Deception

Rating:
Summary: Nancy Drew is for kids.
Review: I'm always looking for new authors, so I was excited when I read all the great reviews about this and other Heggan books. I was very disappointed. The reading level of this book is just a cut above Nancy Drew. The characters are predictable, and I had it solved before I was halfway through (and I don't even try to solve mysteries -- it was just that obvious). I really enjoy female mystery writers such as Sue Grafton, Patricia Cornwell, Sara Paretsky, and so on. This book is not at all in that league.

Rating:
Summary: Graet suspense
Review: In the Catskills Mountains, renowned but controversial architect Simon Bennett dies in a car crash that is ruled a tragic accident by law enforcement officials. Everyone accepts the official ruling as being accurate except for Simon's daughter Jill. She believes that the police are missing some important information and she plans to find those missing puzzle pieces in order to gain the truth about what really happened to her father.

However, Jill knows she is out of her league in trying to ferret out the truth. Reluctantly, she turns to her former husband Dan Santini for help. Dan was the superstar of the New York City Homicide department when he abruptly quit after he legally but tragically killed a fourteen-year old child. Currently, he is a college teacher working near Chicago. They divorced thirteen years ago because he could not deal with her prominent family . He comes to help Jill, not knowing that what he learns could destroy the woman he still loves.

DECEPTION is a deceptively delightful romantic suspense that will elate fans of the sub-genre and propel Christiane Heggan's name to the forefront. The story line is exciting, especially Jill's uphill climb to find someone to believe in her. The lead protagonists are a charming duo, who find that the truth may be more difficult to swallow than the prevarication's used to hide it. After this novel and SUSPICION, readers will conclude that Ms. Heggan is one writer they can trust to scribe sensational story.

Harriet Klausner