Rating: 
Summary: Great read!
Review: Lauren Maddison's debut mystery was a surprise to me. The last "lesbian" mystery I read before this was just that--more about the lesbians than the mystery. Since this is our introduction to all of the characters, she spends a lot of time giving us a good physical and personality description of them. Despite it's length, the book was a two-sitting read.
The book is well plotted and suspensful. Because it is so tightly woven, it is difficult to talk about the plot without giving away too much. Once we are led to the conclusion that Ariana's death was a murder, the story moves quickly to a new venue, but allows Connor time to grieve the loss of her long-time lover, while we try to understand the connection of her death to Connor's father and his government career. Never in a thousand years would I have figured out what his (and his friend's) secret was nor why his friend was willing to die to protect the secret. Since I am a fantasy fan, it wasn't too difficult for me to become involved in the mystical happenings. Hope her other books continue to explore this facet of Connor and Laura. She gets the New Mexico landscape very accurately. This woman can write!
Rating:
Summary: As good as it gets!
Review: Lauren Maddison, as a new writer on the lesbian horizon, kept me up into the morning hours to finish this great mystery. She is in the same league as Katherine V. Forrest, J M Redman and Claire McNAb. I can't wait for her next book.
Rating:
Summary: Why isn't this author on a "favorite" list?
Review: Ms. Maddison should be listed among the ranks of Laura Adams, Chris Anne Wolfe and Karen Williams for this genre! I couldn't put either of her two books down and I'm eagerly awaiting her next release. The third Connor Hawthorne Mystery, entitled Death by Prophecy, will be released by Alyson Books in November and will hopefully be available through this website. The only difficulty is, there is no information on her on the internet. Even a search ... gives multiple results on several different people sharing her name. I found out about her next book by writing to Alyson Bookstore online. Read her books and recommend them to your friends!
Rating:
Summary: Why isn't this author on a "favorite" list?
Review: Ms. Maddison should be listed among the ranks of Laura Adams, Chris Anne Wolfe and Karen Williams for this genre! I couldn't put either of her two books down and I'm eagerly awaiting her next release. The third Connor Hawthorne Mystery, entitled Death by Prophecy, will be released by Alyson Books in November and will hopefully be available through this website. The only difficulty is, there is no information on her on the internet. Even a search ... gives multiple results on several different people sharing her name. I found out about her next book by writing to Alyson Bookstore online. Read her books and recommend them to your friends!
Rating: 
Summary: Not a romantic book
Review: The book is not bad. The writer is very talented but reading the book is like reading a travel guide about New Mexico and the Navaho history. There is no romance, just pure action. So if you think that you will find in this book love scenes, just forget it!
Rating: 
Summary: Perhaps not the worst book ever written...
Review: This book is insipid. Well, no, that's not quite accurate... it could be interesting and absorbing, if you enjoy hurling insults at the author every time you turn the page. This book has virtually no authentic characters, a penchant for name-dropping (this author seems to mention any other author, character, publishing house, or book in the apparent attempt to convince the reader that she really _knows_ the lesbian community), and every hackneyed sentiment ever dreamed up. What with the author's attempt to include just about every sub-group you can dream up (Jews! Blacks! Rich white women! Oh My!), she seems to have forgotten the most important ones: real people.
Rating:
Summary: Perhaps not the worst book ever written...
Review: This book is insipid. Well, no, that's not quite accurate... it could be interesting and absorbing, if you enjoy hurling insults at the author every time you turn the page. This book has virtually no authentic characters, a penchant for name-dropping (this author seems to mention any other author, character, publishing house, or book in the apparent attempt to convince the reader that she really _knows_ the lesbian community), and every hackneyed sentiment ever dreamed up. What with the author's attempt to include just about every sub-group you can dream up (Jews! Blacks! Rich white women! Oh My!), she seems to have forgotten the most important ones: real people.
Rating:
Summary: Warning! Don't start this book right before bedtime!
Review: This book kept me up until 2:40 AM! I was late for work in the morning, lost my job, can't pay my bills, girlfriend left me (OK, maybe she didn't)- It was worth it! The characters are substantive, the plot is engaging, and the outcome is DEFINITELY a surprise. A highly recommended novel for any mystery/suspense lover!PS - Can't wait for the movie!
Rating:
Summary: This book is one gem of a mystery!
Review: What an impressive first novel. I love mysteries and I was sorry when this one came to an end. I wanted the story to go on. The characters are well conceived and very well constructed. The heros and heroines in this book are people you want to root for. Plus, the spiritual elements were amazing. Finding political intrigue, murder and mayhem, and a little bit of the mystical in one book was really gratifying. And reviewers should stop calling it a lesbian mystery. Connor's personal preferences are not the point of this whodunnit.
Rating:
Summary: Complex Plot, Interesting Characters, Great Debut for Series
Review: When Connor Hawthorne's estranged lover Ariana is murdered, Connor is knocked into a tailspin of grief and confusion. She's got her father, former senator Benjamin Harrison, and her best friend, cop Malcolm Jefferson to lean on, but her world is empty without her beautiful and enigmatic lover. The police have no leads on the murder, and it might have ended up a cold case, except that Connor's house is ransacked and booby-trapped. If not for Malcolm's fast thinking, Connor and her father would both have been killed by the explosion. Now it seems clear that Ariana's death could be connected to Benjamin, but Connor is not sure how. Time passes, and Connor comes to understand that she must get on with her life. She gets back to work and attends a writer's conference in New Mexico. A Navaho chauffeur, Laura Nez, shows up to squire her around-but is she trustworthy? Who is the culprit who stalks Connor leaving destruction in his or her wake? Is it a lone nut or a frightening conspiracy? And why was Ariana killed? Gun battles, explosions, and high speed chases are nicely offset by Connor's introspection, by Laura's subtle humor and toughness, and by Maddison's literate style. Told from several points-of-view, the novel is plotted well and executed with grace. Oddly enough, the secondary characters in this debut novel (Laura and Malcolm especially) are more compelling than the protagonist, but there is plenty of room for Connor to grow in the subsequent books. The Native American "woo woo" spiritualism at the end was almost over the top, but ultimately didn't detract from this solid and entertaining first novel in what promises to be a compelling mystery series. Fans of tightly plotted, exciting books such as Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series should like this book. My sole complaint is that the spine of the physical book did not hold up well after one reading, with pages threatening to pull away. This is a shame since DECEPTIONS is a novel many mystery readers will want to revisit.
---Lori L. Lake, Midwest Book Review
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