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Fatal Deduction
One across... Three down..." The answer is in the puzzle. The danger is in not solving it before time's up.
Libby Burton longs to be close to her twin sister, Tori, but their lives have taken them in different directions. Forced to share Aunt Stella's old Philadelphia home in order to receive their inheritance, Libby hopes for a change, but it isn't looking good so far.
First, Tori tries to steal the affection and allegiance of Libby's thirteen-year-old daughter, Chloe. Then when a crossword puzzle with a hidden warning shows up on their doorstep, Tori refuses to take it seriously-in spite of the dead man who delivers it.
Libby finds comfort in neighbor Drew Canfield, but he hesitates to trust her after his disastrous marriage. As Libby struggles to act faithfully in the midst of these confusing relationships, she must also deal with a stolen diamond and a botched kidnapping. The answer to her problems lies in the riddles of the crosswords, if only she can solve the puzzle before it's too late. "From the Trade Paperback edition.
Libby Burton longs to be close to her twin sister, Tori, but their lives have taken them in different directions. Forced to share Aunt Stella's old Philadelphia home in order to receive their inheritance, Libby hopes for a change, but it isn't looking good so far.
First, Tori tries to steal the affection and allegiance of Libby's thirteen-year-old daughter, Chloe. Then when a crossword puzzle with a hidden warning shows up on their doorstep, Tori refuses to take it seriously-in spite of the dead man who delivers it.
Libby finds comfort in neighbor Drew Canfield, but he hesitates to trust her after his disastrous marriage. As Libby struggles to act faithfully in the midst of these confusing relationships, she must also deal with a stolen diamond and a botched kidnapping. The answer to her problems lies in the riddles of the crosswords, if only she can solve the puzzle before it's too late. "From the Trade Paperback edition.
ebook
First published May 20, 2008
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About the author
Gayle Roper
84 books90 followersGayle Roper rejoices every day that she gets to be a writer because she's in love with story. Even on the days that words rebel and have to be coerced onto the paper, there is nothing else she'd rather do. When readers like her work, it's like God says, "See? I knew what you were wired to do." When her books win awards like the Carol Award (Caught Redhanded) or the RITA Award (Autumn Dreams), the Holt Medallion (The Decision, Caught in a Bind, Autumn Dreams) or the Reviewer's Choice (The Decision), it's icing on the cake. And she gets to teach others how to write at conferences too. She spends a lot of time smiling. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America and is the best-selling author of Hide & Seek and more than forty other books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
June 1, 2025
This book catfished me into thinking it would be interesting. Instead, it was thinly veiled Christian propaganda. Every non-Christian character is a caricature or a Christian propaganda trope. Very little mystery, no suspense, and the crosswords were a random afterthought. This gets two stars because I finished it.
January 23, 2019
This book was sitting at my bedside until it was overdue at the library and I almost didn’t read it in order to avoid further late charges. I had read Gayle Roper before and didn’t enjoy it and selected it because it was available on the shelf but I wasn’t in the mood for another murder mystery. But this book is so much more than a murder mystery. Fatal Deduction turned out to be a really great book about relationships and forgiving yourself more than forgiving others’, but it also doesn’t let the others’ off the hook.
Roper didn’t do what so many ‘inspirational’ fiction writers do by ‘saving’ every person or at least ‘reform’ everyone with character flaws. Instead, staying firmly rooted in reality, she told a story of family secrets without the predictable reconciliations, and characters who couldn’t be fixed with a prayer. Roper stayed consistent with the romantic story line, although predictable, she didn’t sell out here either, keeping it real. The mother-daughter-sister relationships are also very believable. The main character has come to Christ out of a chaotic family late in life, and is trying to find her path.
This mystery comes with crossword puzzles for the reader to solve. I like how the emotions of each character are not overdone when it could have become the run of the mill response chosen so often by other inspirational fiction writers. There are quirky saying from Benjamin Franklin which are well placed. I really like how Roper developed the male lead, Drew. He is honest, cautious, and most of all chivalrous. He does not rescue Libby but he does defend her. I think this mystery would also appeal to male readers.
