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Deception
I don't care who you are or what you do for a living.
You could be the most innocent person around, but to me everybody's suspicious.
Everybody has something to hide.
My name is Nancy. Nancy Hunter, and I'm a Homicide Detective.
WARNING : This book contains very disturbing situations and strong language. This book contains sensitive issues--bullying, rape, and suicide.
You could be the most innocent person around, but to me everybody's suspicious.
Everybody has something to hide.
My name is Nancy. Nancy Hunter, and I'm a Homicide Detective.
WARNING : This book contains very disturbing situations and strong language. This book contains sensitive issues--bullying, rape, and suicide.
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About the author
Jessica Edwards
22 books831 followersHello there!
My name is Jessica, and I am a twenty four year old self published author.
At the moment, I am working on my twelfth novel, which I hope to finish and publish by the end of the year. I am very passionate about literature, creative writing and reading books.
In my spare time, I love to be outdoors, going for walks, visiting new places, reading, writing and playing with my two gorgeous cats, Dolly and Pippin. I also enjoy reviewing Korean dramas on my YouTube channel.
I never thought I was going to be a writer. It didn't even cross my mind that writing books was something I was ever going to do. When I was sixteen years old, I was studying Performing Arts in college, preparing for a future in acting. It took me two years to realize that acting wasn't something I wanted to do. At the beginning of the course, my heart was set on becoming an actor, but by the third year, I completely lost interest in it. Acting didn't bring a smile to my face anymore. I think at that point, I started asking myself what it is that I enjoyed doing, and I couldn't think of anything other than reading books.
I believe that everyone can write a story, whether it's a short story or a four hundred page story. The things that our minds come up with is just unbelievable. You are going to have people who either love your book or hate it, but don't let things like that discourage you, because, in the end, you can say that you've written a book. By yourself.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 10 reviews
September 9, 2021
What in the world did I just read????
This was soooo dark and disturbing and yet it was surprisingly good! I don’t normally read crime and thriller books but this story. This story reminded me so much of the show criminal minds and I love how much it gripped me and pulled me into this case.
Nancy Hunter is a really good inspector yet she is so cold and hard stoned, but I really like her care-Free attitude. She’s good at her job and knows it, but when a case makes her stop in her tracks and pulls her in, she can’t stop until she solves the case. Watching her and her partner Walter tackle this case and looking for evidence and interviewing suspects it really hooks you. Trust me you can’t stop reading until it’s all finish!
This book dealt with so much death and gory situations, it is definitely not for the faint of heart, but it’s worth the read and feel the adrenaline of who did and what will happen next.
Received a copy from the author herself for an honest review and this does not affect my review or rating of the book thank you!
Jan 2020
Well, well, well ... we have a whole new series from Jess ?
*grabby hands* Gimme Gimme Gimme Gimme Gimme Gimme !!!!!!!
This was soooo dark and disturbing and yet it was surprisingly good! I don’t normally read crime and thriller books but this story. This story reminded me so much of the show criminal minds and I love how much it gripped me and pulled me into this case.
Nancy Hunter is a really good inspector yet she is so cold and hard stoned, but I really like her care-Free attitude. She’s good at her job and knows it, but when a case makes her stop in her tracks and pulls her in, she can’t stop until she solves the case. Watching her and her partner Walter tackle this case and looking for evidence and interviewing suspects it really hooks you. Trust me you can’t stop reading until it’s all finish!
This book dealt with so much death and gory situations, it is definitely not for the faint of heart, but it’s worth the read and feel the adrenaline of who did and what will happen next.
Received a copy from the author herself for an honest review and this does not affect my review or rating of the book thank you!
Jan 2020
Well, well, well ... we have a whole new series from Jess ?
*grabby hands* Gimme Gimme Gimme Gimme Gimme Gimme !!!!!!!
September 9, 2021
What in the world did I just read????
This was soooo dark and disturbing and yet it was surprisingly good! I don’t normally read crime and thriller books but this story. This story reminded me so much of the show criminal minds and I love how much it gripped me and pulled me into this case.
Nancy Hunter is a really good inspector yet she is so cold and hard stoned, but I really like her care-Free attitude. She’s good at her job and knows it, but when a case makes her stop in her tracks and pulls her in, she can’t stop until she solves the case. Watching her and her partner Walter tackle this case and looking for evidence and interviewing suspects it really hooks you. Trust me you can’t stop reading until it’s all finish!
This book dealt with so much death and gory situations, it is definitely not for the faint of heart, but it’s worth the read and feel the adrenaline of who did and what will happen next.
Received a copy from the author herself for an honest review and this does not affect my review or rating of the book thank you!
This was soooo dark and disturbing and yet it was surprisingly good! I don’t normally read crime and thriller books but this story. This story reminded me so much of the show criminal minds and I love how much it gripped me and pulled me into this case.
Nancy Hunter is a really good inspector yet she is so cold and hard stoned, but I really like her care-Free attitude. She’s good at her job and knows it, but when a case makes her stop in her tracks and pulls her in, she can’t stop until she solves the case. Watching her and her partner Walter tackle this case and looking for evidence and interviewing suspects it really hooks you. Trust me you can’t stop reading until it’s all finish!
This book dealt with so much death and gory situations, it is definitely not for the faint of heart, but it’s worth the read and feel the adrenaline of who did and what will happen next.
Received a copy from the author herself for an honest review and this does not affect my review or rating of the book thank you!
October 4, 2021
Thank you Jessica for offer me a ARC of your book in exchange of a honest review.
This book deals it important isseus just like bullying, suicide, mentat health and police corruption. It is not a easy book to read because of the strong language, the main character Nancy is a problematic person that say a lot of mean words and the human cruelty. But we can relate with the characters strugles.
Unfortunately bullying exist most of the schools of most countries. There are many "Jacks" that can get help that they need. We need to get conscience about their existence and do someting to help them before is too late.
In conclusion, Deception is a good book with a important message and the end will blow your mind.
This book deals it important isseus just like bullying, suicide, mentat health and police corruption. It is not a easy book to read because of the strong language, the main character Nancy is a problematic person that say a lot of mean words and the human cruelty. But we can relate with the characters strugles.
Unfortunately bullying exist most of the schools of most countries. There are many "Jacks" that can get help that they need. We need to get conscience about their existence and do someting to help them before is too late.
In conclusion, Deception is a good book with a important message and the end will blow your mind.
September 19, 2021
I have received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Well well, we meet again Jessica. Ever since I got little snippets of Deception, I just knew that I was going to fall in love with it. Even though I'm pretty sure this used to have the title Mother Knows Best. Either way, I devoured this. Not necessarily in one sitting because somehow sleep snuck up on me.
In this, you will meet Nancy. She is an inspector and she's a damn good one too. She might not get along with everyone but she doesn't take anyone's shit either. Which was refreshing if I'm being honest because I wouldn't take anyone's shit either. Especially when it comes to her dirty ass boss.
I loved her friendship/relationship with Walter. They were just really adorable and you could see that they would be great friends after they retire. Maybe. So when a suicide comes there way, they are set on finding out who was behind it all. Unfortunately, their boss - Nick the sleazy douche canoe - throws a wrench in their plan and tells them to back off.
With each twist and turn, I had a feeling I knew who was behind all the murders. So when the big reveal came, well, I was honestly surprised a bit. I was on the right track when it came to who I thought but I had the wrong suspect in my mind. The reveal was so good though and I could totally see it at the same time.
In the end, this was very easy to devour. I seriously can't wait for the next book Jessica writes!
Well well, we meet again Jessica. Ever since I got little snippets of Deception, I just knew that I was going to fall in love with it. Even though I'm pretty sure this used to have the title Mother Knows Best. Either way, I devoured this. Not necessarily in one sitting because somehow sleep snuck up on me.
In this, you will meet Nancy. She is an inspector and she's a damn good one too. She might not get along with everyone but she doesn't take anyone's shit either. Which was refreshing if I'm being honest because I wouldn't take anyone's shit either. Especially when it comes to her dirty ass boss.
I loved her friendship/relationship with Walter. They were just really adorable and you could see that they would be great friends after they retire. Maybe. So when a suicide comes there way, they are set on finding out who was behind it all. Unfortunately, their boss - Nick the sleazy douche canoe - throws a wrench in their plan and tells them to back off.
With each twist and turn, I had a feeling I knew who was behind all the murders. So when the big reveal came, well, I was honestly surprised a bit. I was on the right track when it came to who I thought but I had the wrong suspect in my mind. The reveal was so good though and I could totally see it at the same time.
In the end, this was very easy to devour. I seriously can't wait for the next book Jessica writes!
September 9, 2021
The author provided me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Jessica!
This book shocked me. It's so different from the Small Town series, and I love that. Jessica Edwards shows her range with this novel. I started reading a couple days ago, mostly while I ate breakfast, and I got hooked and may have been seen walking in the office, glued to my phone, reading this book as I walked from desk to trashcan and back. I like how the story builds in suspense, how murders pile up, and more and more suspicion is cast on the various characters. Jessica definitely knows a lot about or did her research on or both the detective lifestyle and what goes into dealing with and solving a crime. I like all the characters and feel for them in different ways. Well, not ALL the characters. You know who you're meant to dislike. Even though Nancy is tough and constantly remarking on how nobody likes her, I actually like her. She's tough for a reason, and people like her got the job done. She also just knows who she is and won't stand for people doing less than they should and skimping around corners just to avoid actually working and putting in effort.
Before I get to what I like best about the book, let me just interject with what I don't like: for me, a lot of cursing and profanity, some parts that I had to skim over because I have delicate sensibilities, the fact that Nancy tells us so much about herself because Jessica does a great job of showing us by Nancy's dialogue and actions, so the narration doesn't have to make it too obvious, and finally, the crying. Some scenes of men crying don't feel realistic to me. Oh, and two different men slapping Nancy in the face and her just taking it, which doesn't feel right for multiple reasons.
Okay, so what did I like best? The last chapter and the EPILOGUE!!! Who ever gets to say that, right? I was getting closer to the end, like, "There are only 10 pages left, but how?!" And then, everything just came slamming together. I had one idea about whodunnit, and the ending just completely threw me off. I wasn't expecting that by any means, and there's another big reveal I never even thought was possible, and the ACTUAL LAST LINES!!! I wasn't expecting that AT ALL.
Note: I do recommend the author adds a page about suicide prevention and hotline phone numbers. This book deals with three very sensitive issues--bullying, rape, and suicide--and I think the seriousness of these topics should be addressed and honored.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was entertaining, shocking, and fun to read.
Trigger warnings: cursing, profanity, sexual references, suicide, rape (mentioned, not shown)
This book shocked me. It's so different from the Small Town series, and I love that. Jessica Edwards shows her range with this novel. I started reading a couple days ago, mostly while I ate breakfast, and I got hooked and may have been seen walking in the office, glued to my phone, reading this book as I walked from desk to trashcan and back. I like how the story builds in suspense, how murders pile up, and more and more suspicion is cast on the various characters. Jessica definitely knows a lot about or did her research on or both the detective lifestyle and what goes into dealing with and solving a crime. I like all the characters and feel for them in different ways. Well, not ALL the characters. You know who you're meant to dislike. Even though Nancy is tough and constantly remarking on how nobody likes her, I actually like her. She's tough for a reason, and people like her got the job done. She also just knows who she is and won't stand for people doing less than they should and skimping around corners just to avoid actually working and putting in effort.
Before I get to what I like best about the book, let me just interject with what I don't like: for me, a lot of cursing and profanity, some parts that I had to skim over because I have delicate sensibilities, the fact that Nancy tells us so much about herself because Jessica does a great job of showing us by Nancy's dialogue and actions, so the narration doesn't have to make it too obvious, and finally, the crying. Some scenes of men crying don't feel realistic to me. Oh, and two different men slapping Nancy in the face and her just taking it, which doesn't feel right for multiple reasons.
Okay, so what did I like best? The last chapter and the EPILOGUE!!! Who ever gets to say that, right? I was getting closer to the end, like, "There are only 10 pages left, but how?!" And then, everything just came slamming together. I had one idea about whodunnit, and the ending just completely threw me off. I wasn't expecting that by any means, and there's another big reveal I never even thought was possible, and the ACTUAL LAST LINES!!! I wasn't expecting that AT ALL.
Note: I do recommend the author adds a page about suicide prevention and hotline phone numbers. This book deals with three very sensitive issues--bullying, rape, and suicide--and I think the seriousness of these topics should be addressed and honored.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was entertaining, shocking, and fun to read.
Trigger warnings: cursing, profanity, sexual references, suicide, rape (mentioned, not shown)
October 6, 2021
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Spoilers ahead.
I want to start with some of the good before moving into my issues with this book. As an LGBT+ person myself, I was very pleased with the anti-homophobia messages in this book. Having a gay cop as well as the gay student was a great way to have parallel perspectives on how being gay in a homophobic area can turn out. I also enjoyed the sections that showed the anonymous assailant attacking the boys - it was a great way to build suspense and it really kept the plot moving forward.
My main frustration with this book was that none of the surprises or twists were earned. The first twist at the end where we discover that Harry is the one who's gay, and that he assaulted Jack, comes out of the blue. We haven't met this character before, and his name only appeared a few pages before his apprehension. I don't really enjoy twists if they weren't foreshadowed or hinted at at all, because when they're super random it ruins the fun of trying to figure things out as the book goes on. Same goes for the huge reveal that Hunter was Jack's mother, and that she killed the boys. No warning for this. No build-up. It felt really cheap because the entire book was first person POV with access to Hunter's thoughts, so revealing right at the end that everything she said/did in the narration was a lie (or at least a huge omission) ruined it for me.
The other thing I want to mention here is that Hunter, as a character, was INTENSELY unlikeable. She starts out as an asshole cop and I was expecting a redemption arc, but no such arc takes place. She stays as much of an asshole the entire time. I couldn't root for her at all. The "tough cop" character can be a cool one, but not when they literally punch children for no damn reason. That's brutality.
Overall, I thought the book had a lot of potential. With more nuanced characters and a few closed plot holes it could have been good, but as it is I would not recommend this book.
I want to start with some of the good before moving into my issues with this book. As an LGBT+ person myself, I was very pleased with the anti-homophobia messages in this book. Having a gay cop as well as the gay student was a great way to have parallel perspectives on how being gay in a homophobic area can turn out. I also enjoyed the sections that showed the anonymous assailant attacking the boys - it was a great way to build suspense and it really kept the plot moving forward.
My main frustration with this book was that none of the surprises or twists were earned. The first twist at the end where we discover that Harry is the one who's gay, and that he assaulted Jack, comes out of the blue. We haven't met this character before, and his name only appeared a few pages before his apprehension. I don't really enjoy twists if they weren't foreshadowed or hinted at at all, because when they're super random it ruins the fun of trying to figure things out as the book goes on. Same goes for the huge reveal that Hunter was Jack's mother, and that she killed the boys. No warning for this. No build-up. It felt really cheap because the entire book was first person POV with access to Hunter's thoughts, so revealing right at the end that everything she said/did in the narration was a lie (or at least a huge omission) ruined it for me.
The other thing I want to mention here is that Hunter, as a character, was INTENSELY unlikeable. She starts out as an asshole cop and I was expecting a redemption arc, but no such arc takes place. She stays as much of an asshole the entire time. I couldn't root for her at all. The "tough cop" character can be a cool one, but not when they literally punch children for no damn reason. That's brutality.
Overall, I thought the book had a lot of potential. With more nuanced characters and a few closed plot holes it could have been good, but as it is I would not recommend this book.
October 29, 2021
Book: Deception
Author: Jessica Edwards
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars
I would like to thank the author, Jessica Edwards, for providing me with an ARC.
I have actually read a good bit of Jessica Edwards’s books and I really have enjoyed them a lot. I do, though, prefer her supernatural books over her crime books. This does not mean that her crime books are bad by any means, but I just have this preference. While we do have the rich world and characters that we have come to know from this author, I felt that there was a little disconnect between what was going and myself. This wasn’t the fault of the author, but there was just a little bit of there.
We follow Nancy who is a good detective. While she is good at her job, she is a bit hard. She has this barrier up around her that makes it difficult for us, the reader, to really get the chance to know her. However, as the story goes on, we learn why she is the way she is. Once we learn more about her backstory, we are able to develop a deeper understanding of her. Once we have this understanding, we can see that what her character does, does make sense. We can see that everything she does actually fit her character. To me, this is the mark of a well thought out and developed character. We see, at the start of the book, this character who is very unlikeable. As we keep reading, we quickly discover that there is, in fact, more to her than what meets the eye. We learn about her story, we see what got her to this point.
The writing was pretty solid. There was a couple of things that I would have liked to have seen fleshed out a little bit more. The ending, I felt, was rushed. I felt like we had all this build up with very little reward. We did have an ending, but I felt like it just didn’t make the most sense. The explanation felt really rushed and it was like we were just getting this reason in order to have a true ending. I think that had we spent more time developing that ending that we would have had a much stronger story.
Anyway, I felt that this was a solid read-even though I did have a few issues with it. If you are looking for a short, action packed read, then this may be the book for you.
Youtube: https://youtu.be/_aaMntKx28I
Author: Jessica Edwards
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars
I would like to thank the author, Jessica Edwards, for providing me with an ARC.
I have actually read a good bit of Jessica Edwards’s books and I really have enjoyed them a lot. I do, though, prefer her supernatural books over her crime books. This does not mean that her crime books are bad by any means, but I just have this preference. While we do have the rich world and characters that we have come to know from this author, I felt that there was a little disconnect between what was going and myself. This wasn’t the fault of the author, but there was just a little bit of there.
We follow Nancy who is a good detective. While she is good at her job, she is a bit hard. She has this barrier up around her that makes it difficult for us, the reader, to really get the chance to know her. However, as the story goes on, we learn why she is the way she is. Once we learn more about her backstory, we are able to develop a deeper understanding of her. Once we have this understanding, we can see that what her character does, does make sense. We can see that everything she does actually fit her character. To me, this is the mark of a well thought out and developed character. We see, at the start of the book, this character who is very unlikeable. As we keep reading, we quickly discover that there is, in fact, more to her than what meets the eye. We learn about her story, we see what got her to this point.
The writing was pretty solid. There was a couple of things that I would have liked to have seen fleshed out a little bit more. The ending, I felt, was rushed. I felt like we had all this build up with very little reward. We did have an ending, but I felt like it just didn’t make the most sense. The explanation felt really rushed and it was like we were just getting this reason in order to have a true ending. I think that had we spent more time developing that ending that we would have had a much stronger story.
Anyway, I felt that this was a solid read-even though I did have a few issues with it. If you are looking for a short, action packed read, then this may be the book for you.
Youtube: https://youtu.be/_aaMntKx28I
December 13, 2021
This book was pretty wild!
For one, this is the first book where I felt like the main character was pretty unlikable. Nancy was pretty horrible and I am still not sure why Walter is her friend. He boss, maybe the only reason why you like Nancy because he is even worse than her. The mystery of the book is pretty compelling, and was the main thing to keep the plot moving but the reveals were a little Deus ex Machina esk in their reveal. I will say that the plot twist was very surprising but it felt like it came out of nowhere with no build up. You would never be able to re-read the book and find the foreshadowing there.
All in all, it is a quick read and a fun escape.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
For one, this is the first book where I felt like the main character was pretty unlikable. Nancy was pretty horrible and I am still not sure why Walter is her friend. He boss, maybe the only reason why you like Nancy because he is even worse than her. The mystery of the book is pretty compelling, and was the main thing to keep the plot moving but the reveals were a little Deus ex Machina esk in their reveal. I will say that the plot twist was very surprising but it felt like it came out of nowhere with no build up. You would never be able to re-read the book and find the foreshadowing there.
All in all, it is a quick read and a fun escape.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 10 reviews