The Deception: A Novel
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-10-09 11:21:36
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Kim Taylor Blakemore
- ISBN：1799788598
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Kitty Pollock
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A new tale from Kim Taylor Blakemore！ I first fell in love with her when I read her previous book 'The Companion' and I could not wait to get stuck into this new read。 This tale takes us down the murky path of spiritual mediumship， is it real or all a hoax？ The read becomes even more obscure when a certain Clem enters the picture。 Clem is a mastermind at the sleight of hand and even more accomplished with creating a believable environment for the hopeful and gullible。 The story is exciting and w A new tale from Kim Taylor Blakemore！ I first fell in love with her when I read her previous book 'The Companion' and I could not wait to get stuck into this new read。 This tale takes us down the murky path of spiritual mediumship， is it real or all a hoax？ The read becomes even more obscure when a certain Clem enters the picture。 Clem is a mastermind at the sleight of hand and even more accomplished with creating a believable environment for the hopeful and gullible。 The story is exciting and well-presented but I can't describe how much I disliked Clem。 I keep hoping for her to be more to win me over but she and her partner and at times the main character herself just irritated me to no end。 It was as if they were competing in who could be more deplorable。That being said the author did well with this。 they stuck in my head！Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。， 。。。more
Sandra Young
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Mesmerizing perfection for the spooky season！ I loved this dark， twisty tale diving into the world of psychic mediums in Victorian times。 The characters are layered and intriguing， from compelling， dangerous Clementine to charming， mercurial Russell and conflicted Maud。 Clem and Russell have allied in their business and personal lives to assist false mediums in fooling people during seances。 But is Maud “the real thing？” Disconnected from her spirit guide， she has turned to the duo in desperatio Mesmerizing perfection for the spooky season！ I loved this dark， twisty tale diving into the world of psychic mediums in Victorian times。 The characters are layered and intriguing， from compelling， dangerous Clementine to charming， mercurial Russell and conflicted Maud。 Clem and Russell have allied in their business and personal lives to assist false mediums in fooling people during seances。 But is Maud “the real thing？” Disconnected from her spirit guide， she has turned to the duo in desperation， not realizing how they will manipulate and control every aspect of her life。 A thoroughly gripping story， threading strong historical research with mystery and suspense。 Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing an ARC。 。。。more
The Page Ladies
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This is a character driven story and like with her other books Kim Taylor Blakemore did a wonderful job creating her Clem and Maud's characters。 Their emotions， their backstories and because of both their point of views you get to experience all of it。 The suspense is throughout the whole book。 The ending definitely has me wondering what will happen next but at the same time it wraps up nicely。 Overall it was a great read！ Thank you Let's Talk Books and Kim Taylor Blakemore for sharing this book This is a character driven story and like with her other books Kim Taylor Blakemore did a wonderful job creating her Clem and Maud's characters。 Their emotions， their backstories and because of both their point of views you get to experience all of it。 The suspense is throughout the whole book。 The ending definitely has me wondering what will happen next but at the same time it wraps up nicely。 Overall it was a great read！ Thank you Let's Talk Books and Kim Taylor Blakemore for sharing this book with me！ 。。。more
Charlie Helton
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This was an interesting historical fiction from the 1800s about a once popular child medium， Maud Price， who loses her ability to see and talk to her spirits。 She is not a fake， but when her spirits fail her， she turns to Clementine who is known for helping other mediums fill their seats with believers。 This will take you through all the tricks and theatrics that went on behind the scenes at sittings but also includes some haunting spirits and a little bit of murder/mystery to keep you glued to This was an interesting historical fiction from the 1800s about a once popular child medium， Maud Price， who loses her ability to see and talk to her spirits。 She is not a fake， but when her spirits fail her， she turns to Clementine who is known for helping other mediums fill their seats with believers。 This will take you through all the tricks and theatrics that went on behind the scenes at sittings but also includes some haunting spirits and a little bit of murder/mystery to keep you glued to the end。 I found the dialogue to be smart and charming and I really enjoyed this new take on a historical fiction novel。 This is not a scary read， so those of you who can’t handle the spookier reads， this one would be perfect for you！ 。。。more
Ali Bunke
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Set in the 1870's， this is a gothic historical fiction that focuses on the spiritualist movement。 Maud Price is a medium。 From a young age， she has been able to communicate with the help of her spirit guide Matthias。 Unfortunately， he has become unreliable or missing and her business is suffering。 When Maud is referred to Clem Watkins for help she had no idea what she was getting into。 Clem and her partner Russell soon take over Maud's life。 With deception， smoke， and mirrors， Clem has brought M Set in the 1870's， this is a gothic historical fiction that focuses on the spiritualist movement。 Maud Price is a medium。 From a young age， she has been able to communicate with the help of her spirit guide Matthias。 Unfortunately， he has become unreliable or missing and her business is suffering。 When Maud is referred to Clem Watkins for help she had no idea what she was getting into。 Clem and her partner Russell soon take over Maud's life。 With deception， smoke， and mirrors， Clem has brought Maud's business back to life。 Clem has inserted herself so completely into Maud's life she can't break free， even though she finds the tricks unethical。 I liked the overall gothic feel of the book。 The author created a situation where is was hard to see a way out for Maud， so her struggle with her conscious is believable。 I enjoyed the details about the time period fascination with the afterlife。 The ending leaves a bit the the readers mind as to what happened。 And of course， the question of what would you do to protect a secret？ 。。。more
Liza Taylor
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Loved it！ Wonderfully dark and intriguing。
Janine
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This one took me a little bit to really get into because I tend to struggle with books that are set in an older time period。 I also found that the writing was a bit confusing at times， and it was hard for me to visualize things while reading。 But once I got more into it， I really started to appreciate the story and become more invested in the characters。 Maud is someone who used to be able to connect with spirits， but she’s lost her ghostly guide that helps her with that。 Clementine has offered This one took me a little bit to really get into because I tend to struggle with books that are set in an older time period。 I also found that the writing was a bit confusing at times， and it was hard for me to visualize things while reading。 But once I got more into it， I really started to appreciate the story and become more invested in the characters。 Maud is someone who used to be able to connect with spirits， but she’s lost her ghostly guide that helps her with that。 Clementine has offered to “help” （in other words， fake it） so that they can both make a living off of the pain of other people。 I just need to say that Clementine is such an interesting character but a TERRIBLE person。 I keep waiting for a redemption story and I am not getting one。 Overall， this was a good read with a chilling ending。 I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I was a bigger fan of a historical backdrop。 If you enjoy historical fiction with a mystical feel， this one might be for you！ I received this book for free as part of an Instagram book tour。 。。。more
Honeydukesbooks
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This one was chilling and compelling， and had me hooked after about the first 35%。 It did start off kinda slow， but once it picked up I was engrossed。 It’s a perfect spooky fall read！
Brittany
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Maud Price， once known as The Maid of Light as a child medium， is struggling to make ends meet。 Her faithful guiding spirit has left her， bills are piling up， and people don’t seem to remember her as a powerful medium in her own right。 Clementine Watkins and Russel Sprague are a team that help with deceiving shows and using theater tricks to make people into believers again。 They both move into Maud’s house under the guise of helping her become famous again。 Once she starts having a full house w Maud Price， once known as The Maid of Light as a child medium， is struggling to make ends meet。 Her faithful guiding spirit has left her， bills are piling up， and people don’t seem to remember her as a powerful medium in her own right。 Clementine Watkins and Russel Sprague are a team that help with deceiving shows and using theater tricks to make people into believers again。 They both move into Maud’s house under the guise of helping her become famous again。 Once she starts having a full house with a waiting list， Maud starts feeling guilty for deceiving others that she once willingly helped truthfully。 Now that someone threatens to expose her for being a fraud， accidents start happening， murder is covered up， and loyalties are tested…can Maud escape with her life and trust the spirits again with her medium abilities？My thoughts:First off， that ending！ Nice！ Loved the creepy， look over your shoulder， what’s going to happen next feel。 This was a good story with interesting characters。 I wonder about a certain someone’s mental stability and what happened with Harriet。 I never liked Clem and Russell had his moments that I was ready to be done with him as well。 I liked Rose and Maud for the most part。 The author did a great job on describing everyone and building the world/scene。 。。。more
Stacia Vega
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The Deception by Kim Taylor Blakemore。Maud Price spent her childhood touring with her father as the “Maid of Light”。 But work has not been going well。 Clem is referred to help her， but Maud does not like her methods。 She wants Clem to leave， but Clem will do anything for success。。What I liked:-I loved the contrasts between our two main characters。 Maud is more of an introvert who is attuned to feelings and people。 And Clem is extroverted， good at reading people in a completely different way than The Deception by Kim Taylor Blakemore。Maud Price spent her childhood touring with her father as the “Maid of Light”。 But work has not been going well。 Clem is referred to help her， but Maud does not like her methods。 She wants Clem to leave， but Clem will do anything for success。。What I liked:-I loved the contrasts between our two main characters。 Maud is more of an introvert who is attuned to feelings and people。 And Clem is extroverted， good at reading people in a completely different way than Maud， and a bit crafty。 It was such fun to see each interaction between them。-Piggybacking off the last point， there were some similarities to our main characters as well！ I think this book did a great character study between Maud and Clem and showing just enough of their backgrounds to help us see those similarities。 -I loved Ethelred the dog。 -I really liked the ending and then I read the last page， cackled and wished there was more。 。I really enjoyed this and would recommend！ I would say this is a historical fiction book with a slow burn suspense。 Lots of fun。 。。。more
Chelsie
