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Immaculate Deception - A Novel
Jon Templeton has three days to reunite with his wife, save the universe and return from the dead. It's going to be a busy weekend.
In a near future ravaged by killer hurricanes, rampant overdevelopment and increasingly underdressed waitresses, ex-newsman Jon Templeton has had the worst Thursday of his life.
He's forced to fight off an amorous co-worker at the PR job he hates, only to have his wife discover his admirer's panties in his pocket.
Now he's dead, interrupted on his way to his heavenly reward by Eli, an elderly Rastafarian surfer who claims to be the Supreme Being.
Still reeling from having lost any chance of redemption in his human life, Jon is offered a mission: Discover for the surprisingly clueless deity the true identity of Lucas Scheafer, deputy to the Rev. Lawrence Whitaker and his sultry wife, Veronica, leaders of the sexually free-wheeling Church of the New Revelation, headquartered in America's new Sin City, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Jon's quest is paralleled by that of Mako Nikura, reluctant heir to a weapons and aerospace fortune, who hopes to find the secret to his father's death and its connection to the domestic terrorist organization SHAG. Little do Jon and Mako know, but their paths lead to the same exceptionally odd - and potentially cataclysmic - destination.
File Under: Science Fiction, Satire, Near-Future, Dystopian
In a near future ravaged by killer hurricanes, rampant overdevelopment and increasingly underdressed waitresses, ex-newsman Jon Templeton has had the worst Thursday of his life.
He's forced to fight off an amorous co-worker at the PR job he hates, only to have his wife discover his admirer's panties in his pocket.
Now he's dead, interrupted on his way to his heavenly reward by Eli, an elderly Rastafarian surfer who claims to be the Supreme Being.
Still reeling from having lost any chance of redemption in his human life, Jon is offered a mission: Discover for the surprisingly clueless deity the true identity of Lucas Scheafer, deputy to the Rev. Lawrence Whitaker and his sultry wife, Veronica, leaders of the sexually free-wheeling Church of the New Revelation, headquartered in America's new Sin City, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Jon's quest is paralleled by that of Mako Nikura, reluctant heir to a weapons and aerospace fortune, who hopes to find the secret to his father's death and its connection to the domestic terrorist organization SHAG. Little do Jon and Mako know, but their paths lead to the same exceptionally odd - and potentially cataclysmic - destination.
File Under: Science Fiction, Satire, Near-Future, Dystopian
- GenresRomance
338 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2010
7 people are currently reading
370 people want to read
About the author
Scott B. Pruden
1 book16 followersSouth Carolina native Scott B. Pruden weaves his years as a newspaper reporter and editor and his love for the freaky, funny and fantastic into his work as a novelist. Though he now lives in Pennsylvania, his home state remains a constant source of inspiration.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 16, 2011
This book took me longer to read than your average sci fi novel. I swear to god it's because this is a 500 page book masquerading as a 333 page book. The type is like mass market size in a trade, but really that's okay more bang for your buck or something. It's also a bit pricey for a sci-fi but it's totally fucking worth it.
I'm not sure what's going all with me reading all the god books right now, but again here we have a story about god. So Jon templeton is dead but he is dead in a way less annoying way then the characters in . so really it's all good.
so the idea is that jon has to figure out what's up with this guy that eli, who is of course omnipotent but not god, that's that other guy can't figure out who is. And what you end up with is a hhgttg type romp through one of the carolina's I forget which, yes I could check the back of the book but I won't.
It's fun and funny and mostly smart . I highly recommend it.
I'm not sure what's going all with me reading all the god books right now, but again here we have a story about god. So Jon templeton is dead but he is dead in a way less annoying way then the characters in . so really it's all good.
so the idea is that jon has to figure out what's up with this guy that eli, who is of course omnipotent but not god, that's that other guy can't figure out who is. And what you end up with is a hhgttg type romp through one of the carolina's I forget which, yes I could check the back of the book but I won't.
It's fun and funny and mostly smart . I highly recommend it.
March 29, 2012
I'm really glad I spent time on the Grand Strand of South Carolina, because the in-references in "Immaculate Deception" are that much funnier to me. Especially the concept of a terrorist group of plastic surgery-addicted Shaggers! (look it up if you don't know what the Shag is). If you're a South Carolinian, there's no excuse for you going a minute longer without having read this book. If not, read it anyway. It's one of the strongest debuts in speculative fiction in a very long time.
July 20, 2011
Immaculate Deception was a lot of fun to read. It's a kind of Carl Hiaasenesque (think Strip Tease) gone sci fi, with lots of sex, aliens, wacky religious enthusiasm, and a Myrtle Beach backdrop. A good summer read, but not one you'll want to share with the kids.
September 17, 2012
To call this book “strange” would be an understatement. I guess you could call it science-fiction. But that was not what I was expecting when I started this book.
The story is about Jon Templeton. And he is not who I would trust to save the world. But, then again, I am not in charge of such matters. But Jon Templeton, a recently disgraced investigative reporter, is given just such a task.
How does he get that task? Well, he gets accused of rape, gets thrown out of his house by the wife he truly loves. And, he dies by drowning in his own toilet in a drunken stupor. See, I told you he is not the kind of guy that I would put in charge of saving the world. Nevertheless, Eli, a Rastafarian-looking “supreme being” gives him that task. And, since he was falsely accused of rape, he also is trying to reunite with his wife and return from the dead to try and live happily everafter. It's going to be a tough assignment.
The story is set in the near future in South Carolina. The area has been ravaged by killer hurricanes, suffered a semi-invasion of Canadians fleeing a civil war up north, and is beset by social problems and a burgeoning religious organization called the Church of the New Revelation.
Reeling from the break-up of his marriage and having lost any chance of redemption in this human life since his untimely demise, Jon is offered a mission. He is asked to use his investigative reporter skills to discover the true identity of Lucas Scheafer, the deputy or chief operating officer to the head of the Church of the New Revelation, Rev. Lawrence Whitaker and his seductive wife, Veronica. The church is headquartered in America's new Sin City, Myrtle Beach, S.C., which also happens to be where Jon has a little beach bungalow and where he meets his untimely demise.
Some of the activities of the Church of the New Revelation are a little hard to comprehend. It is hard to imagine an organization like that manifesting itself in our lifetime. But, then again, maybe not. Maybe the tenets of the Church of the New Revelation could become believable under the “right” circumstances. Maybe a charismatic and smooth-talking man really could launch a new religion and maybe people really would fall for it.
Meanwhile and unbeknownst to Templeton, his quest is paralleled by another man, Mako Nikura. Mako is the ne’er-do-well and reluctant heir to a multibillion dollar weapons and aerospace conglomerate. Young Mako becomes the heir following his father’s untimely death at the hands of what appear to be some kind of domestic terrorists. Mako is tracked down by his father’s head of security and brought back to assume his role as head of the company. But, he bolts and escapes with information that makes him so curious about what is behind his father’s death that he goes in search of the killers. He is helped along the way by a bevy of characters. There is an old special forces veteran, a couple of gay marines and a young woman that has as much grit, spit and vinegar to go toe to toe with just about anyone that they come across on their journey to the truth. So, of course he falls in love with her.
Little do these two guys know that they are on the same quest. And little do they know that their paths lead to the same “man behind the curtain”, Lucas Schaeffer.
The story is about Jon Templeton. And he is not who I would trust to save the world. But, then again, I am not in charge of such matters. But Jon Templeton, a recently disgraced investigative reporter, is given just such a task.
How does he get that task? Well, he gets accused of rape, gets thrown out of his house by the wife he truly loves. And, he dies by drowning in his own toilet in a drunken stupor. See, I told you he is not the kind of guy that I would put in charge of saving the world. Nevertheless, Eli, a Rastafarian-looking “supreme being” gives him that task. And, since he was falsely accused of rape, he also is trying to reunite with his wife and return from the dead to try and live happily everafter. It's going to be a tough assignment.
The story is set in the near future in South Carolina. The area has been ravaged by killer hurricanes, suffered a semi-invasion of Canadians fleeing a civil war up north, and is beset by social problems and a burgeoning religious organization called the Church of the New Revelation.
Reeling from the break-up of his marriage and having lost any chance of redemption in this human life since his untimely demise, Jon is offered a mission. He is asked to use his investigative reporter skills to discover the true identity of Lucas Scheafer, the deputy or chief operating officer to the head of the Church of the New Revelation, Rev. Lawrence Whitaker and his seductive wife, Veronica. The church is headquartered in America's new Sin City, Myrtle Beach, S.C., which also happens to be where Jon has a little beach bungalow and where he meets his untimely demise.
Some of the activities of the Church of the New Revelation are a little hard to comprehend. It is hard to imagine an organization like that manifesting itself in our lifetime. But, then again, maybe not. Maybe the tenets of the Church of the New Revelation could become believable under the “right” circumstances. Maybe a charismatic and smooth-talking man really could launch a new religion and maybe people really would fall for it.
Meanwhile and unbeknownst to Templeton, his quest is paralleled by another man, Mako Nikura. Mako is the ne’er-do-well and reluctant heir to a multibillion dollar weapons and aerospace conglomerate. Young Mako becomes the heir following his father’s untimely death at the hands of what appear to be some kind of domestic terrorists. Mako is tracked down by his father’s head of security and brought back to assume his role as head of the company. But, he bolts and escapes with information that makes him so curious about what is behind his father’s death that he goes in search of the killers. He is helped along the way by a bevy of characters. There is an old special forces veteran, a couple of gay marines and a young woman that has as much grit, spit and vinegar to go toe to toe with just about anyone that they come across on their journey to the truth. So, of course he falls in love with her.
Little do these two guys know that they are on the same quest. And little do they know that their paths lead to the same “man behind the curtain”, Lucas Schaeffer.
September 21, 2012
I received Immaculate Deception for free as a goodreads first read, and feel that fans of dystopian and sci-fi are bound to enjoy this debut. When Jon Templeton is fired from his job as investigative reporter in SC, he finds himself working in the worst possible place - as a pr rep who must now represent the dirty politician who got him fired the first place. Unfortunately, the position doesn't last long - a lascivious coworker gets him fired for sexual assault, creating a downward spiral in Jon's life. Soon Jon finds himself separated from his wife and dies in a drunken stupor - only next be sent on a mission for a Rastafarian supreme being. Jon must uncover the identity of Lucas Scheafer, a deputy in the Church of the New Revelation, a sexually-oriented church. Across town, Mako Nikura, the heir to a weapons and aerospace fortune, is trying to find his father's killer and their connection to a terrorist organization named SHAG. Jon and Mako's cross paths at the end of the novel, when their journey's take a parallel turn. As the reader may have just from this review, the world in which this novel takes place is a highly sexualized, violent place somewhere in the future and Myrtle Beach is the new Sin City. Several parts of this novel were excellent - it was an original, interesting plot that pays homage to some masters of sci-fi. However, for someone who is not normally a sci-fi reader these allusions are probably not going to mean a lot, and the storyline at times feels confusing and cluttered without that knowledge base. I also didn't get a great feel for the scenery of South Carolina or the futuristic world - again I feel like I was lacking some kind regional and sci-fi knowledge. So highly recommend for dystopian and sci-fi lovers, but only modestly recommend for non sci-fi folks.
January 13, 2013
"Immaculate Deception" is sort of a combination science fiction espionage thriller and off-the-wall cosmic comedy -- where God and the Devil are both characters. And there's lots of sexy stuff.
Although the book is set in the future, it hearkens back to the past. Specifically, the 1960s and early 1970s. I'm not thinking of the peace-and-love flower child milieu, per se. I'm thinking more Terry Southern or Tom Robbins. The era when artists crafting books or movies made a point of going gleefully off the rails. "Immaculate Deception" has that prankish feel about it. Scott Pruden seems to be making up his wildly inventive and unpredictable plot twists on the fly, and having a hell of a lot of fun doing it.
"Seems" is the crucial word in that last sentence. Because at first, the plot may appear to be haphazardly zooming off in a number of random directions. But in time, you realize that the plot is quite meticulously crafted. The various characters and story threads gradually intersect into a complex but coherent whole, without losing any of that entertaining, unpredictable quality.
And Pruden's voice is also reminiscent of Robbins, Southern and their ilk. Optimistic, out to have a good time, but leavened by a healthy dose of sardonic cynicism. The world may be falling apart. But as long as there's a hero around to hoist a drink and offer a smart-assed quip, everything may turn out OK after all.
Although the book is set in the future, it hearkens back to the past. Specifically, the 1960s and early 1970s. I'm not thinking of the peace-and-love flower child milieu, per se. I'm thinking more Terry Southern or Tom Robbins. The era when artists crafting books or movies made a point of going gleefully off the rails. "Immaculate Deception" has that prankish feel about it. Scott Pruden seems to be making up his wildly inventive and unpredictable plot twists on the fly, and having a hell of a lot of fun doing it.
"Seems" is the crucial word in that last sentence. Because at first, the plot may appear to be haphazardly zooming off in a number of random directions. But in time, you realize that the plot is quite meticulously crafted. The various characters and story threads gradually intersect into a complex but coherent whole, without losing any of that entertaining, unpredictable quality.
And Pruden's voice is also reminiscent of Robbins, Southern and their ilk. Optimistic, out to have a good time, but leavened by a healthy dose of sardonic cynicism. The world may be falling apart. But as long as there's a hero around to hoist a drink and offer a smart-assed quip, everything may turn out OK after all.
October 8, 2012
Hands down a very enjoyable book. Enough so that it made putting it down to go to work a real challenge! This book tackles several themes from a totally unique perspective and keeps the reader engaged throughout. And I am pleasantly surprised that I can honestly say I did not predict the ultimate "conclusion" to the storyline.
Yes, the very end of the book was not a large surprise, but the resolution of the main plotline was a solid surprise, and I think a lovely twist of genius. There are very clearly some take-away messages if you are paying any attention at all, and it seems that the author has revealed their opinion on several fairly universal themes - done in an entertaining way & managed without preaching to the reader.
I am VERY glad that I took advantage of the opportunity to purchase and read this book (even if I didn't win it in the giveaway!) {grin}. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in a story that involves tales about true live, fidelity, religion, spirituality, evangelicalism, multinational businesses & morality - and lets not leave out the hidden gem of sci-fi/fantasy. And that is where I shall leave you so I don't spoil the fun for you when you read this unexpected gem!
Yes, the very end of the book was not a large surprise, but the resolution of the main plotline was a solid surprise, and I think a lovely twist of genius. There are very clearly some take-away messages if you are paying any attention at all, and it seems that the author has revealed their opinion on several fairly universal themes - done in an entertaining way & managed without preaching to the reader.
I am VERY glad that I took advantage of the opportunity to purchase and read this book (even if I didn't win it in the giveaway!) {grin}. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in a story that involves tales about true live, fidelity, religion, spirituality, evangelicalism, multinational businesses & morality - and lets not leave out the hidden gem of sci-fi/fantasy. And that is where I shall leave you so I don't spoil the fun for you when you read this unexpected gem!
August 2, 2012
Loved this. I read it over the course of a weekend. I just couldn't put it down. The book is funny, periodically irreverent, and completely entertaining. Do yourself (and the author) a favor and read this.
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August 7, 2012Words I would use to describe this book would be engaging , funny ..,, unpredictable . I'm easily bored , but Scott's book hooked me early on with interesting quirky characters and story lines that weren't cliche . I'm a Carolna girl and I loved this book . Scott Pruden can weave a tale !
February 3, 2013
Very much enjoyed this book, lots of twists and turns, humorous when it needs to be, "how can this get worse?" ... and then it does (the situation, not the book).
Looking forward to more from Mr. Pruden.
Looking forward to more from Mr. Pruden.
January 19, 2016
Normally not a fan of futuristic novels, but this one has me hooked. Pruden makes the characters so contemporary and believable, flaws and all.
January 5, 2013
Fun and witty. A good sci-fi read! Well done Scott!!
February 4, 2013
Quirky and fun, erotic and silly. I really enjoyed this tale of interdimensional beings and their interactions with humans.
February 3, 2026
Immaculate Deception is a wildly inventive, razor-sharp satire that blends science fiction, religion, politics, and romance into something wholly original. Scott B. Pruden delivers a near-future world that feels uncomfortably plausible, even as the story veers gleefully into the absurd. Jon Templeton is an engaging, deeply human protagonist, and the novel’s humor never undermines its emotional stakes. The parallel storyline with Mako Nikura adds momentum and intrigue, building toward a convergence that is as strange as it is satisfying. Bold, funny, and surprisingly thoughtful, this is speculative fiction that entertains while skewering modern culture with precision and wit.
December 23, 2025
Fun and funny, this book was an unexpected delight for me. I'm not a big sci-fi/fantasy fan, but I love a good story and great writing, and Pruden nails both. The story weaves tenderness, humor and a healthy splash of good old-fashioned sex to keep the reader hooked. Enjoy with a glass of wine -- grape of your choice.
June 14, 2014
Mix a bit of religion, with some sci-fi, a dab of humour, add some spicy erotic scene and voilà, you end-up with Immaculate Deception. I enjoyed it a lot. It was a good reading. Congratulations to the author on his first book. It is an interesting storyline full of romance and good fast-pasted action, but oh my Goddess! Way, way too long, lots of repetitions, every time a new character joined in, a resume of what happened is given to the new character, but you, the reader, knows about it because you read it already. That was a bit annoying. But overall the characters and the plots are interesting and keep you going for more. I am giving it 3 stars instead of 4 because it was way too long.
January 3, 2013
Moves along ploddingly in a fine let's play with the Christians kinda way, then ends in a lazy Stepehn King Patented aliens caused it all laziness. All in all a fine religious send up that would have been fun to see pan out.
March 8, 2012
Well, I'm the author, so naturally I thought it was pretty awesome. Please post your reviews so I can know what you thought. Thanks!
August 11, 2012
I received this through the Gooodreads giveaway. I am sans computer so will be posting a review at a later date.
dearly-departed
April 2, 2014Won as part of the Goodreads first reads program. Review to come.
February 14, 2013
Seemed like an interesting premise but the beginning moves sooo slowly and I just couldn't get into it.
November 18, 2014
Well that was very long.
January 25, 2016
Over the top
Written fairly well, a few typos, spelling, grammar errors but the plot was just a bit too far fetched for me.
Written fairly well, a few typos, spelling, grammar errors but the plot was just a bit too far fetched for me.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews