I didn’t realise this was part of a series when I picked it up but still felt I was able to follow it as a stand-alone. Good start and ending but felt a little slow in the middle

I struggled with this book and found myself skimming through it. I didn’t realise it was part of a series. Not for me I’m afraid.

I didn't realise this was part of a series until after I had finished reading it but I didn't feel like I missed anything from not having read the previous books. It was fast-paced but unfortunately, it didn't hold my attention the way police thrillers normally do.

This is the fourth book in the series, and unfortunately I haven't read the previous books in the series. I don't think I missed too much references, but I will go back to the beginning! This was a thrilling ride, from beginning to end, and I really enjoyed it. Can't wait for some more. Recommended.

This was an intriguing police procedural that held my attention from start to finish. The two main characters were really interesting and multi-faceted and I enjoyed their relationship. The book moved at a steady pace and there were no boring bits.

Very, very strange story, which at first seemed to contain pages of download error, then I realised a message was actually hidden in these pages, and throughout the book. The story began to emerge reflecting modern internet usa for criminal activities. Sorry, not my cup of tea!

Another well written and fast paced book by Anne Randall. Detectives Wheeler and Ross are investigating a murder and the disappearance of the victim's daughter. Set in Glasgow, the plot is excellent, strong characterisation and students from The College of Visual Arts provide plenty drama to interest the reader. Another winner from the author which I would recommend. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC. Reviews on Goodreads and Facebook with Amazon to follow.

Deceived is the first book by Anne Randall that I have read and it was a very good police procedural thriller which kept me entertained throughout.

The two main characters, Ross & Wheeler, are well formed and not forced with their own personalities showing through

My only slight disappointment was that, at times the story felt slightly disjointed and I woul have preferred a little bit more about a couple of the characters were featured early one.

That saying I will look to read the previous books in the series and the next book by this author

Recommended

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for a review copy of Deceived, the fourth novel to feature Glasgow detectives Wheeler and Ross.

When Michael O’Donnell is murdered Wheeler and Ross are struggling to find a motive and to make matters worse his seriously ill eighteen year old daughter, Paula, is missing but she’s not the only one as 41 year old Sarah Price has gone out on a date and not returned.

Deceived is an interesting, mature novel and is sure to appeal to many readers. Unfortunately it didn’t hold my attention and I felt lost throughout much of it, not getting a sense of direction or forward momentum until close to the end. I really enjoyed the procedural parts with Wheeler and Ross and would have preferred the novel to be told exclusively from their point of view as they are well rounded characters with a good if occasionally fraught working relationship. Wheeler runs a good investigation and her thinking is logical but it is not particularly detailed as Ms Randall has chosen to spread her attention. Thus the investigation is interspersed with other points of view, some of which seem unrelated until the denouement. I found it a chore to read through these unexplained narratives.

The characterisation is strong, not just Wheeler and Ross who are established characters but many of the supporting cast are identifiable as people you might know.

I also enjoyed the Glasgow setting. While I’m not overly familiar with the east end of Glasgow where the police station is I like being able to recognise the landmarks and geography although having said that I wouldn’t say that the novel is particularly Glaswegian in its dialogue or vernacular.

Deceived is a well written novel whose format simply didn’t appeal to me.

Anne Randall writes an intense crime story, overflowing with intrigue, where absolutely nothing can be taken at face value. The two Glasgow based detectives, DI Kat Wheeler and Acting DI Steven Ross have a complicated and close relationship, one in which Ross has hopes of getting together with Kat. Kat is the driven and determined person, focused on getting results, Ross is uncertain that the life of a police officer is for him, he is certainly not committed to working his cases hard, and he has health issues. Kat is not aware of Ross's feelings where she is concerned, but that might be an effort to not see what she doesn't what to see. A confident and self assured journalist, Sebastian Hawk, is embedded in the police team, he looks like George Clooney, is a dream cook and a talented artist. Hawk is the cousin of Aubree, a woman obsessed with Ross, but whom Ross has not an iota of interest in, thus not endearing himself to Hawk. Hawk is Kat's neighbour, and is definitely interested in her, but is he the right man for her?

41 year old Sarah Price is divorced, with a husband, Ian, who just will not let her go. Her son, Nick, has divulged aspects of her love life after being bullied by his father. So when Sarah goes on a dating site and finds a potentially perfect man, she tells no-one. She travels by train to meet the man, only to go missing on the night. 39 year old Michael O'Donnell is a widower, and a dedicated father and full time carer for his 18 year old epileptic daughter, Paula. He is a governor at the College of Visual Arts (CoVA) that Paula and Nick Price attend. Michael is found brutally stabbed and murdered in his home, and his vulnerable, at risk, Paula, is missing, she has been abducted. There is huge concern for Paula with her health issues, and is there any connection with the disappearance of Sarah Price? Paula and Sarah are not the only women to have gone missing in the past. CoVA is a hotbed of enmities, rivalries and ambition, amongst staff and students, and who or what is dEADdOG? Wheeler and Ross find themselves in the most twisted and dangerous of investigations.

Randall writes a dark and compulsive piece of brutal crime fiction in which she takes us into the disturbing world of young art students, full of intense emotions, the need to fit in, the bullying, their vulnerabilities, and the ambitions. Many come from dysfunctional families, often bursting with rage, or ennui, seriously messed up, not caring whether they live or die. Within this heavy melodrama is the drama of the Wheeler, Ross and Hawk spiky relationship triangle. This is a engaging, if terrifying read at times. I should warn readers their are instances of animal abuse in the book. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.

The two main detectives in this story, Wheeler and Ross, struggle to work out who killed two people and possibly abducted two more and so did I. There were so many different things going on, people witholding evidence or denying the truth, as the snow coated the city and distorted everything, that I had no idea whodunnit! Add to that an invasive journalist, an obsessive ex-lover, some health scares, and the author ticked all the boxes.

This was an excellently written multi-faceted murder story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although there are other books in the series I haven't read them but that wasn't a disadvantage nor were there spoilers which would prevent me from taking them on out of order.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed the previous books in the series or who wants to discover an exceptional writing talent.