Deceit by Casey King

Deceit by Casey King is published with Joffe Books. It is a debut novel, the first book in The Dublin Thrillers and is described as ‘an explosive new gangland crime series packed with twists, turns and deceit.’

When Danielle Lewis arrives into Dublin airport she is met with an unexpected welcoming team. Having left home ten years previously, in an attempt to block out what had happened to her, Danielle is back and looking for answers. Danielle lost her unborn child following an attempt on her life and, afterwards, she understandably fell apart. The distance that grew between herself and her husband, Jason, sent him, unforgivably, into the arms of other women. When Danielle discovered this betrayal, it drove her to distraction. Leaving was her only option, in the hope of salvaging her peace of mind.

Ten years is a long time in gangland crime and, when Danielle returns to the fold, the dynamics have shifted. With the onset of more violence between warring families, Danielle finds herself propelled into an unanticipated position of power. Danielle takes this opportunity to uncover the truth of her past. Who tried to kill her? Who ruined her life? And, most importantly, who was responsible for the death of her unborn baby?

Deceit is a fast-moving debut that dives straight into the tale of two top crime families. There are multiple characters in this novel that does cause a little confusion at times but, once you grasp who’s who, it all aligns itself nicely. I do love grit in my crime fiction and I do like to feel I’m immersed in an authentic environment and Casey King pulls this off, with good reason. Casey King has first-hand experience of gangland crime as a member of An Garda Síochána and, with a diploma in Policing Studies, she has an abundance of knowledge. She certainly has the skill set, with all the ingredients there to formulate the perfect plot for a new crime fiction series. I personally would have liked to have read more of Danielle’s backstory as I do feel like I missed out on a chunk of background that was glossed over a little. I think there definitely is material for a prequel here. Unfortunately the ending was way too rushed for me which did taint my overall experience as I was left with an open mouth when I realised that that was the final page!

Deceit has a cast of very credible and nasty characters that really bring the book alive, alongside punchy dialogue and a frighteningly plausible plot. This is a solid debut and I honestly think that Casey King is a writer to watch. I would not be surprised if I heard a TV option was on the cards in the future!