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Colter Shaw
Deceptions
Not yet published
Expected 4 Aug 26The 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.
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.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication August 4, 2026
About the author
Jeffery Deaver
524 books12k followers#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.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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!
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!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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
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
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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
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
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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.
Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Great collection by one of my faves! Two Colter Shaws, Lincoln Rhyme, and some one offs. Quick read and all well done, as usual.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews