“Fans of romantic suspense won’t be able to put this book down until the final page is turned.”–Publishers Weekly on The Deception When missing turns to murdered, one woman’s search for answers will take her to a place she never wanted to go… After searching for her sister for two long years, Kate Gallagher is devastated when she’s called to the morgue to identify Chrissy’s body, the runaway … to the morgue to identify Chrissy’s body, the runaway teen the victim of a brutal attack. Guilt and grief send Kate into a tailspin. She failed Chrissy once…she won’t do it again. Even if finding her sister’s killer means following a lethal bounty hunter into the heart of darkness, placing both their lives in danger.
Working at Maximum Security has taken Jason Maddox down some dangerous paths, but never for a client he’s so drawn to, or for a case so monstrous. As clues lead them deeper into the city’s underbelly, connections to human trafficking draw them closer and closer to peril, but even Jase’s warnings can’t convince Kate to walk away. As the deadly operation puts a target on their backs, they’ll have to decide what matters most: the truth…or their lives.
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She searched for two long years, but now Kate Gallagher has been called to the morgue to identify her sister’s body. Guilt and grief send Kate into a tailspin but she won’t fail her sister again, even if finding her sister’s killer means following a lethal bounty hunter into the heart of darkness, placing both their lives in danger. Jason Maddox has been down some dangerous paths before, but never for a client he’s so drawn to, or for a case so monstrous. The deeper into the city’s underbelly they go, the deadlier the operation becomes, placing a target on the backs and they will have to decide what’s matters most…the truth or their lives.
This ‘Maximum Security’ suspense story is an intense, emotionally gripping and riveting tale. The characters stand out and speak to readers as they dive deeper and deeper into a world of horror while dealing their vivid sizzling chemistry and magnetic attraction. The romance between them is full of danger and emotional angst due to situation, but it is obvious to readers that these two are belong together and readers can’t help but become caught up in their story as they empathize with what they are going through.
The story is set at a steady pace with the suspense building continuously and some fast paced and adrenaline pumping excitement happening as Jason and Kate’s mission draws them closer and closer to the answers they seek and the target on their back becomes exponentially more deadly. Lots of unexpected twists keeps readers on the edge and the heroine of the story is strong with some surprising attitudes that makes her a perfect fit for a lethal bounty hunter. Once again, the author has given her fans a juicy, gut clenching and riveting suspense that they can take their eyes off of.
I read a free ARC from NetGalley.com and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.
I have been a fan of Ms Martin’s books for years- action, alphas, romance- what’s not to like? Although this is the 2nd book in the series, it can be read as a stand alone- but why would you want to? Go back and read the first book.
Kate Gallagher, business owner of a management consulting firm, is called to the Dallas morgue to ID her younger sister Crissy, who she had not seen in two years, since Crissy ran away from home. Needing some human contact, she goes to a country-western hang out that night, where she meets PI and bounty hunter, former marine, 6′,4″, 210 pounds, Jason Hawkins Maddox. But they are interrupted in the parking lot, much to Kate’s relief, since this is not her character, but to Jason’s chagrin. Kate and Crissy weren’t close, as there is a huge gap in ages, but after speaking to the homicide detective police, who did not put the murder of a druggie prostitute at the top of his file of cases, she goes to Maximum Security to hire someone to find Crissy’s killer. As soon as she walks in the door, Jason, who has been thinking about her since the night they met, talks her into hiring him. They agree to fight their attraction at least until the case is closed, but as the danger escalates with Kate insisting upon being in on all the action, they are forced to share quarters, and they give in to “the chemistry”. Is that all it is? Will Jason do that stupid male thing when he realizes that he loves her, to sacrifice their love because he thinks he isn’t good for her? Whoever said “If You Love Someone, Set Them Free” is an idiot, if they meant it to mean to push them away.
Great characters, action packed age turning story make this a hard to put down exciting read.
I enjoyed this book and think it is a great balance of romance/mystery/suspense. This is the second book in the series and I definitely need to go back and read the first although this is a completely separate story line. Jason Maddox aka Jase aka Hawk is hired or rather his company Maximum Security is, by Kathryn “Kate” Gallagher to find out who killed her younger sister who had run away when she was 16 years old, two years prior. The seedy world their investigation leads them into is quite different from Kate’s usual and is also very dangerous. Kate insists on being there and helping with the investigation something Jase struggles with. There is some hot sizzling chemistry between Jase and Kate that leads to some very steamy sexy times but also some difficult decisions because of it. Both main characters are great as are the important supporting ones. I hope there is more to come from Kat Martin and this series.
The Deception (Maximum Security #2) by Kat Martin …..I love this Maximum Security series …Thanks to Kat Matrin, the publisher and #NetGalley for letting me preview this book. Kate Gallagher .. has been looking for her runaway sister for two years only to find out she has been murdered. She wants revenge on the killer…she hires Jason aka Jase aka Hawk Maddox…bounty hunter/ PI..member of THE MAX. This book keep me on the edge of my seat.. there is murder, human trafficking, violence, mystery, angst, laughs, tears and steam all to finally get to a HEA. I can’t wait now for the next book…Bran Garrett and Jessica Kegan’s story.
Received an ARC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review.
Another wonderful story from Kar Martin, the book was action packed with lots of the issues facing us in our lives in this day and age. The chemistry between Kate and Jase are off the charts, as they search for her sisters killers. I would definitely recommend this book to those that enjoy romantic suspense.
I’ve recently “re-discovered” Kat Martin and thoroughly enjoy her books. Good action, well developed characters, and enough romance to make it interesting.
Amazing story-line! It’s a wild ride from the first page until The End. If you enjoy a great mystery, added in a tender romance and the final HEA, this series is for you. From a missing sister to solving crimes, there is continuous intrigue. Kate literally grew into a new person as she met people in the dark underworld of crime and human trafficking. This author does a perfect job of writing this story from beginning to end.
This is a well-written, entertaining, steamy, romantic suspense novel. It has likable, engaging characters, a hot hero, a strong and capable female protagonist, suspense, action, intrigue, and a happily ever after ending. I am looking forward to reading the next novel, “The Ultimate Betrayal”, in Ms. Martin’s outstanding “Maximum Security” series with great anticipation.
From instant attraction to a steamy love story the romance side of the tale balances the danger-filled, wild chase for justice suspense.
I liked the storyline, and I enjoyed the characters, yet there were times the plot was moving a bit slow or there was so much extra happening surrounding the characters that I lost focus and had to pause. Overall a good story and I believe that I would be interested to read future installments in the series.
It’s been ages since I last read a book by Kat Martin. Luckily, this book didn’t disappoint. It was packed with action ,suspense and some romance. Truly an engaging read for fans of mystery book. Although I haven’t read the first book yet, I didn’t have a hard time coping with the story.
Good read. I enjoyed the characters as well as the plot. Love reading a story that put me on the edge of my seat, and this one did now and again. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.
An Amazing Suspense .
I really enjoyed reading this outstanding story . I read till the wee hours in the night because this story was so captivating . The story is a well written and fantastic characters . It is a dollar coaster ride of suspense and twists and turns . Kathryn Gallagher’s sister ran away two years ago. They never found her . Kate is called to identify her sisters body . She soon finds she was murdered and detective isn’t hurting himself to find any leads . Upset after identifying her Kate finds herself at the Sagebrush Saloon drinking and dancing trying to forget . Jason Hawking Maddox has a meeting at the Saloon with an informate . He and Kate dance and decide to leave but soon Kate stops herself before she regrets it even though their chemistry is hot . Kate decides she’ll need to hire an investigator to help her . She finds Jason works at Maximum Security she hires him . Soon the open up a huge can of worms and will be fighting for their lives . This is an outstanding and Intense story . I highly recommend taking the time to read .