Here are some favourite lines:
Pg. 232 – ‘Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain, and most fools do.’ (B. Franklin). He bit back the urge to quote it, lest he become another of this crowd whom Ben would consider fools. Instead he concentrated on projecting telepathic support to the hurting woman standing beside him with such grace. Didn’t these people see she was hemorrhaging emotionally over her daughter’s distress and her contribution to that pain? Where was their triage of touch? Their sutures of sympathy? Their gauze wrappings of love?
Pg. 240 – What you’re feeling right now is useless regret. Regret is what we feel when we make a mistake or have an accident or embarrass ourselves or commit a crime and get caught or when our conscience pricks. We feel it over things we wish we could change, big things and little things. Regret either eats you up little by little, like being nibbled to death by ducks, or it helps you not make the same mistake again.
Pg 322 – Boundaries allowed for forgiveness. God modeled that truth for us when He gave us principles for living but offered forgiveness when we failed to meet His standards.
Roper didn’t do what so many ‘inspirational’ fiction writers do by ‘saving’ every person or at least ‘reform’ everyone with character flaws. Instead, staying firmly rooted in reality, she told a story of family secrets without the predictable reconciliations, and characters who couldn’t be fixed with a prayer. Roper stayed consistent with the romantic story line, although predictable, she didn’t sell out here either, keeping it real. The mother-daughter-sister relationships are also very believable. The main character has come to Christ out of a chaotic family late in life, and is trying to find her path.
This mystery comes with crossword puzzles for the reader to solve. I like how the emotions of each character are not overdone when it could have become the run of the mill response chosen so often by other inspirational fiction writers. There are quirky saying from Benjamin Franklin which are well placed. I really like how Roper developed the male lead, Drew. He is honest, cautious, and most of all chivalrous. He does not rescue Libby but he does defend her. I think this mystery would also appeal to male readers.
Here are some favourite lines:
Pg. 232 – ‘Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain, and most fools do.’ (B. Franklin). He bit back the urge to quote it, lest he become another of this crowd whom Ben would consider fools. Instead he concentrated on projecting telepathic support to the hurting woman standing beside him with such grace. Didn’t these people see she was hemorrhaging emotionally over her daughter’s distress and her contribution to that pain? Where was their triage of touch? Their sutures of sympathy? Their gauze wrappings of love?
Pg. 240 – What you’re feeling right now is useless regret. Regret is what we feel when we make a mistake or have an accident or embarrass ourselves or commit a crime and get caught or when our conscience pricks. We feel it over things we wish we could change, big things and little things. Regret either eats you up little by little, like being nibbled to death by ducks, or it helps you not make the same mistake again.
Pg 322 – Boundaries allowed for forgiveness. God modeled that truth for us when He gave us principles for living but offered forgiveness when we failed to meet His standards.
April 27, 2009
What the story has going for it: Gayle Roper is a great writer. Her writing style is wonderful, and I always enjoy reading her work. She manages to incorporate Christian references into her storylines without trying to beat you upside the head with her beliefs.
What the story was lacking: I couldn't connect with the two main characters, sisters Libby and Tori, no matter how hard I tried. Libby is a walking doormat, letting everyone (especially her sister), do and say what they want to her without voicing her opinions or concerns. Tori is a spoiled brat princess who I wanted to shake until she realized how obnoxious she was.
The mystery/suspense of the story read almost like an afterthought, rather than the main objective of the story. The crossword puzzles inserted into the book were nothing more than a waste of space, and even the reasoning behind the crimes seemed far-fetched.
Overall, I didn't mind spending time reading FATAL DEDUCTION, but I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to.
What the story was lacking: I couldn't connect with the two main characters, sisters Libby and Tori, no matter how hard I tried. Libby is a walking doormat, letting everyone (especially her sister), do and say what they want to her without voicing her opinions or concerns. Tori is a spoiled brat princess who I wanted to shake until she realized how obnoxious she was.
The mystery/suspense of the story read almost like an afterthought, rather than the main objective of the story. The crossword puzzles inserted into the book were nothing more than a waste of space, and even the reasoning behind the crimes seemed far-fetched.
Overall, I didn't mind spending time reading FATAL DEDUCTION, but I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to.
