I was fortune enough to get this as an ARC from the author and NetGalley. I’m new to A. West and I’m usually not into horror but I was pleasantly surprised by the paranormal along with the slow burn romance and the grandeur of the setting.

Well written and engaging, the second installment is so engaging! I had to read the first one to do this ARC review and I was not disappointed!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Amelie West for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for A Deadly Deception coming out July 17, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I didn’t read the first book, but I definitely need to check it out. I really love cozy historical mysteries. The characters were really good. I would definitely check out more books by this author!

Atmospheric and alluring, A Deadly Deception transports readers to 1930s New York on the cusp of a new year—where glittering chandeliers and velvet gowns mask chilling secrets.

Clara Dawson, still haunted by her time at Hollowfield House, hopes that the Grand Sterling Hotel’s New Year’s Eve gala will offer some comfort and a chance to reconnect with Tuck. But when a guest is found dead and a snowstorm seals the doors, glamour quickly gives way to dread. The danger is not just human—and Clara finds herself once again caught in the grip of something deeply unnatural.

Amelie West writes with graceful tension and emotional nuance, balancing gothic dread with elegant prose. Clara is a heroine shaped by trauma, yet full of resolve, making each step she takes into darkness both brave and poignant.

Part historical mystery, part supernatural thriller, A Deadly Deception is more than a mystery—it’s an exploration of what happens when the past refuses to stay buried, and the present dares to confront it.

Thank you to Amelie West, the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

West delivers a haunting tale of deception, cruelty, scars on the human psyche, murder and ghostly menace during a New Year's Eve Party in New York City after Prohibition has been repealed. While this is the second in the series (I didn't read the first one) you can understand what is going on and the author provides enough information to give some background to Clara, the main character's, ability to interact with the paranormal and her own baggage that makes her hesitant to open herself up to others. The author does a great job of creating a spooky atmosphere, depth to characters and a strong mystery. There were quite a few possible suspects that were at times hard to keep straight but overall, I thought it was well done.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I absolutely adore this series! Set in 1930s, it evokes Nancy Drew Mysteries if they were written for grown ups. The book touches on some serious themes, but it also has plenty of those nostalgic black and white movies vibes that I loved so much in the first one. Clara and her friends have gathered to celebrate New Year's Eve at an elegant hotel. There's a murder, and a ghost walking the halls, and the developing relationship between Clara and Tuck, which is complicated by a few pesky details from her past. I can't wait to see what's next for these characters!

This is a slow paced whodunit with a supernatural spin. It is beautifully written and peopled with well fleshed out characters that fit the story like pieces of a puzzle.
I liked that the main character who is expected to solve this mystery is not some confident, swaggering and pompous investigator but an individual besieged by doubts, unsure of herself and still trying to figure out her path in life. I loved it.
And for the record I am on Tuck’s side with that ending.

Wow! I have always loved mysteries, but the romantic layer made it even better. I also loved all the paranormal twists.

The author says you can read this as a standalone, but please, I beg you, read the first book first. The characters are all so fun to get to know, and the first book has such an amazing buildup and story that I feel you need before diving into this one. You -can- read as a standalone, but it's so much better as a duology.

You do get some flashbacks from the first one to understand everything and to refresh our poor memories. I loved it even though I read the first one because it didn't bog the story down and was done so cleverly. My brain was so thankful, so I didn't have to try and remember everything.

I'm obsessed with all of the characters in this novel. You have so many personalities that come together, and it was fun getting to know them all through the main character.

It's a beautifully written story that held me in its grip until the end. I loved every word of it.

Amelie West is an instant buy/read for me. Huge hit!

If I had any complaints, it would just be more private scenes and romantic scenes, but that's because I'm a romance reader. Even with closed door, this was flipping fantastic.

This was a great historical ghost mystery. The narrator did a great job. I can't wait for the next one.

I read Amelie West's debut book, and the first in the Clara Dawson series, earlier this year - and loved it - so I was super excited to read an ARC of this one . . . and I loved it even more than the first one!

The setting was divine, mixing the grand vintage hotel with a blustering snowstorm, and peppering over it all with NYE celebrations. I felt immersed immediately, like a guest in the hotel myself, and the vibes were just gorgeous from the very start. The mystery was great, and there were some scenes that genuinely scared me very much when I read them.

One of my favourite things about this book was the complicated dynamic between the friendship group. They felt like real people, and the dialogue between them all was natural, flowing well from one barb to the next, as the cracks in the surface of their friendship began to show.

Clara's development in this book was fantastic, and I liked her even more than I did in book one. I also enjoyed the progression of the romance with Tuck, and I adore them together.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading A Deadly Deception, and really hope there are more Clara Dawson books in the future! Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC :)

Amelie West has done it again! A great follow up to her debut novel. As with the previous book, the atmosphere of this book is written to perfection.

My only complaints with the book were with it being set at a party, there were a lot of characters to keep up with and it got confusing at times who was who, but if you laid out a list of a few things about each character as you read it could probably be easier. Still, this larger group of people did help aiding in the “whodunit” aspect of the novel, obviously.

I also didn’t fully agree with the ending, but I do understand where the characters were coming from. I just would’ve handled the situation differently if it were me.

Overall, a great, atmospheric, tense thriller/mystery. Last book I read from her, I recommended the book. Now, I’m recommending Amelie West. Not to repeat myself from my review of the first book, but I once again can’t wait to read the next one.

a new and lingering instalment to our series and back as intriguing as the last.
Amelie is truly brilliant at writing those emotive moments and get you right where she wants you to be in terms of your own tension and feeling throughout. the unease, unsettled and almost fear state i got coming from the pages was so well done. Amelie has a true gift for doing that her readers!
this book had some very special and important things to ponder over as well. done with such subtle touch it was totally part of the plot but definitely something that went much deeper for me too. whether she meant to or not i appreciated this touched upon with such clever writing.
we've also got Tuck. oh Tuck is here yay! those two. you guuuuuys. come on loved it! this was yet another brilliant addition to the book which makes it all the more gorgeous read to get engrossed in from start to finish. you care about our heroine, her relationships and also the plot. when you put all three of those things together in such a skillful way then you've got an all in book for me.
this series is getting better all the time.