I liked that Ethan wasn't a predictable main character, the plot itself was get and had a great mystery going on. I'd be interested in seeing where the next book goes and more from the author.

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I started reading Deadly Deception but it wasn't this. I wasn't able to picture the characters and there were several times that I had to re-read things because the sentences were so oddly phrased; to me it sounded like someone struggling with English. As for the plot, I do think that pathological lying could make for something interesting. Unfortunately, this book went in a different direction- ridiculously unbelievable! Do pathological liars really go around telling people that that's what they are or do they just tell more lies? Travel therapy with no budget restrictions? Yeah ok! I can only describe the romance as awkward, cringy, creepy, & uncomfortable. Drug induced assassins? I'm guessing that study won't be peer reviewed! And then there's my favorite- guessing how long it takes to climax with whiskey d*€k? To help solve a murder?! Hahahaha are you kidding me?! As much as I hate to say it, this one just wasn't for me.

This was a great read! It almost went too quickly.

Ethan, from Boston, 23 years old, has been a chronic liar all of his life. Almost no one trusts him. He does have a cat, Moses, and a good friend - Stewart. Ethan is to a point where he seeks psychiatric assistance for his lying. He is told that his condition is rare. That he (Dr. Wright) would speak to his colleague, Professor Doyle about funding for a treatment plan.

Ethan is invited into Dr. Wright's study. Ethan can travel anywhere for 6 months but he has to wear a camera all of the time and take diary notes to see if they compare (with the camera) on a daily basis. This way he will get feedback on
his lying and corrections Ethan needs to address. His employer is OK; a few months later, Ethan gets a call to get ready to go! Only one hitch: he needs to take meds, also. Ethan does not like this but Dr. Wright helps to put him at ease.

On Ethan's worldwide tour he falls in love with a girl from Germany while in Africa. This is just the beginning of the wild twists that keep the reader glued to the book!!!

Excellent character development and good scenic displays. A book I would rate as a MUST READ!!!

Thanks to BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for a great read !!!

Publisher’s description: Ethan is a liar. He can't help it, he doesn't even realize he's doing it, but he lies to everyone he meets, and he doesn't know how to stop.

Cut off from those around him, Ethan finds himself at the door of Dr. Wright, agreeing to a radical treatment. Ethan will leave his home of Boston behind to tour the world, and, given a plane ticket and a course of experimental medication, change his life forever.

But when, mid-treatment and a thousand miles from home, Ethan is accused of murder, how can he, or the embassy, or even his closest friends defend him? After all, Ethan can't remember where he was the night the murder happened.

All he knows for sure is he was with the woman just before she died.

With his freedom and sanity at stake, the truth seems to be further from Ethan's grasp than ever. But then, if he wants to keep his freedom, perhaps lies are all he can depend on.

************
P.J. Mann’s “Deadly Deception” was deadly...and not in a good way. I was so glad this was a short book because I really disliked it. I understand that Ethan is a pathological liar seeking help for that mental disorder. Since the story is told from his point of view, obviously you don’t know what’s true and what’s a lie. I guess that’s supposed to be the psychologically thrilling part. There was so much I didn’t like, though, that I know I won’t be reading any other titles by this author and certainly not the rest of this series.

SPOILERS: There are some spoilers below, so if you’re planning to read the book, don’t read the rest of the review. Just know that I don’t recommend reading it at all.

First of all, you can’t really do justice to the story of a patient seeking treatment, embarking upon a “therapy trip,” meeting a girl, falling in love, being accused of murder, and being acquitted of that murder in a little more than 100 pages. There’s just too little development on any part of the story to do any of it justice.

Second, Ethan told almost everyone he encountered that he’s a pathological liar. I’m not a psychiatrist, but based on what I did read about that condition, I don’t think he would really do that.

Third, Ethan seeks the help of a psychiatrist who sends him on a six-month trip around the world to cure him of his lying. He is to wear a camera at all times, submit diary entries to the psychiatrist, and he receives these diary entries back with the corrected events based on the video. And he believes this is supposed to help him learn not to lie because he’ll be reminded what he lied about. He’s told that there’s no budget for this trip, so he was able to outline everywhere he wanted to go. Does he seriously believe that?!? He also clearly doesn’t know about HIPAA because his psychiatrist (who’s really using Ethan as a guinea pig, trying to figure out how to make someone commit murder without knowing they’re murdering) talks to anyone and everyone about Ethan’s condition and treatment. And Ethan doesn’t care!

Finally (although there are so many more points I could make), the writing is just atrocious. I honestly thought the book was poorly translated from another language because no one talks like the characters in this book. “I thought that since it’s getting late, we might have dinner together. I bought something from the Chinese restaurant. I hope it is fine for you.” And the entire book is written in the first person, from Ethan’s perspective, with the exception of a handful of paragraphs about 85% of the way through where there’s a conversation between the detective and Ethan’s girlfriend (the one he knew for three weeks and talked about moving in together after one day). That’s the only section that’s not narrated by Ethan, and it could easily have been set up as Ethan relaying what his girlfriend told him.

There was so much bad about this book that I would not recommend it to anyone. I’m not sure what some of the other reviewers were reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

A quick read that manages to encapsulate its reader into its confusing world of lies and deception. Everything that needs to be told is put on its pages, well written and succinctly given, even if the reader is found doubting the words and the main character throughout.
An original book with a not so original idea, but barely done and barely ever executed well.
I would wholeheartedly recommended this book to those out there who like torching themselves with the constant back and forth of questioning,"What really happened?" and "Did they actually do it or not?"

Deadly Deception by Paula J. Mann -- 4 Stars
Publisher: BooksGoSocial
ISBN: 9781984990686

When someone often stretched the truth or outright lied, my mother labeled him a pathological liar. Now I know there really is a psychological condition with that name. Ethan, the main character, is just that, a liar, and he wants to get over it.

This is a short book, 111 pages. It is just long enough to read in a day. It fills a few hours with entertainment and though short has a well developed plot and good characters. It is a bit heavy on the travelogue, but that doesn’t slow the action too much.

The story of how Ethan sets out on a world tour in an attempt to be cured of lying and finds love and more adventure than he expected is unique.

It is good to know that Mom could have been right about those liars. They couldn’t help it.

Reviewer: Nancy