Deception – Deception, Book 1

Kathryn
Scarborough
Genre: 
Historical

WWII FICTION: On the cusp of WWII, English MI5 Analyst Ian Richardson falls head over heels in love with and marries the beautiful and ambitious German filmmaker, Elsbet von Ripenhoff. Realizing war is imminent; Ian desperately wants his wife to return to England for the safety of her and their infant daughter. Determined to develop her documentary filmmaker career, Elsbet manipulates Ian's love for her to extend her time in Germany where she works as a Third Reich propagandist. Once war begins, the couple clash over family dynamics and country loyalties. Her dangerous entanglement with a secret SS group may become her undoing. Will Ian be able to get his family to safety before the ravages of war make it impossible? Will their marriage survive or be destroyed as a casualty of war fueled by ambition, betrayal, and deception?

A WWII drama showcasing how ambition and espionage collide to bring about the destruction of a family, "Deception" delivers an intriguing tale of disillusionment, treachery, and suspense. Although the couple's relationship is not an epic romance, the looming threat of war and the conflicting pursuits of Elsbet and Ian provides enough tension to the storyline to hold the attention of military war fiction fans. If readers can overlook the repetitive phrases, the slow pace, and the couple’s tepid chemistry, the story's attention to detail ascribed to the incredible world building and character motivations will keep the pages turning. The plot’s dysfunctional family dynamics and intriguing spy games are interesting and complex. Ms. Scarborough delivers a unique perspective on the different types of damage war causes for love, family, and country underscored with passion, betrayal, and danger.

Tonya Mathenia