Review: Deceived

Deceived by Randy Wayne White

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Book Info: Genre: Mystery
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of mysteries with strong women, set in Florida, fans of the author
Book Available: September 3, 2013 in Hardcover and Kindle editions
Trigger Warnings: pit bulls, sharks, murder, domestic violence, drug abuse, violence
Animal Abuse: pit bulls kept as watch dogs attack and Hannah has to hit them with a shovel to escape since they won't back off, then one is killed (by someone else); also the pit bulls had obviously been traumatized to become vicious

My Thoughts: I absolutely adored the first book in this series. The humor evinced by Hannah, and her true strength (as opposed to the often too-stupid-to-live stubbornness being pawned off as strength in too many modern works) really appealed to me, so I was incredibly psyched to have a chance to read this book!

I liked the story, don't misunderstand, but I was disappointed that it lacked the humor and warmth of the first story. Hannah exhibits compassion to a suicidal point when attacked and escapes by pushing her assailant into a fire-ant hill, only to come back and help said assailant instead of running away. She also really needs to stop with the negativity toward the gun; if you need protection, you better take a gun with you and be willing to use it.

On the other hand, I really liked Birdy. Hannah needed a female friend, and Birdy is a great foil to her deliberateness and straitlaced nature. I'm hoping Birdy will manage to loosen Hannah up a bit. I like her relationship with Doc Ford, but seem storm clouds on that horizon if she doesn't stop doubting herself all the time.

So, all-in-all, a disappointing second entry to this series, but not enough to keep me from continuing to follow the series for now. Fans of strong women characters, mysteries set in Florida, and of Randy Wayne White should check this book out. It'll be available in September, and I've included links above (where formatting allowed) for you to preorder the book if you would like to.

Series Information: Hannah Smith series
Book 1: Gone, read and reviewed February 2013, review linked here where formatting allowed.
Book 2: Deceived, scheduled for publication September 2013.
Additional books are being negotiated for. I shall certainly hope to see more!

Disclosure: I received an ARC copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: A twenty-year-old unsolved murder from Florida’s pothauling days gets Hannah Smith’s attention, but so does a more immediate problem. A private museum devoted solely to the state’s earliest settlers and pioneers has been announced, and many of Hannah’s friends and neighbors in Sulfur Wells are being pressured to make contributions.

The problem is, the whole thing is a scam, and when Hannah sets out to uncover whoever’s behind it, she discovers that things are even worse than she thought. The museum scam is a front for a real-estate power play, her entire village is in danger of being wiped out—and the forces behind it have no intention of letting anything, or anyone, stand in their way.



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