Deceptions

Colter Shaw

by Jeffery Deaver

The New York Times bestselling author and master of suspense returns with a devious collection, featuring two never-before published stories in which fan favorites Colter Shaw, adapted for TV (CBS's Tracker, starring Justin Hartley), and Lincoln Rhyme are united by the layers of deception taking over New York City.

A murder at a crime writers' conference. The method is entirely literary, the motive seems obvious—but can the detective who was first on the scene puzzle out what needs reading between the lines?

A brilliant sleuth, obsessed with Sherlock Holmes’s mysteries, turns his attention to a serial killer stalking the streets of New York City. But as his deductions bring him closer to his prey, he starts to wonder who is really doing the hunting.

A mysterious woman has gone into hiding and Colter Shaw is tasked with bringing her to a safe house. But with a hitman on his trails, the race toward safety takes on a whole new meaning.

A serial killer with a motive never before seen in the history of crime challenges Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs to rethink everything they know about the nature of evil—and the evidence its perpetrators leave at the scenes.  No stranger to the cat-and-mouse chase or our favorite twists and turns, Jeffery Deaver brings his chops to Deceptions, where every story unearths trickery and the truths that lie buried deep under.

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Anthologies, Thriller

295 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 4, 2026

About the author

#1 international bestselling author of over thirty novels and three collections of short stories. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into 25 languages. His first novel featuring Lincoln Rhyme, The Bone Collector, was made into a major motion picture starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. He's received or been shortlisted for a number of awards around the world.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeffery Deaver has built a career on keeping readers off balance, and Deceptions is a masterclass in exactly that. This electrifying collection of short stories showcases everything that has made Deaver one of the most respected names in crime fiction: razor-sharp plotting, ingenious misdirection, and endings that arrive like a punch to the jaw.

Featuring two of his most celebrated protagonists—reward-seeker Colter Shaw and criminalist Lincoln Rhyme alongside Amelia Sachs—the collection plunges readers into a series of investigations that range from ruthless contract killings and baffling locked-room mysteries to wrongful convictions, literary murders, and crimes that seem impossible to solve. Whether the action unfolds beneath the Atlantic Ocean, on the streets of New York City, or in the quiet corners of small-town America, Deaver never allows either his characters or his readers a moment of comfort.

What makes Deceptions so compelling is how effortlessly Deaver uses the short-story format to amplify tension. Every story is lean, fast, and expertly constructed, stripping away anything unnecessary and leaving only suspense, deduction, and relentless momentum. Just when a solution appears obvious, Deaver pulls the rug out from under the reader and reveals a deeper, darker truth hiding in plain sight.

I particularly enjoyed watching Shaw and Rhyme tackle cases that refuse to follow logical patterns. Shaw’s instincts and determination make for gripping pursuits, while Rhyme’s brilliant analytical mind once again proves why he remains one of the genre’s most fascinating investigators. Even beyond these familiar faces, Deaver populates the collection with memorable characters and intriguing sleuths who leave their mark despite the limited page count. There is enough character development and backstory throughout to satisfy longtime fans while remaining accessible to newcomers.

Perhaps most tantalizing are the subtle hints dropped within the Shaw and Rhyme stories that suggest the possibility of these two worlds eventually colliding. The mere idea of Colter Shaw and Lincoln Rhyme working the same case is enough to spark excitement for devoted Deaver readers, and those brief teases may prove to be among the collection’s most memorable moments.

For a book of short fiction, Deceptions leaves an impressively large footprint. Clever, suspenseful, and endlessly entertaining, it serves as both a celebration of Deaver’s greatest strengths and a reminder that few writers can manipulate expectations with such confidence. Every story contains a surprise, every investigation hides another layer, and every page reinforces why Jeffery Deaver remains one of the modern masters of crime fiction.

Kudos, Mr. Deaver, for a wonderful compilation of entertaining reads!

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at: http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars
Deceptions is a collection of nine short mystery/thriller short stories. Some feature main characters from two of Deaver's popular series and the others are standalones with settings including New York City, Spain, Italy, and others. With almost every short story collection I've read, I liked some stories more than others. Three of my favorites are standalones, one with a serial killer in Italy with an unusual motive that aspiring authors may appreciate, another with a unique take on Sherlock Holmes, and one taking place at a writer's conference which has some fun Easter Eggs to some of Deaver's work.

If you're a fan of Deaver's forensics expert Lincoln Rhyme series and/or reward seeker Colter Shaw, there are two stories for each of them. I enjoyed "Forgotten" in which Colter helps get justice for a wrongly accused teen and "Where the Evidence Lies" in which Lincoln had to solve a crime through witness and suspect interviews instead of forensic evidence. The other two Rhyme and Colter stories are disappointing. At the end of each story, it seems like Colter and Rhyme are going to collaborate on a case, but the stories end before that happens. Maybe this is a hint at a book or story to come. Overall, I enjoyed the collection. The stories are fast-paced and even though they are short, they include Deaver's trademark suspense and plot twists.

I received an advance copy of this ebook from Putnam Books and NetGalley. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun collection of stories. I liked the Colter Shaw and Lincoln Rhyme ones the best, they are such great characters! A couple of the others with random people surprised me when the bad guy was revealed, totally not what I expected.

[Ray Palen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars

Best-selling author Jeffery Deaver has been the creative mind behind a number of successful recurring series in his lengthy career, the most popular being the novels featuring the brilliant Lincoln Rhyme as well as those with the master of claiming rewards for those who are missing that has recently been turned into the #1 series on commercial television, Tracker.

Deaver now brings us DECEPTIONS, a collection of short stories that allows him to show off the biting and clever storytelling prowess that has made him one of the worlds premier thriller writers. Thankfully, we get to enjoy multiple appearances by the beloved Lincoln Rhyme and his investigative partner Amelia Sachs as well as a couple of stories starring Colter Shaw.

These are some of my favorite stories from this collection:

• THE BOOKKEEPER – the first story stars Colter Shaw and places him in a landscape unlike the territory he usually covers, as well as being a new treat for his loyal readers, as he takes on a killer on the streets of Manhattan. A female Detective from the NYPD sees Colter’s involvement as a nuisance and wants to push him away as just another reward seeker. He will quickly prove his worth as the victim the police are dealing with is the very same person he was sent to find. Now, working alongside the police force, Colter will be put to the test against a killer called the Bookkeeper, and it may be the direst case for him yet.
• THE DEADLIEST SENSE – the first of two stories featuring wheelchair bound investigative genius Lincoln Rhyme and Detective Amelia Sachs of the NYPD involves a serial killer who is on a wild killing spree that they must work fast to bring to an end. The handful of recent deaths have each been women, but finding a link between them proves to be initially difficult. When they eventually find the killer, their evaluation of him following a very interesting interaction makes this one of the most unique cases of their careers.
• HARD TO GET – this is a straight-on espionage story featuring a Dr. Lessing, a U.S. spy who is called upon to assist with a situation involving a Russian figure named Rostikov. The story also introduces us to the curious group named the Cincinnati Network, a series of agents also involved in this situation. Lessing has his hands full with an enemy that is indeed hard to get.
• WHERE THE EVIDENCE LIES – my favorite story in this collection is the second to feature Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs. In this case, they are called away from NY to provide insight into a case involving a small plane that crashed into the ocean within Puerto Rico territory and sank to the deepest part of the deep Atlantic. They were contacted by an agent named Preston Gilette who is asking the impossible from Rhyme, discovering the reason why this plane went down when he was unable to physically see any of the evidence which lies so deep below the waves that it is impossible to reach. This one is a real treat with a great twist at the end.
• FORGOTTEN – the last story stars Colter Shaw and this time finds him seeking to find evidence that may overturn a wrongful conviction of a young man accused of murder. His family believes strongly in his innocence, but the local police and media all feel otherwise. The young man was arrested for killing a known drug dealer, and whether this was a justified killing or mistaken identity, Colter will go all out to find out the truth.
Reading Deaver in the short form was an interesting ride, made that much more comfortable by the familiar faces of Rhyme and Shaw, and DECEPTIONS provides some edgy and interesting tales.

Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter

[Ray Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Collection of Intriguing Short Stories

This book is a collection of nine short stories. In the first, Colter Shaw must prove that a man’s son is innocent of murder. In Colter Shaw’s second short story, he must uncover a person’s identity and save her before an international killer finds out who she is and kills her. Lincoln Rhyme must determine whether a plane crash that sends the aircraft to the bottom of a trench 25,000 feet below the surface was an accident or a murder. This is his first case to solve without any forensic evidence. In Rhyme’s second case, he has to use a novel approach to catch a serial killer. In other short stories, a CIA analyst steps in on very short notice for a Clandestine Services operation. A detective providing security at a crime writers’ conference discovers and solves a real crime. A Mexican drug lord is assassinated, and the kill team is unsure whether he is just a rich philanthropist. A man has honed his deductive reasoning and is looking for a way to use it. Lastly, there is a serial killer who has a very unique method for selecting his victims.

Each of these short stories is about 30 pages in length. The beginning of each story provides most of the background on the main character. I felt the backgrounds were adequate for understanding the character. The stories were full of twists, turns, and issues that needed to be solved or that made things more difficult. Each one was easy to read. They captured and held my attention. Several have multiple narrators, but it was not confusing.

Potential aspects that could cause readers to stop reading are not prominent in this collection of short stories. There are no intimate scenes. As for violence, when it is described, it is brief, with minimal time spent on the action. As for objectionable language, compared with a standalone novel, the level appears average. Most readers should not have any issues reading this novel given this trifecta of potential distractions.

One issue that rubbed me the wrong way in this collection of short stories was that, in one of Colter Shaw's stories, the final nail in the antagonist's coffin was not driven home. The NYPD detective tells Shaw she is going to take him to a miracle worker. I anticipated a joint effort between Colter Shaw and Lincoln Rhyme, but I did not get what I expected. As a result, a significant loose end I hoped would be tied up remained unresolved. I had to laugh at the ending of the CIA short story. The analyst’s response was believable.

Overall, each story, though a little thin due to its brevity, was an enjoyable read. A few left me completely shocked at the end. It wasn’t what I expected. I have read five of the author’s novels and two short stories. I have purchased nine others that now reside in my burgeoning “To Be Read” collection. I recommend reading this collection of short stories. I enjoyed reading them and rate the collection with four stars.

I received the free, pre-publication e-book of this novel from G.P. Putnam’s Sons via NetGalley. My review is based solely on my reading experience. Thank you, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

[Monnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

With full knowledge that I sound like a broken record, I’ll again say I’m SO not a fan of short stories and will pass on them every time. Except, that is, when they’re written by a long-time favorite author; when that happens, I cannot NOT read them – and such is the case here. It doesn’t hurt, of course, that at least a couple of the stories here feature characters from series that made the author a favorite of mine in the first place, like Lincoln Rhyme and “Tracker” Colter Shaw.

There’s no way to review each and every story without giving away too much, of course (although I’ll mention there’s an interesting “connection” with a twist at the end the last one), so I’ll just offer up brief descriptions, to-wit:

Forgotten: (Colter Shaw): The father of a teenage boy convicted of killing a drug dealer offers missing-persons-finder Colter Shaw $2,600 to find proof his son is innocent.

Hard to Get: Analyst Dr. Albert Lessing, an analyst for a clandestine CIA agency, is asked to infiltrate another country and get himself recruited as a U.S. spy (with no official protection from the United States).

The Writers’ Conference: Jim Handle, a detective in the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Department, has been assigned to head up security at the local convention center – a place often considered a top terrorist target. This assignment sounds easy peasy – all the convention presenters and attendees are crime writers. Five of them are competing for the “Tombstone Award,” with the winner to be announced at a banquet. What could possibly go wrong?

An Acceptable Sacrifice: Trying to “take out” a bad guy who wants to “take out” a busload of tourists isn’t a bad thing. But what if the people planning to take him out have the wrong bad guy? This one’s a real zinger.

The Adventures of the Laughing Fisherman: Book character lover Paul Winslow is back with his former therapist because he’s lost his interest in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes books. When the therapist suggests he put his powers of deduction to work in a real job, he decides he’ll try to deduce the identity of the “Upper East Side Slasher,” who’s killed at least three so far.

Where the Evidence Lies: Forensic analyst Lincoln Rhyme and his partner, Amelia Sachs, are in Miami for his forensic lecture when a plane crashes at Eastern Dade Airport there. A prominent businessman killed in the crash had some notable enemies, as did the pilot. Sabotage is suspected, but can Lincoln and Amelia prove it?

A Woman of Mystery: A killer is on a rampage, and he (or she) is now in Milan with his fifth victim lined up. All Detective Inspector Rinaldo Tosca knows at this point is that the “Sunday Killer” strikes on the last day of the week (or first, if you’re part of the roughly 55% of the world’s population that begin their week on Sunday, according to Timeandate.com). Tosca is at a loss for clues, until a woman comes to the office to say she has information – including the name of the next victim.

The Bookkeeper: Colter Shaw is trying to intercept a killer in the library of the New School for Social Thought in Greenwich Village when he finds a break-in, but no dead body – just a stolen laptop. The killer, Shaw says, is a hitman nicknamed “The Bookkeeper” paid to eliminate people who are opposed to democracy. Clues point in the direction of Russia, but real evidence is hard to pin down.

The Deadliest Sense: The final story returns to Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs, who are trying to find a prolific killer who’s got an impeccable record for leaving no clues – no motive, no connections, no possible means of identification. As usual, Lincoln does what he does best – focus on the evidence. Even if they don’t solve this one, though, there’s another case on tap.

And that’s it. All very interesting, and I could have read the entire book in one day if life hadn’t intervened and I hadn’t answered a phone call from a friend I haven’t heard from in years. Anyway, it’s a fun read, and I heartily thank the publisher, by way of NetGalley, for allowing me to sample it in the form of a pre-release copy. Go read it for yourself – you won’t be sorry!

[Bookreporter.com Mystery & Thriller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeffery Deaver has been the creative mind behind a number of successful series in his long and prolific career. Among the most popular are the ones starring forensic criminologist Lincoln Rhyme and reward seeker Colter Shaw.

Now Deaver brings us DECEPTIONS, a collection of short stories that allows him to show off the biting and clever storytelling prowess that has made him one of the world’s greatest thriller writers. Thankfully, we get to enjoy multiple appearances by Rhyme and his partner, Amelia Sachs, as well as a couple of adventures starring Colter.

Here are some of my favorite stories:

“The Bookkeeper”: In a departure from the territory he usually covers, Colter Shaw takes on a killer from the streets of Manhattan. An NYPD detective sees his involvement as a nuisance and wants to push him away as just another reward seeker. But Colter will prove his worth as the victim the authorities are dealing with is the same person he has been sent to find. Now, working alongside the police force, he will be put to the test against a killer called The Bookkeeper, and it may be his most dire case yet.

“The Deadliest Sense”: This story featuring wheelchair-bound investigative genius Lincoln Rhyme and Detective Amelia Sachs of the NYPD involves a serial killer who is on a wild murder spree that they must work to bring to an end as quickly as possible. The handful of recent deaths have been women, but finding a link among them initially proves to be difficult. When they eventually find the culprit, their evaluation of him following a very interesting interaction makes this one of the most unique cases of their careers.

“Hard to Get”: This is a straight-on espionage tale featuring Dr. Albert Lessing, a U.S. spy who is called upon to assist with a situation involving a Russian figure, and a curious group called the Cincinnati Network. Lessing has his hands full with an enemy who is indeed hard to get.

“Where the Evidence Lies”: In my favorite story of the collection, Rhyme and Sachs are called away from New York to offer insight into a case involving a small plane that crashed into the ocean within Puerto Rico territory and sank to the deepest part of the Atlantic. They are contacted by Preston Gilette, an agent who is asking the impossible from Rhyme --- to discover the reason the aircraft went down, even though he is unable to physically see any of the evidence that lies so deep below the waves that it cannot be reached. This one is a real treat with a huge twist at the end.

“Forgotten”: Colter Shaw is seeking to find evidence that may overturn the conviction of a young man accused of murdering a known drug dealer. His family believes strongly in his innocence, but the local police and media feel otherwise. Whether this was a justified homicide or a case of mistaken identity, Colter will go all out to learn the truth.

DECEPTIONS is full of edgy and interesting tales. Reading Jeffery Deaver in the short form was a fun ride, made that much more comfortable by the three faces we know and love.

Reviewed by Ray Palen

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeffrey Deaver's Deceptions (Penguin 2026) is a collection of stories written by one of my favorite authors. I'm not a story-reading person, but this promised to provide a story where Deaver's two blockbuster characters, Lincoln Rhymes and Colter Shaw combine their talents to solve a mystery. I couldn't grab it fast enough. Before I give the spoiler on that: All of the stories were good with interesting characters, quick-moving plots, and often with mysterious twists as Deaver is prone to do. Some were dark, most not, and easily earned 4/5 ratings. One of my favorites not centered around these phenomenal characters was The Adventure of the Laughing Fisherman. This is a loose take-off on Sherlock Holmes, but it goes in an unexpected direction, one I'm not sure Sir Arthur Conan Doyle may have liked. A rare few focused on the two characters who inspired me to choose the collection. Those, definitely 5/5. 


Now for the spoiler: The story that involves Shaw and Rhymes doesn't really, until its last line. Then, I'm left hanging on quite a ledge. I can only assume Deaver is setting us up for the next book in his series. Or, my copy of the book didn't come through right, missing the end of the story. Personally. I can’t wait though seriously disappointed to be led astray. Why 4/5? This is based on the majority of the stories that were non-Rhymes-Shaw stories. And, maybe, my failed expectations

[Britney Ireland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeffery Deaver delivers yet another amazing book. Deaver proves himself yet again to be a consistently captivating author who truly never disappoints. This collection, featuring never before published stories from fan-favorite characters Colter Shaw and Lincoln Rhymes, is an unmissable treat for long-time readers or new readers.

The short length contributes to the relentless pace; at around 220 pages long, I devoured this book in a single day. It could’ve easily been finished in one sitting if I hadn’t had company. The expertly woven narrative and constant tension successfully maintained my interest and kept me guessing from the very first page to the final conclusion, making it a true page-turner.

I loved the intense crime suspense of this book, and I enthusiastically and wholeheartedly recommend this book to any fan of the thriller genre, especially fans of Jeffery Deaver. This is a triumph of the psychological thriller genre. It's a true five-star experience, leaving the reader breathless with its taut and suspenseful narrative. It's absolutely a 5 stars read from me.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deception by Jeffrey Deaver is a collection of short stories, all based on deceptions. Several were Colter Shaw, one was Lincoln Rhymes, and several more unrelated. It was an entertaining read with interesting characters who were smarter than their enemies. There was a particular one in which a civilian was recruited to be a spy for a particular operation and discovered he was not made for it and walked away when it was done. Difficult at best. Another was about eliminating the head of a cartel, but as one read, it was difficult to decide if he was the man they thought he was. Even one of the assassins had serious doubts.

Deaver writes a good character. This is not new news. He also has a mind for plots and these very divergent short stories prove that if one had any questions. It was an engaging afternoon for one who normally doesn’t love short stories.

I was invited to read Deception by Putnam. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Ntgalley #Putnam #JeffreyDeaver #Deception

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deceptions is a collection of short stories by Jeffery Deaver. In the collection are two Colter Shaw stories and two Lincoln Rhyme stories. There are also a couple of other short stories. Each different from one another and all playing on the title of the book with deception playing a major role in each story. Once this is realized one starts trying to figure out where the deceit is occurring in the story. No story truly stands out above all the rest, but two stories appear to end on a collision course with each other. Hopefully that will come to fruition in a future novel.

Deaver has a great way of weaving together a mystery, but some of the stories feel a bit rushed and lacking. Would have liked to have seen some of them flushed out a little bit more. Overall a great collection of stories and I will continue to read Jeffery Deaver novels in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for this ARC in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

#NetGalley #Deceptions

[Robin Loves Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deceptions is an enjoyable collection of short stories with mystery and intrigue at its core. The overall theme is exactly what the title promises: deception. The protagonists are familiar faces - reward seeker Colter Shaw and forensic criminologist Lincoln Rhyme. As the description notes, most of these stories have already been published, with two new ones included for longtime fans of Jeffery Deaver.

Every story here is fast-paced and engaging, and honestly, it whetted my appetite more than I expected. It reminded me that I’ve only read a handful of the Colter Shaw books, so I’m now itching to catch up on the rest of the series. And since Lincoln Rhyme has such a long-running series of his own, getting to meet him in this collection was a real treat. Now I am certain that I want to binge through the Rhyme books in the very near future.

Many thanks to G. P. Putnam and Sons and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

[Mia 🌸 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I picked this up because two of the short stories feature Colter Shaw, and he’s one of my favorite characters by Jeffery Deaver. Those stories ended up being my favorites in the collection.

Since this is a book of short stories, I liked some more than others. They all had mystery and suspense, but a few stood out more than the rest. I liked that each story was different, and there were some fun twists throughout.

The only downside is that, because they’re so short, some stories felt like they ended too fast. A couple of them had really interesting ideas that I wish had been full-length books.

Overall, this was a fun, quick read. If you’re already a fan of Jeffery Deaver, especially Colter Shaw or Lincoln Rhyme, I think you’ll enjoy this collection.

[Christine Craft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deceptions was a riveting collection of short stories featuring some familiar characters. Each short story collection was well-written, intriguing, and suspenseful. I only knew Colter Shaw beforehand, so the stories featuring him were my favorite. I haven’t read the Lincoln Rhymes series yet, but the short story had me hooked, so I’ll be checking the series out soon.

Overall, if you are a fan of Jeffery Deaver’s work or his fan-favorite characters, this book is a great selection of thrilling reads.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC(advanced reader copy) in return for an honest review

[Jannelies · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a long, long time fan of Jefferey Deaver (ever since I read The Bone Collector in 1997) but I must admit I haven't read any of his Colter Shaw books to date.
It was nice to read some short stories with Colter as the main character and maybe I will pick up one of the other titles with him as main character.

All stories in Deceptions lean more to the 'mystery' than the 'thriller' side and it was overall a quick read. I liked some stories more than others, which is not unusual when reading a book with short stories, but what I liked is that most of the stories felt like a whole novel but only a little condensed. There was a lot going on. The three stars are because somehow, after reading the whole book, it was difficult to remember a lot of details. It was all very cleverly thought of, and well-written, but not the kind of book you may remember in detail (years) later.

Thanks to Putnam's Sons and Edelweiss for this review copy.

