A great overall read and a definite page-turner! Jo's daughter, Grace, disappears and no one can find where she has vanished to. Jo and her husband Chris look everywhere, but they cannot find either her or a reason as to why Grace has run away. Its full of suspense, and I liked the fact that even up until the final few chapters I had not guessed what had happened.

Deep, dark secrets. Dysfunctional families. Unrelenting intrigue. And a powerful twist at the end!

I wasn't sure what to expect from Karen Cole's DECEIVE ME, but it wasn't this! I thought it would be another missing child/runaway teen thriller...but I was wrong. So very wrong. What it was...was just WOW! And that conclusion was so unexpected.

Joanna and her husband Chris have relocated to the island of Cyprus with their two children, Grace and Jack. From the very beginning, we learn that Grace has disappeared from school on Monday morning, having been absent from her classes, leaving Jo in a state of panic. They call in the police who don't appear overly concerned but rather more jovial with each contact, dismissing Grace as a teenage runaway who will soon return home. But Jo knows different. Grace wouldn't just leave, would she?

Their move to Cyprus had been to give Grace a fresh start...and some distance from her boyfriend, Tom, who Jo felt was far too old for her. But Tom, it appears, picked up his whole life and followed them to the Mediterranean isle to be near Grace. Could he know where Grace is? Chris is convinced he has something to do with her disappearance and can barely contain his anger. But Jo isn't so sure.

As Jo searches for answers, she does everything she can to find Grace. Questioning her friends, Tom and even searching her room. Jo is under no illusions that her relationship with her daughter has been tense lately, but it's only because Jo wants what's best for her...and doesn't want her making the same mistakes she did. But as Jo delves into Grace's life she realises how little she really knows her daughter.

From early on, we learn that Chris is Grace's stepfather though she adores him and considers him to be her only father. Whilst growing up, Grace showed no interest in her biological father stating that if he was at all interested in her then he has had 15 years to seek her out...and he hasn't. So when Jo learns that Grace had crossed to the northern side of Cyprus, where her biological father Hakan (a Turkish Cypriot) lives, she begins to wonder if she went looking for answers herself. It prompts Jo to visit Hakan herself as she is reminded of her last summer in Cyprus seventeen years ago, before she had Grace. And the past that she has so desperately tried to escape comes back to haunt her.

DECEIVE ME is told from two perspectives - Jo in the present day and Jo seventeen years ago. This dual timeline was incredibly effective as we meet the much younger 17 year old Jo facing the challenges of her life at the time which led her to take up a post in Cyprus with Hakan and his wife Helen. Whilst the story is primarily set in the present day of 2017 surrounding Grace's disappearance, we get snapshots of the past through Jo's eyes which has ultimately culminated into the present day events.

Jo's loneliness could be felt within the pages as she returned home to England, to her mother's house to find her useless junkie stepfather shacked up with someone named Mandy. But the reader could really get a sense no more than when Jo went into labour and gave birth to little Gracie. Then came Hakan's promises...quickly followed by his excuses. And Jo's life changed course in a way you never saw coming.

Characters such as Jo, Chris, Grace, Tom and even the useless Dave were all well-developed. Even Hakan was developed enough for the part he played in the story but boy I could have smacked him on more than one occasion! And when Dave turned up in Cyprus, I just knew this could only mean trouble. I just didn't think he was smart enough to put the pieces together. Jo irritated me a little. Particularly when she told Chris "No more lies" and then proceeded to continue lying to him herself! I found the police a little patronising at times but that could just be down to the language and cultural barrier. Detective Dino did try his best to keep Jo and Chris at ease, treated them with respect throughout and didn't let personal opinions cloud the investigation. Despite playing such a minor role in the story. But everyone else? Everyone else was suspect.

I really enjoyed watching Jo's story unfold throughout the two timelines, wondering what would happen next and if she would just wake up to Hakan. It's abundantly clear to everyone but 17 year old Jo that he didn't really care for her; he just wanted to get his leg over. And then the older Jo, searching for her missing daughter, you had to wonder - just what is she trying to hide?

DECEIVE ME is not a fast paced story but it is unpredictable at almost every turn. Just when you thought you knew how it would turn out, everything is turned on its head! By the end, pretty much anything could happen...and it did! Even when the reveal of Jo's big secret came I was shocked I didn't even see it coming! And it didn't stop there...the shocks just kept coming...and coming! And then that ending?! WOW! I don't even have the words.

A very different missing teenager story, DECEIVE ME will even have the reader deceived! A definite recommend.

I would like to thank #KarenCole, #NetGalley and #QuercusBooks for an ARC of #DeceiveMe in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

What a fabulous storyline. It was a true page-turner. Where is Grace?!

Joanna and Grace’s relationship is strained. Joanna doesn’t like Grace’s boyfriend who is older than her and has come over from England where they met.
Joanna goes to pick Grace up from school and she’s not there and she’s not been to school all day.Has she run away or has she been taken..Joanna thinks Grace’s boyfriend has something to do with her disappearance but do Grace’s friends no more ???
This story is told in the past and present day by Joanna.
There are many twists and turns in this book. But a great big one at the end which I would never of guessed .
Well done Karen Cole for keeping me gripped.
Thank you also NetGalley

Ooooo, I do love a bit of a dysfunctional family, especially one where there are deep, dark secrets from the past, bubbling under, threatening to explode into the present!
Jo and Chris have two kids. They have recently relocated to Cyprus for a fresh start. One morning, Jo drops her children, Jack and Grace, off at school but, come time to collect them, only Jack is there waiting; Grace is absent. Jo rings round her friends and boyfriend but none of them appear to know anything. Tempers have been frayed between Jo and Grace for a while, has she just run away or is there more to her disappearance than meets the eye?
Oh my days! This book had me running around, chasing my tail throughout. Every time I thought I had it all sorted, the author threw me yet another curve ball, sending me off in a completely different direction. I was pretty dizzy by the time we got to the eventual truth.
The story is told in two timelines, the present where Grace is missing and, in the past, as we follow Jo as she started work as a Nanny. These two timelines weave seamlessly around each other, with the past divulging information at exactly the right time to colour and explain what is happening in the present as the layers of intrigue are peeled back until the shocking, brutal truth is finally exposed.
Pacing was on the whole very good although I did feel that the ending was a little rushed but that feeling might have been attributed more to my eagerness to get to the end once we were on the final furlong.
Characterisation was also very good. Although I didn't always like the characters, especially as I got to know some of them, there was always some connection there and that always helps me care what happens to them. A key element to my enjoyment of a book.
All in all, a great read that held my attention nicely throughout and which left me wholly satisfied at its conclusion. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Wow, what a gripping storyline. This kept me entertained from beginning to end. This is the first I have read by this author but certainly won't be the last. The characters are well developed and I instantly felt sorry for Jo. There were so many twists and turns this book will keep you guessing till the very end.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book for an honest review.

This book was amazing. So many secrets and lies and where is Grace? My advice read the book and find out.

This was fantastic! Not only was the writing captivating and intriguing, but I truly didn’t see the twist coming. I dévoue devoured this in one sitting and coudbt wait fo see how it ended, it definitely did not disappoint. I found Jo hard to read, which made the game of trying to figure out what happened even more enjoyable!

Deceive me had me gripped from the start! I didn’t know what characters to trust, who would take Grace or why and I loved that!!! Other books you guess too soon and I certainly did NOT see the ending coming!! The reason Grace disappears creeps up on you and what happens next is is shocking...........

Wow. Just wow. Deep, dark secrets. Constant intrigue. Can't trust anyone.

After Jo's teenage daughter disappears, she does everything she can to find her. Their relationship was tense before Grace's disappearance, which makes the police think she's just hiding at a friend's house. But Jo is her mother and she's willing to find her.

I apologize if my review doesn't make much sense, this book has blown away my brain. I read it in less than a day. And once I finished it, at 3:00 am mind you, all I could write (and scream) was ""ASDFGHJK."

I love how, from the beginning, I was sucked into the story right away until I finished it (and even after). It's told in two points of view: Jo in the present and Jo in the past. I loved following Jo around and being inside her head, she's the perfect character for this story. I like how both points of view interlocked to form a picture of what the secret was and what had happened to Grace. I liked how honest the writing was, to put it that way. It was very transparent about many things, there wasn't any secrecy about basic information.

For that reason, the book was very unpredictable in my opinion. All the cliches were dealt with early in the book and they weren't huge reveals supposed to shock readers. So pretty much anything could happen at the end. And boy, oh, boy, the end. At various points during the last 20% I had to put the book down and scream "oh my god" into my pillow (again, 3:00 am people!). I loved how I couldn't trust anyone. Literally, every single person is a suspect. It got to a point I couldn't even trust Jo or Grace. I was constantly doubting everyone. Even me as a reader!

And the ending? My god. I don't even have words. I will say that once the reveal came through and I thought back to the book and all the clues I missed. . . seriously there are little chunks of my brain all over my room.

Definitely recommend. One of my favourite reads of the year. Thank you so much Netgally and Quercus books for a copy of this.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of #DeceiveMe!

OMG what a rollercoaster ride this book was. There was never a dull moment and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. The book is about a young girl, Grace, disappearing one day from school. The narration switches between present time while her mother, Joanna (Jo), searches for her and the past. The storyline is all about deception (if you couldn’t tell from the title) and the secrets all of these characters are hiding from each other. There weren’t too many “wow” moments in the beginning but about half way through, they just kept on coming! So many things that happened in this book I didn’t see coming at all!

I had never read anything by this author and for the first 3 quarters of the book I would have described it as an average read. Enjoyable but not terribly exciting. Then suddenly everything changed. The tension started to build as the reader realised that there was so much more to this story. I was reading this at 3am but there was no way I could put it down. The shocks just kept coming and the end left me with my jaw on the floor. Absolutely brilliant.

Review will be posted on Goodreads and Amazon and recommended on twitter.

Ten stars for this book!

This has everything anyone could want in a mystery/suspense novel. Excellent writing, incredible plot. Wonderful characters, and an ending that will leave you gasping. I loved this book and can't wait to read anything else by this author. I'm still recovering from the ending!

Highly highly recommend

This was a truly great read. The author got stuck straight in with the story and the book had me gripped from the start.
I liked that the story was told over two time periods. Present day and in the past, both narrations helped the story come together and build up a picture of Joanna and Grace’s relationship. The use of present tense in the book was well executed.
The book was very cleverly written, and I felt as though I truly felt the heartache of Joanna who doesn’t know where her teenage daughter is. I also felt that it was clever to only tell the story from the perspective of the mother. This meant that as the reader I was completely in the dark as to the whereabouts of Grace and if she was in danger or had simply ran away.
I also want to talk about the last 20% of the book. This book took a dark turn which left me shocked. Following twist after twist that I didn’t see coming I was a bit speechless on finishing this book. I must rate this book 5 stars. When I received this book, I did not imagine it playing out the way that it did, and I was kept guessing throughout.
I have not read anything else by Karen Cole, but I will definitely be purchasing her previous book and will wait in anticipation for her next book release. Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus for approving me to read the kindle version of this prior to its release.

Wow, what a great read this was. This was my first book by Karen Cole and boy did I love it. I finished it in just one day. I will definitely be reading another book by her.

This book was about a young mother trying to find her missing daughter at all costs. Did she run away or was there something more sinister go on? These are the questions we want answers to.

I can’t say enough good things about this book. I absolutely loved it. I can’t believe I finished it in one day, that’s how good this book was. I just loved how there were so many twists in this book. You never knew what was going happen next or who to even believe. Everyone had a secret that they were keeping and didn’t want it exposed. The biggest twist came at the end. I just couldn’t believe what I was reading. I’m so happy that I decided to read this book. It is very rare that I find and book that I just devour in a day. I just had to know what happened to this poor girl.

Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Thank you to Quercus Books and Net Galley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Once you start this book, you won't be able to put it down. It's the kind of book where you have to keep reading to find out what is going on. Jo's daughter, Grace, disappears and no one can find her. Jo and her husband Chris look everywhere, but cannot figure out what has happened to make Grace run away.. As clues about her daughter's disappearance emerge, Jo's world starts to unravel. The ending was a surprise to me. Often, people and things are not what they appear to be. Excellent suspenseful novel!

Wow! This book was amazing .. it kept my interest and it started at a very good pace and stayed there,. I found myself so invested in Jo.. I was silently praying for a good outcome as I read well into the night. This book really makes you think. What if you took your daughter to school and watched her go into the building and then upon picking her up everyone says they never saw her and even the teachers says that she didn’t show up..without giving anything away I will say that you need to read this book. The characters were so easy to connect with and most of all I love how well developed the characters were. Guaranteed to give you all the feels . This books makes me think about how you never really know a person until you dig into their past. I recommend this book.

Karen Cole has really written a winner with this book!

The twists started early in this fabulous psychological thriller and they certainly kept on coming, resulting in a tense and exciting read for me. The narrative interestingly alternated between the present and past and some characters were concealing an abundance of secrets. With skilful execution and an indiscriminate cast of suspects, Karen Cole had me questioning everything that I thought I had sussed. "Deceive Me" was a brilliant and worthwhile read with a fulfilling ending.

I look forward to reading more from this author.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Quercus Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I really enjoyed this book. I used to live in Cyprus but left in 1974 due to the war. It brought back many memories.
Thoroughly enjoyable and i would never have guessed the ending. I was shocked to discover what the main character was capable of to protect her secret. A brilliant twist.

Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the best book I have read in awhile. I somewhat enjoyed Deliver Me, the first novel from this author, so I hesitantly requested this one from Netgalley and I am so glad I did. Just when I thought I was getting tired of the domestic thriller, this book came along. The story is set in Cyprus, where a British couple, Chris and Jo, and their children, Grace and Jack, have relocated to in an effort to get their 16 year old daughter away from her older boyfriend. The boyfriend moves to Cyprus as well, then Grace goes missing and the search for her begins. The story alternates between present day and the past, around the time of Grace's birth.

For some reason, the story itself had me totally engrossed, and it is not like this is the first book I have read where a teenager goes missing. There were just enough suspicious characters to where I could keep them all straight but really had no idea who was behind Grace's disappearance or why and the ending was totally unexpected but totally satisfying. Adding to my enjoyment of this book was the fact that it was set in Cyprus, I place I have not been, but would someday like to visit. I had just recently been given a lengthy history lesson on the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus by a Greek Cypriot co worker, so I found this setting to be so interesting and I thought the unique features of this island were very well utilized and woven into the story by the author. I eagerly await her next offering.