November 23, 2008
a. Ah, this author must like stories about twins – see “Spring Rain”. This is another story of twins – one nice and sweet who has a child out of wedlock (another story about that also in “Spring Rain.” She and her not-so-nice twin are forced to stay at an aunt’s house in order to receive their inheritance. The not-so-nice twin is the prettier of the two, seeming also to have more money.
b. Some of the neighbors in this new-to-them neighborhood are older and come to the rescue with a taser gun to help out. Also another neighbor – this one male – just happens to have a daughter the same age as the “nice” twin. The male and nice twin like each other, there’s a misunderstanding between them and then all is okay. The male is divorced from a motorcycle mama that doesn’t really want to be a mama but comes to him in times of trouble. – 1 or 2 STARS
b. Some of the neighbors in this new-to-them neighborhood are older and come to the rescue with a taser gun to help out. Also another neighbor – this one male – just happens to have a daughter the same age as the “nice” twin. The male and nice twin like each other, there’s a misunderstanding between them and then all is okay. The male is divorced from a motorcycle mama that doesn’t really want to be a mama but comes to him in times of trouble. – 1 or 2 STARS
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2008
Not what I'd hoped. There are interesting themes, and I did find myself engaged by some of the emotional issues, but one-note characters and too many contrivances keep this from being successful. Another point of annoyance: the crosswords were ridiculous and should have been referenced (or even omitted, as they added nothing) instead of featured. Fans of puzzle mysteries would be wiser to seek out Parnell Hall or Nero Blanc.
June 4, 2019
Very rarely do I get disgusted with a story but THIS book did it. The main character let everyone in her life run her over. Even the woman's 13 y/o daughter had an understanding of what "boundaries" meant, but nowhere did anyone try to establish any. Too many characters running amuck over the main characters, to the point of extremely frustrating.
Drew should have thrown the ex on her ear. All these unlikable characters were past the point of no return even BEFORE the story started... so WHY did Libby and Drew keep taking it, over and over? There was no reasoning with the difficult people, they were beyond understanding what decent behavior was.
This book would have been more productive if the author had taught us more about boundaries and dealing with extremely difficult people: ESPECIALLY when the difficult people are (supposedly) Family. Funny thing is, Libby had plenty of spunk when dealing with Drew, but she was a spineless wimp with everyone else.
When Libby had a chance to get out of the situation with Tori, she should have taken it. I can't believe she didn't. For the sake of her daughter Chloe, whom Tori was determined to corrupt, I couldn't understand why Libby held on.
Libby came from a family of crooks so there wasn't a redeeming character among them. And THAT was another thing that griped me: all the Christians were super nice and most of the non-Christians were as mean and ornery as they could be. Wow, talk about stereotypes.
Too much angst and not enough of a story, IMO. The discussions between Libby and Drew do help to balance the level of sanity in the story, but it's not enough. Drew needed to set boundaries with Ruthie, such as requiring that she be on her medication if she wanted to see Jenna. That would have been a reasonable and healthy boundary for all of them.
And Libby needed to put a stop to Tori's stealing: taking the best whenever she could, stealing the jewelry, stealing Libby's lunch, trying to steal Libby's daughter. And if Tori couldn't show normal RESPECT for her own twin, then call the executors of the estate and beg off. I was shocked at how Tori's behaviors (and Luke's) were white-washed by the end of the book.
I do have other books by Gayle Roper that I like a lot. But not this one.
Drew should have thrown the ex on her ear. All these unlikable characters were past the point of no return even BEFORE the story started... so WHY did Libby and Drew keep taking it, over and over? There was no reasoning with the difficult people, they were beyond understanding what decent behavior was.
This book would have been more productive if the author had taught us more about boundaries and dealing with extremely difficult people: ESPECIALLY when the difficult people are (supposedly) Family. Funny thing is, Libby had plenty of spunk when dealing with Drew, but she was a spineless wimp with everyone else.
When Libby had a chance to get out of the situation with Tori, she should have taken it. I can't believe she didn't. For the sake of her daughter Chloe, whom Tori was determined to corrupt, I couldn't understand why Libby held on.
Libby came from a family of crooks so there wasn't a redeeming character among them. And THAT was another thing that griped me: all the Christians were super nice and most of the non-Christians were as mean and ornery as they could be. Wow, talk about stereotypes.
Too much angst and not enough of a story, IMO. The discussions between Libby and Drew do help to balance the level of sanity in the story, but it's not enough. Drew needed to set boundaries with Ruthie, such as requiring that she be on her medication if she wanted to see Jenna. That would have been a reasonable and healthy boundary for all of them.
And Libby needed to put a stop to Tori's stealing: taking the best whenever she could, stealing the jewelry, stealing Libby's lunch, trying to steal Libby's daughter. And if Tori couldn't show normal RESPECT for her own twin, then call the executors of the estate and beg off. I was shocked at how Tori's behaviors (and Luke's) were white-washed by the end of the book.
I do have other books by Gayle Roper that I like a lot. But not this one.
November 22, 2020
Would be a slightly higher rating if mental health issues had been discussed in a graceful way and if it did not make racist comments. The religion of the main character is also prominent throughout the story, which would not be a bad thing if the character was not trying to get everyone to also become religious. Everyone should be free to express the religion they choose, but I did not like the amount of judgement the character made about people who were not religious in the story. I also felt like the author tried to add too many plot twists into the last 100 pages. It felt unnecessary and didn't add anything to the story. The book is not really a mystery as the description implies, it is much more so about family and relationships.
March 29, 2020
Great, sweet read! Twists and turns and romance make for an entertaining book! Thoroughly enjoyed!
April 9, 2022
I really enjoyed this book a lot. Was already a fan of Gayle Roper and this one definitely did not disappoint me.
August 5, 2016
I started reading this book thinking that it would be just an average mystery, but boy was I wrong! This book is so much more than that, I ended up loving it!
When Libby's wealthy aunt dies, her will stipulates that Libby and her estranged twin sister Tori should live together in their aunts house for 6 months before they can receive their inheritance. They both agree, though Libby knows it won't be an easy 6 months as Tori is often critical of Libby's life and always has ulterior motives for everything she does. When a dead body shows up on their doorstep the first morning of their 6-month stay, along with a crossword puzzle, Libby starts to worry about who or what her sister has gotten involved with....
I loved the sweet blossoming friendship/romance between Libby and Drew, they are both so likable you just can't help but root for them! They both have baggage and pain from the past that rears it's ugly head in different ways, but it's encouraging to see how they handle it and encourage each other. Tori tries many times to come between Libby and her daughter, Chloe, basically trying to buy Chloe's affection with toys and gadgets, but Chloe has a good head on her shoulders and it was nice to see that at her impressionable age of 13 she could sort of see through what Tori was trying to do.
Fatal Deduction has just about everything: ex-cons, family dynamics, friendship, romance, mystery, crossword puzzles, and even some action and a big twist at the end! I very highly recommend this book!
When Libby's wealthy aunt dies, her will stipulates that Libby and her estranged twin sister Tori should live together in their aunts house for 6 months before they can receive their inheritance. They both agree, though Libby knows it won't be an easy 6 months as Tori is often critical of Libby's life and always has ulterior motives for everything she does. When a dead body shows up on their doorstep the first morning of their 6-month stay, along with a crossword puzzle, Libby starts to worry about who or what her sister has gotten involved with....
I loved the sweet blossoming friendship/romance between Libby and Drew, they are both so likable you just can't help but root for them! They both have baggage and pain from the past that rears it's ugly head in different ways, but it's encouraging to see how they handle it and encourage each other. Tori tries many times to come between Libby and her daughter, Chloe, basically trying to buy Chloe's affection with toys and gadgets, but Chloe has a good head on her shoulders and it was nice to see that at her impressionable age of 13 she could sort of see through what Tori was trying to do.
Fatal Deduction has just about everything: ex-cons, family dynamics, friendship, romance, mystery, crossword puzzles, and even some action and a big twist at the end! I very highly recommend this book!
December 2, 2008
I'm mostly trying to read some holiday books this time of year (Thanksgiving through Christmas), but I thought I'd throw a little mystery in the mix, so I wouldn't get bored. This book was a good choice. A combination of a cozy type mystery with a Christian theme. I enjoyed it and I know my mom would have liked it, because it used crossword puzzles for some of the clues!
Libby Keating and her thirteen year old daughter Chloe move from their home in New Jersey to a colonial era house in Philadelphia. The house belongs to their recently deceased great Aunt Stella. The catch - Libby and her twin sister Torie must live together in the house for 6 months in order to fulfill the wishes of Aunt Stella's will. However, on the second morning she is there, Libby goes out front to get the newspaper and trips over a dead body left on her front stoop. The body has a folded up piece of paper with her twin sister's name on the front, and a crossword puzzle on the inside.
I really enjoyed this book and will look for more by this author. Thanks to Deena for sending me this book to read :)
Libby Keating and her thirteen year old daughter Chloe move from their home in New Jersey to a colonial era house in Philadelphia. The house belongs to their recently deceased great Aunt Stella. The catch - Libby and her twin sister Torie must live together in the house for 6 months in order to fulfill the wishes of Aunt Stella's will. However, on the second morning she is there, Libby goes out front to get the newspaper and trips over a dead body left on her front stoop. The body has a folded up piece of paper with her twin sister's name on the front, and a crossword puzzle on the inside.
I really enjoyed this book and will look for more by this author. Thanks to Deena for sending me this book to read :)
December 10, 2016
Incredibly clever clues hidden in random crossroad puzzles (which the author includes so you can complete the puzzle and discover the clues right along with Libby) make this a uniquely fascinating read.
The contrast between Libby and her twin couldn't be more startling and I'll admit to wanting to smack Tori upside the head on numerous occasions! And let's just place a captial 'D' in front of Dysfunctional when describing their extended Keating family. Enough fodder to send my sensitive reader vibes into overdrive! Emotions definitely engaged in this one.
Love the unexpected romance that crops up in the midst of mystery and mayhem. Drew, a lover of all things library, is my idea of a super hero. :-)
Told in mulitple Points of View -- Libby's in 1st person and the rest in 3rd -- gave some interesting perspectives to a captivating plot. And I loved how the author worked a solid faith foundation throughout. A sublime mystery with a kick of romance that will keep you turning pages until the satisfying conclusion.
The contrast between Libby and her twin couldn't be more startling and I'll admit to wanting to smack Tori upside the head on numerous occasions! And let's just place a captial 'D' in front of Dysfunctional when describing their extended Keating family. Enough fodder to send my sensitive reader vibes into overdrive! Emotions definitely engaged in this one.
Love the unexpected romance that crops up in the midst of mystery and mayhem. Drew, a lover of all things library, is my idea of a super hero. :-)
Told in mulitple Points of View -- Libby's in 1st person and the rest in 3rd -- gave some interesting perspectives to a captivating plot. And I loved how the author worked a solid faith foundation throughout. A sublime mystery with a kick of romance that will keep you turning pages until the satisfying conclusion.
August 27, 2008
I was hoping this would be more of a mystery -- I like Gayle Roper's mysteries -- but the focus was more on relationships (including, predictably, a fast-developing romantic relationship). I guess I was disappointed that the protagonist, who found a murdered man on her doorstep and kept finding threatening notes left for her sister, wasn't more proactive in actually trying to solve the case -- nor did she turn in the notes to the police so that they could work on it. She spent a lot of time worrying about her daughter, but it seems to me that she was knowingly endangering the girl by allowing her to live in the same house as the threatened sister. So to sum up, I'm not counting this as a mystery, and I was disappointed that the payoff didn't meet the setup's promise.
August 11, 2013
Although it had a slow start - or it could have been me - it finished strong. There were several twist and turns that I did not see coming. The ending caught me total unawares.
Drew was a sweet, caring, man, but he was somewhat lackluster as a hero. Well, there were a couple of times he proved himself. And, Libby, our heroine, was the same way. She did finally get a backbone toward the end of the book.
I found Luke, Libby's sister, Tori's, boyfriend/loan shark, to be more of the hero type. He was almost swoon worthy.
As a romance novel, the book was lacking - no real chemistry. I would call it more of a mystery, with a side of romance. All in all, it a good book with a fresh and different storyline.
Drew was a sweet, caring, man, but he was somewhat lackluster as a hero. Well, there were a couple of times he proved himself. And, Libby, our heroine, was the same way. She did finally get a backbone toward the end of the book.
I found Luke, Libby's sister, Tori's, boyfriend/loan shark, to be more of the hero type. He was almost swoon worthy.
As a romance novel, the book was lacking - no real chemistry. I would call it more of a mystery, with a side of romance. All in all, it a good book with a fresh and different storyline.
February 22, 2011
According to the terms of her Aunt Stella's will, Elizabeth "Libby" Keating and her sister Tori must live together in Aunt Stella's old Philly row house for 6 months to be eligible to inherit anything. This condition seems like it will be a challenge since the twins are not close and are as different as night and day.
I liked this book even though it is not my usual thing. I enjoyed the characters, crossword puzzles, and the Ben Franklin quotes. I was turned off by the Christian-y parts and several unrealistic leaps in plot, but not enough to quit reading. My grandmother read it and liked it too!
I liked this book even though it is not my usual thing. I enjoyed the characters, crossword puzzles, and the Ben Franklin quotes. I was turned off by the Christian-y parts and several unrealistic leaps in plot, but not enough to quit reading. My grandmother read it and liked it too!
July 4, 2009
I really enjoyed this book because the story portrays a believable Christian struggle. Everyone in this story has imperfections, which mimics life because "normal" is unlikely & improbable everywhere except Hollywood. The Christian characters in this book struggle to follow Christian precepts, attempting to bring order to the chaos. However, following Christian principles is often viewed as either a crutch for the weak, or an arrogant act covering hypocrisy. This story identifies this dichotomy.
January 3, 2009
I thought this was pretty good. Twin sisters have to spend time living together in a deceased aunt's home in order to collect their inheritance from her. The author uses crossword puzzles as part of the story, but it is not a big deal, I didn't stop to read the puzzle clues and solve it, because it is immediately answered in the next pages, so it wasn't a bother to me. Just a little added twist.
October 29, 2015
While the idea was promising, the story was an meagerly-developed, barely-concealed fable extolling the wonder of life that Protestant faith gives. The characters were one-dimensional and relied heavily on stereotypes, and the story read more like a high school assignment where the author simply ran out of ideas and rushed to finish with a convoluted, illogical and improbable change of heart by a minor character, but based on ... nothing.
June 25, 2011
The talk on the internet was what drew me to this book. The writing was on the lite side, so this book proved to be a quick read. I did figure out what was happening right before it was revealed, but the book was worth reading. This author did a good job telling the story, but it was not anything out of the ordinary. This story did do some entertaining.
September 26, 2008
This book sounded like a standard murder mystery. What the blurb didn't tell me is that the main character is a born-again Christian and weaves this into her story. It's annoying. Hurricane Ike took the power down at the library so I'm stuck with it until I can get in there and get new books.
August 10, 2012
Good but not exceptional. Agree the crosswords added a juvenile feel to it. While the ending was good, the writing seemed to decline as if she suddenly needed to be done. I could have done w/o the final twist - seemed forced.
July 6, 2016
Despite its faux-gritty title and cover, this is a Christian romance novel. My fault for not knowing the author and publisher, apparently. That being said, I did bother to finish it, which has not been the case for the last half-dozen things I've picked up.
June 1, 2009
Very good combination of murder mystery and love story
June 24, 2010
A page turner!
January 12, 2011
Not a horrible book, but I'm glad it was a library book and not something I paid money for.
August 14, 2011
Love the clean reading mystery with a little romance and sisterly tension rolled in.
August 25, 2011
Light easy reading. Crossword puzzles were part of the mystery and I've always loved puzzles of any kind. I look forward to reading Gayle's other books.
June 5, 2014
Absolutely adored each of these romantic short stories. They were each worthy of five star rating. I did not want the stories to end.
January 7, 2015
certainly a page turner! Suspenseful
June 15, 2011
Fantastic plot, very easy to follow. A major twist in the end :D
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews