
AUTHOR: Natalie Walters
DATE: 2019
PUBLISHER: Revell
STARS: ****
Independent and tenacious journalist Vivian DeMarco is back in Walton, Georgia, for one reason: to do her job and get out. When her boss suddenly dies under suspicious circumstances, Vivian's only hope for finding the truth—and the next big story—is small-town law enforcement's lanky poster boy, Deputy Ryan Frost. But the deeper they dig, the more twisted the truth becomes. False leads, incriminating emails, and someone called the Watcher force Vivian to fight for answers—and her life.
Deadly Deceit is a story of presumptions, suspicions, and learning to trust. When Vivian’s boss and mentor dies in spite of her best efforts, she becomes tangled in a web of deceit and danger.
The last time she spent time in Walton (in the previous book, Living Lies which I read but didn’t remember), Ryan saw her tenacity but not her compassion. His distrust of her and attraction to her create their own tension even as they are forced to work together to find the Watcher before he strikes again.
I enjoyed getting to know Ryan and Vivian through this story, even though I couldn’t picture them clearly. Vivian is referred to as a brunette beauty; I wanted more details on her and Ryan’s appearances to make them real in my mind.
The twists and turns in the plot line kept me reading and guessing—the mark of good suspense writing. Faith plays a part in both Vivian’s and Ryan’s character arcs, which I always appreciate.
I received a copy of this book from Baker Publishing Group. Deadly Deceit earns four stars.