Tomes of Miscellany--When First We Decieve

Tomes of Miscellany

Welcome to the land of danger and intrigue, where individuals are legion and non-conformity is the norm. Join me as I explore the many facets of humanity and meet the scum of the earth and its angels incarnate.

W A R N I N G !

This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.

That said, on to the review!

Title: When First We Decieve
Author: Charles Wilson
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Format: Hardcover
Copyright Date: 1998

The return of an old girlfriend to his sleepy coastal town marks the beginning of a terrible ordeal for Brett Dunnigan and his wife, Paige. Not that she causes any trouble for them that way. But when she turns up dead--nearly decapitated--and the Feds show up to investigate, all clues point to the arrival of a serial killer in the community. Only, there are certain things that don't fit the modus operandi of the serial killer...like, say, the man was in jail at the time of the murder? Which means that the killer is still on the loose, and still a threat to the community. With the Sheriff's department and the FBI closing in on him, to what lengths will the killer go to preserve his freedom? And will Brett and Paige survive long enough to stop him?

When First We Decieve is the kind of suspense novel that I enjoy reading once in a while: small stage, small cast, interesting plot, fast pace. I don't like being bludgeoned with page after page of detailed schematics and statistics, or endless arrays of minor faceless one-scene characters whose sole purpose in the novel is to deliver a pizza or answer a phone call. Fortunately, Charles Wilson doesn't do that to you.

Despite that the plot is straightforward and flows straight ahead without excessive exposition to develop backstory, the novel is still highly convoluted with its twists and turns as the Dunnigans search for clues to the murder of Brett's friend. The story takes several expected turns--the serial killer angle was rather blatantly impossible to accept as motive--and several unexpected ones...that is, they come across as unexpected even though the author does set you up for them. You'll just have to find them all yourself.

When First We Decieve packs a considerable punch for a thriller, despite--or because--its length being only 260 pages. But if the writing's good and the plot is interesting...hey it could be 100 or 1000 pages and you'd still read it, right?

Rating: Thumbs up! Are small-town police officers ready for a serial killer's handiwork?

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This page posted February 16, 2002.

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