Great book
This is Jason Hawk Maddox’s book in the Maximum Security series & it was amazing! Hawk helps Kate Gallagher find her sister’s killer after the police were no help. There’s great characters, action, and the story keeps you entertained. You won’t want to put the book down! You will love Jason & Kate and the supporting characters and will want this couple to get their HEA. A must read book & series!!
I’ve been enjoying Kat Martin’s Maximum Security series, and each novel I read is better than the previous one. The Deception kept me glued to my Kindle until I finished reading this exciting romantic suspense novel at 5:00 a.m., and it gets 5 stars from this sleep-deprived reader.
Kate Gallegher, a beautiful, smart, and savvy business entrepreneur has been searching for her missing sister, Chrissy, for the past two years. Chrissy left home at age 16 and hasn’t been seen since, that is until Kate is called to the morgue to identify her sister’s bruised, battered, beaten, and obviously drug-addicted body. To try to get that picture out of her head, she heads to a local bar to drown her sorrows, meets a handsome, hunky cowboy, and since their chemistry is incendiary, they nearly have sex in the back of his SUV, but Kate calls a halt to it, and he simply drives her home.
Furious about what happened to her sister, she decides to hire a private investigator from the highly regarded Maximum Security Agency (The Max) to help her discover where her sister had been for the past 2 years, what had happened to her, how she ended up in the morgue and who killed her. The local police, who seem to have been of little help, don’t seem too eager to spend time looking for the killer of a drug-addicted hooker. When Kate enters The Max, she’s shocked to discover her aborted one-night stand, Jason (Hawk) Maddox, a bounty hunter, and because of their mutual attraction, and his skill at finding people who don’t want to be found, he agrees to take on her case.
It’s not long before their search for Chrissy’s killer turns into a whole lot more–like bringing down a sex trafficking ring that’s been flying under the Texas police radar for some time. It’s a search fraught with danger, and while Jason would prefer to leave Kate out of it, she’s not sitting idly by, but insists on trying to help locate and bring down those responsible for her sister’s death. It’s also not long before they discover that Chrissy’s death matches similar deaths all over Texas, and as the search progresses, and clues are discovered, Jason can’t help but be attracted by Kate’s beauty, grit, stamina and courage, and their almost one-night stand turns into one dangerous, steamy, sexy romance, with both parties knowing that once the case is solved, and the killers and sex traffickers brought to justice, their relationship will end–or will it?
Kat Martin knows how to write gripping, gritty, sexy, romantic suspense novels that are simply impossible to put down, and although I’m a fairly recent fan of her work, this series has grabbed my attention and continues to improve and impress with each new novel. While this novel works as a standalone, I’d suggest reading these novels in the order written, since some of the characters from previous novels turn up as supporting cast members in this one. In short, this was one terrific read and I’m happy to recommend it.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
Kat Martin’s The Deception is full of suspense, dangers, mystery, and lots of action. It begins with Kate Gallagher identifying the body of her runaway younger sister Christina “Chrissy” at the Dallas morgue. Guilt ridden, she goes to Sagebrush Saloon and encounters Jason Hawk) Maddox whom she later learns he is a private eye/bounty hunter at Maximum Security. Jason and Kate are led into the depth of the seedy world of drugs, prostitution, and human trafficking which put their lives at risk. They are unable to ignore the hot sizzling chemistry between them. The book has a great balance of romance and suspense. One never knows what will come next on the next page.
The Deception by Kat Martin is the second book in the Maximum Security series. The Deception is an outstanding story and Kat Martin is an amazing storyteller. The Deception is the story of Kathryn “Kate” Gallagher and Jason “Hawk” Maddox, bounty story. The story begins with Kate identifying the body of her runaway younger sister Christina “Chrissy” at the Dallas morgue. Kate is guilt ridden and goes to the Sagebrush Saloon to forget about it. She encounters Jason at the bar and on the dance floor. They get into the back seat of Jase’s Yukon, but “Just Kate” puts and end to things before they get to far. Kate wants to learn what happened to Chrissy and after doing internet research, decides to hire Chase Garrett at Maximum Security. When she arrives at Maximum Security, Kate encounters Jase and he offers to help her find out what happened to Chrissy. They soon learn that Chrissy was murdered and had a red lipstick tattoo behind her ear, marking her as the property of Los Besos. Chrissy was a teenage prostitute going my Tina Gallen and was trying to clean up her life at New Hope Rehabilitation Center. Working together is both dangerous to Kate and Jase’s hearts and lives. There are multiple surprise plot twists that only Kat Martin can deliver, and I loved everyone of them. The book is filled with action, danger, and of course romance. I loved every page of The Deception and how it all came full circle at the end. Cannot wait for Brandon Garrett’s story in book three.
This was another fast-paced, suspenseful read with great characters. From the beginning it pulled me in and kept my attention until the end. Jase and Kate were great characters with amazing chemistry. I would love to read more about the other characters in this thrilling read.. I can’t wait to read the next book.
The Deception by Kat Martin
Maximum Security #2
In the introductory scene Kate Gallagher is asked to identify a body in the morgue, her younger sister’s body, and it guts her. They were not close due to the gap in age between them but to lose her was tough and to find out she had been murdered and suffered sent her out to forget. Into the arms of rugged Jason “Hawk” Maddox she falls hoping to forget and get out of her head for a bit…boy was there chemistry between them!
Kate decides the police will probably never find her sister’s murderer so hires someone to help her find the man…and who should she end up hiring but…Hawk. The chemistry is still there but they decide they can ignore it in pursuit of the bad guy(s). And pursue they did. With many leads that took them to a few other cities they uncovered more than one criminal that needed to be brought down. They are well suited to working together and that is just what they do. There are some ups and downs and scary situations in this romantic suspense that eventually does end with HEA for the two of them.
What I liked:
* Kate: What a strong individual she was…and so open in her caring, sharing and sense of purpose
* Hawk: Strong protective and caring he wanted to do what was right for Kate but sometimes got it wrong and I wanted to set him straight
* The team at Maximum Security: Can’t wait to read Brandon’s story next…and hope that perhaps Wolfe or Jaxon will have have stories, too.
* That the bad guys did get their comeuppance
What I didn’t like:
* The bad guys…there were more than one or two and all deserved to be wiped off the face of the earth!
* The idea that trafficking of human beings happens in real life and though this book is fiction it reminded me of the callousness of human beings
Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in the series? Yes
This is definitely romantic suspense with a bit of steam but it is also, in some ways, fantasy. Why do I say that? I don’t think that Kate would really have been able to do all that she did in this book without more training and backstory but this is fiction so anything can happen, right?
Thank you to NetGalley and HQN for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4 Stars
I finished The Conspiracy undecided about whether I would continue with this series and remained on the fence until I read the blurb for The Deception, which convinced me to give it a try. This one has good suspense and action, but there are also several similarities between it and the first book in the series, so it has its good and bad points.
There is more of the same in Martin’s characters here. The good guys are all pretty people, for lack of a better way to say it. I’ll save the lengthy descriptions on both sides, but suffice it to say the bad guys are all the opposite of the good guys. Basically, in the Maximum Security world, there are no attractive bad guys and vice versa, or that’s the impression it gives. All that accomplished for me was to make the characters almost caricature-like. That’s not including our romantic couple, who of course, are both sexy and hard to resist. I did like that Kate is a strong woman, and she even though she does sometimes need rescuing, she can also take care of herself.
As far as the romance, there is a lot of back and forth about where things are going for both Kate and Jason, which is common in romance. However, the angst comes from the ‘I’m not good for you, so I’m letting you go to protect you,’ a trope that is tired at best. Kate and Jason do have good chemistry, and I liked them together, but I lost some of that when the romance is tested in that way. The story has some good intrigue, and there is plenty of danger for this couple so that extra angst just felt unnecessary.
All in all, The Deception had its pros and cons for me, but I did like it better than the first in the series.