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This is such a good creepy， spiritual novel！ If you are looking for a good Halloween read then this is your novel！Maud was once revered as child medium。 Someone who could unveil the dead to the living to give one last message， an apology or hope that all is well on the other side and that a loved one is waiting for them。 Her talent has gone by the wayside and many other houses of spirits have opened although Maud knows they are frauds and what she experienced as a child and still does sometimes This is such a good creepy， spiritual novel！ If you are looking for a good Halloween read then this is your novel！Maud was once revered as child medium。 Someone who could unveil the dead to the living to give one last message， an apology or hope that all is well on the other side and that a loved one is waiting for them。 Her talent has gone by the wayside and many other houses of spirits have opened although Maud knows they are frauds and what she experienced as a child and still does sometimes is true and honest。 She cannot control the other side， it is on their terms when they show them to her， or give her a sign。 But that is not understood amongst the public， they expect signs to happen on command。Down to her last pennies， Maud is unsure how she is going to move on and survive。 The number of guests has diminished to barely filling the seats around the table， so she reaches out to another spiritualist， looking for some guidance on how to get back on her feet。 Clem shows up to answer her call of help and after one evening realizes this is not what she was looking for in terms of help， and now she might be in too deep。 Clem and her side kick Russell have taken control of all things， including her house and a force to not be recon with， Clem seems to have some secrets of her own as well。Clapping， bumps， bangs， fire， sightings， moving furniture and many other theatrics Clem and Russell have come up with soon bring Maud back to having a line out her front door and many begging to see her but when murder is also added to that list， Maud knows she might have let things get too far and that this is exactly what she did not want to become。 Thank you to Let's Talk Books for the invite and to the author for the free novel！ 。。。more
Sayword Eller
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**SOFT SPOILERS**First， I want to thank the author， Kim Taylor Blakemore， for an Advanced Reader’s Copy （arc） of this book and the lovely packaging （and really cool tarot card） included with it。 I’ve enjoyed both of Kim Taylor Blakemore’s previous titles （The Companion and After Alice Fell）， so it should come as no surprise to find that I was excited for her third release through Lake Union Publishing， The Deception。 After all， it has a number of elements I highly enjoy; spirits， betrayal， 19th **SOFT SPOILERS**First， I want to thank the author， Kim Taylor Blakemore， for an Advanced Reader’s Copy （arc） of this book and the lovely packaging （and really cool tarot card） included with it。 I’ve enjoyed both of Kim Taylor Blakemore’s previous titles （The Companion and After Alice Fell）， so it should come as no surprise to find that I was excited for her third release through Lake Union Publishing， The Deception。 After all， it has a number of elements I highly enjoy; spirits， betrayal， 19th century seances， dual POVs， and murder。 While I did enjoy the story very much， there were a few key things that kept me from giving this title five stars， only one of which has anything to do with Clementine Watkins。Maud Price is a former child star， of sorts。 With the stage name Maiden of Light， she used to speak to the dead and put the minds of their loved ones at peace。 Unfortunately， when the story begins she’s lost her spirit guide， Matthias， and is one step away from the poorhouse。 Enter Clementine Watkins， master illusionist， well known around the psychiclical circles as someone who can help out the medium in need and help make their wallets fat again。 She’s been referred to Maud Price to see if she can help get her career back on track。 It doesn’t take long for Clementine to see Maud’s potential。 The problem is， Maud is the real deal and she wants nothing to do with Clem’s plans for committing fraud， no matter how many times Clem dresses it up as giving loved ones peace。 The tension between Maud and Clem is clear from the beginning， though it is born from a place of Maud’s resistance to commit fraud。 However， as the story progresses and a man is thrown into the mix， the tension grows until it reaches a point none can turn back from。 What I like about the story is the expertly woven tension， the setting， and （of course） the paranormal touches， sparse as they are。 Side characters are well fleshed out， and the story is engaging and interesting。 If you’re like me， you will root for Maud。 I wanted her to get her sight back and prove to everyone， especially Clem， that she was still the Maid of Light。What I didn’t like was feeling lost and confused at times， especially during conversations and times of fast action。 Blakemore doesn’t use a lot of dialogue tags/end tags， which I’m fine with。 I actually prefer they be handled with a light touch。 However， there are many instances when there are numerous people in the scene speaking， yet there are no dialogue tags or action used to denote who’s speaking。 I do not like to be confused when reading fiction。 I'm supposed to be good at this。The only other thing I didn’t vibe with was Clementine。 She went backwards in character。 I know this is likely on purpose， and it is well done。 However， I have a very difficult time liking characters who have no redeeming qualities。 Clementine Watkins has no redeeming qualities。 She isn’t sorry for the things she does or did。 She is very focused on two things: money and herself。 I get it， given her background， but I don’t like it and， as thus， do not like her。 At least I could root for one of them。I definitely recommend this story if you enjoy historical fiction with intrigue， betrayal， and a teensy bit of murder。 But be on guard。 Not all characters are to be trusted。 。。。more
Karen
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Full teaser post published 25 September 2022 at https://wellreadpiratequeen。blogspot。。。。I've read quite a few books about spiritualists。 Some have been quite good; others haven't even been worth the time it would take to give a negative review on Goodreads， much less the time to put together a teaser graphic for the blog。 Good enough to willingly lose sleep？ I don't know if that's ever happened with this particular subject matter 。。。 until Kim Taylor Blakemore's The Deception。Okay， so I haven't Full teaser post published 25 September 2022 at https://wellreadpiratequeen。blogspot。。。。I've read quite a few books about spiritualists。 Some have been quite good; others haven't even been worth the time it would take to give a negative review on Goodreads， much less the time to put together a teaser graphic for the blog。 Good enough to willingly lose sleep？ I don't know if that's ever happened with this particular subject matter 。。。 until Kim Taylor Blakemore's The Deception。Okay， so I haven't been sleeping much or well anyway， but that's absolutely not the point。The point is that this book is fanfreakingtastically amazing。 You may （or may not） have picked up on the fact that I keep journals for my blog notes -- mostly the quotes and whatnot that I've highlighted in the Kindle or not highlighted in the actual hard copy （because that's just criminal）。 I actually had to re-read the last half of The Deception because I was so caught up in what was going to happen next with Maud and Clem （and Russell 。。。。 oooooh Russell） that I couldn't even highlight。It's that good。 。。。more
Shaina
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Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kim Taylor Blakemore for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Deception coming out September 27， 2022。 The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own。 Maud Price grew up in New Hampshire as a famous child medium。 She opens the veil between the living and the dead relatives and friends。 Now in 1877， Maud is nearly penniless and her gift is gone。 She is desperate to make money and get her reputation back， but doing so would mean deceivin Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kim Taylor Blakemore for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Deception coming out September 27， 2022。 The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own。 Maud Price grew up in New Hampshire as a famous child medium。 She opens the veil between the living and the dead relatives and friends。 Now in 1877， Maud is nearly penniless and her gift is gone。 She is desperate to make money and get her reputation back， but doing so would mean deceiving others。 In walks Clementine Watkins who is known in the spiritualist world for tricking others。 She creates parlor room theatrics that make people think they’re really speaking to their loved ones。 Maud’s regains her fame， but it comes with a cost。 Her guilt is great and others threaten to call them out as frauds。 The last straw comes when the deception leads to a possible murder。 Maud knows she’s playing a dangerous game。 Will she stand up to Clementine and return to the light or will she remain in the darkness they’ve created？I loved this book so much！ Spiritualism during the Victorian Era is a subject that fascinates me。 It’s sad to think people were tricked out of their money because they wanted to be connected to their loved ones who died。 But there’s also so much creepiness to it。 It’s like what if it really was real and they did commune with the dead？ It all just makes for an awesome horror/mystery book。 I loved Maud’s character。 She and Clementine were a perfect foil of each other。 The ending was so good。 I loved it！ I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries about communing with the dead！ I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more
Jodie Angell
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I just want to say that this is the first gothic book I’ve read & I was super intrigued by the time period as I love historical fiction。 It was very interesting to see how the story panned out as this is a dual POV novel。 At first， I preferred Clem， a head-strong woman in control， knows what she is doing and what she wants。I loved that I was actually surprised when I preferred Maud—the medium who gets persuaded to deceive her clients by Clem。 Clem quickly becomes that character who loses a reade I just want to say that this is the first gothic book I’ve read & I was super intrigued by the time period as I love historical fiction。 It was very interesting to see how the story panned out as this is a dual POV novel。 At first， I preferred Clem， a head-strong woman in control， knows what she is doing and what she wants。I loved that I was actually surprised when I preferred Maud—the medium who gets persuaded to deceive her clients by Clem。 Clem quickly becomes that character who loses a reader’s respect， but that’s kinda the point as she’s a discreetly made antagonist。 She is quite manipulative and I loved that Maud was a good opposite to that， although I do wish she stood up for herself sooner。I did think this book was a bit slow in some areas but overall， I was quite surprised by this well-written story。 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 。。。more
Annette Jordan
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The Deception is the latest release from Kim Taylor Blakemore and continues her tradition of writing about interesting female characters in a historical setting， in this case 1877 New Hampshire。 Maud Price was once famous as a child medium ， the "Maid of Light" who could lift the veil between our world and the next but her spirit guide has deserted her and now she barely ekes out a hand to mouth existence。 In desperation she reluctantly hires Clementine Watkins， a young woman known throughout sp The Deception is the latest release from Kim Taylor Blakemore and continues her tradition of writing about interesting female characters in a historical setting， in this case 1877 New Hampshire。 Maud Price was once famous as a child medium ， the "Maid of Light" who could lift the veil between our world and the next but her spirit guide has deserted her and now she barely ekes out a hand to mouth existence。 In desperation she reluctantly hires Clementine Watkins， a young woman known throughout spiritualist circles for her skilled trickery and utmost discretion about her employers。 Soon Maud's reputation is on the upswing， with the bereaved flocking to her parlour for readings blithely unaware that the messages and gifts from their loved ones are down to Clementine's deceptions。 Before long the guilt about these deceptions starts to eat away at Maud， and the discovery that someone is out to expose her as a fraud has her nerves frazzled even further。 She is desperate to get out of Clementine's clutches， but this could be far more dangerous than she ever imagined。 It seems that Clementine's past is not without a few secrets including some deadly ones。 Eventually the relationship between the two women becomes a cat and mouse game， and only one of them will win。 This was a clever and intriguing tale， I loved the setting in the world of Victorian spiritualism and as I have come to expect from this author， the attention to historical detail was on point。 The book starts slowly， drawing the reader into this world but by the midway point the tension is ratcheting up nicely， and that sense of tension continues until the （very satisfying） end of the book。 As with the author's previous books the characterisation is excellent， though I will say that Clementine is much more developed than Maud。 I loved that the author played with our emotions as the story unfolded and we learned more about the characters and started to realise that all might not be as it seemed。 Overall this is a really enjoyable book and one that I would not hesitate to recommend to fans of historical fiction， particularly if they like their books with a bit of a gothic vibe， I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher， all opinions are my own。 。。。more
Ann Dudzinski
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I became familiar with this author when I stumbled across When Alice Fell， one of the best historical mysteries I’ve read to date。 Her ability to bring her characters to life is phenomenal， and that talent didn’t disappoint in her newest book。Set in 1877 during the early days of the Spiritualist movement in New England， this novel shines an unflinching light on the fact that most of the so-called mediums of the time were frauds， employing tricks that might seem laughable today。 However， people g I became familiar with this author when I stumbled across When Alice Fell， one of the best historical mysteries I’ve read to date。 Her ability to bring her characters to life is phenomenal， and that talent didn’t disappoint in her newest book。Set in 1877 during the early days of the Spiritualist movement in New England， this novel shines an unflinching light on the fact that most of the so-called mediums of the time were frauds， employing tricks that might seem laughable today。 However， people got rich using these methods and Clem is taking full advantage of people’s desperation to connect with their deceased loved ones by providing consulting services to add more “wow” to a seance。 Her services are discreet and effective and she’s well worth her fee。As a child， Maud was known as “The Maid of Light，” able to legitimately connect beyond the veil and widely popular because of her skill。 Now， however， her spirit guide has departed and she’s only a few months from the poorhouse。 On a recommendation from a peer， she reluctantly hires Clem to fill her parlor and her coffers。 However， Maud is the real deal and Clem’s tricks don’t sit well with her。 But Clem is a force to be reckoned with and Maud finds it hard to argue when money is flowing in and her name is once again spoken with reverence。 Until investigators get a little too close to uncovering Clem’s tricks and Maud gets an inkling of Clem’s dark history。At its most basic level， this was a great read。 The period details are excellent， the tension is maintained throughout， and the author had a way of manipulating my feelings so skillfully I didn’t even realize it was happening。 Clem begins as fairly sympathetic， just a woman finding her niche in a difficult world while Maud is， well， a bit maudlin and unable to make her own way without assistance。 But at some point in the novel my opinion of these women flipped and it was so well done， I wasn’t able to put my finger on where， exactly， it happened。 All I knew was that somehow， Maud had gotten under my skin and Clem was much more damaged than I’d originally thought。The point of view shifts between Clem and Maud and the reader is deeply embedded in each character。 Lots of showing， not a lot of telling。 Exactly what I look for in a character-driven story。 And the ending will leave you on tenterhooks imagining what comes next。 I’m not sure if there’s enough left unresolved for a sequel or if that’s the author’s intention。 Things are left a bit up in the air but the book wrapped up satisfactorily for me， yet still left a “what if？” hanging。If you’re interested in the Spiritualist movement or just like great historical fiction， pick this one up。4。25/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐+Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing the ARC。 I’ve left my review honestly and voluntarily。 。。。more
Fern Prince
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The Deception is a historical fiction with gothic elements， based around the spiritualist movement of the 1870s。 The narrative unfolds in split perspective， with each chapter alternating between the two protagonists; Maud Price， once a celebrated child medium whose spirit guides have since deserted her， and Clementine Watkins， an enterprising non-believer who promises to restore Maud's fame by any means necessary。 Of the two， Clem's character is more fleshed out， with a clearer backstory and mor The Deception is a historical fiction with gothic elements， based around the spiritualist movement of the 1870s。 The narrative unfolds in split perspective， with each chapter alternating between the two protagonists; Maud Price， once a celebrated child medium whose spirit guides have since deserted her， and Clementine Watkins， an enterprising non-believer who promises to restore Maud's fame by any means necessary。 Of the two， Clem's character is more fleshed out， with a clearer backstory and more obvious motivations， which made her instantly more likeable to me， even though it was clear from the outset that she was the 'villain' of the story。 The story itself is a bit of a slow burn， with much of the first half of the book spent scene-setting and character building， which meant that the drama was backloaded and it took a while for the action to really start - this was fine for me， as I was engaged enough with the characters to remain interested， but if you like action from the first page， this might not be for you。 There were a few sections/pieces of dialogue I needed to reread to ensure my understanding， as it was sometimes a little unclear who was speaking， however， I did read an uncorrected proof copy， so there's every chance these little niggles will have been rectified for the final version， and it didn't impact my enjoyment overall。 There were enough hints and misdirections scattered throughout the story for me to have formed a number of theories about how it would play out - all of which were incorrect！ I was pleasantly surprised to have the final events come as a complete shock and appreciated the fact that the suspense and deception continued right up to the last page。 I would recommend The Deception to fans of gothic and historical fiction， strong female leads and spirituality/mediumship， and will personally look out for other work from this author。 Many thanks to Kim Taylor Blakemore， Lake Union Publishing， and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Ali Bunke
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Set in the 1870's， this is a gothic historical fiction that focuses on the spiritualist movement。 Maud Price is a medium。 From a young age， she has been able to communicate with the help of her spirit guide Matthias。 Unfortunately， he has become unreliable or missing and her business is suffering。 When Maud is referred to Clem Watkins for help she had no idea what she was getting into。 Clem and her partner Russell soon take over Maud's life。 With deception， smoke， and mirrors， Clem has brought M Set in the 1870's， this is a gothic historical fiction that focuses on the spiritualist movement。 Maud Price is a medium。 From a young age， she has been able to communicate with the help of her spirit guide Matthias。 Unfortunately， he has become unreliable or missing and her business is suffering。 When Maud is referred to Clem Watkins for help she had no idea what she was getting into。 Clem and her partner Russell soon take over Maud's life。 With deception， smoke， and mirrors， Clem has brought Maud's business back to life。 Clem has inserted herself so completely into Maud's life she can't break free， even though she finds the tricks unethical。 I liked the overall gothic feel of the book。 The author created a situation where is was hard to see a way out for Maud， so her struggle with her conscious is believable。 I enjoyed the details about the time period fascination with the afterlife。 The ending leaves a bit the the readers mind as to what happened。 And of course， the question of what would you do to protect a secret？Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the eArc in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Tonya Mitchell
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The author has done it again with another fantastic read， this time about the spiritualist movement in the 19th century。 Clementine Watkins， a woman well-schooled in sleight-of-hand séance tricks， has come to assist Maud Price， whose talents as a medium have dimmed。 Maud， once touted as the famed Maid of Light， needs Clementine to breathe life back into her seances。 Unfortunately， everything seems to come at a price。 Clem has a dark backstory， the breadcrumbs of which Blakemore brilliantly doles The author has done it again with another fantastic read， this time about the spiritualist movement in the 19th century。 Clementine Watkins， a woman well-schooled in sleight-of-hand séance tricks， has come to assist Maud Price， whose talents as a medium have dimmed。 Maud， once touted as the famed Maid of Light， needs Clementine to breathe life back into her seances。 Unfortunately， everything seems to come at a price。 Clem has a dark backstory， the breadcrumbs of which Blakemore brilliantly doles out with her own trademark sleight-of-hand。 There are plenty of juicy surprises I didn’t see coming that were great。 The writing is bold， the characters well-drawn， the suspense as intense as a book about spirits， spooks， and fraud should be。 There’s even a mangy dog named Ethelred。Perfect for fans of Gothic reads who want to immerse themselves in devilish good fun。I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
In a Bookish Mood
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Mediums， mystery and murderThanks to Netgalley and the publisher， Lake Union Publishing for a digital ARC of this book。 I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily。The Deception opens with Maud Price， a medium once of some renown， writing to Clementine （Clem） Watkins， asking for help because Maud's guardian spirit （Matthias） has become unreliable。 Clem agrees to help。With a title like The Deception'， one can be under no illusions as to what sort of help Clem， assisted by her partner Ru Mediums， mystery and murderThanks to Netgalley and the publisher， Lake Union Publishing for a digital ARC of this book。 I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily。The Deception opens with Maud Price， a medium once of some renown， writing to Clementine （Clem） Watkins， asking for help because Maud's guardian spirit （Matthias） has become unreliable。 Clem agrees to help。With a title like The Deception'， one can be under no illusions as to what sort of help Clem， assisted by her partner Russell， provides to Maud。 As the stakes rise in the story， it becomes clear that not everyone who goes to a medium is seeking to speak to the dead， and Maud is increasingly in danger。Indeed there are many layers of deception in the novel: the spiritualist movement， being an actor and playing a role， motivations for seeking a medium， how one dresses， who one loves and so on。 I was really intrigued by the opening of The Deception， but overall the book did not live up to the promise of the premise。I suppose I had imagined that there would be more paranormal or occult elements in the story。 I think the author could have made more of that theme， and it would have helped to 'up' the tension， especially when it came to discovering information about the murderer later in the book。Another element I thought I saw hints of but which didn't materialise into a plot element was some attraction between Maud and Clem。 There were moments of touch and looks between them: "。。She crouched in front of Maud， resting her hand on Maud's knee。 It was heavy and warm， and Maud did not throw it off。。。。"。 I thought this aspect would become more significant in the story， but nothing further came of it。I was often left doubting when and where this book took place。 Sometimes， the language seemed out of place and took me right out of the story。 I am neither North American nor an expert on the language used in the 1870s， but some of it just seemed wrong: 'bum' for bottom， 'nicked' for stolen， 'cold as a witch's tit' for the weather （！）。 That sounds more like British slang in the present era than 1870s New Hampshire。 I did some cursory research on the etymology， and 'nicked' meaning stolen， only came into use in 1869 and 'colder than a witch's tit' has its first recorded use in the 1930s。 Whether the language was or was not appropriate in the 1870s， it didn't evoke an 1870s feel for me。Moving on to the story's climax， I felt the author built up the tension nicely。 Still， I think she could have sustained it for longer。 I found the overall ending disappointing because we are left with no definite conclusion。Overall I gave this 3 out of 5。 It was an okay read。 It would perhaps interest readers of Susan Hill or Sarah Waters。 。。。more
Trina Dixon
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An historical fiction gothic style novel series in the late 1800's。 Maud Price was a child prodigy in the art of Spiritualism but her " spirit guides" have deserted her so a friend enlists the help of Clem Watkins。 Rather than helping Maud speak to the dead on her own terms， Clem decides it should be a smoke and mirrors act and comes up with other ways to enhance the performances sometimes not all that ethical。This novel made me wonder about my own experiences of spirituality， I have visited med An historical fiction gothic style novel series in the late 1800's。 Maud Price was a child prodigy in the art of Spiritualism but her " spirit guides" have deserted her so a friend enlists the help of Clem Watkins。 Rather than helping Maud speak to the dead on her own terms， Clem decides it should be a smoke and mirrors act and comes up with other ways to enhance the performances sometimes not all that ethical。This novel made me wonder about my own experiences of spirituality， I have visited mediums before and have had positive experiences， unlike Clem I never gave anything away to assist the medium in her quest to reach my departed loved ones。 An enjoyable read for lovers of gothic fictionThank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this advanced copy I'm under no obligation to leave my review 。。。more
Iphigenia
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I love historical fiction that introduces me to a new time and place。 This novel is set in 1870s America during the spiritualism era following the end of the Civil War， when the public clamored to speak their dead loved ones。 This is a specific subject & era I had no familiarity with and found quite interesting。The story is told from two points of view。 Maud is a “true believer”， and was a renowned child medium who has lost her ability to channel spirits。 She is desperate and in debt so she cont I love historical fiction that introduces me to a new time and place。 This novel is set in 1870s America during the spiritualism era following the end of the Civil War， when the public clamored to speak their dead loved ones。 This is a specific subject & era I had no familiarity with and found quite interesting。The story is told from two points of view。 Maud is a “true believer”， and was a renowned child medium who has lost her ability to channel spirits。 She is desperate and in debt so she contacts Clementine to help her practice。 Clementine is an amoral con-woman who believes in nothing and no one and resorts to trickery and has no conscience。 Their uneasy partnership lends a sense of menace to this Gothic tale， as does the death of one of Maud’s client and the suspicion thrown on Maud。 I enjoyed learning about the “tricks of the trade” employed by Clementine， and she is truly a villain to root against。 。。。more
Silvia
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I was provided with a digital ARC of this book thanks to the publishing house， Lake Union Publishing， and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。*2。5*TW: （view spoiler）[death， mention of ghosts， theft， fire， blood， violence， murder， death of both parents， violence on animals。 （hide spoiler）]"The Deception" is a historical mystery set in the second half of the 1800s and it follows the Spiritualism movement that took place in those years。 This novel follows Maud， that when she was young was kn I was provided with a digital ARC of this book thanks to the publishing house， Lake Union Publishing， and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。*2。5*TW: （view spoiler）[death， mention of ghosts， theft， fire， blood， violence， murder， death of both parents， violence on animals。 （hide spoiler）]"The Deception" is a historical mystery set in the second half of the 1800s and it follows the Spiritualism movement that took place in those years。 This novel follows Maud， that when she was young was known as a great medium， with the name of "The Maid of Light"。 Now， as an adult， Maud seems to have lost her contact with the otherworld， and so she relies on Clementine， a woman who seems the answer to all of her problems， and with Clementine's lover， Russell。This novel surely was good in setting the ambience， and the setting of the story。 I liked the depiction of this particular matter that I never read about in other historical fiction novels， but sadly my interest started and ended there。 I thought this book was quite slow， and it redeemed itself only in the end。 The final chapters were very interesting and gripping， also quite spooky， a characteristic I searched in this book from the beginning， but I felt like did not deliver。Also， I didn't really connect with any of the characters， that I found all to be quite unlikable。 I think this was the intention， but I really did not like to read about them。The "mystery" only took part in the final part of the book， and while the ending left me hooked and spooky it wasn't enough to redeem this novel。Overall， I liked the writing style， so if you like historical fiction books with a gothic element， this could be the one for you。 Sadly， it wasn't for me。 。。。more
Issa
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First of a huge thank you to the author Kim Taylor Blakemore and Lake Union Publishing for providing an e-ARC via NetGalley。 The Deception by Kim Taylor Blakemore is a mystery takes on the subject of Victorian Spiritualism。 It’s quite obvious that the author definitely did her homework on the subject and in fact the acknowledgment at the back of the book contains a detailed explanation of not only the books she read but experts on the subject she met with。 If only the details in the story were a First of a huge thank you to the author Kim Taylor Blakemore and Lake Union Publishing for providing an e-ARC via NetGalley。 The Deception by Kim Taylor Blakemore is a mystery takes on the subject of Victorian Spiritualism。 It’s quite obvious that the author definitely did her homework on the subject and in fact the acknowledgment at the back of the book contains a detailed explanation of not only the books she read but experts on the subject she met with。 If only the details in the story were as detailed as the acknowledgment I might have enjoyed it a bit more and felt less like I was working to get through it。 The story of two women on both sides of the spiritualism divide（one a true believer and one who sees as a combination of showmanship and con jobs） has more than enough facets to keep you interested and the subject itself is so fascinating that it could provide plenty of meat for a truly lush story。 The problem lies in being dropped in the middle of the action with zero explanations of the time， circumstances or even the relationships of the characters。 It’s as if the author has lived with this story for so long she forgets her readers haven’t which leaves ones using the majority of their attention trying to understand the basics instead of focusing on the plot。 The other problem is that unless the readers themselves have read up on the subject of spiritualism in the late 1800s， they are going to be confused at times as the author assumes that everyone is familiar with not just the terminology but how things like planchettes or spirit cabinets work。 The plot itself isn’t overly complicated and once it gets on its feet really starts to pick up speed after the first 150 pages。 The main character Clementine is definitely the strongest written and has the clearest backstory although I’m still not quite sure what her motivations are to go to the extremes she did。 I wish the characters of Maud and Russell were as fully written and we spent more time learning about them especially Maud who shoulders a large portion of the spiritualism plot on the side of true believer。 All in all The Deception is an interesting fictional tale with an easy straightforward writing style on a subject that often times gets lost in the weeds and a good starting out point for anyone with a passing interest or curiosity about spiritualism in the 1800s。 。。。more
Robert Gwaltney
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A sinuous tale of deception amidst the fascinating backdrop of post-Civil War Spiritualism， The Deception seethes from the very first sentence all the way through to its riveting conclusion。 Blakemore， a modern day Brontë， gleams in dark， moldering， claustrophobic places。
Paulette Kennedy
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Delightfully wry as it is unsettling， THE DECEPTION had me turning pages at a blistering pace。 Blakemore bewitches with her shrewd， incisive look at the Spiritualist movement and two down-on-their-luck heroines bound in an unlikely partnership。 Teeming with intrigue， seething jealousies， and theatrical atmosphere。 Absolutely impossible to put down！Thanks to NetGalley， Lake Union， and the author for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for my honest review。
Devon
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The Deception， a novel by Kim Taylor Blakemore， is set roughly a decade after the conclusion of the American Civil War and uses the backdrop of the rise of spiritualism as a setting for the novel。 The narration takes turns between the viewpoint of Maud， a medium who is the genuine article and having difficulty communicating with her spirits， and Clem， a woman who sees a way to make money over a grieving and trusting populace by using flash and gimmicks and will do anything to maintain her contro The Deception， a novel by Kim Taylor Blakemore， is set roughly a decade after the conclusion of the American Civil War and uses the backdrop of the rise of spiritualism as a setting for the novel。 The narration takes turns between the viewpoint of Maud， a medium who is the genuine article and having difficulty communicating with her spirits， and Clem， a woman who sees a way to make money over a grieving and trusting populace by using flash and gimmicks and will do anything to maintain her control over Maud。 The 19th century （specifically the mid to late 19th century） is the time period that holds my interest the most， and I have always found spiritualism and just supernatural things in general to be utterly fascinating， so this book was definitely appealing to me。The tale moves slow at first and then rapidly， and the reader will be swept up in wishing to see Maud get her powers back and for Clem to get her comeuppance。 The last few chapters especially will keep one turning the pages as quick as they can to see what will happen next。Some thoughts of note:-I liked the comparisons and parallels made in the book。 Maud to her automaton counterpart Amandine。 Maud is forced to be little more than a doll or a marionette to those around her who wish to exploit her for financial gain。 Clem and Maud's father （William Marcus）， where she literally takes over his rooms， uses his clothing， and assumes the role he previously held in regard to his daughter and the way he marketed and utilised her talent。-Clem was SO desperately unlikable。 Blackmailing people， mocking the dead and those who grieve them， stealing， stealing from CORPSES， murdering both an adult and a child， being cruel to an animal， using people's sorrow for financial gain。。。the list surely goes on。 I understand that was the point， that she was an awful， awful person， but some people might be truly turned off by how nasty she is and how she。。。doesn't really get her just desserts from both the light jail sentence as well as the end where she threatens Maud in a letter that she'll bust up her happy life。 Kudos to the author for making her just a completely repellant and unredeemable monster， though。 You so rarely see that in general， and it's usually male characters that take up the mantle。I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Marice
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I like the time period the book is set in and initially the character interactions。 But Clem pretty quickly became unbearably annoying to me， constantly interrupting other people or having something cool to say。 I dislike the character too much to enjoy my time reading the rest of the book。 There were also too little descriptions of character actions or scenery， which left me confused too many times in the 50 pages that I've read。The themes and the setting overall are interesting and if you're a I like the time period the book is set in and initially the character interactions。 But Clem pretty quickly became unbearably annoying to me， constantly interrupting other people or having something cool to say。 I dislike the character too much to enjoy my time reading the rest of the book。 There were also too little descriptions of character actions or scenery， which left me confused too many times in the 50 pages that I've read。The themes and the setting overall are interesting and if you're a fan of that， this might still be worth checking out for you。 。。。more
Ana
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