The author sent me an ARC of this book (pdf format) in exchange for an honest review.
My rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Plot
(by Goodreads)
“Through the stark and leafless trees, I see her.
I remember the first day I saw her; an instant attraction. I think she’s beautiful. She has such pensive blue eyes; they remind me of a blue sky right before the sun descends. Every time I see her I want to talk to her, I want to get to know her, and I want to be her friend.
She usually completes the lower woodland walk in six minutes and forty-two seconds; she misses the deeper woodlands and goes home, I believe.
I walk down the road at the same speed as her. She reaches the crossroads at the bottom of the road, looks both ways, and then jogs across into the garden of a house. I stop walking and concentrate on which house is hers.
I can’t stare too long but I am intrigued already, I will come back.”
T. J. Blake’s psychological thriller, ‘Deception – A Love of Lies’, will not let you look at passing dog walkers the same.
| Genre(s): | Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers & Suspense > Suspense |
| Series: | n.a. |
| Length: | 380 pages |
| Release date: | 2016-07-30 |
Teaser
Opening my eyes, I see her kneeling in front of me, but the image disintegrates. I sit up straight and look to the wall. The images of Cindy have gone; all that remains are the photos of the woman from the dog walks and my nocturnal visits to her house.
My Opinion
Yes, he did it again. T. J. Blake knows how to create a subtle feeling of thrill in a reader’s mind. This book introduces you to Billy Allen and his dog Ella. Ella is adorable, and Billy… You need to find out about Billy yourself.
With Deception: A Love of Lies, T. J. Blake has once again created a story of normal surroundings with a mysterious character; he might be mad, and he might be sane. Similar to the case of Schroedinger’s cat – you can only find out if you read this book. It is a compelling read, drawing you into Billy’s house. T. J. Blake knows how to keep you glued to the story, in dire need of finding out who/what Billy really is. Billy and Eve are quite complex, despite the mixed emotions I had about them. The story comprises authentic characters, interesting turns, and has a good flow.
This is a book for you if you like suspense stories with characters who might turn out every which way, and a subtle creepiness.
Recommended!
In brief:
| Cover | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ |
| Writing | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ |
| Plot | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ |
| Characters | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ |
| Mood | Suspenseful |
| Pace | Steady |
| POV | First person – present and past tenses |
| Language |  |
| Violence | 😳 |
| Sexual content | 😳 |
About the author
T. J. Blake is an indie author in the UK, most known for his thriller and horror novels. Currently living in Surrey, T. J. Blake by day is a Copywriter for a Digital Marketing Company and by night an author. T. J. is currently writing the final book for ‘The Endurance Series’ – due for release in 2017.
Blake has self-published two books from ‘The Endurance Series’ – ‘Endurance’ (getBook.at/B00E8Q9QCU) and ‘Endurance: Apocalypse’ (getBook.at/B00Q57MIOI), a standalone mystery thriller called ‘The Author’ (getBook.at/B00HYN2QAI), and his brand new psychological thriller, ‘Deception’ (getbook.at/DeceptionTJBlake).
Being a child that needed speech therapy and extra support with writing and spelling, Blake was never considered to be a child who would enjoy the craft of writing. His passion for writing lopsided slightly as school life took over; but once he completed his GCSE’s, Blake then showcased his writing in College. The A-Level subjects English Language and Film Studies encouraged him to write more and to continue a journey into further education. After two years at Godalming College, he went to Kingston University to study Creative Writing with English Language & Communications in 2012.
After three years of intense studying and writing, Blake was very proud to receive his Bachelor of Arts with Honours Degree in Creative Writing with English Language & Communications in 2015. His Creative Writing studies helped him to fully grasp the concept of writing, plot structure and entertainment, whilst English Language and Communications allowed him to learn about language and how people communicate in both the reality and the fictional world.
The prospect of writing to entertain people across the world at first was terrifying to Blake, but now it’s something he thrives on. Since becoming a self-published author in 2013 with CreateSpace, Blake has written and self-published four novels, which are all available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Waterstones Marketplace.
Blake on writing – “Writing is a powerful tool, especially Creative Writing – it gives you the freedom to create a whole new world inside yours and your reader’s mind.”
Connect with the author:
Please take a look at my statement on reading in My train of thoughts on …reading. Now I am asking you. 🙂
My questions for you bibliophiles:
What about you? What did you think about Deception: A Love of Lies? Or – if you did not yet read Deception: A Love of Lies – are you now interested in reading it yourself?
I am looking forward to reading your comments. 🙂
My train of thoughts on... 
Pingback: Deception: A Love of Lies Reviewed! | T. J. Blake #Author
I love the little blushing emoji you have for sexual content…LOL!
Thank you, Teresa. Traffic light emojis are great for reviews. Perhaps I did not describe how to create them in my legend.
“:mrgreen:” = green, happy
“:oops:” = yellow, blushing
“>-(” = red, angry
Sounds pretty intense.
Absolutely, Craig. You might know the feeling that you could miss something if you stop – as if the story might continue without you.
I do understand that feeling.