Tragic Deception

This is the first book I've read by Mel Comley and Linda Prather and I'm hooked! Loved the main character, Alex Fox. Looking forward to reading more in the Deception series!

I chose to read this ARC and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

Wow, thoroughly enjoyed this book. Fast paced, suspenseful and a quick read. This looks to be a fantastic new series and I can't wait to read the next.

I loved the twists and turns in this book. Now I'm after reading more by these authors. 5*

This is a collaboration of 2 crime writers coming together and the book is explosive.
Alex Fox is a british cop who has settled in America after a tragedy on home soil, she seems intent on rubbing everyone up the wrong way and seems to go through partners very quickly and even though she is not all to blame Commander Patterson who is a horrible man suspends her but the lifeline is for her to find the missing babies in 1 week or she will be fired. To say he doesn't like her is an understatement and he has set her an impossible task, or has he. Can she rely on her own instincts and with no help from the police NYPD? but she has the help of retired police officer and her own grit and determination.
This was a book I wanted to finish in one sitting but also wanted to savour it. I loved the way it pulled me into the story and my emotions were all over the place. There is a prequel to this but I hadn't read it and it did not spoil the book for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of the book

This is a quick read (partly because it's short and partly due to the plotting) suspense novel. I liked Alex, who is one determined woman. I had not read the novella and I'm not sure whether that made a difference for me as I was able to hop right into the book. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thrilling story, it had me turning the pages to see what would happen next. Can't wait for more from this author!

Having read the novella which was the preview to this book I was looking forward to this with bated breath and I am pleased to say it didn't disappoint. It has a good plot with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and I loved the English/American language confusion. The only minus I can see is that there might have been too many characters and it was a bit confusing for a while. Having said that I look forward to the next book in the series.

Alexandra Fox came to America to find her sister's killer whom the press has dubbed the Escape Artist. When she has trouble getting along with fellow officers she's given an ultimatum. She has seven days to find three kidnapped babies or look for a new job. As she interviews the parents of the missing babies she realizes they're all hiding something but can she figure it out in time to save her job? I thought this was a well written short read but some parts seemed unrealistic to me.

This series is going to be fabulous. Real plots , sympathetic characters. Great!
Alex Fox is not happy in her work and makes this obvious to her boss. Her involvement in a desperate search for three missing babies brings her companionship and success in places she did not expect.

Gripping read from the start. Real page turner! Highly recommended

Despite the synopsis indicating the reader should read the prequel novella first, I ended up going straight into Tragic Deception. While reading the novella might add further depth to the characters, I didn’t feel I lost anything by not reading it. I quickly picked up the type of person Alex was, what drove her and what events had resulted in her current predicament.

Not being familiar with the American justice system, it took me a while to get my head around what Alex was having to endure at work and the fact that no one was doing anything about it. That prevented my immediate engagement with the content because I was expecting the story to focus on the injustice of her treatment.

Once I had figured out Alex’s back story, I liked her as a character. She is stand-offish with her colleagues, but it’s clear to the reader why she is doing it and that she has a big heart, seen through her interaction with her pets and friend, Nobby.

Alex’s character development is impressive for such a short book. She changes from being alone to accepting there are those willing and able to assist her. She doesn’t have to face her demons alone and Alex’s realisation that she can let people in is realistic and moving.

The secondary characters are all in-depth enough to make their mark on Alex. Other than Nobby, however, the reader isn’t given the chance to truly know them: the focus is on Alex and the book isn’t long enough for further development.

The reader does get to know the villains of the piece, though. I have to admit to getting a little confused: three missing babies and all the women seeming to be sleeping with each other. It was hard to tell who knew about which relationship and who was involved with who. Although you know who the culprit(s) are from early on, I never quite figured out exactly how everyone was involved and what the whole point was.

Considering the length of the book and the intricacies of the plot, I didn’t feel it was particularly fast-paced. The tension flared at times, but, again, considering the time frame the characters were working in and the threat of the villains they were up against, I wasn’t on the edge of my seat. I think the number of characters involved in such a tight plot meant that because I couldn’t connect with anyone other than Alex, the danger and threat weren’t real.

A lot is packed into a short book. The complexity of the plot kept me engaged: you had to be in order to understand what was going on! I did feel, however, that perhaps there was too much considering I was still vague about certain things at the end.

That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s short and a quick read, but is a good page-turner. The perfect rainy-day book to curl up with and not stop until you are done!