“I love Carrie Stuart Parks’s skill in writing characters with hysterical humor, unwitting courage and page-turning mystery. I hope my readers won’t abandon me completely when they learn about her!” –Terri Blackstock, USA TODAY bestselling author of If I Run, If I’m Found, and If I Live An artist hiding from an escaped killer uncovers one of World War II’s most dangerous secrets–a secret that … secret that desperate men will do anything to keep hidden.
After the murder of her twin sister, Murphy Anderson changed her name and appearance and moved to Kodiak, Alaska, to avoid the press and publicity. But when local authorities discover she’s an artist and request her help in drawing a dying man’s memories, she unintentionally ends up in the limelight again–and back in the killer’s crosshairs.
The deathbed confessions of an Alaskan hunter have Murphy drawing the five bodies he discovered on remote Ruuwaq Island ten years ago. But what investigators find has them mystified. Evidence suggests that the bodies were deliberately destroyed, and what they uncover in an abandoned Quonset hut from World War II only brings more questions.
As one by one the investigators who were at the hut die, Murphy knows there is something much darker at stake. What happened on this island during the war? And who is willing to kill to keep its secrets buried?
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Murphy Andersen’s twin sister was murdered by a serial killer and Murphy relocates to Kodiak, Alaska to escape publicity. Local authorities discover she is an artist and ask for her help in drawing a dying man’s memories. But now Murphy fears she has placed herself right in the killer’s crosshairs.
The deathbed confessions of this man have Murphy drawing the death scene of five bodies on a remote island from ten years ago. Everything about this whole thing have the investigators mystified. The bodies seem to have been deliberately destroyed and they also uncover something startling in an old abandoned Quonset hurt from World War II.
Then people start dying who have seen or investigated all this. Murphy knows something seriously dark is at state. What happened on this secret island during the war? And why are people even now willing to kill to keep it a secret?
I was captivated from the first page of this novel. Carrie Stuart Parks is a master at this. I read this book in just under two days, anxious during every moment to finish to find out what happened. There are many surprises here, most bad, but some good. Highly recommended.
**I received a complimentary copy of this book by Thomas Nelson Publishers through Net Galley. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
An artist, hiding in Kodiak, Alaska, finds herself pulled into a police investigation using her artistic skills for forensic drawings. Her name changed, no one knows that Murphy Anderson isn’t who she says she is and she is certainly not a forensic artist. Yet her skills seem to be good enough for the local police department to not request any credentials. When a local priest is murdered following a visit with Murphy, her picture is shared with the local newspaper.
With additional murders, the case becomes bigger and spreads, along with her picture.. Her biggest fear that the man who murdered her twin sister, and tried to kill her, leaving her face knife scarred, will find her. When she learns he has escaped prison, her fears grow, especially when weird things start happening such as notes and pictures.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the priest’s death leads investigators through a myriad of murders and secrets, some decades old. Something happened on the nearby remote island of Ruuwaq…something related to World War II. What happened? Why are people being killed? What’s with the rats on an island with little to no vegetation or forms of life?
This novel grabbed me from page one until the very end. I read it in 24 hours!
I’ve read a couple of books by Carrie Stuart Parks before but this one was totally different. A psychological thriller for sure! The main character Murphy is really messed up. She has experienced terrible things that put her in an asylum of her own will. When the story begins she is out and hiding from a killer that is after her. She changes her identity and appearance to better keep him at bay. Suffice it to say there were so many twists and turns during the story that I got confused a few times. There were bits of WWII included as well as plenty of dead bodies that seemed totally unrelated. How did they connect, or did they? It seemed that nearly everyone Murphy came in contact with wound up dead or injured. There is no way I would have ever figured out the ending. It was bizarre at best. Do not cheat and skip to the ending! Don’t you like surprises, because there is plenty in this novel.
I like the fact that the author has criminal police experience and is a forensic artist. That really adds authenticity to the story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through the Fiction Guild but was not required to write a review positive or otherwise.
I did enjoy the book but there were times I was a little lost. I think it is because there were so many characters, I couldn’t keep up with them. The story is good though and kept my interest throughout. I loved that it was set in Alaska. I hear that it is beautiful there, but I don’t think I could handle the cold weather.
Murphy is a complex character and I tried to connect with her. Her need to hide out in a town that no one knows her really intrigued me. She has encountered a dark past that has traumatized her. Her fear is that the person who she thought would stay in prison forever just might be on the loose. That would certainly have me on edge. She is a bright woman and fits in well in the town until she starts to lie about her background. The title of the book is perfect, because the story is full of deceptions.
I loved how the author seamlessly included history from WWII. That just enhances the mystery more when unexplained deaths start occurring during a murder investigation. No one is safe who has anything to do with investigating the crime, and bodies start to drop. Murphy must use her wits and survival instincts to stay ahead of danger. The ending will catch you off guard. It’s another hit for this gifted author.
I received a copy of this book from The Fiction Guild. The review is my own opinion.
Hard to put down
I received a copy of this book from The Fiction Guild, I was not required to give a favorable review. This book was very hard to put down. The suspense in it keeps you on your toes throughout the whole book. Murphy went to Kodiak, Alaska thinking she would get the answers to her sisters disappearance. But she ends up doing is helping the police department as a forsenic artist but then she also find herself involved in more than just that. She ends up uncovering a deception that had been in place since 1941 and a whole lot of murders have been going on to quite everyone involved. If you love a book with a lot of intrigue I would recommend this book to read.
This is my first read by this author and will not be my last. It is a roller coaster ride of intense plot twists that keeps you on the edge of your seat and looking over your shoulder for the killer or killers. It is difficult to figure out and has several surprises in store. Murphy is a character you can identify with as she has lost her twin sister and trying to solve what really happened to her. She meets multiple characters along the way and when you throw in the historical aspects of WWII it has you in its grip. Suspense that makes you dig deep to try to solve the mysterious crimes. Very enjoyable read. I received a complimentary copy from Thomas Nelson & Zondervan Fiction Guild. The honest review and opinions are own and were not required.
“You can’t trust him. You can’t trust anyone . . . . You have a mission.”
Memories are a funny thing; some are quite trustworthy, while others may present themselves as a “formula of deception”. Murphy Anderson finds herself caught in between, as bewildering flashbacks handicap her ability to recalibrate her life in Kodiak, Alaska following the heinous murder of her twin sister.
Posing as a forensic artist, Murphy is pulled beside the deathbed of another Alaskan who is forcing painful memories to the surface. Capitalizing on her artistic abilities, his trail of sketchy details leads the crime team to the remote Ruuwag Island, where a rather routine search for clues turns into a labyrinth of evidence so volatile that everyone who comes in contact is promptly eliminated.
Deemed a “soul searcher” by the natives, Murphy’s unique skill for gathering details has placed her squarely in the crosshairs of those who are carefully guarding their secrets. So many questions. And so few answers. This thrilling novel by Carrie Stuart Parks has more twists and turns than an underground cave, and its readers will be awestruck when they discover how she fits it all together.
Superb writing and plot with an interesting and different heroine and her cat, Mr. Brinkley. Written by a forensic artist (in real life) who gives authenticity to the story. Once started, you won’t want to put it down.
Formula Of Deception – Wow did Ms. Parks outdo herself. This story is thrilling, agonizingly mysterious, calculating and downright breathtaking from the ride you are on – you have it all – the who, what, where, when and why – who and why is what you are so longing looking at each page trying to find out just who and just why. The author has brilliantly made the characters full of life and what is most of all important – full of Faith. The characters are complicating real. They were brought to life from the very beginning. You have Murphy Anderson – who is an artist – but tries to convince others that she is a forensic artist.- has a secret – one that could harm those around her – will she ever share? Will she even care that her life is in danger? Is seeking the one hiding as smart as she thinks it is? The reason why she does all this is for a very serious – life changing reason. While she portrays herself as a Forensic Artist she is hired by The police in the town she just moved to – she starts working in a cold case as well as trying to deal with this secret she has that causes severe repercussions on those she know. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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Breathe now, you won’t be able to later…
As soon as I saw that Carrie Stuart Parks had a new book coming out I knew that it would be a must-read for me, I didn’t even read the blurb to find out what it was about until I already had a copy on my Kindle. When Formula Of Deception arrived on my Kindle I couldn’t resist, it was futile, despite a number of books being higher on my TBR pile, I just couldn’t help myself, I HAD to read this book right NOW.
Formula Of Deception was everything I could have hope for and more, lots more. I loved it!!! Carrie Stuart Parks’ no-nonsense, straightforward, rather blunt, writing style captured me from the first book of hers that I read and each succeeding title only furthers my appreciation of her talents.
Formula Of Deception was delightfully chilling, spine-tingling, and even a little eerie in places. Merging a seventy year old mystery, terrifying secrets, and some modern people that will stop at nothing to get what they want, Carrie Stuart Parks takes her readers on a wild ride they won’t soon forget.
I just couldn’t seem to turn the pages fast enough with this book and now I am left, waiting, desperately waiting, for the next book from this author…
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)
I love the characters.
Gwen Marcey is not your run-of-the-mill, play-by-the-book crime fighter. She’s serious when she should be, always broke, usually fighting her ex-husband for child custody, laughing with her best friend and sidekick, and about as real as a fictional character can be. I’ve read three of the Gwen Marcey series and loved every one of them, can hardly wait to read the ones coming up on my list. I do have one complaint, however, and that is that Ms. Parks often has so many subplots going on along with the main story I have trouble keeping up with her characters—who’s who and what have they got to do with which problem. But don’t let this stop you from reading her books (could be that my age (80) boggles my logic at times). Happy reading y’all!
This book kept me riveted from start to finish. Ms. Parks is a master-mind in creating suspense and surprise. I had zero idea how it would all come together.
That was quite the surprise ending. Could hardly put it down!!
This intriguing mystery snagged my attention immediately. The author skillfully weaves the compelling plot threads and crafts a thriller that drives readers to immerse themselves in a story that won’t let them go. The back cover summary says it well: “An artist hiding from an escaped killer uncovers one of World War II’s most dangerous secrets—a secret that desperate men will do anything to keep hidden.” Especially in an age with biological weapons and secrecy abounding, reading an exciting novel dealing with this is much preferred to reading such details in the news. The author’s suspense quotient and ability to handle subplots to increase tension and provide a wild ride makes me eager to read another of her books, which I will be doing soon. The interesting, realistic characters and the rugged setting around Kodiak, Alaska, add to the enjoyment. I received a copy as a contest prize from the author. All opinions are my own.
I love books by this author
I thought Formula of Deception was another story in the Gwen Marcey series, so it took me a little longer to get in to Formula of Deception, because I kept waiting for Gwen to show up. She doesn’t, because the book isn’t about her.
Formula of Deception begins on April Fool’s Day on a small island of the coast of Alaska as an earthquake then tsunami hit. It then moves to the present day, where Murphy Andersen has got a job as a police artist on Kodiak Island, Alaska. She’s drawing a decades-old murder scene, based on the memories of a dying priest.
Murphy was a fascinating character.
There is obviously some unknown trauma in her history, and this unfolds gradually as the plot progresses, as her personal story collides with the story of the dead bodies … and there are soon more dead bodies. A murderer is on the loose … but is this related to the priest’s memories, Murphy’s own personal history, or something else?
Murphy is hiding details about her personal history from her police colleagues, and it’s not always easy to find the truth in her words, thoughts, and actions. This makes the book a challenge, but is also a strength, as it highlights the tension and the suspense. And there is plenty of suspense.
Recommended for suspense fans. Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review