A Game of Deceit by K. A. Davis.
A father’s disappearance never solved, a mother’s secret taken to the grave, a daughter deceived… Kathryn Landry thinks her life is just about perfect. She is the owner of a successful interior designer business in Newport Beach, California, and she has an attentive, supportive husband. But her world comes crashing down when her husband, Neil Landry, vanishes without a trace… in a situation almost identical to the disappearance of her father twenty years before. With her father’s disappearance still a mystery, Kathryn is skeptical that the detective assigned to her case will be able to find her husband. Determined to uncover the truth, Kathryn is plunged into a world of politics, high-priced call girls and wealth. As she begins to search for her husband, a decades-old secret her mother took to the grave threatens to destroy all she holds dear. Caught up in a web of betrayals and deceit, and not knowing who to trust, Kathryn must find a way to survive as she discovers the past has a way of repeating itself.
I really enjoyed this book. Twisty and gripping. I did like Kathryn. Ooh didn't see that coming. Double twist. I do hope there is more to come. 4*.

Kathryn Landry is an interior designer living in Southern California. She comes home from work one day to discover that her husband has disappeared, emptying his half of the closet and bathroom drawers. It’s almost exactly how her father disappeared 20 years earlier. Not quite trusting the police since they never solved her father’s disappearance, Kathryn begins investigating on her own with the help of a private investigator client of hers. Initial clues indicate her husband Neil may have been having an affair, but after several attacks on Kathryn herself, it seems there is more than meets the eye to this mystery.

Okay, the pros. This was a thrilling book that was really hard to put down. The crazy events and reveals just kept on coming! Also, it was relatively clean. I was worried that it would be sketchy when the prologue was a scene involving a naked prostitute, but there wasn’t anything super sexual besides that, and the language was minimal.

Now the cons. The writing was not good. Some scenes were repetitive and I felt like I was having deja vu. The author got too caught up in detailed descriptions which kind of took me out of the story. She’d provide overly detailed descriptions of minor characters who were in one scene and then never were seen again. The brand name dropping was ridiculous. Every outfit was described in a detailed list of what designer brand each item was from. There was a new kind of wine opened up every night. Yes, you want descriptive writing, but it was too much and, as I said, it took me out of the narrative.

Also, the characters were kind of all over the place. Kathryn at times seemed weak, like the time she was sniveling and shrieking about not wanting to ID a dead body. Other times she was cool and collected, like the time she was playing along with her captor to try to convince him she’d work with him while she was really plotting her escape. I have a hard time believing the same person could react so differently in the various scenarios. Other characters were similarly out of character at times. The romances also bothered me. First we have John, her P.I. client who was putting the moves on her when her husband had been missing for, like, a day, and kept refusing to take no for an answer. But we’re supposed to forgive him because he’s got an adorable seven year old daughter who adores Kathryn. Then there’s Mike, the detective handling her husband’s case as well as the one who headed up her father’s disappearance. He falls in love with her very quickly for no apparent reason. Thanks but no thanks to both.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free ebook.

This was a great book! I liked how the characters interacted with each other even with a slight bit of jealousy. I hope to read more books by K. A. Davis!

I have mixed feelings about this title. On one hand, there was enough mystery and intrigue to keep me going and on the other hand, the way the characters behaved was completely out of line. There was no propriety between the lead character Kathryn and the police detective who I think had to be at least 10 to 15 years elder to her. The dialogs between the characters and the general way in which they acted was quite childish and the ending just seemed to be quite convenient and hurried as if the author just wanted to finish the book. There were many questions asked and there was an epilogue of sorts that made me feel like the story was not complete. Throughout the whole story, there was nothing written about Kathryn's husband and the sort of person he was. The blurb was written much better than the story itself. I'm a little disappointed. Not one of the better NetGalley titles.

Great story by K.A. Davis. Really thrilling read, great characters and an enjoyable story. Highly recommend to others!!

The plot kept me interested, especially the flashbacks to the disappearance of her father vs. the present day situation that is being investigated. Plus, being familiar with that part of SoCal was an added bonus. I would highly recommend this book. I have no idea whether the descriptions of police procedure are accurate, but it felt very real for those readers that like that sort of thing.

The plot was intriguing but I found myself wanting more. I’m not exactly sure why but I wasn’t drawn in and engaged by this book.

This book was just unbelievable. I became disgusted with Katherine and couldn't wait for this book to end. I did not enjoy this at all.

This was a very complex and absorbing story. Lots of twists and turns and the dilemma of who to trust. I was pleased I got that one right. Some good characters and a seamless storyline with a great conclusion.

Love this domestic suspense thriller! It has an improbable/unlikely setup, but it's highly entertaining and makes for a great novel that you can't put down. I especially loved this book because I live in southern California and I'm extremely familiar with Newport Beach (my husband and I go on a retreat there every year). The familiar setting made it even easier to get immersed in the story. Highly recommended for a book that will keep your heart racing and keep you turning the pages.

I loved this book! I always love cold case stories. I felt I could connect to this story because at one point in my life I had someone vanish from my life in a crazy way and plan to write a book about it that would be inspired by true events. This book was suspenseful and had twists and turns that had kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this book and plan to read more of this author’s books!

Very twisted plot!! I enjoyed the suspense and intrigued. This book is a must read.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.
An interesting plot with lots of twists and turns which kept me reading despite the fact that the main character repeatedly made me cringe. The plot itself should contain a trigger warning since it describes sexual abuse of women, most of the male characters are overbearing and controlling and the main female character allows men to abuse her and engages in relationships with 2 other men while her husband is missing. I was going to give this book 3 stars because of its readability. While writing this, I changed my mind and am giving it 2. I would hate to think that any woman would find the women in this book to be role models.

I liked this book and the storyline. A woman’s husband is missing, similar to her father’s disappearance years before. The recipes and links at the end were a bonus! Although the storylines were compelling, some of the characters’ actions were not believable.

The first two pages of this book are amazing. And then the story begins. Kathryn Landry's husband has disappeared under very similar circumstances to her father's unsolved disappearance 20 years before. As an interior designer, she is working with a private investigator on redoing his residence and she asks for his help. Then she finds out the police detective assigned her husband's case is the same one who never solved her father's disappearance. As the two investigators square off against each other, Kathryn is played back and forth, never quite knowing who to trust. The mystery itself is quite compelling but it's difficult to keep track of all the twists and turns and who knows what. Some of the action just plain stretches credibility.

The writing never quite lives up to the story line. There is a lot of activity thrown at the reader and that keeps the pages turning but it is easy to figure out who did it and why. Some of those twists keep readers engaged to the bitter end but what's missing are finely developed and relatable characters. It's almost as if one character did not really hear the dialogue attributed to another character. The mystery and its layers are very interesting but the execution is somewhat lacking.

I loved this book, although I will admit yelling at Kathryn a few times when she seemed to take some really stupid and unnecessary risks! The continuing mystery of the disappearance of her father, followed years later by the disappearance of her husband held my attention and made the book difficult to put down at the end of the day! I'll be watching for more books by K.A. Davis!

First her father vanishes. He's gone, just poof. Now, her husband has disappeared just like her dad did. Kathryn has been through a great deal, but she hasn't figure out how to stand up for herself yet. The book had a few unresolved issues, but they weren't so bad that I didn't like the rest of the story. There's a child with Rett's Syndrome. Those parts were interesting but feel forced into the plot. Over all, it's ok.

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

In this fast-paced, psychologically absorbent novel, we meet and travel with Kathryn Landry as she tirelessly seeks to find her husband. When her husband disappears without reason, Kathryn Landry begins a quest that will forever change her life. Having experienced a similar mysterious disappearance involving her father, her emotions are high.

With winding plots of past rapes, murders, disappearances, collusion, and much more, the cover of this book belies the intense story it hides.

Ever read a book, enjoy it while you're reading it, and then try to tell friends about it a couple of days later, only to realize that you can't recall a single memorable aspect of the story to discuss? This is the book you read!

A Game of Deceit
I am not usually a fan of murder mystery books, but occasionally for a change I would read one. I received this advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Kathryn 's husband Neil disappears without a trace, just like her father disappeared under the same circumstances 20 years ago. The same detective Williams ( what are the chances of this !!!???) investigates the disappearance who worked on her father's unsolved case years ago. Right from the beginning I thought the investigation by detective Williams was very unorganized and unprofessional. Instead of questioning witnesses professionally, he randomly asks questions here or there, drags Kathryn with him to a crime scene a few hours after she was in a car accident and lost consciousness. Then he drags her to his burning house to help her evacuate his belongings. Give me a break! Kathryn wants to find the truth, yet she hides evidence from the investigator? I could go on and on with totally contrived acts.
This book was the perfect example why I don't like and read mysteries. Two stars at best.
Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy.