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The Gift Legacy #5

Deadly Deception

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A daring abduction. A sinister plot. A family on the edge of ruin.

A newborn is missing, and security camera footage implicates a kidnapper who shares Emelynn Taylor’s gift of flight. With the baby’s life in danger, Emelynn races against the clock to find the child. But lies litter her path and deception blocks her at every turn.

When Emelynn’s lover is the next to disappear, she suspects the kidnappings aren’t what they seem. In her desperate search, she uncovers a high-stakes conspiracy that jeopardizes the freedom of every Flier.

Emelynn and her handler must defy orders to track down this new enemy in time to stop their treacherous scheme.

And closer to home, a deeper deception threatens. Will Emelynn’s family survive the biggest lie of all? One that Emelynn has spent her whole life perfecting?

The fifth book in The Gift Legacy series, Deadly Deception is a thriller that skirts the edges of reality in a world within our own. Strap on your parachute and escape the take flight with Emelynn Taylor.

252 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 8, 2019

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About the author

J.P. McLean

15 books81 followers

Welcome to my Goodreads page.

I'm very fortunate to live in a writer's paradise on one of the small northern Gulf Islands off the eastern shore of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The rugged beaches and towering fir and arbutus trees that surround me often end up in my stories. When I'm not pouring my imagination into my computer, I'm futzing in gardens, making a mess of the kitchen or hiking local trails. I write stories that entice you to believe the impossible and escape the everyday for a while. Enjoy the read!

I'm also on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/JPMcLeanBooks

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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Profile Image for Karen.
Author 3 books22 followers
May 3, 2019
This book reunites the readers with Emelynn Taylor – together with Sam trying to solve a kidnapping and to find James who seems to have vanished.
With "Deadly Deception", J. P. McLean has once again created a thrilling combination of mystery, paranormal, urban fantasy, and a touch of romance with steamy situations. It is a very compelling read centred on Emelynn, drawing you close to her. J. P. McLean paints a clear picture of the main characters' mindsets while the story evolves. In this fifth even more thrilling story, I was again very close to Em – again an invisible friend and ally; trying to find the culprits with her. Emelynn is complex, the other characters are of sufficient depth, believable with their flaws and virtues. The story is a very nicely woven combination of several genres, has a wonderful flow; it was easy to get hooked. I had a great time reading "Deadly Deception".
This is a book for you if you like mysteries or paranormal romance with a very urban touch and believable characters, some strewn in steamy situations, and some violent events.
The stunning fifth book in The Gift Legacy series!
Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Anthony.
Author 29 books210 followers
March 30, 2022
The Review

The suspense and action of this series continue to grow with each passing book. The author did such an incredible job of crafting a powerful narrative that both entertained and captivated the reader. The narrative felt very edgy and fast-paced throughout the book, playing to the urgency and adrenaline that often comes from the crime that first begins this book. Yet as the mystery unfolds, the shocking first crime turns the narrative on its head as more secrets and lies are exposed, and the mythos of both the Fliers and the organization Emelynn has been working for growing deeper and far more complex.

The heart of this narrative, and the series overall, have to be the character’s growth and interactions with one another. The heartbreaking betrayals and shocking turns that some of these characters go through in this read, as well as the emotional turmoil that they endure, added a very human and inviting hook to the very urban fantasy thriller setting that this narrative has. The moments of love intermixed with that same love nearly shattering all played well with the more action-fueled and thoughtful developments in this series.

The Verdict

Harrowing, twisted, and engaging as a whole, author J.P. McLean’s “Deadly Deception” is a must-read novel. The modern-day fantasy and the world of these powerful forces blend seamlessly with the shadowy organization and edge-of-your-seat, heart-pounding action that ensues as this case opens up to avenues never before thought of.
Profile Image for Elinor.
Author 4 books365 followers
August 12, 2019
Emelynn Taylor is plunged into a maelstrom once again in this fifth book in The Gift Legacy series. Burned out of her home and living in a Vancouver condo, pondering an uncertain future with her handsome lover, she is coerced into using her supernatural powers to assist some powerful people whose motives she suspects. In fact, it's hard to know who to trust other than her fellow fliers, and even they aren't always what they seem. You can expect plenty of heart-stopping plunges in this turbulent thriller.
Profile Image for Theresa.
8,392 reviews137 followers
December 11, 2022
Deadly Deception
By J.P. Mclean

The fifth book in the gift legacy series, takes the story to a different level. The result of the prior book has set up this story showing the varied nature of paranormal detective work. Beginning with the loss of an infant from the hospital to the disappearance of her boyfriend, Emelynn has a lot of personal struggles. She needs to find who she can trust, fliers, or the government.

I liked the building nature of the personal struggles. It is remarkable how the events build on top of each other, creating a mountain of problems the characters have to surmount. The use of the gifted powers makes the idea of problematic investigation important. J. P. Mclean, shows how conspiracies can reach every level of society. The use of compartmental investigation makes the plausible deniability of the government.

I recommend this book to many readers. It can easily cross genres; it can be listed as thriller, paranormal, superhero, romance or mystery.
Profile Image for Texas.
1,685 reviews394 followers
August 17, 2019
Secret Sky #1 – This is my first read by this author and I like it. The story’s beginning was slow where the author tried to make a mystery of what happened to Emelynn. The story is interesting, but too wordy, needs editing. The storylines are good with good characters, several of which were likeable. The author does well with her descriptions, adding to the interest of the story. There is infrequent usage of vulgar language. Ms. McLean shows a complete disregard for the proper usage of God and expressions concerning God, which shows me an intolerance and prejudice against Christians. There are plenty of inoffensive expressions that will work in place of God. There is an overview, which I appreciate knowing what a book is about before I read it. I found several books of this series in Booksprout. 3.5*

Lover Betrayed (Companion Book or #1.5) – I recommend reading this book after Secret Sky since there are parts that explain some things that were not discussed in detail in SS. Of course, there will be redundancies, which I skipped. I found this book too wordy with a good viewpoint from him, but not really a need to read book. It is largely about him, his father and his brother. The event of her kidnapping is detailed. Again, the author shows her prejudice against Christians with her word choices. There is an overview, which I appreciate knowing what a book is about before I read it. I found several books of this series in Booksprout. 4*

Hidden Enemy #2 – I find this is a better book than the previous two I have read so far. This will be a hard review to write without turning it into a book report. This story picks up three months after Secret Sky ends. I like that there is so much going on with the old and new storylines. While there is a lot of intrigue, Emeline is evolving. She has growth and changes in her makeup making her a more developed person. There are some mysteries to add even more interest and intrigue to the good storylines, with a good blend of the old and present storylines. Although I keep a good reading pace with the first two books, I had a hard time putting the book down. Hopefully, the rest of the books will increase or keep pace with the continued growth in characters and storylines. I found several books of this series in Booksprout. 4*

Burning Lies #3 – This book begins one month after Hidden Enemy ends. OK, I am not bored yet with reading this series. Each book gets better and has quite a few twists and turns that bring back old storylines to mesh with the present and future plots. There is plenty of intrigue, action and other interests to keep the reader immersed in the pages. While the beginning is a bit slow with the author’s usual way of adding mystery before diving into the story. Emelynn has a new job and it is rather interesting, but not without strife and bother. There is an overview and glossary as with the other books. I found several books of this series in Booksprout. 4*

Lethal Waters #4 – This book begins three months after Burning Lies ends. I am still not bored with reading this series; they are a bit wordy and start off with the author’s style of trying to be mysterious. The pace always picks up and there is a good blending of all storylines; past, present and future. Ms. McLean does not disappoint, she adds plenty of intrigue, twists and vivid descriptions. I have a problem with writing reviews for series since I want to write a book report of why this addition was a good read, too. There is an overview, which I appreciate knowing about a book before I read it, and there is a glossary. I found several books of this series in Booksprout. 4*

Deadly Deception #5 – This book picks up where Lethal Waters stops. What an interesting series this has been and I only have one book remaining: Wings of Prey #6. I found this book interesting and intriguing. The characters still run the gamut and since this is a series, only the new ones appear. The rest come and go as the storylines require, which the author does a good job blending all the storylines from book one to present. While a bit wordy, the author does well with her storylines, characters and descriptions, and she keeps the pace moving. There is an overview, which I appreciate knowing about a book before I read it, and there is a glossary. I found several books of this series in Booksprout. 4*

Wings of Prey #6 – This book picks up about three weeks after Deadly Deception ends. I have enjoyed this series by Ms. McLean. All her books have been wordy and a tad slow from the start with her writing style of trying to create a mysterious beginning. Then the stories kick into gear and the pace never slows down. There are plenty of twists and kinks added to the storylines started with the first book and added on to with each addition. There may be a storyline that appeared in one book only to conclude or build upon the present or future storylines. The characters run the gamut and none stand out as particularly stupid, but have depths of their own. Ms. McLean does a wonderful job with her storytelling, placing the reader in the midst of everything, big and small. I like the originality of the subject, flying people with unique skills. The author takes common subject matter and makes them her own. There are no repeats of someone else’s work or a Hollywood product. Intrigue, deception, romance, vengeance, honor, mystery, love and hate; this series has it all. 4*


Merged review:

Secret Sky #1 – This is my first read by this author and I like it. The story’s beginning was slow where the author tried to make a mystery of what happened to Emelynn. The story is interesting, but too wordy, needs editing. The storylines are good with good characters, several of which were likeable. The author does well with her descriptions, adding to the interest of the story. There is infrequent usage of vulgar language. Ms. McLean shows a complete disregard for the proper usage of God and expressions concerning God, which shows me an intolerance and prejudice against Christians. There are plenty of inoffensive expressions that will work in place of God. There is an overview, which I appreciate knowing what a book is about before I read it. I found several books of this series in Booksprout. 3.5*

Lover Betrayed (Companion Book or #1.5) – I recommend reading this book after Secret Sky since there are parts that explain some things that were not discussed in detail in SS. Of course, there will be redundancies, which I skipped. I found this book too wordy with a good viewpoint from him, but not really a need to read book. It is largely about him, his father and his brother. The event of her kidnapping is detailed. Again, the author shows her prejudice against Christians with her word choices. There is an overview, which I appreciate knowing what a book is about before I read it. I found several books of this series in Booksprout. 4*

Hidden Enemy #2 – I find this is a better book than the previous two I have read so far. This will be a hard review to write without turning it into a book report. This story picks up three months after Secret Sky ends. I like that there is so much going on with the old and new storylines. While there is a lot of intrigue, Emeline is evolving. She has growth and changes in her makeup making her a more developed person. There are some mysteries to add even more interest and intrigue to the good storylines, with a good blend of the old and present storylines. Although I keep a good reading pace with the first two books, I had a hard time putting the book down. Hopefully, the rest of the books will increase or keep pace with the continued growth in characters and storylines. I found several books of this series in Booksprout. 4*

Burning Lies #3 – This book begins one month after Hidden Enemy ends. OK, I am not bored yet with reading this series. Each book gets better and has quite a few twists and turns that bring back old storylines to mesh with the present and future plots. There is plenty of intrigue, action and other interests to keep the reader immersed in the pages. While the beginning is a bit slow with the author’s usual way of adding mystery before diving into the story. Emelynn has a new job and it is rather interesting, but not without strife and bother. There is an overview and glossary as with the other books. I found several books of this series in Booksprout. 4*

Lethal Waters #4 – This book begins three months after Burning Lies ends. I am still not bored with reading this series; they are a bit wordy and start off with the author’s style of trying to be mysterious. The pace always picks up and there is a good blending of all storylines; past, present and future. Ms. McLean does not disappoint, she adds plenty of intrigue, twists and vivid descriptions. I have a problem with writing reviews for series since I want to write a book report of why this addition was a good read, too. There is an overview, which I appreciate knowing about a book before I read it, and there is a glossary. I found several books of this series in Booksprout. 4*

Deadly Deception #5 – This book picks up where Lethal Waters stops. What an interesting series this has been and I only have one book remaining: Wings of Prey #6. I found this book interesting and intriguing. The characters still run the gamut and since this is a series, only the new ones appear. The rest come and go as the storylines require, which the author does a good job blending all the storylines from book one to present. While a bit wordy, the author does well with her storylines, characters and descriptions, and she keeps the pace moving. There is an overview, which I appreciate knowing about a book before I read it, and there is a glossary. I found several books of this series in Booksprout. 4*

Wings of Prey #6 – This book picks up about three weeks after Deadly Deception ends. I have enjoyed this series by Ms. McLean. All her books have been wordy and a tad slow from the start with her writing style of trying to create a mysterious beginning. Then the stories kick into gear and the pace never slows down. There are plenty of twists and kinks added to the storylines started with the first book and added on to with each addition. There may be a storyline that appeared in one book only to conclude or build upon the present or future storylines. The characters run the gamut and none stand out as particularly stupid, but have depths of their own. Ms. McLean does a wonderful job with her storytelling, placing the reader in the midst of everything, big and small. I like the originality of the subject, flying people with unique skills. The author takes common subject matter and makes them her own. There are no repeats of someone else’s work or a Hollywood product. Intrigue, deception, romance, vengeance, honor, mystery, love and hate; this series has it all. 4*
Profile Image for Bianca Bowers.
Author 11 books19 followers
December 26, 2019

Similarly to a long-running tv show, I need a character to grow if I’m to become invested in a series. Which is just one of the reasons that JP McLean’s “Gift” series has me addicted.

