Deception Pass

Thomas Black #10

by Earl Emerson

As a rebellious teen, Lainie Smith hooked up with a drifter named Charlie--and she may have been an eyewitness to murder in the shadow of cliff-walled Deception Pass, where the water runs river-swift and turbulent. When justice-- and the executioner--finally caught up with Charlie, Lainie was long gone.

But somebody who knows the truth--the whole truth--about Lainie's dark history is blackmailing her. Lainie won't tell P. I. Thomas Black why she's being blackmailed, only that her tormentor "knows things he cannot possibly know." Just how far will Black's saintlike client go to bury her past forever?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

290 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Earl Emerson is a lieutenant in the Seattle Fire Department. He is the Shamus Award-winning author of Vertical Burn, as well as the Thomas Black detective series. He lives in North Bend, Washington.

Reviews

[Glen]

A woman hires Black to foil a blackmail scheme, but won't tell him what the scheme is all about. Black finds out anyway, and everybody wishes he didn't.

Bleak.

[Bill Yarbrough]

8 out of 10 stars. A little surprised of the ending. Since this is the tenth book in the series, I think it is time for Thomas to get some better defensive training since he always gets beat up so badly.

[David C Ward]

A woman being blackmailed for her complicity in a long ago, notorious murder. Again, these books remind me a little of Ross MacDonald with characters who are neurotic or out of kilter - even emerson’s style describing these characters is similar. There’s also the hidden interrelationships of the characters and the buried secrets. Less satisfactory than the unraveling of the case are the questions of guilt and involvement. Everyone including Black gets off a bit too easily, the blackmail victim especially.

[Linda Gaines]

Typical detective story with P.I. Thomas Black working for a rich Seattle woman with a dangerous secret in her past. It is interesting to have settings in the city and surrounding communities.

[Tracy]

I like the relationship between Kathy and Thomas and their cute, funny one-liners.

[Jim]

Thomas Black didn’t know he was getting involved in solving a cold case when he agreed to help the daughter of a former client who was being blackmailed, but that’s what happened. His investigation reveals that the blackmail is tied to a grisly multiple murder that happened seventeen years before, in a cabin near Deception Pass. A man has been tried and executed for the crime, so what is the secret an extortionist is using against her? His client won’t reveal the secret, but Black must discover it, if he is going to help her.

Emerson has concocted a mystery with evidence as murky as looking into a fog over Puget Sound at night. Nothing is clear and you cannot trust what you think you see.

For those of you not from the Northwest, Deception Pass is a real place. It is a location that combines beauty and danger, the dangerous currents of a wild and rocky, narrow waterway below with a picturesque bridge perched over175 feet above it. (It’s possible that you have already seen the bridge and not known it. Deception Pass Bridge seems to be a popular location to film TV commercials for cars.)

[Ed]

One of the nice things about reading Earl Emerson's books is that they take place in the Northwest, Washington State specifically. This volume is one of a series featuring protagonist, P.I. Thomas Black. He's a bit of a smart ass which I like. His quirky look at things does diminish the noir-ish atmosphere that Emerson may be after.

Black takes on a client, who years ago was a pretty wild teen-ager and may have witnessed a Manson type massacre near Deception Pass. Since then she has become a contributor to worthy causes and a well thought of almost saintly do-gooder. The alleged killer, who Lainie had briefly hooked up with had been arrested and executed years ago.

Unfortunately, someone is blackmailing Lainie but Lainie won't come clean about what she's being blackmailed about or who is doing it. The questions for Black are how far will she go to protect her past and how far will the blackmailer go to protect his or her income stream.

The plot unfolds quickly and logically and the reader is left with a satisfying conclusion. A good if not great story.

[Cat.]

This was on the donation cart last month, signed by the author like the last title I read by Emerson. I like the way he writes. I like the fact that he is apparently still a firefighter even though he's had a good run of novels now. Mostly, I like his characters. This is a Thomas Black story, chief of a small fire department in the northwest.

Honestly, I read this book nearly a month ago, and it's becoming difficult to remember the plot. Suffice to say that I liked it at the time, and remember not being able to put it down. Obviously, it's a mystery/p.i. thriller. Black is not-quite noir, and is pretty amusing in very unusual instances. This book did nothing to convince me that I should stop looking for Emerson's books. What I need to do is go back and fill in the ones I haven't read and try to get them in order.

My favorite memory of his books is one character saying that people who turn their windshield wipers on in less than a full-on downpour are wusses. I think of that every time I turn on the wipers. It's been probably 10 years since I read that book. sigh ;-)

[LJ]

DECEPTION PASS (PI-Thomas Black-Seattle,WA-Cont) - Okay
Emerson, Earl - 10th in series

From Fantastic Fiction: Seattle PI Thomas Black is investigating a particularly vicious 17-year-old Manson-like multiple murder. His client is a wealthy, seemingly well intentioned woman whom he initially describes as "Mother Teresa with a bankroll." A blackmailer has unearthed her involvement in the Deception Pass slayings. Black's problem: Was she a helpless witness or did she commit the crimes? One of the best of the year.

[Ed]

#10 in the Thomas Black series. "Finalist 1998 Anthony Award for Best Mystery; Finalist 1998 Shamus Award for Best Novel"

#10 - Thomas Black tries to find who is blackmailing Lainie Smith, a philanthropist who as a teenager was involved to some extent with the murder of 4 young adults at a cabin. The man who picks up the payment is murdered but the blackmail continues. As the blackmailer continues to reveal details of the murder, it is difficult to imagine who would have this specific information.

[Bill]

This is the second or third book I've read by Mr. Emerson. He's a good writer. But this book was disappointing. The protagonist, Thomas Black, seemed a bit too goofy. There were a few too many coincidences. And there was not enough taking place at the Deception Pass of the title. I think there's enough here to make me sample this writer again.

[Melinda Christensen]

I keep the books I like; this one is no exception.
Written by a Washington state author about a perilous area, this mystery is a compelling, quick-read. As an eyewitness to a a murder as a teen, Lainie is being blackmailed, so she contacts a P.I. but unfortunately omits some key facts. Therein lies the mystery and suspense....

[Hanalei1208 Be]

Thomas Black is solving a murder in the north west that took place 17 years ago. A wealthy woman comes to him as a private investigator to find out who her blackmailer is but it leads to the revelation of her secret.

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

This book had really strange characters who were also weirdly realistic despite their oddness. The crime Black investigates is so horrific that the way the law works make me wonder why vigilantism isn't more common.

[Jeff Dickison]

Fair Thomas Black murder mystery. This book was slow going at times although it did have a good ending. At this point, Kathy Black, is the best thing going for this series. Recommended to mystery fans.

[Carol]

A Thomas Black mystery

[Vickie]

I read this book for my A-Z challenge and so glad that I did! Can't wait to read more adventures.

[Etta]

I really like this new to me author.

[Michael]

Another good Thomas Black story. This one better than most, and a great companion for the day when home sick. And once again a fun trip down memory lane with all of the Pacific NW references.

[Bonnie]

a new author to me - witty writing and a good mystery.

[Mark]

I love this series, but this one -- the first after a long hiatus -- was not on a par with earlier efforts.

[Julie Witte]

Good book, I will read more, I like the dialog between the Blacks.

[Clint Hollingsworth]

My first EARL Emerson in ten years.

Deception pass is a great read, obviously I've been missing out. Glad to meet you again Thomas Black! I find I missed you.

[Kelly]

i seriously could not put this book down while i was in europe!!!