[Jeanne Golden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing a short story is an entirely different thing than a novel, and they are difficult to craft. So much needs to be done to create the setting, the characters and the story in a very condensed format. Ultimately, I think that you must read his novels with Rhyme and Shaw to get the character development that seems to be missing in this collection of short stories.

I picked up this book because of Mr. Deaver’s excellent novels and looked forward to reading the ones with Lincoln Rhyme in particular. I liked some of the stories more than others. The endings were fast and abrupt. This book of short stories was good, but I think that I will stick to reading Mr. Deaver’s novels instead.

[LindaPf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here’s a book for the Jeffrey Deaver fanatics: Nine short stories by the very prolific author, including four with his signature characters, forensic analyst Lincoln Rhyme (with Amelia Sachs) and missing persons “Tracker” Colter Shaw (two of each).

I’m not going to critique every one of the stories — but it was a delight during a busy time for me to be able to read complete quick tales when I didn’t have time to immerse myself in a novel. I’m amazed at Deaver’s ability to come up with so many story ideas and I wonder if this is how he workshops his novels. I imagine that some ideas never get beyond short story length, while others blossom into layered stories.

All the stories were satisfying. Of course, I favored the Rhyme and Shaw ones (and read them first). Overall, this collection is typical Deaver, engaging, action-packed, intelligent tales. 4 stars.

Thank you to GP Putnam and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

[Bruce Raterink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeffery Deaver's short stories read like full length novels with fully developed characters, action packed stories, and unexpected twists. There are nine stories here, two each of his primary characters, Colter Shaw and Lincoln Rhyme, and every one was an enjoyable read. This was a fun, quick read, I finished the entire book in one day. I can never get enough of Jeffery Deaver. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced reader copy.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deceptions is a nice collection of short stories from Jeffery Deaver. There are some familiar faces - Colter Shaw and Lincoln Rhymes - and some standalone stories. Deaver is the master of the twist so you can never be comfortable with what direction the story is going. The Adventure of the Laughing Fisherman is the perfect example of that - being inside the mind of a Sherlock Holmes fan. The pace and length of these stories make this a quick read.

Great stories from Deaver.

[Kathi Brennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deception is a collection of short stories, some featuring Lincoln Rhyme and Coulter Shaw. These stories were very short, not too deep, but still entertaining.

This is a great book to place in a guest room so your guests will have something to read without starting a book they may not be able to finish.

Many thanks to G. P. Putnam and Sons and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

[Saundra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The theme of this short story collection is deception. I'm a fan of Lincoln Rhymes and Amelia Sachs, and the two short stories about them are excellent and deserve 5 Stars. I also enjoyed the stories titled The Writer's Conference and The Adventure of the Laughing Fisherman, which I rated 4 Stars. The other stories were not for me, which is why I gave the overall collection a rating of 3 Stars. I usually steer clear of short stories, but it's Jeffery Deaver, so I gave it a chance.

[Likestotravel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deceptions is full of fast, engaging, intense short stories by Jeffery Deaver. Familiar characters return in these dramas giving us an opportunity to visit with them again. A quick read - easily devoured in one satisfying gulp!

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a big fan of ss but had to read these simply because Deaver is one of my "must read" authors.
Interesting collection with titles that jump right out at you but definitely Colter and Lincoln were by far, the hands down winners in this series.
Good read for those who especially like to read in bursts and prefer not one long steady story.

[Barbie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time reading this author and these short stories did not disappoint.
My favorites were the ones with the MMC Colter Shaw. I can see why they did a tv adaptation.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this ARC.

[Diane Saul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of short stories. All were quick reads, good stories with a few twists. You could easily put this book down and come back later to read another on of the stories. I enjoyed every story. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

[Suzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great collection by one of my faves! Two Colter Shaws, Lincoln Rhyme, and some one offs. Quick read and all well done, as usual.

[Leslie Basney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short story collection of inconsistent quality reads.

[PottWab Regional Library]

SM