBN-13: 9780800735760
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Revell
Released: August 2nd 2022

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
After being forced to kill an FBI agent gone rogue in self-defense while working in the violent crimes unit for the Investigative Services Branch, ranger Madison Thorn is comfortable with her move to the fraud and cyber division. At least numbers don't lie. So she's less than thrilled when a white-collar crime investigation in Natchez, Mississippi, turns violent. She ends up working with someone she knows from her childhood visits to her grandfather: handsome park ranger Clayton Bradshaw.

When a woman who looks just like Madison is attacked on the same night Madison's grandfather is shot, it becomes clear that there is something much bigger going on here and that Madison herself is in danger. Madison and Clayton will have to work together--and suppress their growing feelings for one another--if they are to discover the truth before it's too late.


My Review:
Deception is a Christian romantic suspense. This is the fourth book in a series, but it worked as a standalone novel. The main characters were engaging, complex, and reacted in realistic ways to events. The suspense came from the attacks on Madison and a woman who looks just like her--which one is the target? It was a complex mess to sort out. Madison and Clayton asked questions, followed up on leads, and worked well together.

However, Madison thought about some clues (so the reader can guess the identity of a suspect from a past case) yet she somehow didn't put the clues together at that time. There was another suspect where she seemed surprisingly willing to accept his assurances. On the other hand, she previously fell in love with someone willing to kill her, so it's consistent that she tended to see the best in people but was good at spotting discrepancies in paperwork and crime scenes.

Clayton trusted Madison's ability to analyze crime scenes. They worked as a team and supported each other. Clayton struggled to resist his addiction to gambling and to forgive his sister's husband for his addiction. He felt God telling him to support the other in resisting his addictions rather than condemning him, even if it was hard to trust that he really had changed. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.