Deception Cove

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read Deception Cove by Owen Laukanen.
This is Owen's new standalone book with new characters that is absolutely one of his best. From his first book, the Professionals, I have been a fan.
This book centers on three main characters - A young man newly released from prison, a young widow suffering from PTSD from her recent tour in the Middle East, and a dog, Lucy. Lucy was trained by prisoners at a program to help rehabilitate prisoners, and at the same time, integrate the dog back into society. Mason Burke did just that, and when he gets released from prison, he tries to find out how the dog is doing. He finds out that Lucy is ready to be put down because she bit someone. Mason can't believe it and he tries to find out where the dog is and what happened. Mason finds himself on the way to Deception Cove to investigate Lucy's future, and he there meets Jess WInslow, a recent widow, and a police force that is unwilling to help Mason save Lucy's life. As a matter of fact, they want Mason gone and back where he came from.
Mason and Jess love Lucy and are willing to risk their lives to save a dog that has saved their lives. But something is going on in Deception Cove, and now Jess, Mason, and Lucy have to fight for their lives to live there in peace. From start to finish, this book will have you on the edge of your seat. And, I think we have met a new couple for Owen to bring new stories to us that I am sure will be as good as this one.
RECOMMEND...5 stars.

ANYTHING, by Owen Laukkanen is well worth reading. He is a clear, seamless writer with an all-round excellent approach to characters and plot. This book is no exception, and the inclusion of Lucy, a rescued dog, is stellar. Lucy is the name of Laukkanen's own rescue dog and she is well loved on Instagram under MissLucy604.

Well done suspense/thriller. Almost a bit of role reversal. Jess the tough marine and Burke, the “killer ex con” who has never fired a gun. And of course Lucy the rescue dog trained by Burke.
The local deputies are terrorizing Jess for something her dead husband has stolen from them and in walks Burke to check on his rescue dog and all hell breaks loose. But not to fear because Jess will help Burke with shooting lessons, and Burke will help Jess with her PTSD. And we are left to hope everything turns out and there are enough people left to complete a sequel.
Good read. Thank you netgalley.

This book grabbed me from the start. Why? Glad you asked.

1. The characterizations are superb.
Jess and Mason both battle with doubts, fears, and wounds. They battle in different ways, though. Jess tends to plan and shoot, and considers the possibility of suicide. Mason, who reluctantly read the Bible in prison, lets it guide his actions. The tension between the two is clear from the start and it builds throughout the book.

It’s interesting that Laukkanen gives little-to-no physical description of either Mason or Jess. The only thing he mentions is that Mason is muscular. We’re given more physical description of sweet floppy-eared Lucy than our human protagonists! Yet my imagination filled in that gap and I had a distinct mental image of both Jess and Mason. I bet that if I compared mental descriptions with other readers’, our ideas would be different but they’d all be equally valid. I rather like this technique. It’s refreshing not to have a female protagonist’s appearance described in detail, and it’s refreshing to see both genders treated the same in this regard. Their appearance simply doesn’t matter for this story; their personalities and characters do.

2. The antagonists aren’t one-dimensional “bad” guys.
Laukkanen gives us their points of view and we see people like Kirby, his other officers, and the ironically-named drug trafficker Joy as people with aspirations and goals, dreams and fears.

They all have moments of humanity, moments when we, the readers, can identify with them. Who hasn’t dreamed of great accomplishments, only to find the world harder to conquer than we’d realized? Who hasn’t lived with the disappointment of not fulfilling their potential? Or made a wrong decision and lived to regret it? Or want a better life for their family? Or desperate to solve a problem? I can identify with these things. So can the antagonists. It makes them human and desperate, but not beyond redemption.

The terrific characterizations don’t stop with the major characters, though. Even minor characters, such as Shelby (Kirby’s secretary and Ty’s fling), have a surprising amount of depth. Sure, she was screwing Ty while his wife was deployed, but she’s capable of loyalty, courage, and sacrifice.

3. Lucy is a well-developed canine character.
Lucy has her own battles to fight. She was rescued from abusers who planned to use her for dogfights. Thanks to flashbacks to the prison training program, we get to see her grow from a terrified dog, unwilling to leave her kennel, to a loving, if skittish, dog whose loyalty to her troubled owner puts her at risk.

But she’s not one-dimensional, either. She can act perturbed at certain . . . um, bedroom activities, or distressed at Jess’ nightmares, or playful with Mason. She even acts the “traitor” by cozying up to minor characters (to the disgust of her owner) and “helps” Jess and Mason get more information than they otherwise would’ve received. Dogs are natural icebreakers.

4. Laukkanen flips gender expectations.
Without giving away major plot points, let’s just say that there are times when Jess is more knowledgeable about traditionally “male” things than Mason. But Mason has the courage to ask for help and is willing to accept Jess as a leader. That endears him to her and to us.

5. Laukkanen raises the stakes throughout the book.
It’s not enough just to make the situation bad. He has to keep making it worse. And right when I thought things couldn’t get worse, guess what? They do. Plenty of action. Plenty of twists and turns.

This is a powerful novel. The possibility of redemption runs throughout the story. People lose their way, sometimes through their own fault and sometimes not, but they can be rescued. Like Lucy, the rescue dog, they need others to give them a chance. Deception Cove isn’t just another adrenaline rush thriller, easily read and forgotten. This is a story that will haunt you, move you, and make you look at others differently.

(Note: I received a copy of Deception Cove in exchange for an honest review. This review also appears on Goodreads. It will also appear on my blog after 5/10/19.

This book is a powerful start to a new series. The characterizations are excellent! The author engages you and you can relate with each character, good or bad.
Jess and Mason are both “broken” but they can each help the other. Right now, they need to save Lucy, the dog they both love.
May thanks to Mulholland Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.