2 stars.

I’ve never read a political thriller before, so I was intrigued with the premise of this one. I thought it was just okay. I didn’t feel like it left me on the edge of my seat like other thrillers I’ve read, and I was able to predict what would happen a mile away.

I didn’t particularly care for the narrator either - I found him to be robotic sounding, almost like an AI voice.

I’m not sure if other political thrillers are normally this tame, but I’m not sure I would read another by this specific author. The idea was somewhat original, but it’s hard to call a book a thriller if it’s not thrilling.

Deep Fake is a fast-paced political thriller/mystery. The narration was excellent and I enjoyed the story. This book will be popular with library patrons.

I am a library associate and received an advance copy from #NetGalley.

The decisions made in Washington, D.C., set the foundation for how government leaders steer the country. It produces laws and remarkable political careers, but while some careers lead to the White House, only a few individuals reach the U.S. presidency.

Deep Fake considers what would happen if you could stagger the steps to the presidency to secure it for yourself. Yet, in this case, it's a country meddling in U.S. politics to secure the ultimate prize, the presidential seat.

Deep Fake tells the tale of a man who's not bound for the presidency but instead works a sinister plan to get there. In the process, he uses deception, fooling almost everyone.. almost everyone.

The book reawakened my interest in thrillers. I especially enjoyed it because its setting is in the D.C. metropolitan area where I reside. I started listening to the audiobook during a Sunday drive to visit a museum by the Washington monument. The drive helped spur my imagination; it established scenes and settings and drew me deeper into the story.

I was hoping the twist would tap into the technologies of A.I. to explain duplicative features. However, it took a safe route instead. Regardless, other aspects of the story were well-researched and the settings well-established.

I look forward to the movie.

Deep Fake: A Thriller by Ward Larsen
Narrated by Braden Wright
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Expected Publication Date: March 14, 2023

Deep Fake is standalone mystery by Ward Larsen. This book grabbed my attention from the very start and did not let go until the very end!

I think the scariest part of this book is that the premise is totally plausible. I loved seeing how everything was unraveled and was captivated by this book! The story was engaging, fascinating and so fast paced. The characters were interesting and well developed.

The narration by Braden Wright was incredible! I loved how he brought this book to life!

I highly recommend reading Deep Fake! I can't believe this is the first book I've read by Ward Larsen...I know it won't be the last!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is an awesome book. I figured out that it was a different person early on but I thought there was plastic surgery done. Surprise think again. It had a few " I never saw that coming" moments and I like that as I usually guess the end before it happens in most books. Well done.

This booked combined two of my favorite things, politics and thrillers. It’s full of twists and turns and well-written. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys politics, thrillers, or both!

This book is insane. It starts off grabbing your attention then it just pulls you in more and more. I can not believe how this book turned out. I was not prepared nor expecting it. So many twists and turns and it all grabs you and makes you just stop and wait a second. This is such a great thriller. I am so glad I was able to read it.

A little bit of back story about me. I am not political, I never have been and do not think I ever will be. I do not typically read or watch anything that has to do with politics and I never have had any interest to start. Why am I leading with this? Well, Deep Fake is a political thriller and this is in my short list of my favorite books.

I have a preschool level of understanding when it comes to politics and I grasped every part of this book so you will not need any knowledge of politics or political parties to enjoy this story.

Bryce is an ex-army ranger who is now a United States senator. There is a terrorist attack that Bryce single-handedly stops. He becomes a National here and then is pushed to be the next president of the United States.

Following the accident, Bryce’s wife Sarah starts to notice something’s off with Bryce. Sarah is worried that he may have aggravated an old combat injury. He is forgetful and just not being himself.

The story hits the gas and just does not stop. I could not wait to find out what was going on with Bryce and where the story would go. This is a story that I will be thinking about for a long time.

Bryce Ridgeway is a US Congressman and retired Army Ranger. When he acts quickly at a political event to prevent a bombing, he is thrust into the limelight and asked to run for President. His wife is not so sure it's a good idea and worries about some subtle changes in her husband's personality. The events that transpire are shocking and filled with action and intrigue.

I almost didn't request this book, but am so glad I did. It kept me riveted, wondering how this was going to resolve. And, it also made me a little frightened about how realistic this story was--could it actually happen today? I think so. The plot was fast-paced and intricate, and the characters were very interesting. The narrator made them come alive.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Ward Larsen, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

New to the world of Ward Larsen, I was eager to see how this political thriller would sit with me. Larsen has a wonderful style of writing and ability to inject political flavouring into the text that left me able to see what was going on, while also witnessing some of the ‘new Cold War’ themes he wishes to put forward. The curious reader will surely enjoy the approach and the ease with which the plot develops. Ward Larsen is yet another author I need to add to my radar, as this was a wonderful first impression.

The Ridgeway household has been through a great deal of change over the last number of years. Bryce was a long-serving soldier in the Army, making his mark on superiors and earning a number of commendations before he was injured and sent back home. Thereafter, he agreed to run for Congress, easily winning a set in the House. His wife, Sarah, has always been the dutiful spouse, but secretly has wanted something a lot simpler. This is stymied when Bryce foils a terrorist plot at a Republican fundraiser and becomes a household name in an instant. Bryce Ridgeway is not only a hero, but may be the GOP’s answer for the upcoming presidential election. Bryce is not certain, neither is Sarah, yet both agree to let fate take them where it will.

With a weak incumbent, the race is on and Bryce seems to be the easy choice to secure the nomination and a spot in the White House. However, Sarah begins to feel something is off about her husband and the campaign in general. His memory loss is worse than it ever was when he returned home after his injury and Bryce appears to be acting even more strangely than usual. Sarah seeks some advice from a friend with connections to research and surveillance, opening up a private investigation into Bryce Ridgeway, candidate for US President.

Soon, Sarah comes to realise that her fears may not have been that far off, as Bryce’s actions are completely unlike the man she married. Sarah will stop at nothing to get to the truth, even as those around her try to dismiss her claims. But there is more to the story than this, as a group of Russians hiding in the shadows are watching their plan unfold and the future of the United States crumble, one day at a time. They must ensure solidarity to the cause, which means silencing anyone who could spoil things. Sarah Ridgeway might be their greatest hurdle, but with her bombastic comments, she’s sure to be laughed out of any situation she faces. Still... one can never be too careful. A chilling story by Ward Larsen that had me wondering if this could happen with ease, even more subtlety than the Trump ‘puppet of Russia’ scenario.

I enjoy a well-crafted political thriller as much as the next person, but there has to be an element of reality to hold my attention. While Ward Larsen’s story does appear to have a fanciful element on its surface, reading the book proves just how subtly the actions could be to have ultimate success. Larsen builds his story with ease and keeps the reader guessing until the final piece falls into place. I was hooked and could not stop myself from binge reading, just to see how things would play out. Truly a sign of a great writer who knows his stuff.

With a strong narrative flow, the story builds in all the right places and keeps the reader wanting more. Momentum develops throughout and keeps the reader riding the wave, with strong characters who offer side-stories and flavouring the main themes. Plot twists are key to this piece and Larsen knows just when the develop them and how to tease the reader. While I did not enjoy the original story about which this book is surely based, I can see how Ward Larsen has adapted it to make it work and proves the new Cold War could be even more troubling.

Kudos, Mr. Larsen, for such a great novel. I can only hope that other novels you have penned are just as intriguing.

I did the audiobook version of this--I prefer audiobooks that are generally page-turners in some way, and if I'm going to read a physical book, let it have a bit more oomph to it. I have a thing, too, for escape fiction to cross into Washington DC, so I appreciated that. The plot of the book was a little overly silly, the twists a bit too much. It isn't one I'd recommend, but I'm glad to have checked it out.

Really enjoyed this book. Would highly recommend. Engrossing and suspenseful. Narrator was great. Pleasant to listen to.

This book was explosive in so many ways. The comparisons to the Manchurian Candidate feel spot on. I mostly read domestic thrillers, but this book inspired me to check out more political thrillers. I liked this book due to the fast pace. There's always something happening; even when you're sure you figured something out, there's another layer.

I enjoyed the narrator; he had an excellent voice. My only constructive criticism is that when the narrator did female voices, it sounded strange. This book has three prominent women characters, so it happened quite a bit. I would have liked a female-sounding voice for those parts.

Thanks for the advance review copy.

I am very thankful for the opportunity to listen and review this one, but it was just not my favorite slice of the pie, as they say. I am a thriller girl, through and through, and I don't even mind adding politics to the situation. Still, I am very liberally-driven, so when I got glimpses of ring-wing conservatism in this book's pages, I was immediately deterred.

Deep Fake is an all too believable political thriller and story of espionage. We think we know who the good guys are, we think we could spot an imposter, we think we could figure out when political big shots were literally pulling our legs for their own agenda. But Deep Fake shows that the way our political system operates – short term outlooks because the immediate goal is the next election - what transpires in Deep Fake could be all too real and really scary!

Really thrilling book, and the part I loved most was the computer science superpower of the female lead's best friend. The premise for her work and how it impacted plot was fantastic. Enjoyed it, start to finish.

BLOWN AWAY! I am truly at a loss for words on this audiobook!!! I was not expecting this to be one of the best reads this year!!!

Setting the Scene: The Ridgeways appear to be the quintessential American family. Sarah is a stay-at-home mom who supplements the family income working remotely as an editor. Alex is a young teen and good student whose interests are soccer and friends. Bryce is a war veteran and junior congressman, soon to be running for re-election. Their lives are inexorably changed the day Bryce stops a terrorist bombing at a well attended political fund raiser. After that, nothing is the same.

What I thought: To say I liked this book would be a gross understatement. It held my attention from the beginning and never let up. The plot and characters are well developed. Bryce may be a trained combat vet, but Sarah, Alex, and Sarah's friend, Claire, are strong, resourceful women in their own right. This story has it all, family, friendship, betrayal, espionage, very cool cyber investigation tools, and plenty of action. I could not put it down and highly recommend it to fans of David Baldacci and Brad Thor.

Deep Fake by Ward Larsen is a political conspiracy that will have you asking how well do you know your spouse?

To be honest, this audiobook missed the mark for me. I must have became very spoiled to narrators that would change into characters when needed. The narration by Braden Wright was the same throughout. To me, the variety of narration keeps the book from being boring.

The pace was very slow. The story didn't ramp up until about the last 1.5 hours of the audio.

WOW! This may have been my introduction to Ward Larsen but I'm already anticipating my next read, hopefully soon! The author certainly provided great insight into the book's title and all that it reflected.
Congressman Brian Ridgeway is attending a political reception in Washington, DC, when he prevents a terrorist attack from happening. He is catapulted into the political limelight and the suspenseful ride takes off from there.
This book is not simply a "whodunit" but a fast-paced, electrifying foray into the hidden international world of deception, reflecting on the Russian-American Cold War.
The terrific narrator does a superb job of accentuating the plots and sub-plots, creating an electrifying atmosphere. Listen to this book the first chance you get. It sticks with you for a long, long time.