Deceived

Deceived is another winner from Irene Hannon. I was first introduced to her Private Justice series when I listened to the audiobook of Vanished - book 1 (review HERE) and I am currently listening to Trapped - book 2. More on that one in a week or two. All three books involve the Phoenix group, a private detective agency dedicated to seeing justice served. Although part of a series, each book can be read as a standalone and reading them out of order has not been a problem for me, though if I had it to do again, I think I would follow the order published. All are excellent and perfect for fans of romantic suspense.

In Deceived, Kate Marshall is trying to move on with her life. Kate lost her husband and son in a tragic boating accident 3 show more years before. But a chance encounter makes her believe her son, whose body was never found, just might be alive. She enlists the help of former Secret Service agent Connor Sullivan who though cautious in his investigation of the case, is nevertheless intrigued by the puzzle and by the woman who asks his help.

Coincidence – a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection – is used by Hannon to propel the storyline and to make the reader think about the way God moves in our lives. One character states that coincidences are God’s little miracles that He doesn’t take credit for. There are lots of coincidences in Deceived that the main characters come to attribute to God. Does God work in that way, setting up random meetings and events, to further His will in our lives? I think He does, and Hannon does a great job of exploring that possibility. Filled with breath-holding suspense, interesting characters, a twisting plot and a second chance at love, Deceived is sure to check all the boxes for those who like romance with their mysteries.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(Thanks to Revell for a review copy. All opinion expressed are mine alone.) show less

And so we come to the end of the Private Justice series. I've read other series by this author and liked them well enough to put her earlier titles on my TBR list. This is one of those titles.

As I predicted early one, each of the 3 PIs found his soulmate in a woman who sought his professional services. I will admit that this series differs from most that have a plot point of a woman being a client and therefore "off limits" for personal relationships by, for the most part, having the man not give in to his desire to move the romantic relationship forward while the woman is a client. Also, the marriages don't happen until in between the novels or at the end of the next novel--which, at least to us readers, makes it seem like they've show more known each other for a while and dated before jumping into a marriage.

WARNING: SPOILERS MAY FOLLOW. READ ON AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
*****

Kate Marshall lost her husband and her son to an accident, but only her husband's body was recovered. A chance encounter at the mall leads her to believe that her son could still be alive. She turns to a PI to get answers.

I guessed wrong about how Kate's husband had been involved with Greg Sanders, but I was glad the office manager was able to put the pieces together for how the involvement probably happened.

I was glad Diane was strong enough to stand up to what she hoped her future might hold that would be wrecked if she did the right thing. It's hard to return to loneliness when you hoped you'd be getting married and gaining a son (though perhaps she can still be an honorary aunt). show less

Well then, that was a wild ride! And painful . . .

After reading and loving Vanished by this author, I was excited to finish the series. The characters from Phoenix Inc were such fun, deep characters, and I couldn't wait to read more about them.

I loved Kate. She was such a realistic and relatable character. Her story especially touched my heart. Connor, also, was fantastic. I really enjoyed getting to hear his story. I'm not sure if I like him or Cal better!
Sanders was an amazing and terrible character. Even though he was the villain, because Hannon made him so realistic and relatable, you didn't want him to be the villain. You wanted him to have a happy ending. But unfortunately both Kate and Sanders couldn't have a happy ending, show more which was sad.

The story was a wild ride from beginning to end, and the romance was really sweet. It was also an intensely emotional story, which I loved even if it did hurt. Sometimes in suspense novels, the heart of the characters gets lost, but not so with this one. The chemistry between the characters, especially the Phoenix Inc characters was so awesome! Nikki and Dev will always crack me up . . . They're great comedic relief.

The ending was so sweet and heartwarming and definitely made me cry.

The reason I docked a star was because the romantic attraction between the characters got a little out of hand for my tastes. While it was very sweet, some of the physical attraction, along with a few mildly inappropriate commentsthoughts made me squirm.

All in all, I really enjoyed this novel! Hannon is a very talented author.

Recommended for ages 17 for romance. As mentioned above, there are a few inappropriate comments and thoughts from the characters that made me cringe. They could have easily been removed . . . Also some mostly-chaste kisses. Also a hefty amount of violence - not overly detailed. Guns, murder, drug abuse and kidnapping are all pretty major parts of the story. show less

Be ready for your heart in your throat type of adventure as you begin turning the pages of Deceived. Don’t know if I could survive all that happened to Kate in this story, and a chance of fate or faith brings her a full turn in recovering from her loss.
What would bring Kate from New York State to St Louis Missouri? With so much that has happened to her, she is now in a job she is well qualified for, and is giving back to others. What a chance of circumstances are about to happen, and will she be able to trust those who offer help.
I cannot imagine loosing both my husband and my four year old, and then thinking I’m seeing my child on the elevator. Hearing him use an unusual favorite word, and then you must feel like your dreaming. show more Could you trust what you think you’ve just seen? We all never want to be in Kate’s shoes, can’t even imagine, your worse nightmare.
Love how she is led to the best PI agency, and the compassion of one particular agent, Connor Sullivan. I did have different scenarios running through my mind, with Todd and Greg. What a great Dad, Greg is, how could he be evil, must be someone different? You’re going to find you mind almost pulling for the bad guys in this story, but who are the bad guys? I kept trying to find the answers, and they do come, but boy did I have a time guessing! What a great read!

I received this book through Revell Publishers and was not required to give a positive review. show less

**Possible spoilers**

When I started to get a grasp on where this story was headed, I tried to outguess it on a couple of main plots points. I'm pleased to say I was wrong (aka the story was unpredictable) and that I liked the way it turned out (aka, happy ending).
Kate went from a happily married mom to not in a single afternoon. After 3 years of trying to move on, her new normal is sucker-punched by a chance encounter in the mall. One that neither mall security nor the police are able to help with. Desperate to erase the questions marks persistently shadowing her conscious--and subconscious--Kate reaches out to a private investigator.
Connor is the epitome of the strong, silent type. Meticulous and scrupled, he has his doubts about show more taking this wild-goose "case," but follows his instincts to trust Kate. And continues following him when they point him towards a really implausible possibility.
Sparks fly, the day is saved, and no one else will probably notice the hint of suggestive material. show less

Three years ago Kate Marshall's life was turned upside down. A routine father-son fishing trip turned into a nightmare when Kate's husband was found dead and her four-year-old son was presumed to have drowned. Kate left upstate New York for St. Louis, Missouri. She has begun to build a new life until a chance encounter in the mall has her questioning everything. Kate is sure the young boy she saw on an escalator at a local mall is her son. The police don't find her story plausible so she hires a private investigator. Although Connor Sullivan isn't quite sure what to believe, he agrees to take the case on a provisional basis. What he finds out is even more shocking than the original incident that claimed the life of Kate's husband. Can show more Connor find the truth and return Kate's son before more tragedy occurs?

Deceived is the third book in the Private Justice series by Irene Hannon. I found this to be a fast paced and thoroughly enjoyable read. Deceived is a clean, inspirational, romantic-suspense read. As with previous books in this series, we get the opportunity to read about ordinary people of faith in extraordinary circumstances. Connor Sullivan is a great investigator, but he doesn't have the faith that his co-workers have until he is able to truly see faith in action through Kate's life. It is always uplifting to read about characters that place their belief at the forefront of their lives versus the backburner . . . at least it is for this reader. I enjoyed the interaction between Connor and Kate. It was fascinating to read about a woman overcoming her grief and building a life where she goes out of her way to help others overcome their problems. Ms. Hannon provides the reader with strong men and strong women that become even stronger when they work together. Yes you know when you start reading this book that it is going to be a HEA (happy-ever-after), but not in the more traditional sense because these characters still have issues to work out and through but they do so together. Ms. Hannon's stories are crafted with the just the right amount of suspense and romance to make for a wholly enjoyable and intriguing read from beginning to end. If you enjoy inspirational fiction, romantic suspense, or are just looking for a good read, then I can definitely recommend Deceived. show less

Irene Hannon delivers a fantastic suspense novel with Deceived! I was drawn into this read immediately and could not stop until the end. Kate Marshall thinks she has moved on with her life after a tragedy three years ago. She finds fulfillment in her job in a new city and has a routine. Then, she sees a little boy on an escalator at the shopping mall who looks exactly like her son; her son, who was never found after a boating accident on a lake in New York. He turned around and looked at her, too. How could it be? What should she do now? Her sleep won't let her forget his face. The police had shut the case. Would they take her seriously, now? She chooses a private investigator. Will Connor believe her? Will he think she is crazy? Kate show more must rely on her faith as this is the biggest challenge she has ever faced.

The book flows with intrigue, surprise, and even romance. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend Deceived by Irene Hannon. It is one of her Private Justice novels.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley for my honest opinion. show less