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A Current Deception
The fifth Darcy Farthing adventure finds Darcy and the gang on a cruise around Australia. They are accompanied by a murderer seeking revenge for a twenty year old crime and an invasion of yellow crazy ants, a highly invasive species. Friends, Brooks Larkin and Sid Denezza become suspect and victim,while Darcy tries to solve a series of mysterious crimes, and daughter Rachael begins a disturbing romance with a stranger.
331 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2015
14 people want to read
About the author
Arleen Alleman
13 books51 followersArleen Alleman is a former senior analyst with the Government Accountability Office, where she wrote extensively on many topics ranging from satellite systems to endangered species. She has a science education but has also worked as a fashion model, insurance adjuster, jewelry designer, and proprietor of a home decor shop. Her interests include health and fitness, world religions, reading, and travel. Born in England, she grew up in New Hampshire and Nevada, then lived in Colorado. Now, she lives in SW Florida with her husband, Tim and their cat, Xena.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 9, 2015
“A Current Deception” by Arleen Alleman is the fifth book in the Darcy Farthing Series. If you have never read anything by Alleman you are in for a thrilling and consuming adventure. Enough back-story is provided to make this a wonderful stand-alone read. If you have read other books in the series then you are going to absolutely love this one. I didn’t think it was possible for the series to get any better… I was wrong.
The story takes place aboard The Sea Star, World of Seas Cruise Ship. The Australian cruise brings together a host of characters from previous novels: Darcy Farthing and Mick Clayton who have recently wed; Darcy’s daughter Rachael and granddaughter, Anna; Darcy’s best friend Sydney and fiancé (who happens to be Darcy’s ex-husband), Brooks; Darcy’s friends Don and Charlie and their daughter Penelope. The Australian cruise is intended to be a honeymoon for Darcy and Mick, a wedding for Sydney and Brooks and a vacation adventure and much needed R & R for Rachael, Anna, Don, Charlie and Penelope. Also aboard the cruise we find unwelcome passengers in the form of a highly invasive species of insects known as yellow crazy ants, Noah the handsome and intriguing single cruiser who takes a romantic interest in Rachael, a small group from Kansas celebrating their 24 year high school reunion, crew members of questionable character and a mysterious man with an exotic skin tone, dark hair and unique eyes.
On the first day aboard The Sea Star a couple from the high school reunion group receive a welcome gift of fruit… crawling with yellow crazy ants. These ants emit a stinging, acid like spray that can severely blind, burn and possibly kill. Upon delivery the crew member stated the gift was from American Travel Corp… the travel agency owned by Brooks. No such gift was ever authorized by Brooks and the crew member who delivered the “gift” could not be tracked down. Frightening events continue to occur for members of the reunion group and The Sea Star’s Chief of Security appears completely incompetent to handle any sort of investigation.
As the cruise continues several distinct storylines take place. Rachael falls head over heels for Noah and struggles to make mature decisions for herself and her daughter, Anna. (I seriously could have popped Rachael upside her head a couple of times). Wedding plans for Sydney and Brooks are threatened as someone attempts to frame Brooks for the mysterious happenings of his travel agency’s reunion group. Don and Charlie struggle with Penelope’s behavioral issues. A criminal mastermind enacts murderous plans. The yellow crazy ants try to survive in an unnatural habitat. Darcy uses her investigative journalism skills to put the pieces together and solve the mysterious happenings as inexplicable and tragic events continue to occur aboard the ship.
Alleman blends all of these storylines together into one phenomenal and thrilling mystery. The writing style brings you directly into the thick of it. One truly feels a part of the story. You don’t feel as though you are simply being told a story… you are living it. That feeling of reality will be magnified if you have ever been aboard a cruise ship.
I can easily consume a lengthy novel in a day and at a rather swift pace. When reading an Allemen novel I slow way down. Not because it is difficult to read, but because I don’t want to miss a single word. You never know when one small comment, thought or knowing look can deepen the mystery or bring you closer to solving it. Believe me when I say you do NOT want to miss a moment. Aside from crafting stories filled with thrills, murder, criminal elements, suspense and mystery Allemen also incorporates lots of historical tidbits and interesting facts about the location of her stories. I learned more about Australia through this work of Fiction than I ever did in World History or Geography.
I believe Arleen Alleman is a name to watch. There are very few mystery writers who can create such compelling, complex and completely consuming novels. I predict big things from and for this immensely talented author.
The story takes place aboard The Sea Star, World of Seas Cruise Ship. The Australian cruise brings together a host of characters from previous novels: Darcy Farthing and Mick Clayton who have recently wed; Darcy’s daughter Rachael and granddaughter, Anna; Darcy’s best friend Sydney and fiancé (who happens to be Darcy’s ex-husband), Brooks; Darcy’s friends Don and Charlie and their daughter Penelope. The Australian cruise is intended to be a honeymoon for Darcy and Mick, a wedding for Sydney and Brooks and a vacation adventure and much needed R & R for Rachael, Anna, Don, Charlie and Penelope. Also aboard the cruise we find unwelcome passengers in the form of a highly invasive species of insects known as yellow crazy ants, Noah the handsome and intriguing single cruiser who takes a romantic interest in Rachael, a small group from Kansas celebrating their 24 year high school reunion, crew members of questionable character and a mysterious man with an exotic skin tone, dark hair and unique eyes.
On the first day aboard The Sea Star a couple from the high school reunion group receive a welcome gift of fruit… crawling with yellow crazy ants. These ants emit a stinging, acid like spray that can severely blind, burn and possibly kill. Upon delivery the crew member stated the gift was from American Travel Corp… the travel agency owned by Brooks. No such gift was ever authorized by Brooks and the crew member who delivered the “gift” could not be tracked down. Frightening events continue to occur for members of the reunion group and The Sea Star’s Chief of Security appears completely incompetent to handle any sort of investigation.
As the cruise continues several distinct storylines take place. Rachael falls head over heels for Noah and struggles to make mature decisions for herself and her daughter, Anna. (I seriously could have popped Rachael upside her head a couple of times). Wedding plans for Sydney and Brooks are threatened as someone attempts to frame Brooks for the mysterious happenings of his travel agency’s reunion group. Don and Charlie struggle with Penelope’s behavioral issues. A criminal mastermind enacts murderous plans. The yellow crazy ants try to survive in an unnatural habitat. Darcy uses her investigative journalism skills to put the pieces together and solve the mysterious happenings as inexplicable and tragic events continue to occur aboard the ship.
Alleman blends all of these storylines together into one phenomenal and thrilling mystery. The writing style brings you directly into the thick of it. One truly feels a part of the story. You don’t feel as though you are simply being told a story… you are living it. That feeling of reality will be magnified if you have ever been aboard a cruise ship.
I can easily consume a lengthy novel in a day and at a rather swift pace. When reading an Allemen novel I slow way down. Not because it is difficult to read, but because I don’t want to miss a single word. You never know when one small comment, thought or knowing look can deepen the mystery or bring you closer to solving it. Believe me when I say you do NOT want to miss a moment. Aside from crafting stories filled with thrills, murder, criminal elements, suspense and mystery Allemen also incorporates lots of historical tidbits and interesting facts about the location of her stories. I learned more about Australia through this work of Fiction than I ever did in World History or Geography.
I believe Arleen Alleman is a name to watch. There are very few mystery writers who can create such compelling, complex and completely consuming novels. I predict big things from and for this immensely talented author.
March 13, 2015
In this book Darcy, her now husband Mick, her ex Brooks and his fiance (and Darcy’s friend) Sidney, her daughter and granddaughter and a few other friends decide to take a sea cruise to Australia’s various ports, hoping that the cruise will be happy, uneventful and a joyous get together.
On this trip things started innocently enough – some ants delivered on a plate of food as a gift from American Travel Corp (travel agency company belonging to Brook) to a couple ended up spraying acid on the hands of one of the passenger, who needed medical attention.
Soon after, unexplained dangerous things starts to happen, which put Darcy (and the rest of the team as well) on high alert, giving them all nauseous flashbacks to their previous trip.
So Darcy once again – against everyone’s initial wishes, starts her own investigation into these seemingly unrelated problems.
The story unfolds at a fast pace giving me an urgency to turn the pages to see what comes next. Lots of stuff going on during that cruise, which makes for a very unforgettable trip (I can only imagine what the previous trip must have been like).
Overall I loved this book and I’m looking forward to reading the new Darcy Farthing story whenever it’s out.
Full book review at http://mysterysequels.com/a-current-d...
On this trip things started innocently enough – some ants delivered on a plate of food as a gift from American Travel Corp (travel agency company belonging to Brook) to a couple ended up spraying acid on the hands of one of the passenger, who needed medical attention.
Soon after, unexplained dangerous things starts to happen, which put Darcy (and the rest of the team as well) on high alert, giving them all nauseous flashbacks to their previous trip.
So Darcy once again – against everyone’s initial wishes, starts her own investigation into these seemingly unrelated problems.
The story unfolds at a fast pace giving me an urgency to turn the pages to see what comes next. Lots of stuff going on during that cruise, which makes for a very unforgettable trip (I can only imagine what the previous trip must have been like).
Overall I loved this book and I’m looking forward to reading the new Darcy Farthing story whenever it’s out.
Full book review at http://mysterysequels.com/a-current-d...
April 13, 2015
I received this book for a fair review.
Overview: Poor Darcy. All she wants is for the cruise, that she and her circle of friends are on, to go smoothly. But will that ever happen for her? Let’s ask the person seeding the poor innocent crazy yellow ants onto the ship. Somehow, I don’t think he really cares. How many people have to get hurt before the culprit gets caught?
Likes: I appreciated how the children seemed to be protected during the cruise. Rachel, also, had a decent relationship with her biological parents.
Dislikes: There seemed to be a lot of info-dumps in this story, most of them were disguised as Darcy’s habit of researching the history of the vacation spots that they are hitting. Could she have possibly found any stories that didn’t smack of “evil white people destroying the poor natives’ homes” vein?
Also, I didn’t care for the jab at the foster care system. Ours is not perfect, true, but it doesn’t necessarily breed or perfect monsters.
Conclusion: This might have been a better story if Ms. Alleman told the story. Sometimes politics don’t help the story along. In my opinion, when it comes to murder mysteries, politics should only come in if the murdered or murderer is in politics. I hope you enjoy it.
Overview: Poor Darcy. All she wants is for the cruise, that she and her circle of friends are on, to go smoothly. But will that ever happen for her? Let’s ask the person seeding the poor innocent crazy yellow ants onto the ship. Somehow, I don’t think he really cares. How many people have to get hurt before the culprit gets caught?
Likes: I appreciated how the children seemed to be protected during the cruise. Rachel, also, had a decent relationship with her biological parents.
Dislikes: There seemed to be a lot of info-dumps in this story, most of them were disguised as Darcy’s habit of researching the history of the vacation spots that they are hitting. Could she have possibly found any stories that didn’t smack of “evil white people destroying the poor natives’ homes” vein?
Also, I didn’t care for the jab at the foster care system. Ours is not perfect, true, but it doesn’t necessarily breed or perfect monsters.
Conclusion: This might have been a better story if Ms. Alleman told the story. Sometimes politics don’t help the story along. In my opinion, when it comes to murder mysteries, politics should only come in if the murdered or murderer is in politics. I hope you enjoy it.
April 14, 2015
Given To Me For An Honest Review
A Current Deception by Arleen Alleman is a real page turner. Once you open the book it will grab you and hold you down and you'll watch the pages turn and turn and turn some more until you get to the last one. There are some twists and turns thrown in for more drama. This story is very intriguing, intense and very suspenseful. It is book 5 in the series of freelance reporter Darcy Farthing. The crimes begin onboard a cruise ship when a woman attending a class reunion is attacked by yellow ants, a dangerous invasive species. Then an airborne food bacteria causes problems for passengers. Then attempted murders threaten to cause a panic onboard. What is going on? Will the guilty be found out? Why is this happening? I gave this book 5 stars. I highly recommend it to all, especially to those who enjoy reading murder mysteries. I look for more from Arleen Alleman.
A Current Deception by Arleen Alleman is a real page turner. Once you open the book it will grab you and hold you down and you'll watch the pages turn and turn and turn some more until you get to the last one. There are some twists and turns thrown in for more drama. This story is very intriguing, intense and very suspenseful. It is book 5 in the series of freelance reporter Darcy Farthing. The crimes begin onboard a cruise ship when a woman attending a class reunion is attacked by yellow ants, a dangerous invasive species. Then an airborne food bacteria causes problems for passengers. Then attempted murders threaten to cause a panic onboard. What is going on? Will the guilty be found out? Why is this happening? I gave this book 5 stars. I highly recommend it to all, especially to those who enjoy reading murder mysteries. I look for more from Arleen Alleman.
April 5, 2015
"A Current Deception" by Arleen Alleman is a murder/mystery novel featuring Darcy Farthing. Although it's the fifth book in a series, it's a good stand-alone read without having to read the previous books. The story takes place aboard a cruise ship of the coast of Australia. Cruises might be relaxing to some, but not for our protagonist Darcy Farthing. There is a lot of intrigue and plenty of fun characters to keep you turning the pages until the end. This is one of the those books where I feel I could visualize each character almost exactly how the author intended them to be. The overall reading experience is definitely a worthwhile and impressive one and it has left me with an author to remember.
February 7, 2015
Murder strikes again!
Darcy and Nick agree to take a cruise (along with all their friends) to explore ports around the Australian continent. Why would they ever want to take another cruise after previous catastrophes? Well, the theory is that past problems encountered on other cruises could never occur again—or could they? Darcy falls prey to the JFS, “Jessica Fletcher Syndrome”—whenever a talented investigator travels, visits friends and family, or settles down in a new home, murder strikes again!
On this Australian cruise, crazy ants attack, a serial killer stalks his prey, and deceptions proliferate through the crew. I could hardly control myself, scratching, and searching for creepy crawlies each time I read about those crazy ants! The most sinister creep is the master of disguise, who targets cruise passengers in a well-planned series of incidents and disappears without trace.
According to the chief of security, Darcy’s ex-husband is a prime suspect in the crimes. She can’t accept an inept investigation that allows the authorities to arrest him! It’s a good thing there are plenty of fascinating ports and loads of history to keep Darcy (and readers) distracted while she solves the mystery piece by piece. However, Darcy’s astute revelations make her dangerous to an extremely disturbed mind.
Although this novel stands well on its own merits, anyone who has read previous books in the series will be pleased to take another cruise with Darcy and her friends. Readers delve into the love problems facing Darcy’s daughter, attend the wedding of her ex-husband to her best friend, and observe the Seattle gay couple struggle with their daughter (who was kidnapped in the last book). All the characters seem like family to us, and we’re interested to discover how they cope with the psychological ghosts of previous events.
Thankfully, we’re not physically involved when bodies start dropping on this Australian cruise. We breathe a sigh of relief as Darcy and Nick unravel the complicated motives that prompted the current killing spree. They might never set foot on a cruise ship again, but the "Jessica Fletcher Syndrome" will surely follow their trail on shore, too. Lucky thing for those readers who enjoy a genuinely good mystery novel!
Darcy and Nick agree to take a cruise (along with all their friends) to explore ports around the Australian continent. Why would they ever want to take another cruise after previous catastrophes? Well, the theory is that past problems encountered on other cruises could never occur again—or could they? Darcy falls prey to the JFS, “Jessica Fletcher Syndrome”—whenever a talented investigator travels, visits friends and family, or settles down in a new home, murder strikes again!
On this Australian cruise, crazy ants attack, a serial killer stalks his prey, and deceptions proliferate through the crew. I could hardly control myself, scratching, and searching for creepy crawlies each time I read about those crazy ants! The most sinister creep is the master of disguise, who targets cruise passengers in a well-planned series of incidents and disappears without trace.
According to the chief of security, Darcy’s ex-husband is a prime suspect in the crimes. She can’t accept an inept investigation that allows the authorities to arrest him! It’s a good thing there are plenty of fascinating ports and loads of history to keep Darcy (and readers) distracted while she solves the mystery piece by piece. However, Darcy’s astute revelations make her dangerous to an extremely disturbed mind.
Although this novel stands well on its own merits, anyone who has read previous books in the series will be pleased to take another cruise with Darcy and her friends. Readers delve into the love problems facing Darcy’s daughter, attend the wedding of her ex-husband to her best friend, and observe the Seattle gay couple struggle with their daughter (who was kidnapped in the last book). All the characters seem like family to us, and we’re interested to discover how they cope with the psychological ghosts of previous events.
Thankfully, we’re not physically involved when bodies start dropping on this Australian cruise. We breathe a sigh of relief as Darcy and Nick unravel the complicated motives that prompted the current killing spree. They might never set foot on a cruise ship again, but the "Jessica Fletcher Syndrome" will surely follow their trail on shore, too. Lucky thing for those readers who enjoy a genuinely good mystery novel!
April 14, 2015
Murder aboard a luxury cruise liner? Actually more then just one but who is counting. Now who could be behind these acts? And how did those crazy yellow ants get aboard the ship anyway? These are just some of the questions Dorothy Farthing, a journalistic reporter is asking herself. This isn't the first time Darcy and her family and friends have been on a cruise where bad things happened. I really wish I had read the first in this series because it was alluded to more then once.
To top everything off the ship's security manager is trying not to do anything and the Captain is --well he does have a marriage to preform but is worried sick over it all. And Dorothy's daughter, Rachelle who I will have ti assume she gave up at birth was reunited with her birth mother at the last cruise and has a baby of her own--and a ship board romance that has Darcy and her unassuming husband worried.
This is definitely a fast moving novel with lots of twists and turns and probably another book in this series to come. All I want to know is: How are those crazy ants doing? They certainly are mini survivors!!
A Current Deception
To top everything off the ship's security manager is trying not to do anything and the Captain is --well he does have a marriage to preform but is worried sick over it all. And Dorothy's daughter, Rachelle who I will have ti assume she gave up at birth was reunited with her birth mother at the last cruise and has a baby of her own--and a ship board romance that has Darcy and her unassuming husband worried.
This is definitely a fast moving novel with lots of twists and turns and probably another book in this series to come. All I want to know is: How are those crazy ants doing? They certainly are mini survivors!!
A Current Deception
June 14, 2015
A Current Deception is a Darcy Farthing novel. In fact, it is the 5th in the series.
I was a little concerned about this as I had not read the earlier books, however Alleman does a really great job of making this a stand alone novel as well as making the reader really want to learn more by reading the other stories!
From what I gather, Darcy and friends have had some bad luck on cruises before. A couple times, I found myself wondering why they keep going on cruises when danger and chaos are bound to follow them.
There are so many intriguing angles that keep the reader invested in the outcome of this book. Darcy's ex-husband is being accused of mischief and murder in regards to a passenger that came with his tour group. There is a mysterious waiter with a back story and plenty to hide. The head of security seems to jump to conclusions. The captain is tempermental. There is a mysterious stranger who is capturing Darcy's daughter, Rachel's heart.
With so many twists and turns, you will be entertained from cover to cover!
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own
I was a little concerned about this as I had not read the earlier books, however Alleman does a really great job of making this a stand alone novel as well as making the reader really want to learn more by reading the other stories!
From what I gather, Darcy and friends have had some bad luck on cruises before. A couple times, I found myself wondering why they keep going on cruises when danger and chaos are bound to follow them.
There are so many intriguing angles that keep the reader invested in the outcome of this book. Darcy's ex-husband is being accused of mischief and murder in regards to a passenger that came with his tour group. There is a mysterious waiter with a back story and plenty to hide. The head of security seems to jump to conclusions. The captain is tempermental. There is a mysterious stranger who is capturing Darcy's daughter, Rachel's heart.
With so many twists and turns, you will be entertained from cover to cover!
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own
April 18, 2015
Thanks Xlibris and Net Galley for this free e-galley for me to read and review. This is my honest review, I don't have any affiliation with the author.
This was my first book by this author and I have to say I was thoroughly entertained. There were a few times where I skipped a few pages, but that was mostly about visiting the sites while in Australia. I am certainly glad that I have crossed taking a cruise off my bucket list before reading this story.
The story, for the most part, was good and the characters were well developed. Although there were more than a several times I wanted to haul off and just slap some sense into Rachel. Especially the time he made her let him finish before tending to the baby. What kind of psycho still had a libido with a baby screaming?
I was also a little perturbed that the captain didn't see through the security guys total disregard for his job.
Of course, these are just a few of the elements that kept me intrigued enough to finish the book. It was a decent read and kept me interested.
This was my first book by this author and I have to say I was thoroughly entertained. There were a few times where I skipped a few pages, but that was mostly about visiting the sites while in Australia. I am certainly glad that I have crossed taking a cruise off my bucket list before reading this story.
The story, for the most part, was good and the characters were well developed. Although there were more than a several times I wanted to haul off and just slap some sense into Rachel. Especially the time he made her let him finish before tending to the baby. What kind of psycho still had a libido with a baby screaming?
I was also a little perturbed that the captain didn't see through the security guys total disregard for his job.
Of course, these are just a few of the elements that kept me intrigued enough to finish the book. It was a decent read and kept me interested.
April 9, 2018
This is another wonderful novel by Arleen Alleman, one of my favourite authors. It is part of a series, this one in which detective Darcy and her husband Nick decide to go on a cruise with some friends, including Sid and Brooks who works for a travel agency, one involved in the cruise arrangements. Several of Brooks' customers become victims on the cruise, one couple to marauding, dangerous ants and another to being killed in an Adelaide stopover, possibly even murdered. Other suspect incidents abound, including a highly suspicious new relationship. Darcy, while on vacation, cannot resist being part of the investigation. The novel is an excellent read and Arleen is typically thorough in her research of the places visited on this frightening cruise and even in researching this literally irritating species of Australian ant. I could put it down until the last page and the surprising ending! Another great story from this prolific author.
March 6, 2017
It took me a while to really get into this book, I found the array of characters a bit overwhelming to begin with. That said I stuck with it and was glad I did. Darcy Farthing and her husband plus assorted family members and friends embark on cruise to Australia where a friends marriage is due to take place. All is not as it seems! A current deception is well written and has an interesting storyline. Some of the twists and turns were original and engaging. I particularly liked the ...... ( no spoilers). I think it may have helped if I'd of read previous works but that did not detract from my overall enjoyment.
April 17, 2015
This is a great murder/mystery book. Even though it is the fifth book in the series, it can easily be a stand alone book. I have not read any of the other books in the series and had no issues following along with the story. The plot has lots of twists and turns that kept me interested in the story from the very beginning. I knew who was guilty well before it was revealed, but the story still kept me wanting more. Even after knowing who did it, the twists and turns did make me question it a few times. If you are looking for a great cozy mystery, this is a wonderful read!!
May 28, 2015
My first foray into this series and I honestly think that the book was written poorly. Sorry but I must be honest. Some parts were like a travel guide around Australia. The writing just didn't appeal to me at all. Yes I finished the book, but only because I wanted to know the ending. It has taken me 6 weeks to get through it. I don't think I will read anymore of this series.
August 9, 2025
This is the first book I read from this author. This book is 340 pages in paperback and for me that is a lot of pages for me to digest so I had to take long breaks in between. Anyhow, this is the 5th book in a series and I enjoyed reading about mystery and murder, especially on a cruise ship. I also liked how the author writes about Australia so I learned a few things about Australia. Many of the incidents penned conjured up memories and experiences of my own that I experienced as a sailing passenger and also as a crew member. Overall, a good read.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews