A Lethal Deception by Rachel Amphlett

Today I am thrilled to share my thoughts on the latest book in the Detective Kay Hunter series from Rachel Amphlett, A Lethal Deception. My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for the tour invite and to the author for the advance copy for review. Here’s what the book is all about:

About the Book

When a brutal attack on a business owner is followed by a suspicious death, the police first suspect the beginning of a new underworld drugs war.

Then a second victim is found dead, and the truth starts to look like something much worse.

With the death toll rising and her career under scrutiny from the media and her own superiors, Kay Hunter is running out of time to unravel the deadly secrets hiding behind ruthless ambition and treachery.

But Kay isn’t going to give up easily.

Because this time, the first victim is closer to home…

My Thoughts

I do love the Kay Hunter series. Heck, I love all of Rachel Amphlett’s books but there is something about getting into a really good, long running series, one where you can get to know, and love, the characters, that really makes the reading experience an absolute pleasure. This is one of those series. Combining initruging police investigations, with great characters who evoke a real myriad of emotions, there isn’t a bad book amongst them, and A Lethal Deception, the latest in the series, is another winner.

In a case which is scarily close to home for Kay and the team, we find ourselves mixed up in a twisted and deadly investigation that circles the world of drug abuse, big pharma and organised theft. It’s a very unusual case in that rather than being front and centre, Kay is somewhat sidelined in this particular investigation, and for once it’s not because someone in the higher floors of HQ is out to cause trouble. I love seeing how Rachel Amphlett has explored Kay’s conflicting emotions, the distraction caused by the nature of the case, but her absolute determination to get to the bottom of things, for reasons that are as much personal as professional. She is forced to trust colleagues, something she does implicitly anyway, but because being too involved could cost them a conviction. Kay is a normally really focused character, and seeing her slightly off balance adds a different dimension of tension to the story.

This book really taps into the growing trend, and concern, of using prescription drugs for illegal highs. The impact of a recent theft is widespread and reallys powers the team to find a resolution and prevent further tragedy. We can see the emotional impact cause by the devastating effects of using these drugs, on extended family and friends and you can feel it really punch out from the page. Anger, hurt, confusion – all natural reactions to the circumstances and all captured perfectly in the narrative.

There is a real sense of mystery surrounding the case. We know the what, can see where the investigation is likely to head, but all potential leds result in potential dead ends. Not all of the characters we meet throughout the course of the investigation are likeable, or sympathetic and there were some individuals who really got my dander up as we met them. The author has created an really authentic cast of characters who serve to create the necessary misdirection to keep the guilty party hidden to the very end. Greed and jealousy are the name of the game, a game in which losing could have deadly repercussions.

Now it’s not all dark and deadly investigations, and this wouldn’t be a Kay Hunter novel without a bit of banter and light hearted humour. Fans of the series will know that it’s not unusual for Kay, and her partner Adam, to have some overnight guests, and the interloper this time around has some rather unfortunate habits. Throw in the usual shop floor banter amongst the Detective team, well needed in this particular case, and you have all the hallmarks of a classic, pacy, drama laden Kay Hunter investigation. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it’s definitely recommended.

About the Author

Rachel Amphlett is a USA Today bestselling author, best known for her fast-paced crime and thriller novels.

Her debut thriller, White Gold was released in July 2011 and features British secret agent Dan Taylor. The series established Rachel as an author to watch and spurned three more novels before Rachel turned her attention to a new character, Detective Kay Hunter.

The Kay Hunter crime thrillers are based in Maidstone, Kent and feature a tight-knit team of detectives. Praised for their authenticity and attention to detail, the books are also much loved by readers for their page-turning plots and devious twists with comparisons to TV shows NCIS and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. The first book, Scared to Death was published in 2016 and won praise from Robert Bryndza (The Girl in the Ice, Shadow Sands) and Angela Marsons (Silent Scream, Deadly Cry).

More recently, Rachel created a new crime thriller series based around the central character Mark Turpin, an Oxfordshire-based detective. The first book, None the Wiser, received critical acclaim from Adrian McKinty (The Chain) and Jo Spain (With Our Blessing, The Confession), with the follow-up book, Her Final Hour being praised by the creator of the DCI Banks series, Peter Robinson.

In addition to her detective stories, Rachel also writes the English Assassins series featuring female assassin Eva Delacourt, and a number of standalone crime thrillers, psychological thrillers and conspiracy thrillers.

A keen traveller, Rachel holds both British and Australian citizenship.

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