The protagonist, Emelynn, is such a likeable and believable character because even though she has superhuman gifts, she doesn’t claim to know everything and she’s not invincible. Like any human, she has to overcome steep learning curves and negotiate tricky relationships in order to learn, grow and continue evolving.

And grow she does. In each book and through each new adventure, Emelynn has slowly but surely come into her own and grown into the metaphorical shoes that Jolene gifted her with in Book One.

After finishing book 4 on Christmas Day, I have to confess that I immediately downloaded book 5 and read it from cover to cover on Boxing Day. I couldn’t put it down. McLean’s world building, characterisation, and attention to detail is second to none, and the reading experience is smooth and addictive.

I highly recommend this series to readers who are looking for a well-written and well thought out series of books that offer plenty of entertainment, steamy love scenes, adventure, and high-flying fantasy. As for me, book 6 awaits!
Profile Image for Kazz Mossman.
Author 47 books207 followers
July 10, 2021
I had a problem with this story and that was so many scenes were written on a knife-edge for the reader as well as Emelyn. it was impossible to find a place to put it down! Chapters didn't help, you know how you just have to finish the chapter? Each one made you want to just continue reading all the time.

Emlynn’s mother comes back into the story and she does not know anything about her daughter's being able to fly and let alone Ghost. As they are living together in Emlynn’s beautiful penthouse, the lies and secrets keep mounting up until it is impossible to keep them. Emlynn is put into a very difficult situation as her mother more than suspects something is going on that she is not privy to.

James is not in this book much as he goes missing, and then there is the relationship between Stuart and Mason, who are part of the once hated Tribunal Noverm, become more like family members.
There are some great characters whom you know you like even before Emlynn has come to her decision.

There is not much more to say except I love, love, love this series. I am almost sad to pick up the next one at is the last of the series.
1,187 reviews4 followers
September 24, 2019
Sky can fly and she has agreed to help solve crimes. This lasted one strikes at her heart strings when a baby goes missing and a flyer is caught on tape. Then her boyfriend disappears making this situation have much bigger implications. Finding out who she can trust is proving to be difficult as she finds herself surrounded by lies and deceit. There is a race against time to find out who the new enemy is and how to protect the entire flyer race.

This is another great addition to the series. It is a paranormal contemporary mystery/thriller with great characters. The characters are well known from previous books. They are well written, full of personality With strengths and flaws. The mystery was interesting and full of suspense, surprises, dangerous twists and unexpected turns that keep you interest until the climax. There is drama and excitement mixed into a great mystery. I am looking forward to the ne t book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Jamie Bee.
Author 1 book124 followers
August 31, 2019
More of a Straight-Up Mystery this Time

This book felt a little less complicated than some of the previous ones, and it actually seemed more of a straight-up mystery this time. a lot still went on, and I enjoyed the display of the Fliers’ various talents. em is definitely getting more comfortable in her own skin and with her strange gifted legacy. As in all the other books, the author does a good job of showing how's this paranormal world exists within our world. Wouldn’t it be cool to turn into a vapor-like mist at will?

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

Read my other reviews at https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com.
Profile Image for Sharon.
4,152 reviews32 followers
September 16, 2019
This is book 5 in the series and there is one more book to go. I recommend starting this series if you can from the start as some of the characters from other books are in this one. Also, you would follow the evolution of Emelynn. These books flow very nicely and are all a wonderful read with plenty of suspense and mystery.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Bev.
3,287 reviews98 followers
Read
August 31, 2019
This is book five of The Gift Legacy. Em is after another Flier who has kidnapped a baby then vanishes into vapor. There are many obstacles put in the way that Em has to sort out. Not only that but her own family has some important issues going on. A good mystery story, more so than the others. I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book from Booksprout
Profile Image for Pat Eroh.
2,621 reviews49 followers
September 18, 2019
5th in the series and I still devour it as soon as I get it! This is a great series and this book is even better! I love everything about this series. I highly recommend this book. In fact, you should read them all!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
2,416 reviews
September 8, 2019
This is book 5 of The Gift Legacy series. I love this series. Book 5 is well written and kept me interested throughout. I recommend reading this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews