Customer Reviews

Deceived

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

James Scott Bell's characters in Deceived are gritty, broken and real--a reflection of the human condition in this modern world. They become vivid as the lives of all three main characters are woven together in this fast-paced plot. And true to Bell's skill to write a great story, readers are hit with an unexpected ending.

As I began the novel, I thought, "How's Bell going to pull off intersecting the lives of these main characters?" The task appeared daunting. Deceived starts like a machine gun--splitting out characters, plot and conflict, with just a taste of back story. I found it impossible to put down. This classic Bell novel ratchets up tension and conflict within each character.

No one escapes.

Liz Towne--a stunning blond whose past haunts her every move. "Mac" MacDonald--whose propensity for violence clashes with his search for spiritual peace. Roxanne "Rocky" Towne--whose scarred face and soul threatens to drag her down as she struggles to survive.

Everything in the novel takes place within a span of seventeen days, with chapters divided by days of the week and scenes divided by hour and minute. Shades of television's 24 without the terrorists, but the same tensions and twists to make even Jack Bauer tired.

Deceived joins the ranks of those novels suspense readers enjoy losing sleep over. The sweet agony of a good read.

James Scott Bell's "Deceived" feels like the first book in a series rather than a complete novel in its own right. Maybe it is and maybe it isn't--I couldn't find anything to indicate if we'll see a follow-up in the near future.

If there's not a follow-up, I may be disappointed.

During a hiking trip, Liz and her born-again husband stumble across a dead body. Near the body is a bag full of diamonds. Liz sees the diamonds as their chance to land on easy street while her husband wants nothing to do with them. His recent conversion to Christianity is causing friction in their marriage and his professional career. During their argument, Liz shoves him off a rock, causing him to fall to his death. Liz begins to hatch a plot to cover up the murder of her husband.

Meanwhile, we meet Mac, a Gulf War vet with issues. He's got Gulf War syndrome and intense pain in his head. He's been in jail for robbing a store, losing his wife and family in the process. Mac has come to the Lord and found a job as the handy-man for his church. But his probation officer seems to have it in for him and will stop at nothing to get Mac back into jail. We also meet Rocky, a female private investigator who was scarred when a dog mauled her as a child. She has just left her relationship with her abusive boyfriend. She's also the sister of the husband who died. Mac is the guy's best friend.

The storylines all come together, centered around the mystery of what happened and how Liz reacts. Liz makes a show of accepting God and being baptized. However, when some men come looking for the diamonds and the police start to poke holes in her story, Liz becomes more and more desperate, leading her to make some shocking decisions in the novel's final third.

For long periods of "Deceived," the story is gripping, entertaining and suspenseful. Bell is able to avoid the cliches of character within Christian fiction, making his character's struggles feel authentic and connect with the readers. You may be able to figure out where some things will lead, but the choices and characters never seem black or white, good or evil. However, the frustrating part comes when arcs that are put into motion but offer little or no resolution. Maybe Bell intended the story to be like life with no easy answers or maybe there's a second installment coming soon. Either way, I left the story feeling as if something were missing. I don't want everything wrapped up in a nice, neat package but some sense of resolution would be nice.

James Scott Bell writes great stories. From the first paragraph I was sucked into his latest, Deceived.

A novel that will be just the beginning of a series because these characters need to continue their stories. Liz, a new and tortured widow with some hellish secrets. Mac, a struggling veteran, ex-con just trying to get back on his feet and find his way in the world. Rocky, scarred inside and out and full of a lot of songs that she needs to sing.

This novel is dark but ends with hope. Deceived shows the depths to which humanity sinks when left to twisted thoughts and broken moral compasses. Bell aces my grade sheet with compelling characters, tightly wound plots, scenes that hum with realism and dialog that is both entertaining and real. Scott's legal background adds additional depth.

Character collectors, fans of crime fiction and Bell fans should check further into Deceived.

James Scott Bell writes wonderful, character driven stories, consisting of characters that are believable and flawed. They are "everyday people" trying to get along in life. As we read about them, they draw us into their stories and cause us to cheer for them. We ride shotgun, living their life events as they do. Deceived is no exception.

When Liz Towne and her husband, Arty, stumble upon the body of a dead motorcyclist in a canyon, they find the discovery of a lifetime--diamonds. Lots of them. Priceless. And stolen. She argues with her husband on what they should do with the hot ice, and decides to take a path that leads her ever-deeper down a path of deceit, in which she must continuously make choices to keep up the deception, or jump off.

Arty's sister, Rocky Towne, is an insurance fraud investigator and suspects foul play with Liz, but she's unable to find proof. We also meet Mac MacDonald, whom Liz takes an interest to and to the church life that Mac now lives. But is her interest real, or part of the deception?

Liz lived through a traumatic childhood. Mac is a veteran suffering from Gulf War Syndrome. Rocky has a scarred face, damage caused after being mauled by a dog as a child, which has a negative impact on her self-esteem, in turn negatively affecting all she does. Bell has breathed depth into each character, bringing them to life on the page. They could be the guy mowing the lawn next door, or the lady putting gas in her car while you're cleaning your windshield.

This story hit home for me, as my wife and I worked at a children's home for a few years. Many of the kids suffered some form of abuse. In most of those cases, their parents had in turn suffered abuse, and so the cruelty climbs down the family tree. Love and hope can break the chain, but the effects can manifest in different ways. In Deceived, they lead to the absence of a filter in the mind that allows for the discernment of right and wrong.

There are multiple twists in the storyline and plausible tension throughout. What you expect to happen doesn't. What does happen is another thought-provoking, wonderful story by James Scott Bell.

I have read other books by James Scott Bell and have liked his writing. The book Deceived was very confusing in my opinion jumping between characters and plots. There wasn't any real depth to the charaters thus the story was not worth continuing to read. Maybe I'll try another of his books in the future.

"One of the best writers out there, bar none" is an excerpt from an analysis published by the Library Review. High praise, indeed, but richly deserved. I totally agree with this assessment of the special skills which James Scott Bell utilizes to create his extraordinary novels. DECEIVED is certainly no exception. It has mystery and intrigue, delivered with shades of a well-crafted film-noir motion picture--one made in the golden era of the 1940s and '50s. The fact that Mr. Bell injects references to Christianity in many of his books is a plus for most, if not all readers. One of the reviews posted on this Amazon.com website characterizes these references as "garbage," and adds that, "Books like this should carry a warning label." A great number of people find such comments interesting, if not hypocritical, since 'liberal thinkers' tend to believe that 'anything and everything goes'... everything, that is, except anything to do with religion and spirituality. The works of James Scott Bell are a fine blend of such references to faith, woven within his basically secular plots. And, as stated in the Library Review article, he is "One of the best...bar none"... a great testimony to this uniquely talented writer. Without reservation, I highly recommend DECEIVED, along with the other outstanding novels by Mr. Bell!

Liz Towne's life has hardly been a bed of roses. She deserves more, and she's determined to overcome her white trash past. She thought her ticket was Arty Towne, a guy who dreamed of being worth two million before he turned thirty-five. But then he went and got religion on her and quit his six-figure job. "You've changed," Liz said to Arty that fateful day in Pack Canyon. "I don't like it." When they both discover a dead biker with a fortune of diamonds in his saddlebags, Liz sees another chance at the life she's always wanted. But what will it cost her?

Deceived is more than a page-turning thriller--it's a story about choices. Not just for Liz Towne, but for her sister-in-law Rocky and Iraqi war veteran, Mac. All three are bound by their love and friendship with Arty, and all three have been dealt hands they'd rather fold. But it's their decisions that set them apart. One chooses to deceive, one is caught in between, and the other is determined to unmask the deceiver.

Spanning about two weeks in the lives of several characters, Bell ratchets up the intensity in Deceived. Unlike its predecessors No Legal Grounds and Presumed Guilty, it's not a legal thriller. This is straight-up suspense that'll get you thinking about life, God and the domino effect of deception.

So pull up a chair. Unfold your napkin. James Scott Bell has served up another delightful stew of suspense, witty dialogue and plot twists. I never saw the ending of this one coming!

--Reviewed by C.J. Darlington

At first, I wasn't sure how James Scott Bell was going to interweave the lives and actions of the characters he was introducing. However, I soon found them all linked in a web of deceit, with tension that continued to build throughout the whole book. And, for those of you who tend to skip ahead in a book to avoid the boring parts, be prepared to just keep reading--there are no boring parts. Morality and religion play a big part in the plot, but so do murder and deceit. This is one of Bell's best so far.

This is my 2nd James Scott Bell book. The beginning of the book was difficult; a lot of characters, each with a definite personality; a plot that was disjointed. I kept reading and true to form, the plot came together and captured my attention. This book clearly depicted how our current life is built on our past and just as clearly shows that we have choices to make throughout our lives that can be life altering. A parolee with a twisted, damaged parole officer; a daughter mauled as a child left with visible scars that created psychological scars for both her father and her; a brother whose light shone brightly and whose light was removed from those depending on his strength; a wife whose choices supported the lessons of her past. A good book and with a final twist of irony that makes me want to get another Bell book. Are these final twists a trademark of James Scott Bell?

Christianity at its best; life at its worst. A good read without being a glossed over, watered down picture of life.

I just finished to read Deceived and I love it! Such a great thriller! I could not put the book down until I finished, so the best time to start reading this book is Friday after work. The characters are very complex and well developed -I fall in love with Mac, Rocky and Arty, and did not like Liz a tinniest bit. I hope there will be part two to this book. After I finished reading this book I went online and order the last 5 books written by Mr. Scott Bell that were missing from my collection. I start reading Try Fear now and I know I won't be disappointed.