Customer Reviews

Deception: A Novel

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Highly acclaimed mystery novelist, Denise Mina, has, in my opinion, penned another intriguing and compelling read in "Deception." Although, I'll have to admit, this novel may not be every reader's cup of tea. The chief protagonist, Lachlan Harriot, the husband of convicted murderess, Susie, is in turns pathetic, whinny, vindictive and unsympathetic. But, I'll have to admit, when he finally works out what has been happening, and finally took action (of a sort) I was on his side -- which probably does not speak well of me!

When Dr. Susie Harriot, former psychiatrist of Sunnyfields State Mental Hospital, is found guilty of the murder of Andrew Gow (a former patient and paroled serial murderer-rapist), her husband, Lachlan decides to try and discover new evidence that will help in her appeal. Lachlan firmly believes that his wife is completely incapable of having brutally murdered Gow, or having had anything to do with the disapperance of Gow's new young wife, Donna. The prosecution had contended that Susie was having an affair with Gow while he was her patient, and that she had murdered Gow (and by inference the missing Donna) out of revenge for being dumped in favour of Donna. And while Lachlan may not be sure about the supposed affair between Susie and Gow, he knows that his wife is incapable of murder. Or is she? For once Lachlan begins to nose about Susie's papers, in her own private study (one that she had locked him out off), he begins to discover all kinds of things, and comes to the conclusion that he may not know his wife all that well after all. Could Susie have had an affair with Gow after all? And is the mother of his young daughter a vicious murderess? Desperate for answers, Lachlan decides to follow all the clues to the bitter end...

Strangely enough, "Deception" turned out to be a very compelling read. Lachlan Harriot may not always be a very sympathetic narrator, and the urge to kick him in the seat of his pants (not because of his constant whining) because of his frequent non-active stance really grows as the book progresses. But Denise Mina's incisive portrait of a fractured marriage, and of one partner's total obliviousness to what was going on, and the totally unexpected (and completely chilling) plot twist at the end, made "Deception" a book well worth recommending the sticking out factor. The novel may take a while to unwind and to get into, but it is well worth it!

If you glance over the reviews already present, you'll see a VERY MIXED bag of how terrible or how wonderful this novel is. I believe those results are based on different expectations from different readers.

I'll start off by saying I haven't read Denise Mina's other books. Perhaps if I had, I'd be disappointed in this one. Instead, I went into this novel with no expectations whatsoever. What I discovered was a novel with some repetitive passages that was nonetheless delightful. It's rare for me to laugh out loud while reading a novel, but while reading Deception, I laughed too many times to count. No, there isn't all that much of a typical mystery plot. Yes, the narrator can be quite whiny and pathetic when viewed against the rigorous demands of a typical novel protagonist. But when compared to people I have known who were going through troubles in their marriage--people who didn't want to admit their relationship and their happy homes were gone forever--I found Mina's portrayal to be right on the money.

Will you like this book? I think that depends on your sense of humor. Not that I'm saying this is a humorous novel; far from it. But if you get as much amusement from the characters as I did--if your sense of humor is in line with the author's--I think you'll find it very easy to ignore the slights other reviewers have mentioned. If instead you find the characterizations and the late night rantings of the main character to be boring, you will probably hate this book.

All I can offer is that of all the books I've read, this is one of the few that I still miss reading weeks after I put the book down. I can hear the narrator's voice inside my head and I wish I had the chance to read more work from this author that ran along the same vein. Perhaps, since I read this novel first, I'll be sadly disappointed in Denise Mina's earlier work. But I'm certainly willing to take that chance.

After her Glaswegian mean-streets trilogy ("Garnethill," "Exile," "Resolution"), Scottish award-winning author Mina turns to the diary form and the bourgeoisie to deliver a dark, discomfiting tale of murder and obsession.

Lachlan Harriott, 29, is the distraught husband of ambitious psychologist Susan Harriot, newly found guilty of the brutal slaying of Andrew Gow, a convicted serial killer and former client of hers at a prison for the criminally insane. Gow had been released after the killings resumed while he was in prison, casting doubt on his guilt.

The diary begins the day of Susan's conviction. Lachlan, convinced of her innocence and determined to find something to exonerate her, smashes the heavy lock on her study door and helps himself to her computer. Almost immediately he happens on secrets that shake his confidence. He remembers how in love they were, her more than him even, and wonders how things got to this pass, where she tells him nothing, and won't even look at him in court where she's portrayed as Gow's scorned lover. "She was my sweet, soft-hearted Susie, and then, quite suddenly, she was someone else."

Lachlan, a doctor and would-be writer who gave up his career at the birth of their daughter 19 months earlier, may have been clueless where his wife was concerned, but he has full control of this narrative. Truth, objectivity, deception and self-deception are elusive from the beginning, and more so as he explores the darkest corners of his marriage and pieces together a new puzzle picture of the murder. He digresses at will, obsessing about his image in the papers, and enjoying the pitying flirtations of the mothers at his daughter's nursery school. He rants and whines, and gorges himself on sweets and self-pity. He flays himself open on the page, and then admits to agonizing over sentence structure as if crafting a story for posterity.

We sympathize with his plight and his passion while we cringe at his venality and passive-aggressive self-absorption. Lachlan is utterly, nakedly human and his compelling voice drives the narrative to a stunning, fitting conclusion. Claustrophobic and insightful, this is probably too creepy to be Mina's breakout book, but it adds to her considerable reputation.

Lachlan and his wife Susie appear to be a perfect couple. She is a respected psychiatrist working in an institution, and he is a doctor who has chosen to stay home and be a househusband (despite one other reviewer's opinion on this, it seems to make perfect sense that if women can stay at home and take care of the children and the house, men can as well). They have a beautiful, healthy daughter. They have a lovely home. But soon, Lachlan, who is narrating the story, gets the shock of his life -Susie is arrested for the murder of Andrew Gow, a notorious serial killer who had previously been held at the institution in which she works. While Gow was Susie's patient, he married, then it comes to light that more murders occurred exactly like the ones for which he had been convicted. Is it a copycat or is Gow really innocent? He is released from the institution, and ostensibly goes off to live happily ever after with his bride. Shortly thereafter, he is found murdered, his tongue carved out of his mouth, the same as the victims he was accused of killing. His psychiatrist, Susie, is arrested, convicted and sent to prison. It is at this point that Deception begins, with Lachlan vowing to himself to find proof of his wife's innocence. He begins searching her home office, pouring over court transcripts, interviews with the accused serial killer, interviews with his bride, and interviews with Susie. He finds her own notes as well, and it is during this search for proof of her innocence that Lachlan, and the reader, uncover secret after secret, until finally all is revealed. Denise Mina is one of my favorite recently discovered authors. Her novel is so well written you will find yourself going back over lines and repeating them to yourself. This perhaps explains why, even when Lachlan behaves less than admirably, the reader is still rooting for him and for Susie. No one's intentions are crystal clear until the end of the book, and no one is above suspicion. It is truly a remarkable and entertaining novel, very suspenseful, and a fun read. An added plus: a terrific ending. Many crime novels have a lot of build up, a lot of suspense and excitement, but then a less-than-satisfying conclusion; not so with this one. I highly recommend it.

Denise Mina's novel Deception purports to be a transcription of a diary written by Lachlan Harriot, the 29-year-old husband of convicted murderess Dr. Susie Harriot. Lachlan begins the diary on the day his wife is convicted of murdering Andrew Gow, a serial killer with whom she had worked closely in her capacity as his court-appointed psychologist. Lachlan's diary is in part a record of his attempt to uncover the truth behind Gow's murder--he cannot believe his wife is guilty. It includes his transcriptions of the newspaper accounts and other documents pertaining to the case that his wife had squirreled away in her private--padlocked--study. At the same time the diary records Lachlan's attempts to cope with normal life in the months following his wife's conviction--the mothers at his daughter's day care center conspicuously friendly, an "elderly triumvirate" of relatives making a show of their support by coming to stay with him--uninvited, unwelcome, and ultimately unhelpful. (Lachlan is kicked out of his bathroom one evening by Susie's aunt, who cannot find the other bathrooms in his house. "It is not without a frisson of compensatory pleasure that I stood on the landing, holding my limp newspaper, and watched her lock herself in with the rank stench of my lower intestines.")

In the course of the period covered by his diary, Lachlan eventually comes to understand the riddle of Gow's murder and of his wife's strange, secretive behavior. It is a mystery that will keep readers engrossed and guessing until the book's final pages. Mina's Deception is a smart, well-written thriller. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Debra Hamel, author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece

Denise Mina is an exceptionally talented writer. She spins an interesting yarn, told from the perspective of the husband of a convicted killer. There's plenty going on here. My one complaint is that half the book felt like prologue. The quality of the writing makes that easy to endure. A hilarious voice in spots, and an intelligent premise. Reminded me of Barney's Version, by Mordechai Richler. Another good read, if you like this one.

I had finished "Deception" and purchased "Sanctum", which I thought was a later book, only to find out they are THE SAME BOOK apparently issued under different titles. Cost me the price of an extra book, but this is the first time I've run into this. I hope to save you the error.

I found this book in the "Bargain Books" section of a major book retailer, and having read both of Mina's "Paddy Meehan" books, I decided to give this one a try.

Mina proves herself to be an excellent writer with this unique and original mystery. Lachlan Harriot's wife Susie has just been convicted of murder, and Lachlan, fiercely believing in his wife's innocence attempts to find evidence to help in her appeal. The story, told in the form of Lachlan's personal diary, shows his progression from devoted, loving husband to a man who comes to despise his wife as he uncovers evidence that shows him his wife is not what he thought she was.

Lachlan himself is not without flaws. He worries about his appearance in newspaper photographs as he indulges in endless candy eating, he flirts with one of the mothers' at his daughter's daycare and he begins an affair with the Au Pair currently helping with his daughter's care.

Mina manages to interject some humor throughout the book (one of my favorite lines was quoted by another reviewer.) She also begins and ends the story in an original way. An engrossing, excellent mystery.

Denise Mina really is top notch. She and Val McDermid continue to write complex psychological thrillers centered around characters who are substantive and believable.

Deception is no exception. Although I enjoy the Maureen series that started with Garnethill, this is a welcome stand-alone novel that reminds us that every mind and every spirit is complicated, sometimes duplicitous, and capable of fluid change.

At the end of the novel, you're marveling that you didn't see it coming. I, for one, had to stop and think about the chain of events to make sure I knew everyone's motives and reasons for their reactions to a series of gruesome murders.

My only reservation is the likability of the main character. He's maudlin, and it's tiring to hear him ruminate about his depressing situation, even though it's a fascinating conundrum to which he's forced to respond. Overall, it's an excellent psychological thriller, and one that is 100 percent absorbing from the moment the reader opens to the first page.

'Deception' (marketed as 'Sanctum' in the UK) is an engrossing mystery.

Lachlan Harriot is seeking evidence of his wife Susie's innocence following her conviction for the murder or a paroled serial killer who had been under her psychiatric care.

In Susie's home office, which Lachlan has previously been forbidden to enter, he discovers a disturbing documentary history: transcripts of conversations, photographs, letters and files.

What is the truth? And who, utimately, survives?

While this is Denise Mina's fourth novel,it is only the second I have read. I am keen to read the rest.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith