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Dark Deception
Who can you trust when the past won't let you go?
Kerensa and Leo are a happily married young couple who live in Cornwall. Leo works part-time in London as an investment advisor to wealthy businessman, Paul Donaldson. The couple hope to start a family soon and life couldn’t be better.
But Leo has been stealing from Paul and Paul isn’t the sort of man you steal from.
When Leo realises that Paul knows what he’s done, he has no choice but to resort to drastic measures.
Meanwhile, after discovering she is pregnant, Kerensa can’t wait for her husband to return home so she can share her news. But she soon discovers he’s gone missing.
After receiving a threatening phone call from Paul, Kerensa realises how much trouble her family are in.
Just how far is Paul prepared to go to get revenge? And will Kerensa ever be happy or safe again?
Amanda James is also the bestselling author of novels including Another Mother and The Cornish Retribution. Dark Deception is a twisty and suspenseful psychological thriller which will appeal to fans of authors like C.L. Taylor, Claire McGowan and Louise Jensen.
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 6, 2019
132 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Amanda James
24 books222 followersAmanda James (aka Mandy) was born in Sheffield and now lives in Cornwall with her husband and a cat. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, singing, and spending lots of time with her grandchildren. She also admits to spending far too much time chatting on Twitter and Facebook! Amanda feels most at home walking on the beach and making plots up in her head. A fair amount of these have made it onto paper, and been turned into books.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 13, 2019
Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books for the digital copy of DARK DECEPTION. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Leo and Kerensa have a good life. She owns a small store and Leo works part-time as an investment advisor to a well known wealthy businessman.
His boss is not exactly pure as the driven snow and now Leo is skimming money off the boss' take. And his boss is not the man that will tolerate anyone stealing from him.
When Leo learns that the boss knows what's he done, he runs, he hides.. he knows that his life is in danger. Trying to protect his wife, he doesn't tell her where he's stashed all the money he's stolen.
After receiving a threatening phone call from Leo's boss, , Kerensa realizes how much trouble her family are in.
Things are not always what they seem.. and people lie and hide secrets. So who should she trust?
There are lots of twists and turns in this suspense that lead to a surprising ending. The characters are finely drawn in this complex story premise.
Leo and Kerensa have a good life. She owns a small store and Leo works part-time as an investment advisor to a well known wealthy businessman.
His boss is not exactly pure as the driven snow and now Leo is skimming money off the boss' take. And his boss is not the man that will tolerate anyone stealing from him.
When Leo learns that the boss knows what's he done, he runs, he hides.. he knows that his life is in danger. Trying to protect his wife, he doesn't tell her where he's stashed all the money he's stolen.
After receiving a threatening phone call from Leo's boss, , Kerensa realizes how much trouble her family are in.
Things are not always what they seem.. and people lie and hide secrets. So who should she trust?
There are lots of twists and turns in this suspense that lead to a surprising ending. The characters are finely drawn in this complex story premise.
November 16, 2019
Well, Mandy James! What a devious lady you are! This is a very deceptive book with a very devious storyline. You completely reeled me in with this tale and it was such an addictive read!
The synopsis does a great job of letting you know the basics of this story. The author then weaves a fabulous tale of deception, intrigue and mystery. What starts as a basic story about a married couple gradually turns into something far deeper, each chapter seems to add more intrigue and the suspense is slowly and surely ramped up.
I did have a couple of theories as I was reading, I will admit one of those theories turned out to be right. But the journey to whittle my theories down to the right one was fabulous. Even when I proved right there was more to come, more twists and turns than one of our Cornish lanes!
This author lives in Cornwall and to me, this is very obvious in the reading of the setting descriptions. The little inlets, bays, cliffs and beaches all have cameo roles. I know the various places mentioned, and for me, this adds the extras that I like in books that have a setting in the county I live.
As I mentioned this is a story of intrigue, deception and suspense. These elements give a fabulous psychological thriller feel. As the past is slowly pieced together the threads get more riveting as the depth of the deception is realised.
This is such a brilliant read and I think the author has definitely created a fabulous psychological thriller. The storylines are wonderfully interwoven with the characters involved. Even when I thought I had a handle on the story the author deftly sidestepped me and had me avidly turning pages to discover what was going to happen next.
As I have mentioned, I have read a few books by Mandy, and this is my favourite one to date. It has an edgier feel to it and I feel the author has stepped up her writing. I have always really enjoyed her writing style, but this one just has that extra something to it.
A fabulous book and Amanda James is an author that I will automatically read. When I saw this book being offered as an advanced reader copy I requested it without even looking at the synopsis, for me this author is that good! Dark Deception is, as its title suggests, dark and deceptive, and it is a book I would Highly Recommend.
P.S… if you follow Mandy on Facebook you will know of the long-awaited blooming of her Agapanthus, poor Aggie was a little shy at all the attention and it did seem to take forever. Why I hear you ask, am I mentioning flowers? Well, I chuckled when I saw mention of an agapanthus in Dark Deception! A glimpse into an authors daily life!
The synopsis does a great job of letting you know the basics of this story. The author then weaves a fabulous tale of deception, intrigue and mystery. What starts as a basic story about a married couple gradually turns into something far deeper, each chapter seems to add more intrigue and the suspense is slowly and surely ramped up.
I did have a couple of theories as I was reading, I will admit one of those theories turned out to be right. But the journey to whittle my theories down to the right one was fabulous. Even when I proved right there was more to come, more twists and turns than one of our Cornish lanes!
This author lives in Cornwall and to me, this is very obvious in the reading of the setting descriptions. The little inlets, bays, cliffs and beaches all have cameo roles. I know the various places mentioned, and for me, this adds the extras that I like in books that have a setting in the county I live.
As I mentioned this is a story of intrigue, deception and suspense. These elements give a fabulous psychological thriller feel. As the past is slowly pieced together the threads get more riveting as the depth of the deception is realised.
This is such a brilliant read and I think the author has definitely created a fabulous psychological thriller. The storylines are wonderfully interwoven with the characters involved. Even when I thought I had a handle on the story the author deftly sidestepped me and had me avidly turning pages to discover what was going to happen next.
As I have mentioned, I have read a few books by Mandy, and this is my favourite one to date. It has an edgier feel to it and I feel the author has stepped up her writing. I have always really enjoyed her writing style, but this one just has that extra something to it.
A fabulous book and Amanda James is an author that I will automatically read. When I saw this book being offered as an advanced reader copy I requested it without even looking at the synopsis, for me this author is that good! Dark Deception is, as its title suggests, dark and deceptive, and it is a book I would Highly Recommend.
P.S… if you follow Mandy on Facebook you will know of the long-awaited blooming of her Agapanthus, poor Aggie was a little shy at all the attention and it did seem to take forever. Why I hear you ask, am I mentioning flowers? Well, I chuckled when I saw mention of an agapanthus in Dark Deception! A glimpse into an authors daily life!
November 24, 2019
Wow!!
I urge you to read this. Amanda James' best book to date. Huge five stars.
I urge you to read this. Amanda James' best book to date. Huge five stars.
April 28, 2020
What the frick have I just read!!! Wow, when Mandy said to me this was her darkest book yet she really was not joking!! This was dark dark and darker and I bloody loved it!!
All the while I was reading Dark Deception my head was spinning with all the questions I needed answers to. Well, I got the answers and they were really not what I was expecting at all. This is #CrazyTown to the extreme and it was brilliant. I do not know what to tell you, I can’t give anything away at all. This is most definitely a book you need to read!!
Kerensa appears to have it all, a husband, Leo, who loves her and she has just found out that she has a baby on the way and when Leo comes home she gets to share this amazing news…..however he doesn’t come home that night or any other night. Working for a mobster will do that to you but this story is not so cut and dry as you might suspect from the sentences I just wrote, far from it.
Will, Leo’s best friend, has to break the news to Kerensa of Leo’s folly. I loved Will, all I will say is a rock and a hard place this man has found himself in. Whilst helping Kerensa, he introduces Patrick into her life and this, my readers, is where it all goes a bit Pete tong.
This book had me flying through my Kindle as quick as I could, if I wasn’t being sensible I would have stayed up the night before finishing it but homeschooling/working combo is not good when tired. Instead, I blitz this ending and my jaw drop, a few tears wanted to leak and I had a lump in my throat. I couldn’t get over all the revelations at all, but the biggest shocker of all had been landed yet, and when it did well the mischievous one we know as my Queen of CrazyTown wrote two words which had me screaming……The End……..
Aaaahhhhhhhhhhh!! I have all the feels with this, I am left wanting to know what happens next, I need to know but at the same time I will never know but you are definitely left wanting more. I had to delete a lot of my review because even though I didn’t give anything away I felt like I did. So this is really blinking tough to write! Dark Deception is so true to its title, the deception we have here is way darker than we thought it could be.
This is on par with The Feud for me, I can’t decide between the two, but this will be on my list at the end of the year for sure. This is the dark and twisty mind I love of Mandy. I love how this is a full-circle story, just where you think one storyline has been finished and we focus on the main part, we have a clanger at the end. The ending well, so much I want to say that I haven’t but Mandy weaves you into her web without you realising before cutting it and letting you fall. I love how her mind works and this is no exception. I was transfixed on her writing and I love her storytelling. Suspenseful and it’s like being on a rollercoaster with the breaks being cut, you can not take your eyes from the pages for the fear of what might happen next. I am so excited by this book, it was just so tantalising and intense, just loved it!
November 10, 2019
Is anyone who they really say they are?
Leo and Kerensa have a lovely marriage, and now Leo is wanting to make some changes and do work from home: also they decide that the time is right to start a family.
Kerensa is so in love with Leo and her life is everything it could be: and knows a baby will complete them.
She is an artist, running a gift shop, where she makes things from reclaimed items she finds on the beach where they live in the beautiful county of cornwall.
Then one day everything changes.
Unbeknown to Kerensa, Leo has been stealing money from his boss, Paul Donaldson, who is someone you really don’t want to mess with.
Leo has no choice but for his own safety and his beloved Kerensa he has to break away, he knows he just has to get away before it’s too late.
Kerensa then gets a call out of the blue from Leo, explaining briefly what he has got into and he is sorry, but he has no choice, and he is going into hiding and will contact her when he can.
Kenesa now scared for her own life and that of her own unborn baby she decides to get away for a while herself.
This is when her life begins to fall apart: when she gets a call from Leo’s oldest and best friend Will.
He tells her he is so sorry but Leo has died from a climbing accident; but is there more to this than meets the eye.?
Will becomes Kerensa’ rock and slowly they begin to form more than just a friendship: Will becomes devoted to her and falls in love with her.
Just when everything seems to be going well for them both, a guy called Patrick comes on the scene: he is definitely not who he appears to be and Kerensa instantly had doubts which becomes very awkward when her best friend Sally takes a shine to him.
But Patrick only has eyes for one woman to the point of obsession. and has his sights soley set on Kerensa.
Patrick has some sort of hold over Will but what is it?
Who else is going to die?
What lengths will Patrick go to?
Will Kerensa discover the awful truth?
As you near the end of the book and everything comes together, the book will have you wanting to race to the end.
The only thing I didn’t like about the end was I just wanted that little bit more!
This is my first book by this author and will definitely not be my last
I loved the pace, the characters, the setting in Cornwall and I could literally have been there with them.
Leo and Kerensa have a lovely marriage, and now Leo is wanting to make some changes and do work from home: also they decide that the time is right to start a family.
Kerensa is so in love with Leo and her life is everything it could be: and knows a baby will complete them.
She is an artist, running a gift shop, where she makes things from reclaimed items she finds on the beach where they live in the beautiful county of cornwall.
Then one day everything changes.
Unbeknown to Kerensa, Leo has been stealing money from his boss, Paul Donaldson, who is someone you really don’t want to mess with.
Leo has no choice but for his own safety and his beloved Kerensa he has to break away, he knows he just has to get away before it’s too late.
Kerensa then gets a call out of the blue from Leo, explaining briefly what he has got into and he is sorry, but he has no choice, and he is going into hiding and will contact her when he can.
Kenesa now scared for her own life and that of her own unborn baby she decides to get away for a while herself.
This is when her life begins to fall apart: when she gets a call from Leo’s oldest and best friend Will.
He tells her he is so sorry but Leo has died from a climbing accident; but is there more to this than meets the eye.?
Will becomes Kerensa’ rock and slowly they begin to form more than just a friendship: Will becomes devoted to her and falls in love with her.
Just when everything seems to be going well for them both, a guy called Patrick comes on the scene: he is definitely not who he appears to be and Kerensa instantly had doubts which becomes very awkward when her best friend Sally takes a shine to him.
But Patrick only has eyes for one woman to the point of obsession. and has his sights soley set on Kerensa.
Patrick has some sort of hold over Will but what is it?
Who else is going to die?
What lengths will Patrick go to?
Will Kerensa discover the awful truth?
As you near the end of the book and everything comes together, the book will have you wanting to race to the end.
The only thing I didn’t like about the end was I just wanted that little bit more!
This is my first book by this author and will definitely not be my last
I loved the pace, the characters, the setting in Cornwall and I could literally have been there with them.
November 16, 2019
What an electrical first chapter! That was it then, no way was I going to put this book down as I was pulled in immediately. A dark and fascinating read, the book title is spot on!
Kerenser is a young woman with a talent for art and has opened up a small but profitable little business along the cornish coast selling crafts. With adoring husband Leo, who has been working hard and saving hard in his seemingly high paid job in London, life is good. But the time has come for Leo to spend more time with his wife and start a family, and he decides to quit his job and work closer to home. Kerenser is thrilled and the happiest she has ever been. Sounds perfect doesn't it? What could possibly go wrong for this young and loving couple....and so the story begins. Hold on to your seatbelts because things are only just getting started. An extremely clever and lip biting read...had me trying to put two and two together and making three, until..... Brilliant ending, never expected that!! Highly recommended. Many thanks to the author and Bloodhound Books for the ARC in return for an honest review.
Kerenser is a young woman with a talent for art and has opened up a small but profitable little business along the cornish coast selling crafts. With adoring husband Leo, who has been working hard and saving hard in his seemingly high paid job in London, life is good. But the time has come for Leo to spend more time with his wife and start a family, and he decides to quit his job and work closer to home. Kerenser is thrilled and the happiest she has ever been. Sounds perfect doesn't it? What could possibly go wrong for this young and loving couple....and so the story begins. Hold on to your seatbelts because things are only just getting started. An extremely clever and lip biting read...had me trying to put two and two together and making three, until..... Brilliant ending, never expected that!! Highly recommended. Many thanks to the author and Bloodhound Books for the ARC in return for an honest review.
November 12, 2019
What a great psychological thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat all the way through !!
Leo is an accountant, working as an advisor to a wealthy business man in the city. Kerensa, his wife is at the family home in Cornwall enjoying working as an artist and longing for the days that Leo is at home. She wants to start a family but Leo is putting it off as he has other plans.
It turns out that Leo is building a little nest egg for their future by stealing from his boss, and he is definitely not someone you mess with. Leo has decided he’s completed his final job and it’s time to leave and start a family with Kerensa but then his boss discovers what Leo has been doing. Scared for his life Leo goes on the run and after a frantic text message to his wife, Kerensa discovers that she didn’t really know Leo at all.
Kerensa is then visited by an old friend of Leo’s, Will, who delivers some devastating news. Will and Kerensa build up a lovely friendship and then Patrick, a friend of Will’s, arrives on the scene and everything changes. Will Kerensa discover the truth about her husband ?
This a fantastic book which will keep you hooked throughout. A very tense psychological thriller with plenty of twists. Definitely one not to be missed.
Thank you to Bloodhound Books for a digital copy of this book.
Leo is an accountant, working as an advisor to a wealthy business man in the city. Kerensa, his wife is at the family home in Cornwall enjoying working as an artist and longing for the days that Leo is at home. She wants to start a family but Leo is putting it off as he has other plans.
It turns out that Leo is building a little nest egg for their future by stealing from his boss, and he is definitely not someone you mess with. Leo has decided he’s completed his final job and it’s time to leave and start a family with Kerensa but then his boss discovers what Leo has been doing. Scared for his life Leo goes on the run and after a frantic text message to his wife, Kerensa discovers that she didn’t really know Leo at all.
Kerensa is then visited by an old friend of Leo’s, Will, who delivers some devastating news. Will and Kerensa build up a lovely friendship and then Patrick, a friend of Will’s, arrives on the scene and everything changes. Will Kerensa discover the truth about her husband ?
This a fantastic book which will keep you hooked throughout. A very tense psychological thriller with plenty of twists. Definitely one not to be missed.
Thank you to Bloodhound Books for a digital copy of this book.
December 17, 2019
Full of uncertainty and mental anguish, this is another good read from Amanda James.
Kerensa and Leo lead a wonderful life living in a beautiful home with views of the Cornish coast; financially secure, they are looking forward to starting the family they long for. But, as with all the best laid plans, things go awry causing immense heartache and pain .. quickly replaced with doubt and suspicion . . .
This is an interesting psychological read from an author I've followed for some time, and she always delivers an exciting read. Dark Deception is no exception, being full of twists and turns right up until the final page. Cleverly written and well paced, this is a book which provides the reader with plenty of food for thought. I wasn't surprised by how things turned out - possibly because I was expecting something different? However, there is no taking away from the fact that this is a thrilling and exciting read with a real sting in the tail. A very worthwhile read, and completely worth my recommendation and four shining stars.
Kerensa and Leo lead a wonderful life living in a beautiful home with views of the Cornish coast; financially secure, they are looking forward to starting the family they long for. But, as with all the best laid plans, things go awry causing immense heartache and pain .. quickly replaced with doubt and suspicion . . .
This is an interesting psychological read from an author I've followed for some time, and she always delivers an exciting read. Dark Deception is no exception, being full of twists and turns right up until the final page. Cleverly written and well paced, this is a book which provides the reader with plenty of food for thought. I wasn't surprised by how things turned out - possibly because I was expecting something different? However, there is no taking away from the fact that this is a thrilling and exciting read with a real sting in the tail. A very worthwhile read, and completely worth my recommendation and four shining stars.
November 23, 2019
I had the great privilege of reading this book in advance of publication day. I was hooked from the start because as always with Amanda James' books you think you know what's coming but you don't! Apart from most of her books being based in Cornwall (which I love), once again this is completely different from anything else she has written. I am extra lucky because I regularly do the coastal walk between Treyarnon and Constantine so I see the beauty in reality. But if you don't know it I'm sure her description will leave you wanting to visit. I'm saying nothing about the plot and the characters because I don't want to give anything away so I recommend you just read it. You won't regret it!
November 15, 2019
I was transfixed by this taut, twisting tale with a heart-stopping ending. The novel opens with a horrific scene of violent punishment, showing what a ruthless character Paul Donaldson is so when we’re told Kerensa’s husband Leo has been stealing from him it’s clear the couple’s perfect life is threatened. With the addition of new characters the mystery surrounding Leo’s death deepens. Loved the dialogue and the narrator’s wry asides. I guessed Patrick’s secret but had no idea how the story would end - and what an ending it was!
November 23, 2019
Gripping unputdownable thriller
Once you begin this novel you can’t stop. You’re sucked into the nightmare world of Paul Donaldson's ruthless dealings with employees who cheat him. Leo and Kerensa are planning an ideal life in Cornwall with a baby on its way when Leo makes a fatal mistake of getting caught with his hands in the till and at the mercy and dark deceptions of ruthless men who are above the law. The novel is a roller coaster of high suspense, I could not stop reading!
With Amanda James you're in the hands of master story teller. Highly recommended!
Once you begin this novel you can’t stop. You’re sucked into the nightmare world of Paul Donaldson's ruthless dealings with employees who cheat him. Leo and Kerensa are planning an ideal life in Cornwall with a baby on its way when Leo makes a fatal mistake of getting caught with his hands in the till and at the mercy and dark deceptions of ruthless men who are above the law. The novel is a roller coaster of high suspense, I could not stop reading!
With Amanda James you're in the hands of master story teller. Highly recommended!
November 15, 2019
Gripping !!!
my goodness ,first couple of pages,total fear ,for my fingers and bolt cutters, Who's evil enough ? who can she trust, ? no one for sure. I don't like or trust Patrick , or Sally even,! but please don't let it be Wills, the lovely Australian ,surgeon , she can trust him,can't she? and Donaldson is he in Cornwall? watching and waiting some where? Amanda James ,you've done it again, 100% recommend, to all my friends,
my goodness ,first couple of pages,total fear ,for my fingers and bolt cutters, Who's evil enough ? who can she trust, ? no one for sure. I don't like or trust Patrick , or Sally even,! but please don't let it be Wills, the lovely Australian ,surgeon , she can trust him,can't she? and Donaldson is he in Cornwall? watching and waiting some where? Amanda James ,you've done it again, 100% recommend, to all my friends,
November 11, 2019
I absolutely loved this, the characters, the storyline, the complex web which was weaved throughout it. I want to read more books by this author, I couldn't put this one down.
January 3, 2020
Quick read... almost tossed it aside early on because it opened as predictable but, with a few plot twists it redeemed it's self. Entertaining story a and in the end my initial thought was dead on.
November 12, 2019
A very complex and twisted tale of revenge. A happy couple's world is turned inside out when the husband steals from his boss...a man that will not tolerate someone messing with his money! But at what price will he go to get his money back? The husband goes into hiding thinking he is saving his family, but that just causes more problems. Can this ship ever be righted again? You will need to read this book to find out what exactly happens and to whom. I would like to thank Bloodhound Books for the ARC of this book that I voluntarily reviewed.
November 13, 2019
Well, this book had me gripped right from the start, and it seemed that it wasn't letting go.
I read this in one sitting as I just couldn't put it down!
I found myself feeling sorry for Kerensa and I just had to keep reading, and hoping that she gained closure.
While I figured out some of the twists there were still some little surprises that had kept me guessing.
A thoroughly enjoyable read!
I read this in one sitting as I just couldn't put it down!
I found myself feeling sorry for Kerensa and I just had to keep reading, and hoping that she gained closure.
While I figured out some of the twists there were still some little surprises that had kept me guessing.
A thoroughly enjoyable read!
November 16, 2019
This is by far the worst book I’ve ever read. It didn’t even deserve one star. In truth, it was so unbelievable, repetitive and boring that I skipped to the end to see if it redeemed itself. It didn’t. Don’t waste your time.
November 26, 2019
A tense psychological suspense set in Cornwall. This book had me gripped from the start so much so that I read it in one sitting. Karensa's husband Leo goes missing after it is discovered he had stolen money from his ruthless employer Paul Donaldson. As the plot unfurls it becomes apparent the danger Karensa could be in. I did think I knew who was who, sounds cryptic I know, but It certainly didn't spoil the book for me as I was so intrigued as to how it would all unravel. Heart pounding moments and the spectacular scenery description of Cornwall makes for a fantastic read.
November 26, 2019
I enjoyed this book. It is my first book by this author, I will be reading more from her for sure. This is a suspenseful, mystery book that left me sitting on the edge of my seat a few times. The twists and turns had me turning pages fast. The characters made the story engaging and realistic. I highly recommend this book, I don't regret picking it up and neither will you.
July 30, 2020
Fascinating and exciting story of theft, betrayal, love, friendship and secrets all set in a wonderful Cornish seascape. Amanda's descriptions are beautifully vivid but I was rather disappointed by the ending. Did she die or was she saved by Will, who maybe wasn't actually dead?I'll never know unless Amanda writes book two to answer all my questions - please.
November 15, 2019
I couldn't put this book down, it has just the right level of chill factor, and the twists... wow!
November 19, 2019
first time with this author and enjoyed the story line and was stunned by the ending shows karma is in play will def be reading more.
November 20, 2019
Very exciting and well written
November 23, 2019
This book is written with pretty simple language There are a couple of noticeable grammatical errors. I might have given this 4 stars, but did not like the ending
November 23, 2019
Loved it loved it loved it Gripping to the end , Amanda is a great writer
April 30, 2020
The writing is poor and the author contradicts herself at times but more importantly the plot twists are completely ridiculous and so far fetched
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews