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MedAir #1
Looks that Deceive
An alternate cover for this ASIN can be found here.
The press calls “him” the L.A. Rapist, a misnomer in all ways for this serial assailant whose attacks on legal assistants leaves them in a vegetative state. Now, the deaths of two prominent medical malpractice attorneys have put authorities in an uproar and detective Lynch Cully is under extreme pressure to find the perpetrators. Or should that be singular? Has the L.A. Rapist upped “his” game?
Amy Gibbs, RN is a newly recruited med-evac flight nurse who left the E.D. and its stress behind, along with memories of a certain detective who “dumped” her. On one fateful call, she hears the deathbed confession of a man who police are seeking as a person of interest, perhaps the killer’s accomplice. Within hours, the lives of Amy Gibbs and detective Lynch Cully again intertwine in a story that unravels a web of identity theft, electronic eavesdropping, and stalking amid a confusion of identities.
The press calls “him” the L.A. Rapist, a misnomer in all ways for this serial assailant whose attacks on legal assistants leaves them in a vegetative state. Now, the deaths of two prominent medical malpractice attorneys have put authorities in an uproar and detective Lynch Cully is under extreme pressure to find the perpetrators. Or should that be singular? Has the L.A. Rapist upped “his” game?
Amy Gibbs, RN is a newly recruited med-evac flight nurse who left the E.D. and its stress behind, along with memories of a certain detective who “dumped” her. On one fateful call, she hears the deathbed confession of a man who police are seeking as a person of interest, perhaps the killer’s accomplice. Within hours, the lives of Amy Gibbs and detective Lynch Cully again intertwine in a story that unravels a web of identity theft, electronic eavesdropping, and stalking amid a confusion of identities.
460 pages, ebook
First published May 15, 2013
610 people are currently reading
904 people want to read
About the author
Braxton DeGarmo
27 books57 followersBraxton can't lay claim to wanting to be a writer all his life, although his mother and seventh grade English teacher were convinced he had what it would take. A bachelor's degree in Bio-Medical Engineering led to medical school and a residency in Emergency Medicine. He served for a decade in the U.S. Army Medical Corps with tours such as the Chief, Emergency Medical Services at Fort Campbell, KY, and as a research Flight Surgeon at Fort Rucker, AL. Who had time to write?
By the 1990s, as a civilian, his professional and family life had settled down, somewhat, and his mother once again took up her mantra, "Write a book. You're a good writer." In 1997, a Valentine's Day writing contest convinced him that maybe he could write fiction. He spent the next fifteen years learning the craft of writing.
Now, twenty-plus years after that first hesitant start, he has sixteen novels published, as well as non-fiction books and a children’s book, and can't find enough time to write.
As a Christian, he writes "true-life" Christian fiction (suspense and thrillers) that many call "cutting edge," as he's not afraid to take on such issues as human trafficking, racism, and more. His characters are real-life as well, with all the flaws and blemishes real people have. As such, his books are never likely to gain acceptance by the Christian Bookseller Association. But then, he never intended to tell stories just to the choir.
By the 1990s, as a civilian, his professional and family life had settled down, somewhat, and his mother once again took up her mantra, "Write a book. You're a good writer." In 1997, a Valentine's Day writing contest convinced him that maybe he could write fiction. He spent the next fifteen years learning the craft of writing.
Now, twenty-plus years after that first hesitant start, he has sixteen novels published, as well as non-fiction books and a children’s book, and can't find enough time to write.
As a Christian, he writes "true-life" Christian fiction (suspense and thrillers) that many call "cutting edge," as he's not afraid to take on such issues as human trafficking, racism, and more. His characters are real-life as well, with all the flaws and blemishes real people have. As such, his books are never likely to gain acceptance by the Christian Bookseller Association. But then, he never intended to tell stories just to the choir.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
April 3, 2017
A good medical thriller that kept me reading to find out what would happen next. The main thing that kept me from giving this book a higher rating is the fact that there was no indication in the synopsis or elsewhere that let me know beforehand that I'd have to buy another book to discover what happens to one of the main characters. In my mind, any series that does not have stand alone plots should have something telling the potential reader that fact.
August 6, 2019
Very exciting read! I'll be reading the rest in this series!
March 23, 2020
LA Rapist is using pure nitrogen to kill his victims, but leaving them just alive, so there is no trace of excess or the cause of death. Someone knew the layout and habits of the lawyers.Moreover how to destroy the files and even back up files,of all the lawyers.
Who is this person who has a system that has been installed in offices, medical places, etc in which he had put a back door for his access. Using this back door getting secrets, and inside trading, for unbelievable profits.
Meet Detective Lynch Cully, who has a sixth sense on this case, having an instinct of what proof they need to make an iron clad case. With his keen abilities into computers they hide no secrets from him. Seeing Amy after leaving her so suddenly, it all came back, one look at her eyes. The secret he was afraid to commit to her when already was committed to his job.
Interest plot were the Chief doesn’t want the logical exclamation from Lynch, but what his gut instinct Is telling. Good beginning, I like.the main characters
Who is this person who has a system that has been installed in offices, medical places, etc in which he had put a back door for his access. Using this back door getting secrets, and inside trading, for unbelievable profits.
Meet Detective Lynch Cully, who has a sixth sense on this case, having an instinct of what proof they need to make an iron clad case. With his keen abilities into computers they hide no secrets from him. Seeing Amy after leaving her so suddenly, it all came back, one look at her eyes. The secret he was afraid to commit to her when already was committed to his job.
Interest plot were the Chief doesn’t want the logical exclamation from Lynch, but what his gut instinct Is telling. Good beginning, I like.the main characters
June 5, 2017
This was a solid four star read. Amy, our heroine, is an RN who just started working on Med Vac flights. She had also recently been "dumped" by her detective boyfriend. An individual named by the media as the "LA Rapist" has been harming women of a certain "type" and leaving them brain dead. This individual has also killed some men that may or may not have been witnesses to the other crimes. Amy and the Detective are both involved in the investigation. The novel is well plotted and, at times, compulsive reading. The ending is unexpected. All in all, very good reading.
February 17, 2016
Steven James ~ Move over!
LOOKS THAT DECEIVE by Braxton DeGarmo is both edgy and gritty crime fiction and a seat of the pants medical thriller. ‘Edgy’ because it pushes the edge of the envelope. It could be categorized as noir.
Lync Cully, a workaholic, dedicated detective has been loaned to the Major Case Squad. He’s investigating a series of gruesome and bizarre assaults on women in the legal profession, an explosion killing a lawyer, and the torture and murder of another man. The “wonder boy” of the detective squad, he knows these crimes are related.
Amy Gibbs, Cully’s former girlfriend, is a medivac nurse and part of the team transporting the torture victim by chopper to the emergency room. The horrifically injured man is able to mumble a few words about the killer to her and her partner before expiring. Cully wants to hold back this information from the public, but it gets out to the press, putting Amy squarely in the sights of this heinous killer.
The author uses plot construction often typical of thrillers. The reader is introduced to the highly intelligent and technologically advanced killer as “Lady Law,” a pseudonym the male predator uses online to lure females in the legal profession into his trap. He is adept in the use of aliases and ruse. The reader also becomes aware the killer has relationships with other characters in the story and they are none-the-wiser about his violent and depraved other life.
As it turns out in this deadly tale, looks can be deceiving. If you like unabashed, nail biting thrillers with an inspirational twist, this novel is for you.
LOOKS THAT DECEIVE by Braxton DeGarmo is both edgy and gritty crime fiction and a seat of the pants medical thriller. ‘Edgy’ because it pushes the edge of the envelope. It could be categorized as noir.
Lync Cully, a workaholic, dedicated detective has been loaned to the Major Case Squad. He’s investigating a series of gruesome and bizarre assaults on women in the legal profession, an explosion killing a lawyer, and the torture and murder of another man. The “wonder boy” of the detective squad, he knows these crimes are related.
Amy Gibbs, Cully’s former girlfriend, is a medivac nurse and part of the team transporting the torture victim by chopper to the emergency room. The horrifically injured man is able to mumble a few words about the killer to her and her partner before expiring. Cully wants to hold back this information from the public, but it gets out to the press, putting Amy squarely in the sights of this heinous killer.
The author uses plot construction often typical of thrillers. The reader is introduced to the highly intelligent and technologically advanced killer as “Lady Law,” a pseudonym the male predator uses online to lure females in the legal profession into his trap. He is adept in the use of aliases and ruse. The reader also becomes aware the killer has relationships with other characters in the story and they are none-the-wiser about his violent and depraved other life.
As it turns out in this deadly tale, looks can be deceiving. If you like unabashed, nail biting thrillers with an inspirational twist, this novel is for you.
March 8, 2016
Just finished Looks that Deceive and of course I want to read the next one of the series. This thriller is well researched with lots of medical, technological, chemical details I didn't all understand. The very intelligent story is building a bit slowly but is getting really thrilling. The case about the mentally insane serial killer is closed - but the fate of the main characters stays open at the end.
December 27, 2018
This thriller had me keeping on reading as the story unfolded. I thought there was some unnecessary parts and found myself skimming parts to move on to the main story. However, there was a novel solution to who the killer was. I do want to read the next one to find out what happens with Detective Lynch.
Want to read
June 3, 2020TheFussyLibrarian
August 17, 2021
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This book was a high adrenaline rush. I liked the exciting way in which the author told the story. It was interesting to see how Lynch and his team sought to capture the LA rapist and connected it with other storylines. There were quite a few twists and turns, which made the book exciting. Something new happens in each chapter that made me invested in the story. Additionally, the author includes many details to the plot, and while reading the books, I felt I learned more technical terms like the various types of planes.
Lynch is great in the role as he handles challenging situations. I liked the moments when he accessed the system’s bios and restarted the clock or the scenes with Ester Jacobs. I also enjoyed how the author depicted Lynch’s conflicted scenes with Janick and his romance with Amy. Similarly, Amy is superb in the lead as she finds herself trying to handle her new role at work. I particularly enjoyed how the author portrayed her emotions significantly when she cannot save someone’s life, which is out of her hands. The villain is also ingenious and creepy in the way he attacks the victims, and some of the scenes gave me shivers.
Probably my only minor criticism of the tale is how long it became. At times, I felt the author detailed it too much, which lagged the pace. It would have been nice if the author could shorten some of the scenes.
Apart from that, this book was very entertaining! Overall, “Looks that Deceive” was an exciting start to the series, and I look forward to seeing how it continues.
August 18, 2020
This is a good murder mystery. It has some great characters in it. And if you're from the St. Louis, MO area, there are a lot of familiar things that pop up in it. There's Ladue, St. Peters, Maryland Heights, Creve Coeur Lake Park, De Soto, Jefferson County, Richmond Heights just to name a few. Our detective, Lynch Cully, who works out of the Ladue Police station, is on loan to the MCS, Major Case Squad to try and catch a very sick individual. Aside from two murders, "he'll" do more, "he" attacks "his" victims without leaving a mark, but leaves them in a persistent vegetative state. And they're all legal assistants with a certain look. That is, until he starts branching out, killing this man, going after that woman who doesn't fit the profile. You have to pay close attention to all of the names and characters...there's Amy, Macy, Lynch, Royce, Matthew, Dr. mystery man, aka Dr. Koettering, Janick, Dan, Sean, Lyle, Markie. Lynch was involved with RN Amy for about a year and then suddenly disappeared. No explanation at all. Ticked her off. He has his own reasons for not calling, namely, his mother and his sister. Amy works in the E.D. (ER to you and me). Early on in the story, she takes her test to be air ambulance nurse. Later on, she passes this test. She frequently goes back to the same ER that she previously worked. There are several Drs. who would like to get to know Amy better, but she's not having it. NO DRS!!! She does give Lynch another chance, but only one. Meanwhile, our sicko has been striking again and again. This guy is ingenious. He can access others' cell phones, computers, police scanners, email, virtually nothing is safe from this guy. Things escalate between Amy and Lynch and also with our whack job serial attacker. He's a very good chess player and uses this knowledge to gain an advantage over his "prey". The ending left me a little confused, but then, there's another book right around the corner to tie things up neatly. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. There is A LOT going on in this book. Enjoy!!!
November 15, 2019
An Absorbing Legal/Medical Thriller
What a fantastic read. The author knows how to grab your attention from start to finish with riveting plots, engaging and sometimes witty and vain characters, descriptive discussions, and cliff-hanging actions. Detective Lynch Cully is an individualist who solves crimes using his sixth sense while investigating the murdering of an attorney, but when another high-flying lawyer is killed in an explosion, the story takes an unexpected spin, wondering if the two cases and other assaults are connected, while bringing about some unforeseen twists and turns, revelations, secrets and lies, rumors, and reprisals. And when politics, various law enforcement agencies, money, the media and the meeting of a lost love and the search for a sadistic killer come into play, drama, manipulation, conjectures, police blunders, identity theft, and cyber-hacking will escalate to an ending that will leave you shaken to the core, reminding us that there is no such thing as privacy when it comes to computers and cell phones.
What a fantastic read. The author knows how to grab your attention from start to finish with riveting plots, engaging and sometimes witty and vain characters, descriptive discussions, and cliff-hanging actions. Detective Lynch Cully is an individualist who solves crimes using his sixth sense while investigating the murdering of an attorney, but when another high-flying lawyer is killed in an explosion, the story takes an unexpected spin, wondering if the two cases and other assaults are connected, while bringing about some unforeseen twists and turns, revelations, secrets and lies, rumors, and reprisals. And when politics, various law enforcement agencies, money, the media and the meeting of a lost love and the search for a sadistic killer come into play, drama, manipulation, conjectures, police blunders, identity theft, and cyber-hacking will escalate to an ending that will leave you shaken to the core, reminding us that there is no such thing as privacy when it comes to computers and cell phones.
August 23, 2021
This is non stop action as Lynch Cully and the rest of the police force and various other alphabet agencys try to figure out who the monster is who doesn't kill his victims--he makes them brain dead so they can never tell who did this to them! You are not going to guess who he is until it is revealed.
Meanwhile Amy Gibbs, RN is a newly recruited med-evac flight nurse who had the misfortune to be on a rescue mission where one of the people whispered something to her and her partner! And she used to go out seriously with Lynch--he disappeared then realized his mistake and they are trying to get back together. Lynch is scared to death for Amy because it is getting obvious that the perp is after her.
The ending is a real cliff hanger--enough so that I immediately went and purchased book 2 in this series! I may take a while before I read and review it--but keep yours eyes on my blog--it will be there eventually! And get book #1--but be prepared for a harrowing look into what can happen when a former medical person (this author) writes a novel!
Meanwhile Amy Gibbs, RN is a newly recruited med-evac flight nurse who had the misfortune to be on a rescue mission where one of the people whispered something to her and her partner! And she used to go out seriously with Lynch--he disappeared then realized his mistake and they are trying to get back together. Lynch is scared to death for Amy because it is getting obvious that the perp is after her.
The ending is a real cliff hanger--enough so that I immediately went and purchased book 2 in this series! I may take a while before I read and review it--but keep yours eyes on my blog--it will be there eventually! And get book #1--but be prepared for a harrowing look into what can happen when a former medical person (this author) writes a novel!
October 13, 2021
Something of a cliffhanger... an oxymoron
Maybe the author thinks it's okay because he draws attention to the problem. Cliffhangers are NEVER okay. Just a despicable trick to get me to buy the next book. That’s never going to happen. Almost as if he feels the need to make up for it, he offers the next book for free! I tried jumping through the hoops. Why does the author need anything apart from my email and name to send me a free ebook? Instead all address and phone number details are compulsory. WT...? Maybe he wants my jock size as well. I stopped before I got to that point. I've now read that each of the following books also end with a cliffhanger. Please don't encourage this author by praising his work. He does not deserve praise.
Spoiler alert: in spite of holding a tearful memorial service for his demise, the hero is not dead. He's rescued in a totally unbelievable chapter- it's supposed to convince you to read the next book.
Maybe the author thinks it's okay because he draws attention to the problem. Cliffhangers are NEVER okay. Just a despicable trick to get me to buy the next book. That’s never going to happen. Almost as if he feels the need to make up for it, he offers the next book for free! I tried jumping through the hoops. Why does the author need anything apart from my email and name to send me a free ebook? Instead all address and phone number details are compulsory. WT...? Maybe he wants my jock size as well. I stopped before I got to that point. I've now read that each of the following books also end with a cliffhanger. Please don't encourage this author by praising his work. He does not deserve praise.
Spoiler alert: in spite of holding a tearful memorial service for his demise, the hero is not dead. He's rescued in a totally unbelievable chapter- it's supposed to convince you to read the next book.
August 7, 2019
This is a well crafted mystery/thriller. The story is complex and engaging. The characters are interesting and believable. After I read the book I read the “About The Author” and I love the approach that he is taking towards his books. I find that reality based fiction with Christian characters who are not always “perfect” and that have real life issues to deal with are more of a witness than traditional Christian fiction that is totally unrealistic. Plus it is nice to have a “real” mystery/thriller where the protagonists are not clearly atheists or antagonistic toward believers. Side note: although I do find it amusing how many of those anti-Christian protagonists “wish they could have the comfort that faith brings”. If they only knew that they too (even genius intellectuals) can partake in God’s grace. Bravo to the author and I will read more in the series.
July 14, 2020
There should have been a warning the book ends on a cliffhanger. Kind of obvious how David/Matthew/Markie is a multiple personality. Interesting how the killer goes after Amy because of the deathbed confession, yet he was supposed to be going after the other paramedic on board too. I guess the writer forgot all about him, since the killer became obsessed with Amy. Oh wait when the helicopter crashed he was taken to a different hospital to hide him, yet she was taken to the same hospital she used to work at. Let's just put her for him to find. The only smart cop at of all of them is Lynch Cully. He saw a pattern. He saw the killers female type, places he would make his next move, how he was luring them. Just hate not having warnings on cliffhanger books.
January 23, 2020
I had the chance to download a free copy, checked out reviews and decided to give it a try. I almost quit reading, early on, because I was feeling the story to be fairly confusing. But I'm glad I persisted, because I really enjoyed it and got to the point where I didn't want to put it down. I do have to say that I was a little disturbed at the end to find that the story wasn't really finished. Maybe that's why we get a free copy, so that we will buy the next book to find out how it ends. And, guess what? It worked. Now I want to read on....
April 8, 2023
Braxton DeGarmo gives us a killer that is top game in realm high tech knowledge of 5 if not 1 in US if not in the World.
Able to get into all computers, gov-bus--pers any and all, no one is safe besides he is a very ruthless and mean killer.
Plus he can control the skies also and anything flying heli-jets-planes etc. It is amazing, exciting, dynamic read, you will not want to put down this page flipping book. The story is awesome. Reese is one special lady and a terrific person to have on the police force and a tribute to her brothers footsteps!
Able to get into all computers, gov-bus--pers any and all, no one is safe besides he is a very ruthless and mean killer.
Plus he can control the skies also and anything flying heli-jets-planes etc. It is amazing, exciting, dynamic read, you will not want to put down this page flipping book. The story is awesome. Reese is one special lady and a terrific person to have on the police force and a tribute to her brothers footsteps!
November 1, 2019
Interesting story, but also very confusing. It was not really clear what is going on, maybe on purpose. But to see a serial killer driving a spotless top notch Motorhome and a special Porsche 911 made me think ......who would do this?
Same with the detective who was in love with the nurse and run into very stupid situations .......maybe that was the reason they called him a genius.
Same with the detective who was in love with the nurse and run into very stupid situations .......maybe that was the reason they called him a genius.
June 2, 2020
Fantastic book till the very end when the reader is left hanging. I hate books like that. So I bought the next book in the series. If that doesn’t solve the issues left hanging,I’m done. I once read 6 books in a series before throwing in the towel. Others did the same thing. We all advised people not to get trapped, especially since each succeeding book was not as good as the one before.
September 27, 2021
This was a page-turning, suspenseful story. I read it at every opportunity. I didn't expect, nor did I appreciate, the cliffhanger ending. I, and probably most others, wanted it to end differently, though the author states 'not all of our stories have clean endings....only in fairy tales does the guy always get the girl in the end.'
February 25, 2017
Excellent story
Enjoyed the story, mystery and characters. Descriptions many times were lengthy and ran on til I forgot where I was in the story. I would read another of these books just because the story was so different and I would hope the writer matures.
Enjoyed the story, mystery and characters. Descriptions many times were lengthy and ran on til I forgot where I was in the story. I would read another of these books just because the story was so different and I would hope the writer matures.
November 2, 2018
Great medical/psychological thriller
I confess I caught on quickly to the multiple personality disorder angle, but still really enjoyed the suspense. Character development is good, and the ending is left open for the next book in the series. Enjoyed the read.
I confess I caught on quickly to the multiple personality disorder angle, but still really enjoyed the suspense. Character development is good, and the ending is left open for the next book in the series. Enjoyed the read.
December 31, 2018
Suspenseful reading from beginning to end. Lynch , a high Profile detective and Amy a light Nurse come together in this book against a Serial killer known as the LA Rapist. I could not put the book down until a surprising ending.
July 29, 2019
This was a great book. It has a wonderful plot that keeps evolving. I love the characters and how they relate to each other. There are so many surprises, twists and turns in this book. I need to read the prequel and the next book too. I will be following this author for more of his writings!
December 16, 2019
A psychological thriller that will keep you riveted until the very end. A fresh take on the serial killer/computer genius/grizzled cop/strong female protagonist genre. This really was a fantastic read!
February 1, 2020
I taught the book will end up in 1 and I realised I still have a journey to cover with the 2 part of it. A good medical thriller, although the book is basically written in your field of studies. I am looking forward to watching a film about it.
May 6, 2020
Total Action!
If you're looking for a book lots of action , twists that never stop, then this is the book for you. All of the characters are very life like and their personalities show through.
If you're looking for a book lots of action , twists that never stop, then this is the book for you. All of the characters are very life like and their personalities show through.
November 8, 2020
A 3 on technology but a 4 for the mystery.
Excellent mystery but you need to have medical and computer knowledge to get the jist of the story. I'd certainly read a another one and hope it's not as technical.
Excellent mystery but you need to have medical and computer knowledge to get the jist of the story. I'd certainly read a another one and hope it's not as technical.
December 26, 2020
Wow.
That is a brilliant thriller with an unexpected climax. It's absolutely awesome. Lynch's deduction is absolutely mind-blowing and accurate.
Amy proves to be equally good. Definitely should be read.
That is a brilliant thriller with an unexpected climax. It's absolutely awesome. Lynch's deduction is absolutely mind-blowing and accurate.
Amy proves to be equally good. Definitely should be read.
May 8, 2021
I didn't guess the bad guys when I thought I had.
I kept changing my mind about who it was. But I thought it didn't end the story very well. It seems there should have been another chapter
I kept changing my mind about who it was. But I thought it didn't end the story very well. It seems there should have been another chapter
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews