Thank you to Quercus Books & Netgalley for a copy of this book.
I had no pre-conceptions as I had never read anything by Karen Cole before but I certainly will be doing now.

Amazing!! I won’t bother telling you anything you can find in the description & I won’t put any spoilers up but this book had me guessing until the very end.

There were a few “gasp out loud” moments and even when I thought I knew where the book was heading it would twist again (and again).
I really feel that you get to know the characters of Joanna, her daughter Grace & husband Chris through the book along with other characters and I like how the book would go back in time to give you some back story and although at the time you do just think it is background history at the end it all comes together marvellously.

Fabulous book, easy to read but hard to put down!

OMFG!!!!

A PERFECT FAMILY OR A PERFECT LIE?

When Jo's teenage daughter goes missing, she feels like the world is collapsing around her. Has Grace been taken or have recent tensions between mother and daughter driven her away?

I finished this book after a few days after Karen Cole had me twisted up in knots. As I read, I looked with disdain at every single man in this book. Which evil jerk was involved in Grace's disappearance? Why is every man a douche? Why are my palms sweating? Why do I need a valium?

But the last few chapters. Strap in children!!! STRAP IN!!! Yes, there were clues if you're sharp but even if you think you know, you're not even ready for this!!!! BRAVA!!!!

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

After loving this author's first book, 'Deliver Me', this one was instantly a must read for me, and I wasn't disappointed. Yes some characters could of been written a little more tightly but the whole book had me gripped from start to finish! With a compellingly intense heart-pounding story, I can't wait for this author's next!

WoW...........Deceive Me by Karen Cole was just a cracking read! I just loved it. It's full of twists and turns and you will be hooked from the first chapter. With an explosive ending and you may not see that coming!

I love a book especially as it was told in two time periods. The present and the past. it builds a great story of the main characters Joanne and Grace's mother and daughter relationship.

Brilliant read and highly recommend especially for a holiday read.

Big Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely fantastic had me gripped!!! Loved it! Can't wait for more from.this author. Storyline was great, characters were easy to.connect with

Thank you for the advanced copy

This one is hard for me to review. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 90% of this novel. It was the first book set in Cyprus that I've ever read, and I learned a lot about the history/climate/area. It's about a family who moved to Cyprus from the UK to get their daughter (Grace) away from her much older boyfriend, who they think is a bad influence on her. Little do they know that this boyfriend will simply move to Cyprus to be with Grace.

The girl's mother (Jo) and stepfather, as well as her half brother, panic when she goes missing. Naturally they suspect the boyfriend, but the police suspect someone closer to home. There is a twist ending, and I hated it. The incest angle was not a pleasant surprise and I honestly wouldn't have started reading it had I known that would happen.

Deceive Me by Karen Cole may be the most twisted book I have read this year. Jo and her family moved to beautiful sunny Cypress. She lived her once in what feels like another life and is happy to return. Leave the baggage of England behind her. Start anew.

But her daughter, Grace, is 16 and has become a teenage terror. They were always so close until Grace's boyfriend and hormones got in the way. One day Grace goes missing. Jo knows something is wrong. The police think she ran away, or maybe Jo's husband, Grace's stepfather, made Grace disappear.

Can Jo trust her own family or the police to find Grace? She knows Grace's friends are hiding details that she needs to know to get her daughter back. Is Grace just a teenage runaway or is something more sinister in the works? Jo has secrets in her past - what role does her secrets play in her daughter's disappearance?

Wow, blew my mind. The twists - I didn't see them coming. I loved this book and I am looking forward to reading more by Ms. Cole.

Another great book written by Karen Cole. I never ever would have guessed what way the storyline was going to go. I was totally surprised by the ending. The main character Joanna moves with her husband and children to Cyprus. She is hoping for a new beginning or is she running from her past. When her 16 yr old daughter Grace goes missing, nothing will stop her from finding her. But will she like what she finds?

I have enjoyed Karen Cole’s previous books and this was another compelling read. Chris, Jo and their family are living in Cyprus when Jo’s teenage daughter goes missing. She has been seeing Tom, an older boyfriend and he is the first person to be questioned. Has she just run away or has she been abducted? Jo starts to question Grace’s friends and finds that there may be a reason for Grace to have run away as she may have uncovered a deep dark secret that Jo has been hiding. The story is told in the present where Grace is missing and in the past as we follow Jo’s life. The tension builds as so many secrets are revealed with lots of twists and turns and an ending that left me gasping. A gripping read, well recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book
.

Deceive Me
Karen Cole
Publication Date: July 1, 2019
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

DECEIVE ME is a story full of secrets and a mothers worst nightmare.( their child is missing) It is told from two perspectives Jo ( Grace's mother) in the present day and Jo seventeen years ago. However, the story is mostly set in the present day of 2017
( surrounding Grace's disappearance) we do get flashbacks of the past through Jo as she started work as a Nanny . I loved the fact that the story is told by the mother completely leaving us in the dark as to the whereabouts of Grace. Is she alive and in danger ? Dead ? Or did she simply ran away ?

To me the book is very slow paced and it took me awhile to get into it. I was almost to the point of giving up (about 50 % into the book )when it really got my attention . So dont give up , I promise it gets better. There are many twists ,turns and secrets throughout this book. It's hard to pick who to believe. All of the characters are well developed and they all had a secret that they were keeping . None of them wanted their secret exposed. The biggest twist however came at the end . It totally blew me away .

And as always if you read a book please leave a reviews. Reviews are important to authors.
I just want to say I reviewed a digital arc copy of this novel, (at my own request) from Quercus Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion.

Firstly Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

The book visits the current and past life of it's main character Jo and is centered around her missing daughter Grace. it shows the affects that the past can have on the present.

When I first starting reading the book I thought I already had the plot in the bag and this happened a couple of times however the story had lots of twists and turns and it's not as obvious as you first suspects, kept me guessing till the end.

Brilliant! This book had me from the first page, the story of a missing daughter and the frantic search to find her was enthralling. As tiny clues emerged and the backstory filled in the essential details I just couldn’t put it down. I felt such empathy for the desperate mother and was hoping for the best outcome. The shocking twist had me gasping and I can’t begin to describe how it made me feel.

This was a complimentary ARC from netgalley - the opinions below are mine and unbiased

Wonderful page turner - kept me on the edge of my seat

At first I wondered whether I liked this book because it is based in Cyprus and I live in Cyprus. I kept coming across places I know well and in a way it detracted from the story a little. However, as I got into the book I became enthralled by the plot and the psychological twists and turns. It was fascinating to learn the back story to what was happening and I must admit I did not see the ending coming.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next Karen Cole.
Thank you Netgalley, Quercus and especially Karen Cole for giving me the opportunity to read this advance copy so that I could give my unbiased review.

(Also posted on my GR account!)

Deceive Me started out with a weak opening, a case that wasn't really captivating; and I realised that I might be too desensitised because I've read numerous psychological thrillers before. DM was flat out boring in the beginning and I pondered if the book was far suitable for the family drama tag rather than the mystery it said.

Although I have to admit, the writing was good. I was able to devour the words easily and it wasn't a chore at all to continue reading despite the uninteresting premise. There were several mistakes, such as using dialogue mark when it wasn't a dialogue, but I didn't care enough to be too nitpicky.

The plot/pace thickens after 70% mark. Everything started to unravel and bit by bit we got the glimpses of what might happened, then, it got really interesting. I like the twist, the resolution, and the ending. They were enough to console my boredom throughout the first half of the story.

A great overall read and a definite page-turner! Jo's daughter, Grace, disappears and no one can find where she has vanished to. Jo and her husband Chris look everywhere, but they cannot find either her or a reason as to why Grace has run away. Its full of suspense, and I liked the fact that even up until the final few chapters I had not guessed what had happened.

Deep, dark secrets. Dysfunctional families. Unrelenting intrigue. And a powerful twist at the end!

I wasn't sure what to expect from Karen Cole's DECEIVE ME, but it wasn't this! I thought it would be another missing child/runaway teen thriller...but I was wrong. So very wrong. What it was...was just WOW! And that conclusion was so unexpected.

Joanna and her husband Chris have relocated to the island of Cyprus with their two children, Grace and Jack. From the very beginning, we learn that Grace has disappeared from school on Monday morning, having been absent from her classes, leaving Jo in a state of panic. They call in the police who don't appear overly concerned but rather more jovial with each contact, dismissing Grace as a teenage runaway who will soon return home. But Jo knows different. Grace wouldn't just leave, would she?

Their move to Cyprus had been to give Grace a fresh start...and some distance from her boyfriend, Tom, who Jo felt was far too old for her. But Tom, it appears, picked up his whole life and followed them to the Mediterranean isle to be near Grace. Could he know where Grace is? Chris is convinced he has something to do with her disappearance and can barely contain his anger. But Jo isn't so sure.

As Jo searches for answers, she does everything she can to find Grace. Questioning her friends, Tom and even searching her room. Jo is under no illusions that her relationship with her daughter has been tense lately, but it's only because Jo wants what's best for her...and doesn't want her making the same mistakes she did. But as Jo delves into Grace's life she realises how little she really knows her daughter.

From early on, we learn that Chris is Grace's stepfather though she adores him and considers him to be her only father. Whilst growing up, Grace showed no interest in her biological father stating that if he was at all interested in her then he has had 15 years to seek her out...and he hasn't. So when Jo learns that Grace had crossed to the northern side of Cyprus, where her biological father Hakan (a Turkish Cypriot) lives, she begins to wonder if she went looking for answers herself. It prompts Jo to visit Hakan herself as she is reminded of her last summer in Cyprus seventeen years ago, before she had Grace. And the past that she has so desperately tried to escape comes back to haunt her.

DECEIVE ME is told from two perspectives - Jo in the present day and Jo seventeen years ago. This dual timeline was incredibly effective as we meet the much younger 17 year old Jo facing the challenges of her life at the time which led her to take up a post in Cyprus with Hakan and his wife Helen. Whilst the story is primarily set in the present day of 2017 surrounding Grace's disappearance, we get snapshots of the past through Jo's eyes which has ultimately culminated into the present day events.

Jo's loneliness could be felt within the pages as she returned home to England, to her mother's house to find her useless junkie stepfather shacked up with someone named Mandy. But the reader could really get a sense no more than when Jo went into labour and gave birth to little Gracie. Then came Hakan's promises...quickly followed by his excuses. And Jo's life changed course in a way you never saw coming.

Characters such as Jo, Chris, Grace, Tom and even the useless Dave were all well-developed. Even Hakan was developed enough for the part he played in the story but boy I could have smacked him on more than one occasion! And when Dave turned up in Cyprus, I just knew this could only mean trouble. I just didn't think he was smart enough to put the pieces together. Jo irritated me a little. Particularly when she told Chris "No more lies" and then proceeded to continue lying to him herself! I found the police a little patronising at times but that could just be down to the language and cultural barrier. Detective Dino did try his best to keep Jo and Chris at ease, treated them with respect throughout and didn't let personal opinions cloud the investigation. Despite playing such a minor role in the story. But everyone else? Everyone else was suspect.

I really enjoyed watching Jo's story unfold throughout the two timelines, wondering what would happen next and if she would just wake up to Hakan. It's abundantly clear to everyone but 17 year old Jo that he didn't really care for her; he just wanted to get his leg over. And then the older Jo, searching for her missing daughter, you had to wonder - just what is she trying to hide?

DECEIVE ME is not a fast paced story but it is unpredictable at almost every turn. Just when you thought you knew how it would turn out, everything is turned on its head! By the end, pretty much anything could happen...and it did! Even when the reveal of Jo's big secret came I was shocked I didn't even see it coming! And it didn't stop there...the shocks just kept coming...and coming! And then that ending?! WOW! I don't even have the words.

A very different missing teenager story, DECEIVE ME will even have the reader deceived! A definite recommend.

I would like to thank #KarenCole, #NetGalley and #QuercusBooks for an ARC of #DeceiveMe in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

What a fabulous storyline. It was a true page-turner. Where is Grace?!

Joanna and Grace’s relationship is strained. Joanna doesn’t like Grace’s boyfriend who is older than her and has come over from England where they met.
Joanna goes to pick Grace up from school and she’s not there and she’s not been to school all day.Has she run away or has she been taken..Joanna thinks Grace’s boyfriend has something to do with her disappearance but do Grace’s friends no more ???
This story is told in the past and present day by Joanna.
There are many twists and turns in this book. But a great big one at the end which I would never of guessed .
Well done Karen Cole for keeping me gripped.
Thank you also NetGalley

Ooooo, I do love a bit of a dysfunctional family, especially one where there are deep, dark secrets from the past, bubbling under, threatening to explode into the present!
Jo and Chris have two kids. They have recently relocated to Cyprus for a fresh start. One morning, Jo drops her children, Jack and Grace, off at school but, come time to collect them, only Jack is there waiting; Grace is absent. Jo rings round her friends and boyfriend but none of them appear to know anything. Tempers have been frayed between Jo and Grace for a while, has she just run away or is there more to her disappearance than meets the eye?
Oh my days! This book had me running around, chasing my tail throughout. Every time I thought I had it all sorted, the author threw me yet another curve ball, sending me off in a completely different direction. I was pretty dizzy by the time we got to the eventual truth.
The story is told in two timelines, the present where Grace is missing and, in the past, as we follow Jo as she started work as a Nanny. These two timelines weave seamlessly around each other, with the past divulging information at exactly the right time to colour and explain what is happening in the present as the layers of intrigue are peeled back until the shocking, brutal truth is finally exposed.
Pacing was on the whole very good although I did feel that the ending was a little rushed but that feeling might have been attributed more to my eagerness to get to the end once we were on the final furlong.
Characterisation was also very good. Although I didn't always like the characters, especially as I got to know some of them, there was always some connection there and that always helps me care what happens to them. A key element to my enjoyment of a book.
All in all, a great read that held my attention nicely throughout and which left me wholly satisfied at its conclusion. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.